Interesting Read

[Bekey]

http://community.nrs.com/duct-tape/2014 ... -paddling/

Wondering what peoples thoughts are on this article I just read. Might be cool for people to post up articles they find interesting here and they won't be lost! Thought this was a really good perspective on getting better at paddling and pushing yourself.

[Conor_B]

That's a great read. It's also worth noting that if your goals are just to paddle the next hardest river and you aren't happy messing on a more basic river, you're going to get bored once you run out of rivers fairly quickly!

Also, I'd reckon style is one of the best ways to build a reputation on a river; it makes a big difference standing on a bank doing rescue for someone who puts on a good display over just having to watch someone pinball down something.

Just as an aside having read Mike's solid post and not wanting to be out-done (because regardless of on the river, if you don't go big on the board you won't get thanked!):
When I was in first year going on my first Alps trip I was full of gusto finally getting out to run the biggest shit I could find however I was sorely disillusioned when we were running Grade 3/4 rivers day in day out. I felt that it was a waste of time if all we were doing were glorified lazy rivers that I could sit on my hole and float from the top to the bottom. It was only after some eye opening inspiration from the big brass, the likes of Dave Carroll that I realised I could still have fun on these rivers without needing to have adrenaline coming out my nose. Because chances are, if adrenaline is coming out your nose you're on one of the rare days where you're pushing yourself in a good environment or more than likely you're in over your head. The best indicator for that is whether or not you style it or pinball it.

[MikeShaw]

A interesting read

I'm in the middle of waiting 40mins plus for some test results so I thought Id put speak to paper (figuratively) on how I feel about some of the points in that. Its very personal some might disagree but remember this is my opinion and I am entitled to it.

When I started kayaking, and those that started with me are few and far between these days, the emphasis absolutely was on hitting the goals, pushing yourself, doing your levels. Getting the pat on the back from the older/better paddlers to say "Good Job" or "You styled that". The drive was so "gamified" that you always had goals to do X,Y,Z.

That generation, that started in 2010, hit those goals very quickly. Within a year or 2 nearly all of us were Grade 4 qualified with 2 alps trips under our belts including tutoring by some of the best kayakers Ireland and Europe had to offer.

Right now you are probably thinking something along the lines of "But you dont kayak anymore" or "Bet you can do anything like that anymore" or something like that. You wouldn't be far wrong.

Where I fell out with kayaking is when Colm Johnson died. Colm was one of the guys I looked up to and while I knew him briefly I am constantly affected by what happened to him.

For over a year now I have had little drive or interest in kayaking. The selfish nature of the sport and language like " You should Push yourself" and "Go big or go home" and these dicks with their stupid caps willy waving on every pickling kayaking video about how "Stout" or "Brown" their shit is. Good job. Not for me, I have never sought the approval of others at the expense of my own well being and never will.

Recently I have decided to get back into kayaking bur for a different purpose. What I really miss about kayaking is the people, the trips, the days out. The feeling after a good day on the river. I am no longer interested in grades, or trying to 1 up my friends or trying to be the biggest dick on the block. I want to enjoy the energy around the club and want to be able to give back to the club in whatever way I can.

As New kayakers in the club my advice would be to not see this a sequence of goals to achieve in the quickest time possible. To never listen to people that say "You should push yourself", "Go big or go home" They are idiots. Take your time, enjoy the sport. If you love what you are doing the goals will be met along the way.

I honestly feel that the Stout and Brown mentality is extremely dangerous and damaging to the sport

Above all respect the water.

Update: What Conor says is very important! Always hit everymove! Don't just truck down something! Hucking off some park and huck is small balls to some really sweet bank to bank styling!

[Bekey]

I understand what you are saying and I get your point.

I think at the end of it paddling is about different things to different people. At the start you might wanna go and run everything but at some point when you get older/wiser/insert reason here you might decide that paddling is about something else. But it should always be about style!

And on that note another really good article that I think looks at some of the stuff mike was addressing

http://www.sitezed.com/no-province-for-old-men/

all of the links!

[MikeShaw]

http://www.sitezed.com/no-province-for-old-men/

Are you calling me an old man? :O

Ill read when I get a chance

[AndrewRegan]

"No rapid is worth not running the next one with your friends."

Interesting perspective Mike, but besides the above statement I disagree with plenty, many because I am your idiot who will be encouraging people to push themselves during the Alps trip.

I won't be putting people's lives at risk, but I will be an encouraging voice to tell people that they can achieve their goals if they challenge something head on.


Colm's death was heartbreaking for many of us, nobody was encouraging him to push himself though, he had an unfortunate accident on a rapid which was well within his capability. I was scheduled to safety kayak on the Ottawa the day I found out, didn't want to even look at a kayak. But I did, because I find kayaking as the best way to deal with internal problems. I met other Irish on the water that day who were also cut up. But there's no way Colm would ever want us to stop kayaking. In fact I crashed through as many holes and surfed as many waves as I could that day, paddled harder then I had for weeks.

The more you put into kayaking the more you'll get out of it. If you want to be able to surf waves with style, stay upright in bigger rapids and be a better all round paddler then you have to earn the right through practice and yes often times to make the step up you do need to push yourself. Pushing yourself is all relative to your ability as we know.

A person's first day in a kayak is pushing themselves when they do a capsize drill.
A person's first day down a grade 3 after practice on grade 2 is pushing themselves.

A person's positive attitude to get back in their boat after a swim is a result of them pushing themselves.

I am so grateful that I put my trust in other people who were encouraging me to push myself, they never put my life at risk but through their positive 'go big or go home' attitudes I did the scarier line or paddled something backwards or surfed a hole to see what would happen. This is the beauty of University paddling.


I understand you are entitled to your opinion and many others might have your mindset, these people are called club boaters.

Yours Faithfully,
The dick who will be shouting go big or go home

[mmmm_scandalous]

I came across this add and thought it quite apt for this thread..
Just look at this donkey, pushing himself past his comfort zone, GOIN' BIG!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xD6ghskNKa8

[MikeShaw]

I think there is confusion between pushing yourself and other people telling you to push yourself.

I am for the former, I am against the latter.

Nice donkey though

[Cathal]

That's a really really good article. Brings a lot home for myself anyway, given I'm still rebuilding my own paddling.
10-15 years ago, I would have considered myself as comfortable on 4+ and capable of running 5 most of the time. Then I went rusty through lack of paddling and not getting out on the water for a variety of reasons. Now, with a very different mindset and a less-capable body, I'm slowly but surely getting back to that stage. Last summer I was a bit overconfident in some places and underconfident and inexperienced in others. Reading this article did confirm the value of practice in the correct way, something I've tried to do.

I do think that if you are very comfortable and styling everything on the Castleconnell, making every move and transition as hard as possible and making it in a stylish and elegant way, then you'll have less problems when you would step up a grade, and it'll be easier to learn how to style the next grade up given the experience gained on the lower grade.

The Alps will be interesting this year I've got so much yet to (re)learn, again..

[Bekey]

I do think that sometimes for myself I need someone else to push me. Someone to just say your doing this. I try to push myself but sometimes when I am a bit uncertain about whether I can run something or not the best thing to hear is someone saying you get in your boat and run this. Someone else knowing that I have the ability and pushing me gives me confidence in my own ability!

That is why I think that its not a bad thing to have someone else push your paddling.