Paddlers Guide to OC1 - Outrigger Canoeing

Outrigger Canoeing OC1 - A Paddler's Guide

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BATINI BOOKS Est 1994

Outrigger Canoeing OC1 - A Paddler's Guide A Kanu Culture publication, published by Batini Books, written and researched by Steve West.

Disclaimer - Copyright Issues Apart from any purposes of private study or research as permitted under the copyright act, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, for the purpose of financial gain or resale. Ensure bibliographic reference when extracts are used in associated publications.

The management of Batini Books, Kanu Culture, along with the authors and editors of this book, shall not accept responsibility for any injury, loss or damage caused to any person acting or failing to act upon information arising from material in this book, whether or not such injury, loss or damage is caused by any negligent act, or omission, default or breach of duty by Batini Books, Kanu Culture or the authors and or editors, except as provided by law.

Publishing Information Š Steve West, Batini Books 2014 Photography Steve and Mandy West unless otherwise indicated. www.kanuculture.com Cover Image Chris Maynard, Mooloolaba Australia.

Photo Steve West ISBN 978-0-9574664-4-9

Contents 1. Evolution of Ocean Surf Ski Racing / 10-29 2. The OC1 Pioneering Years 1978-1999 / 30-61 3. 2000 Onwards / 62-85 4. Notes on Rigging / 86-109 5. Paddles / 110-139 6. OC1 Paddling Technique / 140-173 7. Downwind Paddling / 174-213 8. Leashes, Capsize and Recovery / 214-243 9. Lifting, Carrying, Launching and Recovery / 244-265 10. Sciatic Nerve Compression and Discomforts / 266-281 11. Race Preparation, Change Overs and Other Stuff / 282-301

STEVE WEST 2014 Winner World Paddle Award for Media 2015 Admitted into the World Paddle Academy British Windsurfing Display Team UK Board Sailing Open Sea Examiner Royal Yachting Association Senior Instructor International Windsurfing Schools Instructor First windsurfer to sail on the River Nile.

Co-Founder of the UKs Around Hayling Island Race Level 1 Coaching Principles (Aust) Level 2 Coaching Principles (Aust) Level 1 Outrigger Canoeing Coach (Aust) Elements of Shipboard Safety (Coxswains) Co National Coaching Director (Aust) with C. Maynard (5yrs) Co National Coaching Director (Fiji) with C. Philp (5yrs) Founder of AOCRA Coaching / Author of Manuals Founded Kanu Culture 1994 Author of 12 Books on the subject of Outrigger Canoeing Founding member and Vice President Mooloolaba OCC 1990 Former Vice President Australian Outrigger Canoe Racing Association Former Secretary Australian Outrigger Canoe Racing Association.

Team New Zealand Crew 1998 New Caledonia Former International Polynesian Canoe Federation Delegate.

2009 AALS (UK) Authored the Good Practice Guide for SUP 2009/10 UK SUP Coaching Development 2010 Team Starboard Racing Team UK (SUP) 2011 Appointed ASI CEO Europe SUP Division 2012 Authored Stand up Paddle - A Paddlers Guide 2014 Authored V1 - A Paddlers Guide 2014 Authored OC1 - A Paddlers Guide 2014 Mistral International VP Mistral Red Dot MD 2015 Authored SUP - Water Safety and Rescue 2015 Winner of World Paddle Awards for Media Lifetime Achievement 2015 Admitted into World Paddle Academy

My Thanks To

Tahiti Tourism, Air Pacific Air Tahiti Nui, Fiji Tourism Palau Tourism Marianas Tourism Hamilton Island Resort Infront Communications Susan Boyd, Harvie Allison Sue Sheard, Chris Maynard Jim Foti, Todd Bradley Colin Philp, Jackie Taylor Kialoa Paddles and to my beautiful wife Mandy.

Most of my paddling years have been spent either in seat 1, 2, 5 or 6. My favourite if I had to be honest, is seat 5 in big water with a top crew. In 2007 our Mooloolaba Masters crew consisting of Chris Maynard, Danny Sheard, Grant Kenny, 'Lemmo', Darren Mercer and myself won the around Hamilton Race. Sitting in seat 5 behind these guys in the hands of Danny Sheard was an epic experience I will never forget. We were fast, but did not beat the record we set in 1998, with Danny Sheard and Grant Kenny also in that crew.

Have raced in these events either once, twice or Of over 15 years of competing in the Hamilton Cup Australia, I finished on multiple occasions. The Hawaiki Nui Va`a I have raced twice, followed it five times and the out of the top 5 crews on but a few occasions, testimony to the men with toughest by far, especially the 2nd day, 60km whom I was fortunate to paddle with. iron. Catalina, Moloka`i Hoe, Hawaiki Nui Winner Masters Division of Moloka`i Hoe 1998/99 Winner Masters Division of Hamilton Cup 1998/99/07 Winner Masters Division 16km Round Hamilton Island 1998/99/07 Winner Cairns To Port Douglas (OC1) 2008 with C. Maynard Runner up Hauraki Hoe New Zealand 1998/2003 Runner up Catalina Classic 1998 (Mixed Division)

Va`a, Hamilton Cup, Micronesian Cup, Gold Coast Cup, Bay of Islands NZ, Hauraki Hoe NZ, Ouvea to Poindimie New Caledonia, Fiji International and no doubt, some I've forgotten.

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OC1 - A Paddler's Guide

1 | Preface

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Introduction As with previous books I have written regarding Outrigger Canoeing and Stand Up Paddle Boarding, I feel it important, if not vital to bring greater understanding to what I am about to set out before you, by going back in history and peeling back some of the layers which will reveal the sport to you in a way you perhaps never thought possible, if not, certainly facts about the crafts origins and evolution which may surprise you.

That being said, the purpose of this is to heighten your experience, deepen your connection to the sport and the craft, whether new to it or perhaps a veteran.

This may result in a path of learning which helps assume an upward spiral, if you have found yourself on a plateau from where you are finding it hard to move to another level.

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OC1 - A Paddler's Guide

This book is very probably over-due by a considerable number of years and in some sense the sport has certainly seen a peak and levelling off over the past ten years or so, but today in 2014, there's every reason to sense that the sport is once again experiencing a surge of renewed growth as it reaches ever newer gene pools far from the sports roots and origins.

The recent expansion of Stand Up Paddle Boarding (SUP) which has taken the world by storm since around 2005 and the winning successes of some of outrigger canoeing's notable current super-stars, who have not so much migrated to SUP as a primary sport, but a secondary sport, where today there is money and opportunity to be had, have not surprisingly been amongst the earliest and quickest pioneers.

Danny Ching, Travis Grant, Kai Bartlett, Mark Riggs, Aaron Napoleon and Georges Cronsteadt, to name but a few. Not unsurprisingly, these paddlers may have paddled with some of the top OC6 and V6 crews that California, Australia, Hawai'i and Tahiti has to offer respectively, but most significantly they are all outstanding OC1 paddlers, or V1 paddlers in the case of Cronsteadt.

Winter training in the waters off Hayling Island England - OC1

"At 21 feet, the carbon fibre boat is, a little bit wide in the middle and a little bit shorter (in length), It's more ski looking than canoe looking. It's manoeuvrable. It will point and shoot where you want to go. And in the channel, there are bumps going in eight different directions."

Tom Conner talking about his 'Striker' design in 2000.

3 | Preface

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The evolution of the surf ski followed its own natural pathway and to this end I have included content regarding this on account of the fact we can get a clear picture of how the OC1 came into being and how in many ways, though the V1 Tahitian va'a hoe was used as a 'template' for development, when push came to shove, many Hawaiian evolutionists, borrowed from surf ski concepts while at the same time (ironically) being critical of surf ski manufacturers who were simply 'bolting' on outrigger assemblies and tweaking their own hull designs.

It was in 1994 that I acquired my first OC1 in Australia, a Walter Guild / Brent Bixler 'Kaiwi Challenger'. It was long, it was heavy, the rigging relied upon steel threads and butterfly bolts; it leaked, it creaked and the seat was flat and was guaranteed to make a grown man cry after about a 60 minute stint as your rear, followed often by your left leg and foot ultimately succumbing to numbness with the pain. In the early days, it was not uncommon for paddlers to retire from races on account of the pain alone, but more about that later on.

In Australia at that time (1994) the Australian Outrigger Canoe Racing Association (AOCRA) were insisting on a minimum length of 24' and being as the Kaiwi Challenger, manufactured by Canoe Sports Australia, measured in at near enough 23' an extra 12" had to be added to all Australian made craft.

When in 1995 a friend's 'Challenger' snapped in two in big surf off of Mooloolaba (Rob Gowland) and the insurers paid out, I picked it up for nothing and exercised a 'cut and shunt' to shorten it to a mere 22'.

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OC1 - A Paddler's Guide

The result was an illegal canoe by Aussies requirements, but one which seemed to slot into the 'bumps' very much better than the longer canoes. In addition I added a moulded seat taken from a Touring Kayak (TK1) which was so much more comfortable than the flat seat option, though Canoe Sports Australia had by now introduced a shaped seat option.

I won a few races on that old canoe even though it was well over 25kg. Upwind or downwind it simply handled better than the longer versions, all-accepting in glassy conditions. Unwittingly I had the shortest OC1 in Australia, which ultimately would become very near to the standard length of all future OC1 canoes for open ocean racing.

Ownership of an OC1 permits many benefits for the paddler, not least of which the option to train when you want without the need for others in the case of also being part of an OC6 or V6 crew. The benefits are far reaching and there are significant cross-flow affects into that of team-canoes, both in raising skill levels, fitness and ultimately for the purposes of crew selection, to which coaches will often resort as one of a series of mechanisms.

I have been fortunate to witness the sports expansion and on occasion I can safely say I had a hand in nurturing the sports growth through my books, participation and hands on with some of the designs. This also entailed taking on some of the challenges which the sport faced, not least of which was the issue of specification rulings, more especially in Australia.

From OC1s, OC2s inevitably evolved as a natural extension of design. The rationale for two-person canoes was to nurture teamwork and to perhaps appeal to couples and families. Not unexpectedly they never proved as popular on account of cost, size and the mere inconvenience of having to paddle with another, but that's not to take anything away from the fun and place they have within the OC family.

Single person outrigger canoes of every conceivable shape and form, pre-date six person canoes by a very considerable time period. These single person canoes were used for all manner of purpose; travel between islands, fishing, trade and general utilitarian needs and were often not restricted to paddle power, but also sail power when winds permitted.

5 | Preface

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This marks my 20th year of writing about this all encompassing sport and I have to say I never grow tired of it. With so much culture and depth associated with it and around it, it's easy to see why the sport in it's varied forms is way beyond a mere physical act, but very much more. I hope you'll appreciate and enjoy this latest offering.

Steve West Kanu Culture Publications / Batini Book 1994 Co Founder / CEO of WSA (Water Skills Academy Ltd) 2014 MISTRAL International / Red Dot Division Brand Manager 2014 6 | Preface

OC1 - A Paddler's Guide

"Normally when you're in a race for three or four hours, your equilibrium tends to leave you. You want a boat that works with you rather than against you when you get tired."

Tom Conner 7 | Preface

www.kanuculture.com JOSS Photo - Rider Kai Bartlett

8 | Preface

OC1 - A Paddler' s Guide

"What do you use to assess the results of training?

To evaluate whether technique training is making you faster or more efficient you can look for a few things.

Faster training and racing results with minimal fitness training. A greater distance per stroke can be measured on a set course - count strokes or use a GPS. Better boat control in rough water. Lower heart rate for a given hull speed in similar conditions. Higher peak hull speed.

You're right that OC technical literature is rare, but there are some excellent resources out there; Steve West's books come to mind."

Hawaiian Paddler (Anon) Thank you to all of those who have inspired me and for all of your support.

Steve West.

Kanu Culture Publications Since 1994.

9 | Preface

www.kanuculture.com Herman Chalupsky

1

Evolution of Ocean Surf Ski Racing

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From the point of view of the evolution of the OC1, it's fitting that we also fill in the blanks regarding the origins of the surf ski together with some of the evolutionary design features added, which later went on to be copied by OC1 designers.

As we will see, the onward journey for development of the OC1 ultimately came down to being a hull approximating a hybrid ocean racing surf ski with an outrigger assembly attached - though a major difference being an OC1 hull can be narrowed to take advantage of the functionality of the ama. Both of these paddle sports emanated ultimately out of a desire to produce an open ocean solo paddling craft.

Dig down deep into the powdery grains of time and you will soon discover there are more than two sides to most every story of invention. Within surf and ocean paddle sports, the stories are often just as sketchy, many radically juxtaposed by culture, geography, time and intent. Eccentricity, mixed with a degree of hands on practical flair and a desire to pursue hedonistic pleasures of the surfing kind, have ultimately driven many a great culture and inventor to create.

Origins of paddle craft have long since held a fascination for me. Long before becoming a recreation, they were primarily utilitarian, intrinsically linked with survival of the species; our species. Food gathering from lakes, rivers, coastal and open waters, transportation and ultimately migration between lands and continents led to an astonishing array of differing craft.

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By virtue of a culture's association and dependence upon canoes and or kayaks, we have come to think of them in terms of, Canoe and Kayak Cultures.

The eastern migration of people from Africa through India, South East Asia, Indonesia and the epic journeys of the Micronesians, Melanesians and ultimately that of the Polynesians, ensured they took their paddle craft and maritime architectural building skills with them. Northwards up and over the Bering Straight and into Alaska, down through the North and South American continents, the canoe and kayak in all its forms, ensured the survival of these people and the development of their culture.

Defining a paddle craft can be a complex task. Paddler seating position, within, or on top of the craft, the paddle type used, whether single blade (canoe) or double blade (kayak) all give clues. There are many confusing counterpoints for discussion. Fundamentally it comes down to the originators intent and a matter of cultural ownership. There's a book written by a Nigel Foster entitled "Canoeing" A Beginners Guide to the Kayak. Confusing? Well that's because the book is focused on paddling a kayak using a single blade and therefore it is concerned with applying canoeing techniques within a kayak.

The evolutionary development of the canoe and kayak we can assume began with but a simple log, pushed (punted) along by use of a long pole. We can further assume the canoe came before the kayak by mere virtue of the time continuum relative to the transmigration of humanity eastward out of Africa, where the canoe formed an important part of many African river and coastal cultures and on account of its simplicity.

Being that, 'Necessity is the mother of invention' - various cultures improved upon designs using the raw materials available to them in order to achieve what must have inevitably been a survival based response.

The kayak, may well be a more complex beast than the canoe, as the double bladed paddle design offers a more intricate leverage device, though not as complex as the outrigger canoe in its various forms.

The Eskimo, though not originators of the kayak 'form', having evolved long before they morphed it into what we know as the kayak in the true sense, an Inuit word meaning, 'Hunters Boat' - the surf ski is but a variation - the temperate, warm water recreational or racing equivalent.

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Australian origins - early 1900's Culturally speaking, some Australian pioneers would like to take ownership of the surf ski concept, yet it's probably more accurate to consider such pioneers merely made subtle changes and modifications to an already existing maritime architectural reality, in creating a recreational pleasure craft which had little to do with the survival of the species and everything to do with the pursuit of fun.

The perfecting of the surf ski was not at break neck pace and it suffered something of an identity crisis in its early days.

The earliest surf skis were rumoured to have been made in Australia during the early 1900's.

Rudimentary timber slabs, with a flat deck and no recess to sit in, they possessed the hydrodynamics of a house brick, but the idea was there and with time and improved skills, vision and a desire to go further, faster and execute more radical manoeuvres, early designs morphed into not one, but a variety of paddle craft.

Peruvian fisherman 2,500 years ago Strongest contender for the title of original concept of the surf ski (concept) would have come from the Peruvian fisherman of South America 13 | The Evolution of the Ocean Race Ski

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and their Totora reed surf boats designed some 2,500 years ago at the beginning of this regions civilisation. Known as Caballito del Mar (Sea Horse) these highly skilled Peruvian fisherman, paddled and surfed their unique Aladdinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s shoe shaped craft, out and back through the surf in pursuit of fish. Its design would rival most any contemporary claim for title of originator of the surf ski.

Original surf ski design ideas, when compared to the ancient Caballito, indicate the Peruvians were more on the money, even to the extent of their use of a bamboo pole, split open at either end to form a blade face incorporating a natural scoop. Paddling in the surf is a Peruvian fisherman's daily ritual, still practiced in isolated regions. Where Caballito were intended for fishing not surfing, they are nevertheless paddled out and back through surf breaks.

By comparison, the surf ski was developed not for fishing, but for the simple joy of paddling in the surf and ocean. This point some would argue, makes the Caballito argument a moot point so far as being a contender for the original surf ski.

As a matter of historical fact, long preceding the Polynesians arrival in voyaging canoes to the Hawaiian Islands and their subsequent development of surf skills, Peruvians were already well advanced in such skills by this time. Even preceding this, West Africans, were 14 | The Evolution of the Ocean Race Ski

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Sierra Leone

This image by Clark Howard, is exactly how I remember the beaches of Sierra Leone West Africa when I lived for a time as a child; pounding waves of the Atlantic and fisherman with their canoes who handled them daily in the surf with immense skill and dexterity, handed down through the generations.

tackling and surfing the great ocean rollers of the Atlantic along their shores, where they too fished the waters for survival and where children grew up playing and swimming in the surf as a natural extension of their coastal existence.

A variety of surf historians, including the 1900's surf pioneer, Tom Blake, scholar Ben Finney, James Houston and Leonard Lueras, have acknowledged that other cultures far from the Hawaiian Islands practiced the art of surfing.

From the mid-western Atlantic coast of Africa to the shores of Peru. Off the West African coast, '….in areas of Senegal, the Ivory Coast and Ghana. Near Dakar, Senegal,’ wrote Finney and Houston, 'African youths and young fishermen regularly body surf, ride bodyboards and catch waves while standing erect on boards about six feet long. These Atlantic skills seem in no way connected with the Pacific, either historically or prehistorically. Evidently, it’s an old pastime in West Africa; young Africans were seen riding waves while lying prone on light wooden planks as long ago as 1838, long before surfing began to spread from Hawai'i.'

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Growing up in Nigeria, Sierra Leone and other coastal regions of Africa, I experienced this scene first hand. Dug out canoes, tackling the heaving Atlantic surf breaks, expertly steered and paddled by African fishermen as black as pitch, lean and muscular, while kids surfed anything they could get their hands on; doors, lids, planks â&#x20AC;&#x201C; there were no surf shops, they had little money, but they instinctively understood the joys of surfing.

Challenging the notion of anything different than surfing being Hawaiian in origin, is to go against popular mythology and an almost insatiable Anglo-European, Anglo-American wish to believe it so beyond any other consideration.

Back to Australia 1912 - 1933 So far as contemporary Eurocentric claims upon the development and design of the surf ski, there are a few conflicting accounts. An article written by one B.Beale comments, 'I was reading an article on the late Steve Sinclair, a daredevil surf ski rider who only took to the ocean off California when the storm swells were twenty-foot plus. The article said, " he used an Odyssea ski, a descendant, from the Australian surf ski of the 1890's" '.

Further researching this dubious claim at Australia's Sydney based Manly Surf Life Saving Club, Beale came across newspaper articles and a signed statement from a Harry McLaren of Port Macquarie stating the surf ski was patented by a Doctor G.A. Crakanthorp in 1933 of Manly. For almost half a century, the good Doctor turns out was wrongly credited with the concept and naming.

Brother, Harry Crakanthorp, a Port Macquarie town clerk from 1939 until his death in the early 1970's, told the story of how his brother had visited Harry McLaren, used a surf ski designed and built by him, took measurements, returned to Sydney with inspiration to patent the concept and to build more.

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It seems Harry McLaren's original design ideas go back as far as 1912. 'I got a brain-wave that if I built something that was in the style of a porpoise and made the front of it fairly round and tapered off at the stern and gave it a spring up in the front, it would shoot the waves fairly good. That was when I was a kid of 15. Round the latter part of 1912, I made one out of New Zealand Kauri and nailed it all together. After Christmas in 1913, I made another one for my brother, and then went off to the war. I still have photos of the two skis. In 1928 and 29, I made one for Harry (Crakanthorp) and two for myself. In 1932, Dr. Crakanthorp came up on holidays'.

Harry went onto say that during the winter of 1933 he read in the Evening News, ' . . . that there was to be a new surf boat of some description to be introduced to the beaches in the spring of 1933. Then Dr. Crakanthorp got the credit of inventing the surf ski. But he didn’t make them. He had a friend called Jack Toyer who was a boat builder do that. I met him and he said they’d made a lot of money'.

While this may give Harry kudos and lend support to his originator status, some things don’t quite fit the contemporary view of what a surf ski is today.

Harry for example, did not use a conventional double-bladed paddle, but two square butter-bats 15cm x 35cm long, strapped to each hand. 'They work a damn lot better than today’s paddles. If knocked off, a ski paddler would not be separated from the paddles'.

In addition and in contrary to today's surf ski paddling technique, he advocated kneeling, not sitting, much like the Peruvian fisherman, believing it offered less wave resistance and greater stability. The rider had a rope tied to their waist and the craft to prevent separation. Harry's invention could just as well of been named knee-board, wave ski or rescue board, but by any stretch of the imagination, it was not a surf ski; more wave ski, a misnomer, a nomenclature blunder by todays reckoning.

An article written by Australian, J. Woodriff in 'Surf Ski Quarterly', entitled 'The History of Waveskiing' quotes, 'The man that is given the credit from turning a 'rigid' surf ski into a manoeuvrable wave ski (including the seat belt) is the Californian Merv Larson who was definitely the first international wave ski surfer. He was an Olympic paddler in 1968 and has also been credited with inventing the surf kayak'.

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OC1 - A Paddler's Guide

The more you scratch in the sand, the less you know and the more questions you have. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a big gap between 1912 and the 1960's. A vast evolutionary black hole and yet so much development of surf craft was taking place. Is it really possible to attribute definitively who did what, when? Harry for example had already come up with the seat belt idea in 1912, with a bit of old rope and looking at photos and examples of original surf skis, they look more like wave skis than surf skis, so what's going on here? It seems there's a lot in a name and it would help if we knew who named what?

Australia 1940's During the 1940's, it's clear surf ski design morphed into something a long way from the earliest concept, emerging as something very much longer, sleeker and narrower. Speed and paddling efficiency seemingly more the quest. The question of definition remains something of a paradox as the nomenclature given the wave ski, knee-board or rescue board, could as easily manifested from Harry McLarenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s surf ski design.

The more you dwell on it, the more you come to realise that Harry's technique of kneeling along with his butter-bat hand extension paddles, rope tie and short wide design, is way off the mark of the contemporary surf ski.

At some point somewhere during the mid to late 1930's, the concept evolved to the extent of introducing a double-ended paddle and the lengthening and narrowing of the design. The surf ski it seems, was developed in spite of Harry's design and function to that of other surf craft.

Looking at surf ski designs of the 1940's, you would swear you were looking at a modern day, unlimited ocean paddle board, reinforcing the existence of synergy between the various ocean paddle craft, which once again confuses the issue.

Gordon Jeffery - Australia In the process of all this uncertainty in finding the source, I caught up with Australian Queenslander, Gordon Jeffery, a wiry, sun beaten, tenacious and talented paddler, whom I met through outrigger canoe racing some years ago.

Late 1930's - early 1940's My father, George Jeffery, made a few surf skis in the late 1930's and early 1940's. These skis were a lot different from the skis of today, being around 13' (4m) long, 28" (70cm) wide at the foot straps and tapered to the stern, ideal for dropping down good sized waves off the beach (wave ski).

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Early 1950's George made my older brother and I surf skis when I was around 14 years old and soon there were about fifteen or twenty skis that he had made, all catching waves at Kings Beach and at the Caloundra Bar in Queensland. (C1950) Within three years, George was building a few plywood racing skis, which my brother Alan and I began racing against others in Surf Carnivals for the Caloundra Surf Club. The skis got faster and we made longer ones and shorter until we found a length that suited most conditions.

1956 - foot-wells introduced In 1956, we made plywood foot-wells to lower the feet and so take the strain off of the groin and stomach muscles. Then I made some fibre glass foot-wells to pop in the skis for George. These were a big advantage as it allowed you to get over your paddling stroke.

Victorians started making narrower skis, so seat-wells had to be 'fitted' to give more balance, by lowering the paddlerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s centre of gravity. Both New South Wales and Victoria builders subsequently added rudders.

Early 1962 - rudders fitted At the 1962 Commonwealth Games Carnival in Perth, I was beaten into second place by a mate from Victoria who had rudders fitted. A strong side shore wind made the going tough. So I returned to Queensland and fitted a rudder.

2 | Paracanoe

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OC1 - A Paddler's Guide

1971 - displacement hulls introduced In 1971 George and I designed a round-bottomed ski (displacement) to be made in fibreglass by Hayden Surfboards. Claud Boyd, a surf-boat builder and George built the plug out of moulded plywood. George subsequently suffered illness and decided to take a break from manufacturing.

1972 - 1976 fibreglass hollow paddle shafts In 1972 I began manufacturing fibreglass tubes for paddle shafts, which proved very popular, being much stronger and lighter than the wooden paddles of the time. It took some four years to perfect.

21 | The Evolution of the Ocean Race Ski

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I went on to design a ski which in its first year won the Australian State Titles.

Skis by now were getting quick and could still handle surf reasonably well. A few flat water skis were made and were very fast, as a result design specifications were introduced in order to try and standardise surf ski designs.

Gordon's Titles: I won my first Single Ski Title at the age of 20 and over the next eighteen years won 16 Branch Titles, 9 State Titles and 1 Australian Title plus a fist full of Double Ski Titles. After winning four straight Queensland Single Ski Titles, I took an interest in kayaks. I bought a K1 from one of the paddlers after the 1960 Rome Olympics and brought it back to Australia. It was the first K1 in Queensland. After three years of training in K1s and later K2s, I was selected for the 1964, '68 and '72 Olympics.

Summary The development of the form and function of the surf ski, with the inclusion of moulded seat, rudders and designs created for both flat and rough water, has been a process which has spanned nearly half a century. If we take into account the recent development of endurance open ocean surf ski paddling, the process is still unfolding.

Harryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s original intent to develop a surf craft powered by paddles worn strapped to the arms acted as a catalyst for a string of variances in design ideas and concepts. From working the shore break within a small area to challenging the vast open expanse, which lies beyond the whitewash, the surf ski through the vision of its riders and designers has today become the fastest of all human powered craft when combined with the assistance of wind and water.

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Evolution of Distance Ocean Surf Ski Sport Words by Dean Gardiner from Kanu Culture Volume 12 2005 South African Brian Dubb, now residing in Australia, in an article entitled, 'Evolution of the Ocean Racing Ski' wrote, 'Long distance racing of Surf Skis goes back to the early 1970's when John Woods, an iron man, raced John Ball, a marathon runner for 244kms, between Port Elizabeth and East London, along South Africaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s East Coast. Throughout the seventies and eighties, Tony Scott and the Chalupskys of Durban SLSC, shaped a number of leading craft for this biannual ultradistance race. In more recent years, a new standard of Surf Ski design has been developed'.

Much has been written regarding the evolution of the surf ski, from its humble beginnings, when everything that ventured onto the ocean was constructed of wood, through to the sleek ocean racing carbon composite designs of today.

The earliest surf skis were put to use as rescue craft by Surf Life Savers who patrolled the surf beaches of Australia and South Africa. Resembling large ironing boards, these cumbersome craft somehow managed to make it out through the surf, probably more a testament to the skill of the paddler than the shape of the craft.

When I first ventured out to tackle the blustery conditions of the West Australian coast, I was fortunate to be in the age of fibreglass, though the straight angled square bladed paddles were still made of wood. As the construction and shape of surf skis have evolved over the years, so too has the sport along with the demands of the participants that take part in the many and varied events throughout the world.

Until recently, most Southern Hemisphere surf ski paddlers were introduced to the sport through either the Surf Life Saving movement or outrigger canoe clubs as in Hawai'i and Tahiti. Early introduction to the surf ski in the teenage 23 | The Evolution of the Ocean Race Ski

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years in these regions explains in part the dominance these countries have enjoyed in this sport.

While Surf Life Saving is a great introduction to the surf skis for many, it is the great ocean races that really get our competitive juices flowing. The attraction of traveling to far off lands to compete in turquoise blue waters and experience the rush of dropping down the face of large ocean swells, often at great speeds and finding yourself an hour or two later, standing on the distant island that was but a mere smudge on the horizon at the start of the race, is a real buzz.

In 1980 a young Queenslander did the impossible at the Australian Surf Life Saving Championships winning both the senior and junior ironman events on the same day. Grant Kenny's dual wins brought attention to Surf Life Saving the likes of which, the organisation had never seen before. It earned Grant a massive profile in Australia and helped expose other unique events which ocean athletes such as Grant were involved with.

In 1979, Grant recorded his first of five wins in the Moloka'i Surf Ski race at the age of only 16. It was the latter of these two amazing feats that reached in and grabbed hold of my imagination.

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At the time, I knew little of distance surf ski events, other than what I had heard through brief stories about this particular mystical race held in the middle of the Pacific, which offered big ocean swells, downwind trade winds and warm water. Grant Kenny's win changed all that. Tales not only drifted back to Australia but were also heard in South Africa where distance events are part and parcel of everyday life.

Hidden away from international sport due to the political system of the day, South Africans were rarely seen in international sporting events. Many of their top kayakers turned to ski paddling. One of South Africaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sporting greats heard the stories and found his way to Hawai'i. Oscar Chalupsky, barely known outside of his own country, has made and continues to this day to make history in the Moloka'i event and numerous other races through his successes.

It was almost ten years after hearing the stories that I first paddled across the Kaiwi Channel in the Moloka'i Surf Ski Race and I have been going there every May since. Fortunately for me and other keen ocean racers, it is not the only race going today. Paddlers can now compete in events in several countries, from the icy cold waters surrounding the tip of South Africa to the tropical paradise and crystal clear waters of Tahiti.

The advent of a paddling series in both South Africa and Australia has spurned a phenomenal growth in the sport in these countries. Both series offer no barriers to entry in the way of compulsory membership, allowing the Average Joe to race on the same line as the top paddlers in the world.

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It is this style of race that not only attracts new participants into the event, but keeps existing paddlers interested in competing. A classic example of this was the 2003 Moloka'i Race, when Oscar Chalupsky (40) won the event from me (38), Clint Robinson (30) Herman Chalupsky (39) and Grant Kenny (40).

After three and half hours of paddling, the top five paddlers finished within a mere four minutes of each other. Try putting the same five in a similar distance race but setting the course upwind and you would be lucky to get any on the start line. Herein lies the major attraction of the Moloka'i event and surf ski paddling as an ocean paddle sport.

After years of race organisers setting courses demanding paddlers to bash their way over ridiculous distances upwind and into unfavourable currents, they finally identified little or no significant increase in participant numbers. Today, event organisers realise the growth of the sport is dependent upon the style of event brought to the table. For many years, prestige meant distance and hardship.

The longer the race, the more misery you suffered, the more prestigious the race. Not so now.

Fundamentally, there are three reasons why ocean Surf Ski paddling is such a unique sport. Firstly, in one training session you can fully satisfy your training goals and have a totally recreational experience. Secondly, competitors can compete in both sprint and distance events and be competitive in both and lastly, the longevity of the competitive career of the paddler is greatly extended.

Recent Moloka'i results are a classic example of longevity, but perhaps an even better example, is that of South African Lee MacGregor. In Cape Town where the sport is currently in a vertical growth phase, manufacturers have taken notice with many now producing a recreational surf ski for beginners, thus assisting the growth of the sport at an early entry level.

In previous years the emphasis has been on speed, designers catering almost exclusively for the elite paddler and athlete. There are now super stable surf skis on the market, which suit the novice paddler, allowing paddling without falling off, so the basics can be learned over time and natural progression encouraged.

With massive numbers such as five hundred plus people entering events in South Africa and several hundred in Australia, interest in surf ski distance paddling is growing. Taking into account that less than 50% of Australian participants are non-Surf Life Saving based, where in the past surf ski events were almost totally patronised by Surf Club Members, it's safe to say the sport has an extremely bright future.

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An Hawaiian perspective on surf ski design This very good overview I found on the internet and I apologise for not being able to credit the source. However, it is very insightful and has relevance to the ultimate evolution of the OC1 design consideration.

The faster surf ski's back in the 1980 and 90's were shorter slightly wider and heavier than todays and were arguably fast in the open ocean. Dean Gardiner still holds the fastest Moloka'i crossing time (3hrs 21min 26sec) set in 1997.

The surf ski Dean won the race on was an old design, made new for the race.

During the race, Dean was speared in the tail but still won with over two litres of sea water in the hull. He had also lost his water bladder at the start of the race and so didn’t drink any fluids.

Ask Oscar Chalupsky, Keith Fenn or Dean Gardiner about which skis are faster, they'll all say today's skis are. But the winning times back over time, even for the shoreline races, don’t indicate this, even during similar water conditions.

The C-Ski, made by Tom Conner and the Chalupski, designed by Oscar Chalupsky and made in Hawai'i by Bob Twogood, were very popular unlimited open ocean bump riding designs that originated in Hawai'i. The C-Ski, was the weapon of choice in Hawai'i before the advent of the 6.5m/22 ft class boats. Big volume up front, lots of rocker, not as good on the flat, but maybe more fun to surf than anything that's come out since.

The last Moloka'i Race won by a Chalupski was in 1989 with Oscar winning it and his brother Herman, also on a Chalupski, coming in second. He and his brother Herman, were both using flat blade paddles, around 222 + cm.

American Olympic paddler, Michael Harbold was third on a Holua. Dean Gardener, in his prime when he set the record and Oscar when he held it, paddling his ancient low volume Chalupski.

In 1984 Mike Cripps wrote an article about 'Hawaiian Surfskis' in SeaKayaker Magazine. In the article he talks about Chalupsky surfing his Chalupski on its side to 'increase the wetted surface area' when riding the bumps. Hawaiian surf skis, such as the C-Ski, Marshall Rosa’s Roseski, Brent Bixler's Bullet, Dean Hayward's Holua, Mike Cripp's Ocean Kayak, Dale Adam's Seawitch and later Billy Robello's Hydroski, were all developed and created to surf Hawai'i’s open ocean waves and swells. They were also much much lighter than the imported skis from Australia and South Africa.

Surfing the open ocean bumps was the main attraction for surf ski racing in Hawai'i. The Moloka'i Kayak Race started out as a fun race for a bunch of 27 | The Evolution of the Ocean Race Ski

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Hawaiian adventurers and it was the international paddlers that later discovered the race who called it a World Championship since it was a neutral site and there was nothing similar to it in the world.

The no weight and design restriction races encouraged more innovative surf ski designs and more paddlers racing them. 'This is the only place that allows this', international paddlers would say about the Kanaka Ikaika unlimited racing format. There was always pressure to change the racing format and place weight and design restrictions on surf skis. Kanaka Ikaika stood firm on its unlimited open design format.

In order to be competitive for the Moloka'i Surf Ski World Championship, overseas surf ski manufacturers began designing and exporting their special 'Moloka'i Surf Ski Models' that were lighter, longer, narrower, tippier and without bow deflector in difference to their spec-skis.

This narrative provides interesting background in view of how the design and evolution of OC1 hulls was to take shape. Tom Connors C-Ski as an example, had an outrigger assembly attached to it for the 1991 Moloka'i Kaiwi Challenge Race between Moloka'i and O'ahu, by Tommy Conner and Kala Judd, in which it was paddled to victory.

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The OC1 Pioneering Years 1978-1999 30 | OC1 The Pioneering Years 1978-1999

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The evolution of the open ocean OC1 was not without contention, though ultimately it was totally embraced as paddlers, associations and rule makers came to grips with this quasi-traditional variant of the Tahitian V1.

Hybrids tend to evolve from mixed concepts and plagiarised ideas to give us something less than purebred, irrespective of whether it's better or not. There often comes a point where it is no longer what it began life as, in concept or application and so it is with the OC1 when compared to its close cousin, the V1. Had we seen an advancement of the V1 or merely the evolution of a new paddle sport altogether? A Tahitian will tell you itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not advancement when the need for learning an entire portfolio of strokes in order to maintain control of a rudderless va'a has been taken away.

V1 of the time (C1980) were perceived as being strictly for flat waters and relatively low winds, prone to swamping, breaking and above all very difficult to control with paddle-strokes only. In many ways, it was hard to draw any other conclusion.

Anglo-Hawaiians I don't believe were acting out of any lack of cultural respect, they simply saw a problem and were moving to resolve it by virtue of design modifications and ultimately the use of exotic-materials and advanced techniques in their application.

Evolution was perhaps inevitable, but the primary bone-of-contention, if we want to call it this, was the manner in which the craft was steered. Ironically, or at least bio-mechanically speaking, paddle-steering required the paddler sit high relative to their feet, while rudder-steered OC1 permitted the paddler to sit lower and with this came some advantage of a lowered centre of gravity.

The idea of paddling a rudderless canoe with an outrigger assembly is for many a novelty, an anachronism contrary to progressive thought. However, when the first Tahitian V1 were given fully closed in decking, sit on top seats and rudder steering in Hawai'i during the mid 80's, there was a sort of perverse logic at work.

In short, it would have been easier to take a regular ocean surf ski and modify it, as in many respects their lineage is closer to this craft than to that of the lagoon va'a. Some 'visionaries' saw this as the path of least resistance, the late, great Tom Conner being a stand out patron of this line of thought.

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began. Being the devils advocate, it has to be made clear, rudderless solo canoes have of course been in existence for hundreds if not thousands of years. What is in contention here is, who were the earliest contemporary visionaries setting out to produce a rudder steered OC1 - V1 variant.

1980 early visionaries It's all a bit sketchy, as many pioneering stories usually are, mainly because 'first of type users' are usually experimenting with a novel idea, almost unaware that what they are doing, is in fact the beginnings of something big.

First Kaiwi Channel crossing of OC1 in 1980 racing alongside the surf skis. Note paddle is traditional with no T-Grip.

Paddler Bill Bright paddles a Joe Quigg design; more surfboard than canoe. Photo David Marchant.

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Claims of the late Tommy Conner making an OC1 in 1978, seem a bit out of context, but we know for sure he was instrumental in working with Hayden Kenny (Hayden Surfski's Australia) in introducing and subsequently manufacturing the earliest surfskis in the Hawaiian Islands and that later, he would go on to attach i'ako and ama to his C-Ski; but more of that later.

What do we know for sure, is that Paul Gay, Dale Hope, Bill Bright and Tommy Holmes in 1980, joined the surfski paddlers in crossing from Lauu Point on Moloka'i to Hawai'i Kai on Oahu, across the Kaiwi Channel and in doing so, made history.

Dale Hope and Bill Bright paddled Joe Quigg designs which were 'surfboardlike' in shape, whereas Paul Gay paddled a Tahitian design, 'Paul came in first paddling a Tahitian V1 brought back from an earlier visit to Tahiti. It was a long, hot day. The water was near glassy, not that any other conditions would have stopped them. I know, because I was there, escorting my Dad. He and my Uncle Gale (Berengue) got the bug when they used to go down to Tahiti for the Bastille fete celebrations in July. They brought back new toys'. Dani Gay From what we can gather, Tommy Holmes paddled an OC1 made from two bows of a Malia OC6 joined together. Pole vaults were used for the i'ako and a hand shaped foam ama and the inclusion of a steering system - which he recounts in his book, 'The Hawaiian Canoe'. Even though V1 had been in use for many years in Tahitian lagoons, it would not be for another six years that meaningful development would take place in the Hawaiian Islands.

England 1980 - TK1's with outrigger assemblies attached by first-of-type end-users, become known as O1 kayaks and were ultimately made commercially.

Dragon Boat racing has been in the United Kingdom prior to September 1980 and the practice of adding an outrigger assembly to rudder steered touring kayaks (TK1) could well pre-date any other form of rudder steered solo outrigger craft that manifested in Hawai'i in any meaningful way, on account of Dragon Boat paddlers using this variant form for solo training and technical work - though in fairness, the practice lacks legitimacy as a true outrigger canoeing variant.

It's very possible therefore, that in other parts of the world where Dragon Boating existed pre 1980, individuals had already begun this practice. That they used a kayak hull, with a single blade, still makes it canoeing. If it was good 33 | OC1 The Pioneering Years 1978-1999

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enough for Tom Conner to add an outrigger assembly to a surf ski, then the only difference, is that a kayak requires that you sit inside, similar to that of a V1. So what we have here is a rudder steered V1 hybrid?

Where users develop and engage themselves in using existing skills and basic materials to hand to create the innovation, they are in every sense pioneering a new concept.

Further to this, members of the Royal Canoe Club (The World's Oldest Canoe Club) based on the River Thames in London, began the practice of attaching outrigger assemblies to TK1's as far back as the 1980s, initiated as a result of needing to practice for the mens 1987 Moloka'i Hoe - on the River Thames O1 - created by attaching an necessity being the mother of this outrigger assembly to a touring kayak or race kayak. lateral thinking, this is the principal training craft they used.

Just as Tommy Holmes, Paul Gay, Bill Bright, Dale Hope and the input of Joe Quigg had in fact acted as very early pioneers, the difference in England, was that these pioneers were making similar concepts and even to this day, the very idea is still applied and commercially available and form the back-bone of single-blade racing in the UK - a class called, O1 kayak.

'The O1 (kayak) outrigger canoe is used by the British Dragon Boat Racing Association as an individual training craft and for national trials. The O1 is a modified K1 kayak hull that has an outrigger attached to one side of the O1 to maintain the boatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s balance and allows the paddler to paddle only on one side and so replicate their dragon boat paddle stroke without needing to swap sides for steering or balance: the boat is steered by a rudder controlled by the feet.'

34 | OC1 The Pioneering Years 1978-1999 !"#$%&#'()*+,#'%+#%&")-+,#'%#.%+/)%0&1%2%3

OC1 - A Paddler's Guide

Functionally novel innovation User-innovators will often on account of economic reasons, fashion something out of what is already existing, creating what is termed a functionally novel innovation, where an existing item is modified to suit and this is what had happened.

While such innovations often permit the user to advance the performance of existing equipment through modification, elevating skill levels and enjoyment and the ability to explore extreme elements of a sport in evolution, that's not what was required in England when the practice began. Just simply something to replicate the bio-mechanical action in order to train for their primary sport.

What was missing, was involvement and interest of an innovative community a group of like-minded people interested in the new innovation, operating through open communication and product design policies in making the information and innovation(s) available to all, thereby accelerating the evolutionary process and solution of problems. But there was no problem, as such. Today however these O1 kayaks are raced in single-blade class divisions and offer a relatively inexpensive training device, when compared with the real thing - V1 or indeed OC1.

1986 - Evolution of the V1 to OC1 Incredulously, following on from that 1980 one-man Moloka'i crossing, not much seems to have occurred over the next five or so years. The idea had been proven, but it was still seen as a novelty and certainly not a going concern in the real sense of the meaning. What was going to be needed was to create genuine demand and a need for development and that was going to require investment of time and money. The idea would have to be elevated from novelty to a commercial going concern.

On the island of Maui in 1986 a man nick-named Pineapple designed and built a two piece OC1 with John Robison and brought two of them to Kona (Hawai'i) on an airplane. A demonstration race was staged at Kailua Bay. The canoes leaked but were easily transportable. They were later taken to Taiwan in 1987 where they were demonstrated at a Dragon Boat race and festival held in Taipei. Nothing came from this, but the spirit of inventiveness was present.

When the International Polynesian Canoe Federation (IPCF) World Sprints were held in Taanoe Beach, Tahiti in July 1986, Walter Guild of The Fibreglass Shop and later founder of Canoe Sports acquired one of the Tahitian open decked, rudderless lagoon sprint V1 craft and took it back to Hawai'i. There, together with Brent Bixler, he experimented with adding a deck and a rudder system.

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Above, Walter Guild / Brent Bixler OC1 Horizon (c1987) an optional splash shield extended over the foot-well which was a single well.

The hull was so rounded, it rolled over without the addition of the outrigger.

This was considered 'necessary' as a design feature to prevent surf ski makers or owners simply adding an outrigger assembly, which was already happening in isolated cases.

This 'roll-over' factor was later abandoned on the basis that this 'pre-requisite' did not apply to traditional Va'a Hoe. Surf Ski designs of the mid 1980's had ironically, many of the attributes being sought of an ocean performing OC1.

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Thibert Luissa paddling off the Kona Coast Hawai'i in 1995 and below training on the Ali Wai Waikiki in 1995. Note the canoe to the left has a 'nuts and bolts' attachment and the other has raised attachment points and is rubber rigged Tahitian Style.

Dabbling with a variety of design ideas from that original 27' Tahitian V1, Guild worked with Brent Bixler through the most obvious issues; foot operated steering, a foot-well, the use of a nut and bolt attachment as against rubber inner-tube and raised stanchion fixing points and the inclusion of an adjustable moulded seat.

But in many respects these were obvious no-brainer issues some of which were borrowed from what was known from surf ski and kayak design. The real issue once these micro-management issues were sorted, would later become the design of the hull, which was little changed in this process in real terms.

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OC1 - A Paddler's Guide

Original OC1 long-boat, based on a Tahitian V1 which was as long as 27'.

Left; Walter Guild

The Horizon OC1, around 1997 was one of the earliest commercially available craft to manifest, which included the foot pedal - rudder steered mechanism.

Cultural rumblings The Tahitians were aware of developments in Hawai'i of their V1 to OC1. The relationship between Anglo-Hawaiian paddlers and indigenous paddlers of Tahiti had already been strained through past experiences with specification rulings imposed in Hawai'i on team canoes in the late 1970's which was in part directly aimed at ceasing Tahitian relationships with indigenous Hawaiian master craftsman (Kalai Wa'a) and their integration of Tahitian / values and maritime design ideas into 'traditional' Hawaiian canoe design.

This was dressed up in the guise of protecting the Hawaiian Racing Canoe - of which historically speaking, there was no such thing. By any measure, todays Hawaiian racing canoes, remain a hybrid of both Tahitian and Hawaiian design.

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It was poor timing as it also coincided with Tahitian crews winning the Moloka'i to O'ahu canoe races in succession beginning in 1975.

Tahitian crews had only begun venturing beyond their reefs in preparation for challenging the Hawaiians in the 1970's and used Hawaiian steerers in the early days to negotiate the waters.

Protectionism was the mantra used on a variety of levels for rule changes.

Protection of 'Hawaiian' canoe designs, protection of the race itself, but perhaps most importantly, protection of the moulded fibreglass canoes which required some measure of limits of design, in order to avoid immediate obsolescence in being beaten by 'one-off' canoes, hand built for the purpose of winning the Moloka'i race, to which end sales would result. Money was the motivator and protection of culture had little to do with it, seeing as Tahitian and Hawaiian indigenous cultures had enjoyed an easy flowing synergy up to this moment.

The irony at this evolutionary point, Anglo-Hawaiians were now only too willing to take what was quint-essentially Tahitian and modify it to their endgoals with no due regard for what constituted perhaps a Tahitian Racing Canoe.

It would have been less culturally insensitive if they had just added an outrigger assembly to existing surf ski hulls without what could be considered the disingenuous act of altering the V1 beyond all measure of recognition of the craft. The long road was taken, not the more direct route. Surf ski manufactures involvement would have no doubt accelerated the evolutionary process not limited it.

As it turns out some surf ski manufacturers did ultimately become involved.

1988 Tahitians create Te Aito With the V1 now in Anglo-Hawaiian hands and modifications well under way, the Tahitian mind-set was fuelled into action. As a result of the Tahitian lagoon V1 being unsuitable for (rough) open water paddling, the V1 ultimately underwent a rethink, with a traditional adherence to some critical design elements; sitting within a cockpit, traditional lashing (for the most part) and absolutely no steering mechanism.

One of the motivators for this evolution came about in 1988 fuelled by the establishment of the Te Aito Individual Off Shore Canoe Race. It continues to nurture and influence V1 racing at the highest level with Aito races now held in Europe, the Cook Islands, Tahiti, New Zealand and ever expanding areas.

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'In the spirit of preserving the proud tradition of our courageous ancestors, two friends with strong feelings for their heritage have dedicated their lives to the search for an original sporting event that would capture the spirit of individual off shore canoe racing.

With much conviction and labour, these men have created Te Aito.

A perfect blend of man, sea and God. The challenge of one's ability to master all elements of nature.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; At times there has been a cultural stand-off between Tahiti and Hawai'i on the issue of legitimacy. In mid 2000 there was a softening of views with Tahitian officials 'considering' permitting OC1's to compete in French Polynesia in open ocean events, in a separate division, while the IVF also considered greater inclusion of the craft. This was based on the growing acceptance of the natural evolutionary process of the Tahitian va'a and increasing international competitor numbers in French Polynesia.

One consistent point of difference between the Tahitian V1 and Hawaiian OC1 had always been the manner of rigging. Rubber rigging and chocks are often used for fine tuning the way in which the va'a handles, common to Tahiti, as well as timber iato (i'ako). The Hawaiian OC1 relies upon a carbon fibre / kevlar, or aluminium i'ako and attachments are mechanical, using twist and lock plastic systems or spring clips which allow some adjustment. There has however been a proliferation of mechanical, direct attachment fitments appearing on some newer V1 designs - which may offer convenience, but never the same level of micro-management of fine-tuning.

For ocean racing, the Tahitian V1 had marginal added rocker, stronger construction, increased ama volume and higher cockpit rim to reduce water intake into the hull space which includes the option of a spray cover, all developed in response to venturing beyond the protection of the reef, but no rudders, the Tahitians believing it a testimony to the paddler's skill to control the va'a with the paddle alone.

1989 Races to drive the sport In 1989, Canoe Sports Hawai'i developed a number of races to help promote the new hybrid canoe and paddling discipline. The most famous was and remains the Kaiwi Challenge Race between Moloka'i and O'ahu, first held in 1989 with only 3 entrants. The craft were all identical with paired paddlers doing change overs, staged from the Kalaukoi Hotel Moloka'i to Waikiki a start point which was more â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;down windâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; to O'ahu than Halo O Lano. The distance was just under 38 miles.

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In 1990, 12 OC1 entered. By 1995, in excess of 50. Today's Moloka'i to O'ahu races attract 100's from around the world. The original ruddered ocean OC1 entered, were between 25-27'. Shorter designs made it necessary for them to have their own ‘long boat’, division. But as evolution pushed lengths shorter and shorter, the division was phased out with a new ruling making way for an ‘open class’ design.

Coinciding with the introduction of this event, this was the first year OC1s were raced in Australia over a sprint course at the Hamilton Cup in 1989. They were 27' sit in side V1 styled canoes with raised stanchion attachment points (ama to i'ato) and very much in the style of Cook Island architecture. Walter Guild was at that race in Australia and was beaten by Colin Bartley on account of Guild's canoe 'falling apart' down the length of the race course.

1989 Jonathan Bloxham's 'Aussie Outrigger' In 1989, Australian Jonathan Bloxham began work on a ruddered OC1. After approaching the country’s governing body the Australian Outrigger Canoe Racing Association (AOCRA) and being told there were no specifications relating to such a craft, John concluded that no such craft existed. However, the V1 existed in Tahiti and the Kaiwi Challenger had just come into existence.

John went on to design the Aussie Outrigger, a streamlined futuristic looking craft. A demonstration model was made available at the then International Polynesian Canoe Federation (IPCF) World Sprints in Sacramento California in 1992. In 1995 an Aussie Outrigger canoe won the ‘long boat’ division of the Kaiwi Challenge in just over 6 hours.

The demise of the long boat division shortly after, rendered OC1 of this length obsolete as paddlers demanded shorter, lighter more manoeuvrable craft. Essentially, paddler’s skills and demands were outstripping the performance capabilities of the craft of the time, which pushed designers to develop quickly in order to keep pace.

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Patent filed for the design of an OC1 Jan 8 1990 by Walter Guild and Jeffery Kissel "A US design patent covers the ornamental design for an object having practical utility. An object with a design that is substantially similar to the design claimed in a design patent cannot be made, used, copied or imported into the United States.

The copy does not have to be exact for the patent to be infringed. It only has to be substantially similar."

The design seems to correspond very closely to that of the Horizon OC1 built by Walter Guild's, Fibre Glass Shop in Hawai'i. This is very much a 'long-boat' design and still has very strong lines associated with that of a Tahitian V1 which were being used as the point of origin for modification.

Patents are generally lodged for the purpose of protecting and laying claim to what is seen as an original idea and to that end safeguarding a possible move to invest and monetize that uniqueness. The 'concept' of the one-man outrigger canoe had of course been in existence for thousands of years in many differing forms.

Despite this Patent being lodged there seems little doubt that no claims were made against others evolving the sport or the craft and so in truth, the Patent serves as a historical exclamation mark in terms of who first and foremost was setting out to evolve, modify and ultimately commercialise this new V1 variant.

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Before foot-wells were added and the deck fully enclosed, the internal space filled with water. It appears two differing deck configurations were being patented - an open and a closed deck variant when studying the drawings. Paddler Walter Guild.

The patent claim reads: "The ornamental design for a one-man outrigger canoe" 44 | OC1 The Pioneering Years 1978-1999

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1990 John Martin's OC1 Honukai In 1990, Hawaiian designer John Martin designed an OC1 modified from a Tahitian canoe. It was very thin, long and designed for flat water. In 1991, the Honukai (Sea Turtle) was designed being shorter, less than 20' and wider, to make it easier to handle in rough water. It blended the design technology of surf skis and kayaks and had a rudder added.

The Honukai was paddled by Jim and John Foti in 1993, 94 and 95 to win the Moloka'i to O'ahu Kaiwi Challenge. In 1995, Honukai was lengthened to 20'6", made narrower and re-named the Nai'a or Dolphin, still available today.

1991 Tom Conner's C-Ski OC1 Hybrid Legendary OC6 steerer, Tom Conner moved the goal posts in the most logical way possible, by simply attaching an outrigger assembly to a surf ski (C-Ski) of which he happened to be the manufacturer.

This craft was paddled and surfed to victory in the 1991 Kaiwi Challenge Race between Moloka'i and O'ahu, by Tommy Conner and Kala Judd. The juxtaposition here is that it would be erroneous to say, ' . . . that on this day it was demonstrated that a single bladed propelled outrigger canoe could surf the bumps to good effect', being as what had been used of course, was no more than a surf ski with outrigger assembly, but a very strong case had been made for simply using what was already to hand and most significant perhaps, it had beaten Walter Guild's Horizon OC1s, which spurned new developments.

Whereas the Horizon was modelled from a flat water lagoon V1, clearly the C-Ski had been designed for riding and catching ocean runners and swell and in this respect was a superior hull shape. On account of the fact this hull design was used it could be said that the evolution of bump-riding and surfing OC1s began in one fell-swoop.

The outrigger canoeing community was suddenly alerted to the possibilities.

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Tom Conner's C-Ski set up to have an outrigger assembly attached. I took this photo in 1995 at his home. The evolutionary path of least resistance.

Conner liked to experiment, converting a Van Dusen K-1 Eagle to an outrigger canoe, which he raced out in the ocean and at HCKT Knockout Races in the Ala Wai. Conner was instrumental in the development of surf ski paddling in Hawai'i beginning with an association with Hayden Kenny of Australia, who later provided a couple of moulds to a local group here. Conner and Wayne Faulkner were taught how to build Hayden Skis. Later Conner and Marshall Rosa each went on their own and started to make different models, Conner designed the Marlin in 1995 which won the Kaiwi Challenge in 1996. He also later designed the Striker in 2000.

1993 The Kaiwi Challenger OC1 The Horizon OC1 was a stepping stone design idea around 1987 but ultimately it was the release of the Kaiwi Challenger and the faith put in it, as a craft which was significant enough for world-wide release.

A Kaiwi Challenger (c1993). This photo I took in 1995. OC1 designs were shortening and many designers and manufacturers were entering the growing competition for sales.

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The Kaiwi Challenger's name speaks volumes about the intended purpose of the canoe's design. Walter Guild's vision along with others, of a solo outrigger canoe designed to handle the rough open waters of Hawai'i, but perhaps more specifically, downwind paddling conditions as being enjoyed by surf ski's of the time, was at the forefront of the design parameters.

'It was simply down to a ... "what if we did this… so we could do that", level of thinking which developed the sport of solo, open ocean canoeing. The lagoon canoe was far from perfect, so we developed the Kaiwi Challenger as a purpose built craft. Not egotistically, but the sport (OC1) originated with Canoe Sports Hawai'i.’ Walter Guild.

In truth, when the Kaiwi Challenger was finally launched, it was far from perfection though it provided a blue-print if you will for what was still a workin-progress, after all it would be inconceivable to get it right the first time around and let's not forget Tommy Conner's, C-Ski Hybrid.

Brent Bixler is an iconic figure in the Hawaiian Islands when one speaks of outrigger canoe designs. He had a hand in the evolution of the original Hawaiian Class Racer 'Classic' OC6, the Force Five OC6 and numerous ama designs. Guild, though seen as the manufacturer, was also very much involved as the rider / designer, the man with input at the coal face in testing and tweaking.

1993 Karel Tresnak In the foray that followed over a number of critical years from around 1990 to 1996, up and coming pioneering designer and builder Karel Tresnak, recalls, '… during that time (early to mid 1990's) the one-mans were just starting, people had begun converting surf skis into canoes by adding outriggers. I knew there was a demand for these boats.'

A very young Karel Jnr doubles on the 27' OC2 variant.

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Tresnak, originally from Czechoslovakia was a 2 time White Water World Champion and competed in the 1972 Munich Olympics. As a paddler he had a natural eye for solo powered craft. After the 1993 Moloka'i to O'ahu Kaiwi Challenge Race, Karel was inspired by the sport.

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Karel Tresnak Snr

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OC1 - A Paddler's Guide 21' Cuda OC1 by Karel Tresnak seen here at Lanikai CC. Lanikai Canoe Clubs use of OC1s from around 1994, became something of a turnkey moment in the history of the sport, whereby not only were paddler's now pushing themselves harder in training and spending more time on the water, crew selection for the OC6 teams now had another mechanism.

Ultimately, over-reliance on OC1s for crew selection caused coaches to ensure that it was seen as only one mechanism in a series of others.

He went on to make an OC1 by moulding hulls from a 27' open hulled Tahitian va'a, which Hawaiian Paul Gay donated. Karel closed the deck over to create a 'sit on top' version and built them on demand, on cost-plus terms in much the same way as Canoe Sports Hawai'i (Walter Guild) was doing.

As coach of Lanikai CC, in Kailua O'ahu, Tresnak ensured that the top crew members each had an OC1 to train on, which subsequently improved their fitness and skill levels. 'And that's when I think we really revolutionised the sport here in Hawai'iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, recalls Tresnak.

Karel's, Outrigger Connection's first manufactured OC1 was simply known as the Outrigger 27'. It was also custom made to be a two man outrigger. The i'ako were laminated wood, the custom built deck had a single foot well and the adjustments on the ama was achieved through a threaded rod attached to the i'ako.

In 1994, the diminutive Cuda 21 was designed to substitute OC6 training with individual exercise. The Cuda had a high flat seat to emulate the same height as in the OC6 and was the first OC1 in Hawai'i to be built with aluminium i'ako and use epoxy carbon and kevlar. Karelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s involvement with the Lanikai Canoe Club determined the clubs colours on the canoes of the sponsored paddlers.

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1994 John Martin's OC2 John Martin designed and built his first OC2 in 1994 a stretched out version of the Honukai. This was a manufacturer's first attempt at a purpose made OC2.

1995 Tresnak's Arrows, Thunders and other innovations The 21' Cuda was followed in 1995 by the 24' Arrow which retained the high seat. The Arrow II as well as the Thunder, were the first OC1s to feature lower sliding track seats - and were designed for heavier paddlers.

These OC1 were the first where the i'ako entered vertically into the ama, for easy adjustment and wave clearance. Another first, were the complete graphite, bladder moulded, composite carbon i'ako and an asymmetric exit of the i'ako from the canoe deck resulting in better clearance for the i'ako and greater comfort for the paddler.

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Outrigger Connections Thunder, with noticeable degrees of rocker throughout. The highly curved i'ako were also an emerging feature with vertical entry. The ama still looks essentially basic in design. Vertical entry carbon i'ako and adjustable sliding seat of the Arrow II and Thunder.

OC1 Facts from 1988-1996 There had been over 25 differing OC1 designs in Hawai'i alone.

Manufacturers had made an estimated 2000 craft. With the introduction of an OC1 division in the Oahu / Hawai'i Surf Ski Association, OC1 participation grew to represent 50% of its participants. The average price had risen from USD$900 to USD $2900. With 10,000 registered OC6 paddlers on Oahu, OC1 popularity continued to expand. Top OC1 paddlers finish in the top 20% of Surf Ski events.

1995 Exotic materials and cost issues At one stage, there were as many as 10 different designers and manufacturers of OC1 throughout the Hawaiian Islands. Today it has narrowed down to a competitive, high tech, lucrative market for those whose designs dominate. At this time, round 1994 - 95, we were on the cusp of a revolution in the use of what we were still calling 'exotic' materials. These first canoes were being made for the most part using glass reinforced plastic (GRP) mostly on account of cost and the reality that not all manufacturers were tooled-up to handle carbon fibre layups.

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Carbon and Kevlar were still referred to as 'exotic' materials and their use was considered extravagant, complicated, risky and above all, expensive. Though it was possible to build in these materials, part of the question became one of sheer cost. Who would pay out a large sum of money for less weight and stiffer longitudinal hull strength. The answer to this would ultimately be determined by a simple formula of performance (enjoyment) versus expense and it was an issue that would ultimately be challenged as a possible limiting factor.

1995 Australia as a test case in point Australia's OC1 rulings developed into some of the most stringent. In 1995, a maximum length of 27' and a minimum of 24' existed with a minimum beam of 9.5'' and a minimum weight of 44lbs (20kg).

When the Kaiwi Challenger were first manufactured in Australia, renamed the Ocean Master, nearly 12" had to be added to the tail to conform. Ultimately, these rulings were nullified to fall in line with the rest of the world. To impose specification rulings on such a new craft, stifled the possibility of developing both the craft and the sport to any extreme.

It seems incredulous to recollect some of the tactics being employed by Australian manufactures by way of a protection mechanism. AOCRA in good Converted rowing scull by Gus Angus. Down-under Canoes Aust.

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faith, erroneously asked its own manufactures what rulings should exist, if any.

Typically they all conformed to their specific OC1 design specifications which a few had begun producing and some even went so far as to make the point that it was impossible for them to manufacture a canoe that was sea-worthy, weighing less than 25kg and therefore this should be the minimum weight.

This was simply a reflection of their unwillingness to invest in 'tooling' up for a more advanced craft and in many ways, they were limited by the dogma of making SLSC Surf Skis which had to be built tough to paddle through surf and were consequently heavy by requirement. Meanwhile in Hawai'i where they were leading the charge now well into 1996, their carbon canoes were coming out at around 12kg. Something had to be done.

1996 in Hawaii by comparison For my part in December of 1996 I contacted Todd Bradley for input as to what was evolving in Hawai'i after all, if they were pioneering it, surely we needed to conform or be left behind.

"I have been recently questioned on my thoughts on the issue of specifications and regulations being considered for the emerging sport of OC1 racing in Australia. Here are my thoughts, take them as you wish. The specification issue was viewed and researched in Hawai'i with the emergence of this sport in 1987 and now with 9 years hind-sight, we made the right decision, which has brought the sport to what it is today. I would have to say that the sport was taken from its infancy and to its success here in Hawai'i, with this success it has now become an international sport.

The sport of va'a Hoe (V1)originated in Tahiti and some of the first rudderless va'a Hoe were brought to Hawai'i in the late 1970's. Walter Guild, myself and a hand full of other paddlers began off-season paddling in a 27' open cockpit canoe around 1987. Our vision was to take this canoe in the open ocean, but with an open cockpit this was not practical. In 1988 this lead Walter Guild to design a new 26' decked-over canoe with rudder. It was a success in the open water and the first open ocean racing of OC1s began.

1989 was the beginning of the Kaiwi Challenge (Moloka'i to O'ahu) race with 3 participants, 73 in 1996. From 1989-1992 as the sport grew we were seeing all kinds of OC1 versions emerge from Surf Ski manufacturers; basically a Surf Ski with an outrigger attached. There was concern that maybe, an OC1 Association should be started to differentiate our new sport from the already successful Surf Ski Association and by doing this, make specifications for the craft; length, weight and that an OC1 hull would not be capable of floating upright without ama.

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But the sport was growing quickly and when Kanaka Ikaika Surf Ski Association began an OC1 division within their schedule, which stated that, "no specifications other than it must be paddled with a single blade paddle and must include an outrigger" it seemed best to follow with them because of their large associations support (. . . significant development was the concept of unlimited design, pioneered by Kanaka Ikaika founder Dale Adams, who withstood the pressure for design standards, weight, length, and width restrictions for OC1s in the races. This unlimited concept made possible all the innovations we enjoy today.) The specifications controversy continued to be an issue for a few more years as it grew along with technology and designs.

At this point, like computers, an OC1 was out of date within a month. At the time we didn't realise that the sport was growing in geometric proportions.

In 1999 Todd Bradley's business interests with Simple Green, paved the way for corporate sponsorship, which led to Walter Guild, Karel Jnr, Mike Judd and Kai Bartlett joining the team together with Andy Penny, Todd Bradley. Pat Von and Greg Edwards were sponsored OC2 riders of the Viper Duo.

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The cheaper used OC1 market was bringing in new participants; lighter more manoeuvrable craft made the sport more attractive to Surf Ski paddlers, it was bio-mechanically closer to OC6 paddling for off-season training / racing and the short learning curve for new participants who wanted an off season sport other than the Surf Ski which was difficult to master in open water. In short, if you add specifications to OC1 craft, you will be alienating Australia from the rest of the world in this sport, limiting its future.'

14th November 1996 / Todd Bradley

1996 The outfall of Australian rule changes Though Bradley's input went a long way to making a case for slackening of the rule changes, a weight limit was kept in place of 15kg (if memory serves), however this was still to cause issues. Being as the sport was nearing 3 years young in Australia, any sudden dramatic rule change would negatively affect current owners and those who had canoes on order. It was messy, but the rationale was, change the rules and let's move on. Australian manufactures began to proliferate in modest numbers and only a few OC1s were genuinely made from the ground up, with some 2 person kayaks (K2s) being modified into OC1s in particular.

1998 - 1999 OC1 sport begins to go corporate In 1998, Outrigger Connection's, Viper and the Gator represented the first step into hi-tech construction, by using all exotic materials, vacuum bagging and oven baking to reduce the weight while improving the strength. Shaped by Brent Bixler (who had moved in 1997 from The Fibreglass Shop / Canoe Sports Hawai'i to Outrigger Connection) from scratch, the Viper went into full production after that yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Moloka'i to O'ahu race.

The result was a vast improvement in the quality of the craft and the price tag also increased to around USD$3000. Meanwhile Canoe Sports Hawai'i had produced the Advantage followed by the Sniper after the Kaiwai Challenger.

Neither proved to be as popular as the craft now being produced by Karel Tresnak and Bixler.

Tresnak's full on assault on the OC1 market was unmatched and barely rivalled. Though Canoe Sports Hawai'i through Walter Guild had very probably been a primary catalyst for OC1 development, Bixler's departure to Tresnak's, Outrigger Connection design and manufacturing team,the maturing talent of Karel Tresnak Jnr as their primary rider and all around talent combined with Karel Snrs sheer drive fuelled by life experiences in escaping his homeland of Czechoslovakia, he was determined to rule this roost, producing not just one new OC1 each year at one point, but sometimes as many as three.

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Karel Jnr paddles the Mantra

Of note, the Wave Blade OC1, found its way onto the market in 1998; originally designed by the late Tommy Conner, Steve Blyth purchased the mould, narrowed it a bit and the Wave Blade was born. These tweaks improved flat water performance, but retained its wave riding capability.

In 1999, Karel Tresnak Jnr was to win his first of many Kaiwi Challenge OC1 Races. In 1998 Walter Guild began paddling Tresnak's canoes beginning with the Gator (he and Mike Judd won the Californian Catalina Classic race in this same year).

The Viper originally conceived in 1997, evolved into the Viper XL in 1999, with the cockpit radically moved 6 inches forward for better surfing ability. Karel Snrs son Karel Jnr won his first Moloka'i on this canoe in the same year. Karel Jnr's talent not just as an OC1 60 | OC1 The Pioneering Years 1978-1999

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paddler but as a steerer of OC6's, served the family business well, so as Outrigger Connection's OC1's were assured of having one of the fastest and most talented OC paddlers of the time, ensuring them of attention through line honours taken.

Summation to date 1979-1999 Over this 20 year period, this constituted very probably the sports foundation years of evolution. It had been a jolted, rocky ride on many levels and there were some winners and some losers along the way.

From rudimentary make-do concepts, then the use of the Tahitian V1 imported firstly by Paul Gay in the late 70's and later by Walter Guild in 1986 this became the blue-print format which seemed the way forward.

But this was rudely challenged by the use of a converted surf ski hull by Tom Conners who showed the way forward so far as a bump-catching hull was concerned in the 1991 Moloka'i race. John Martin's Honukai with Moloka'i wins in 93, 94 and 95 (and later the Nai'a ) paddled by Jim and John Foti became very probably the earliest purpose built bump chasing OC1, more so than Guilds Kaiwi Challenger.

The long, narrow, near rocker-less OC1 shapes in the form of the Horizon OC1 was clearly only good for flat water situations. In time Karel Tresnak joined the race who went on to innovate and set a global standard.

Disclaimer: It has to be said, there were many other 'players' and contributors during this evolutionary period and some of you will know the details. Essentially, the idea here is to set down the basic foundations with mention of arguably the most influential of designs. In addition, because few accurate records have been kept, this compromises the research to a greater or lesser extent. This is in no way meant to be a definitive narrative of the sports historic evolution - a mere attempt to bring some clarity.

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3

2000 Onwards

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From 2000 onward, there have been few major points of advancement, save for many micro-management adjustments to rudder positions, ama design, seat comfort, rigging adjustability and tweaking of hull designs, but during 2013 and 2014 there has been a major rethink of ama design in particular.

Downwind specific canoes have became more advanced and specialised to meet rider needs as skill levels have escalated. Some canoes have been made for 'flatter' conditions, but for pure flat water OC1 paddling conditions, there has been little demand for investment - this remains the domain of the V1 rudderless craft.

Brief notes on anatomical considerations of Moloka'i winners versus the canoes they paddled up to 2000.

Along the way, many significant characters have played their part during the evolutionary process. Hawaiians and indeed the world, tends to view the Moloka'i to O'ahu results as the yardstick for which canoe to buy. This would be utterly inappropriate if you only ever paddled in flat or choppy waters or never pursued downwind paddling where 'runners' and 'bumps' existed.

With three consecutive wins on the mantle-piece, for the 1999 Moloka'i to O'ahu Solo Race, Mark Rigg's paddled a new design named the Ono by Tiger Canoe Kayak. The original mould was Tahitian, but it was modified to handle his 6'4" body and the ocean racing conditions. 'Rigg's boat is longer (22 feet) and wider (18 inches) than the standard canoe. The weight has also dropped to about 23 pounds, considerably lighter than the canoes used even a few years ago.' Star Bulletin Hawai'i, May 1999.

In the analysis of the way things evolved, the goal posts on design and indeed training methods, would rapidly change after this year, with the arrival of Karel Tresnak Jnr, who went on to defeat Rigg in this same year, surpassed by his youth and determination aided by a working relationship with his father Karel Snr of Outrigger Connection Hawai'i.

Karel Jnr, under the tutelage of his father, who knew the level of training required at Olympic paddling level, enjoyed canoes being 'tailored' for him. This and his training regime, moved the goal posts by a considerable distance; training with an Olympian mindset adopted from his father, was foreign territory to Hawai'i's outrigger canoe paddlers, who simply relied upon solid base fitness and a far more random approach to OC1 training.

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real terms never had OC1s custom made to fit even in the same way as Walter Guild's canoes were being made to fit him, you have to ask if this was a limiting factor.

This 'fit' is not insignificant and for those who were having canoes custommade to fit, there were obvious advantages. The irony in all of this, is the negatives. A canoe designed to fit a 6'6" man like Guild or Rigg or even Karel Jnr, is simply not going to fit as 'optimally' to someone of 5'5" and no amount of marketing spin will serve to move the canoe's sweet-spot, which is one of the central design considerations of a downwind styled OC1; it remains fixed.

This being the case, Guild's only real commercial success was the Kaiwi Challenger for a brief time, while Rigg's modified Ono canoe did not go very far, while Karel Jnr was near on getting a different canoe design each year - his height remaining the same over this time, though his weight would no doubt have altered.

Jim and John Foti are iconic figures in Hawaiian canoe paddling and they have carved out their share of solid Moloka'i results, especially in the early days, but importantly, the canoes they preferred where always smaller volumed, 'wetboats' - the Honukai, the Nai'a and ultimately the Hurricane. Jim then even gravitated toward the Italian made OC1 from All Wave, the Helium.

On the face of it 6'6", or anywhere near it, is not an average height for men and certainly not for women. Consequently, there goes very much more than 50% of your market. If you're lucky you may end up with near 10% of all the OC paddlers who swing a paddle. By contrast a height of 5'2" to say 5'10" would be far more average across both male and female participants in OC. On this basis alone, it's not hard to determine why smaller volume canoes such as the Hurricane found such appeal.

2000 The Hurricane phenomenon The relevance of making mention of the Hurricane OC1 is three fold. Firstly its popularity and why. In addition, it changed the face of the way OC1 canoes were made and distributed and lastly it challenged outrigger canoeing governing bodies in a number of countries, in the strangest of ways.

The Hurricane was created by Mike Giblin, formerly Maui Fibreglass now Ozone. Beginning in 1998 with the Makani - the Hurricane OC1 came about as a result of some 7 prototypes before full scale production. At one point a mould was made, but rejected. All in all, it took some two years to come up with the final production model Hurricane - very probably the longest selling most popular (best-selling) OC1 to date.

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OC1 - A Paddler's Guide Australian Mike Murray drops in on the Hurricane during a Moloka'i crossing. The small volumed Hurricane, was never intended for this level of assault.

Australia's Chris Maynard - an iconic figure of OC sport in Australia. The Hurricane was a perfect match for his body weight, height and ability seeing him win many Australian titles adding to the prestige of the canoe itself.

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Designed in Maui, the Hurricane remains one of the most popular OC1's ever built. Small, narrow, with limited rocker it was and remains popular with women and smaller paddlers (and those of average height) and by all accounts, it's fast in a wide variety of most 'average' conditions.

Some changes to the foot pedals, the rudder cables to spectra, the i'ako sleeves and other alterations were all micro-management changes over time. Recent changes include moving the rudder forward by 6" for improved responsiveness going downwind and improved rudder contact with the water.

So global has been the appeal of the Hurricane, that it became the first massproduced OC1 of its type in China (originally Malaysia). Only on account of the sports popularity and Mike Giblin's faith in his product, could the chance be taken. As it turns out, container loads of the Hurricanes made their way to Australia and California in particular. His vision for global appeal of the sport and his product was well founded.

The reason for its success? Well it wasn't price, because at the peak of its sales, it wasn't cheap, in fact it seemed outrageously priced at the time compared to pretty much everything else on the market in some countries - certainly in Australia where it was to become a massive success regardless. Its appeal was simple in being a small, low volume, no-nonsense, 'does what it says on the tin' kinda canoe.

Its nimbleness, lightness, and build quality, made it easy to lug around both on land and on the water and in many ways, being a non-specialist canoe design per se, it falls right into that category of all-rounder.

Neither dedicated to downwind paddling, nor for the dead flat, it met the needs of most paddlers playing in average water conditions, whether racing or training. It is what may be described as a 'wet-boat'. Its low volume, narrow width, ensuring it slices through water rather than over it and it found huge appeal amongst female competitors and many smaller framed male paddlers.

In early 2000, with the importation of the Hurricane, into Australia by Chris Maynard, Australia's OC1 rulings were once again challenged by a canoe which was 'under-weight' by requirement. Other manufacturers concluded its lack of positive buoyancy (i.e. lack of foam floatation within the hull cavity) meant that it was 'unsafe'. Lengths of foam with lead fishing weights were having to be put inside the hull cavity in order to race, requiring the addition of a hatch.

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craft. It was another turn-key moment threatening a possible creation of a separate Association which ran OC1 events.

Costing a whopping AUD$3000 at the time (OC1 top line canoes now run at AUD$5000) it was more expensive than any Australian made canoe by nearly a $1000. Being constructed of carbon fibre, vacuum bagged (a process of squeezing the epoxy into the fibres, while removing all the excess) it was super light-weight at around 10.5 - 11.00kg. It all slotted together beautifully, the seat was fully adjustable and compared to what was available to Australian paddlers at the time, it was almost a thing of science-fiction, the likes of which today we may take for granted.

Many however thought it was elitism to have such a super expensive high performance canoe and contrary to the belief it was going to be too expensive, Australian paddlers where lining up 10 deep to get their hands on one.

Importer Chris Maynard was able to bring them in by the container. All the goal posts were being moved and some Australian manufacturer's continued to look for ways to ban it, or at least demand modifications. The idea of having lead weights glued into the hull cavity of your brand new AUD$3000 canoe in the knowledge Hawaiian paddlers were free to paddle this very same craft, brought many paddlers to the brink of revolt. Finally agreement was reached, but it was a long hard road.

Significantly at this time, ocean surf skis of unlimited weights lacking positive buoyancy imported from South Africa and China flooded the Australian market without issue. It seemed incongruous that the OC1 should be discriminated against when the two sports were and remain in the same vein.

Kai Wa'a Kai Bartlett is one of the sports best ever paddlers. He established Kai Wa'a in 2000 when he broke away from Outrigger Connection as a team rider. He has since accumulated 5 Moloka'i solo wins, 6 relay wins as well as 3 Moloka'i Hoe victories with Lanikai Canoe Club.

Though he has produced a number of designs including the Polaris (a modified version of the Wave Blade around 2000) and the Arcturus, it is the Pegasus which was set to become iconic for a time, while his latest offering, the Scorpius in three differing formats is set to continue the solid reputation his canoes are built upon. At the time of writing the news is that the Pegasus will no longer be manufactured with the Scorpius models filling the void. As a paddler, canoe designer and manufacturer, Kai has been able to literally mould his canoes to fit him. Not unsurprisingly, where a highly competitive paddler is also a designer, they will tend to design what fits them, not someone else.

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Kai Bartlett's Pegasus has enjoyed great popularity but has been replaced by the Scorpius range.

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Kai, is no giant and of average height and consequently his canoes have evolved to fit 'average' height paddlers, which work for both male and female participants.

From around 2000, with the Hurricane launched and with Kai Wa'a opening its doors, there seems to have been a plateau reached of some form, a settling in period of acceptance that the sport had truly arrived.

Outrigger Connection through Karel Tresnak stands out as a leader for the shift in improvement and refinement of many significant design factors.

From this, there has been an increased expectation of quality of materials, designs and refinements from the sports end users, who have been the ultimate benefactors.

As a result of Mike Giblin's move to manufacture in Malaysia and from here distribute to the world, others followed - most significantly Karel Tresnak (Outrigger Connection) and later Kai Bartlett (Kai Wa'a).

This required confidence in their designs and consistency of demand. In this context, it could be said both of these boxes had been ticked and we can conclude the sport had well and truly arrived at what one might call a state of maturity. Today in 2014, Ozone manufacture not only their Hurricane and Storm OC1 but also, Kai Bartlett's Pegasus and Scorpious models.

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The Pueo has in recent years become the most popular omnipresent OC1 in Hawai'i, in demand worldwide until the next 'must have' craft emerges.

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OC1 - A Paddler's Guide ./!$0'+$1!$2$3$40++56)78$9,&+6 Mike Giblin's 'Storm' was created for the heavier paddler, but still retains an all around approach to performance in the same fashion as the Hurricane.

Larger in volume (wider and deeper) it sits very high out of the water and is very much 'drier' than the likes of the Hurricane. At a mere 7kg this canoe is, 'seamless' and represents yet another leap in technology being applied to OC design.

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Kamanu Composites Kamanu Composites based in Hawai'i, was founded in 2007 by three friends pursuing a lifelong dream. Their impact on design approaches to the sport and indeed their philosophical attitude have helped redefine many ideas long held.

The development of their Kamanu V6 flies in the face of over fifty years of design stagnation in the Hawaiian Islands, due to overly stringent regulations and while open class designs and races are beginning to take off around the world, Hawaiian associations remain fixated on a falsehood of the existence of a 'traditional racing Hawaiian Outrigger Canoe design' of which there has never been such a thing.

Their Pueo OC1 was originally launched in 2008 and represented the next generation of canoe following John Puakeaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s successful Kaimana and Kainalu, allegedly combining the best characteristics of both canoes resulting in a high performance craft that excels in all conditions.

After 4 successful seasons and two Moloka'i Solo victories, it was rebuilt from the ground up and re-released in early 2013. All the best features were kept, and some subtle new features were added. Changes include a forward shifted cockpit, slightly increased reserve volume, smoother rocker, a streamlined hull, higher footwell rails, front bungees, a more balanced feel and an entirely redesigned ama which reverts back to a high volume catamaran styled shape, designed to match the canoe in its all around performance, whether it's just skimming the surface or fully submerged underwater.

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OC1 - A Paddler's Guide

One Remaining Anomaly Throughout the process of the design rush that has ensued, the one continuing issue, often overlooked and obviously not on the designers list of 'things to do' is the issue of designing a canoe which keeps the paddler seated over the canoes 'sweet spot' based on a more or less exact area in which the paddler sits (gravity) - offset by the canoes centre of buoyancy, which, because of varying paddler heights is never going to be the same for all.

Jim and John Foti's OC1, the Kaolele includes adjustable pedals one of the few - and if you don't think this is significant, then you're in the dark about what a 'sweet-spot' is and its importance to performance.

Sized for an adult male paddler, the Kaolele is designed for maximum efficiency in downwind and rough seas without giving up flat water speed. It has a soft entry carrying into a gentle rocker with ample reserve buoyancy to carry the paddler from bump to bump without burying the nose and losing momentum. A high gunwale at the seat, permits the paddler connectivity to the canoe.

'An adjustable seat partnered with a revolutionary adjustable foot pedal system (less complex than those found on surf skis) uses spectra cable and permits paddlers (of all leg lengths) to find that ideal balance point (sweet spot) and optimisation of weight distribution. The foot pedal position can be changed in seconds 73 | 2000 Onward

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The Kaolele OC1 has both adjustable foot pedals and seat so as you remain in the 'sweet spot' area of the canoe as the designer intended. By contrast, ocean racing surf-skis have been applying this system for years - the question has to be, why not OC1 manufacturers when it seems this should be an obvious fitment to what is an otherwise highly developed craft.

without tools or technical equipment, while the ingenious footwell sliding system, features variation on how upright the pedals are set, to suit your preferred distance from the pedals and angle between heel and pedal. It's more than just a sliding pedal that moves toward and away from the sweet spot.'

Brag all you like about an adjustable seat, it's the pedals that need to move so all paddlers sit in near the same place, their centre of gravity acting down on the canoe's hull more or less approximating its centre of buoyancy acting upward or wherever the designer has calculated this force acting down should be optimally positioned.

In many respects, it could be said that this has led to many sound canoe designs being 'written' off on account of a total mismatch of the canoe to a person's height and therefore the relative position in which they sit.

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OC1 - A Paddler's Guide

Ocean racing surf ski designs figured this out some years ago - they are in short a very analytical crowd some hail from Olympic kayaking backgrounds and therefore their entire approach is very much more absolute and if you were to look at some of the sports leading designs, you would quickly figure out, that OC1 foot-wells, pedal and rudder systems are out of touch with what should be by now a standard fitment.

It's somewhat perplexing as to why so much effort has been given to OC1 seat adjustment (in fact in reality not much at all when it's simply a velcro attachment) when surf ski manufacturers have worked tirelessly to produce for their paddlers the best case scenario of adjustable foot pedal systems and have reverted back to single-foot wells as against a dual well.

Once OC1 paddlers begin to fully grasp the importance during the buying process of the relationship between their 'length' (height) and the length and volume of the canoe they paddle and the relationship between where their weight acts downward relative to the canoe's centre of buoyancy acting upward (most typically the 'sweet spot) then we will begin to enter a new phase of micromanagement.

Racing surf skis have long since been using adjustable foot pedal systems - it would be almost unthinkable to produce one without this fitment.

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www.kanuculture.com Six foot nine inches of paddling machine.

Todd Cohen Australia

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OC1 - A Paddler's Guide

Europe - The final frontier France leads the charge The European OC1 scene has been painfully slow to evolve and it's a mystery why. VI were certainly present long before OC1 on account of Tahitian service men being posted to Southern France, ensuring they had a supply of V1 to paddle, courtesy of the French Navy, who shipped them direct from the islands.

OC1 paddling is however practiced in Germany, Switzerland, Italy, France, England and a few other areas. France remains the strong hold of growth, driven by key paddlers and manufacturers. Jim Foti has been coming to Italy for quite a number of years now (following his Italian roots) in support of his association with All Wave and of their major race the All Wave Cup (European Championships) held in Italy. Together, we ran a clinic during the event in 2011. It combines OC1, OC2, Surf Ski and V1 and well worth the trip.

The UK now imports All Wave canoes from Italy through Outrigged UK and has done so since around 2010. Imiq Paddle Sports (Cameron Taylor) based in London now imports the Hurricane and Scorpious since 2013.

Since the middle of 2000 the sport begun to find appeal and gain traction.

Stand up paddle boarding has partly helped shift the interest. In the South West of France, the first OC1s used were supplied by All Wave canoes based in Italy. Franรงois Xavier Maurin and Peyo Lizarazu traveled to Rome in 2006 to buy 2 OC1 Tsunami built by All Wave.

From 2006, Ludovic Dulou imported into France All Wave OC1 such as the Tsunami and OC2 Tsunami Duo followed in 2007 by the Oracle OC1 (with a pocket seat and more volume for open ocean) and OC2 and later in that same year, Ludovic imported some Hypr Vantages and Outrigger Connection Hawaii canoes, including the Fusion and the Stingray OC2 followed by the Zephir and Fuze. The Zephir was a big success in France with some paddlers using it in the Molokai Solo race. Later the Osprey a small volume OC1 by

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Karel Tresnak and also the Helium, also a low volume OC1 by All Wave Italy found their way to France.

In 2009, French paddlers Guy Ringrave and Rico Leroy founded Woo Outrigger, producing the Api Kai OC1, with the same volume as the Zephir, perfect for surfing conditions. Designers of the Api Kai OC1 were Romain Chapron and Bertrand Baechler. In 2012, Woo Outrigger began manufacturing the Pueo under licence from Kamanu Composites Hawai'i.

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OC1 - A Paddler's Guide 2007 All Wave 'Oracle' OC1 from Italy.

Rider Steve West Photo Mandy West

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Since 2012, Kalapaki, a French company began to import and distribute canoes into Europe from Ozone, Kai Bartlett's Kai Wa'a Scorpius, Xm and Xs, Mike Giblin's Hurricane, Storm and the Tempest OC2. In 2013, Paddlesports, another French company began selling the new OC1 Ehukai designed by John Puakea.

V1 in Europe It's hard to say what type and models of V1 first reach France. Some Timi Va'a models and others were imported from Tahiti by Tahitian paddlers (now living in France) by military shipment. DDB Strat was producing a V1 model made in France in 2010.

Today, on the European market, you can find the Va'a Factory Europe and some V1 designed by Lemmy Lambert from Tahiti built in the French factory of Ascain in Basque country. Va'a Max, manufacture the V1 Manu in France and Woo Outrigger is now manufacturing the Fai Va'a 3X under licence from the Tahitian Factory, Fai Va'a.

With Para-Va'a now recognised, the growth of V1 manufacture and participation will be accelerated across all demographics, this is certainly the case in the United Kingdom.

Some Races !"#$#%&"#$#%&'#$#()*+#,-.#*/01,#/,,20./314#5.36#361#77&8# Orofero Challenge (V1) - Toulon with about 70 paddlers racing in Toulon.

Although it's more a prestigious V1 race, you can race OC1 or surf ski.

The French Te Aito (V1) - Te Aito Farani in Toulon founded 2013 Xcel Challenge - A relay race on the Basque Coast with 4 legs. Since 2010, with all the best European paddlers. In 2011, Karel Tresnak Jr was a guest, Kai Bartlett and Pat Dolan in 2012. Kai Bartlett again in 2013.

Presqu'ile Paddle Race - A good race on the beautiful Britany Coast.

French Championships - Ocean Racing French Championship. You need to do 2 races selection to do the French final at the end of the summer.

European Championships (IVF) - Giglio Island Italy. Germany - The Hawaiian Surf Festival.

Europeans paddlers Molokai Solo OC1 Championship attendance.

2001 - Giovanni de Francesco from Italy did the Molokai Solo, the first European paddler to do so. 2003 Giovanni D. F. 2004 - Franรงois Xavier Maurin, pioneer of the OC1/V1 sports in the Basque country (Maurin lived about 15 years in Raiatea when younger).

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OC1 - A Paddler's Guide

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OC1 - A Paddler's Guide

2005 - Marton Buday from Germany with an Oracle OC1 (the canoe was cut in 2 pieces to travel to Hawai'i). Marton comes from an Hungarian Olympic canoe family, his father manufactures Scorpion paddles.

2007 - Giovanni D.F. 2009 - 3 french paddlers, Bertrand Baechler, Rico Leroy, Sylvain Mercandalli, all on Karel Tresnak canoes (upwind conditions).

2010 - Sylvain Mercandalli from France and Giovanni de Francesco (Italia).

Hot, flat conditions. 2011 - Sylvain Mercandalli, Rémy Lavie from France.

Hot, flat conditions. 2012 - Sylvain, Rémy, Pascal Kots from France and Lars Lindstadt from Germany. Good race conditions, Jimmy Austin broke Karel Jrs record this year.

2013 - Sylvain, Rémy and the paddler Fabrice Beranger from Réunion Island.

Rémy placed 16th, the first Top 20 for a European paddler in the Solo event.

Many thanks to Rémy Lavie for his invaluable contribution with this information for Europe.

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4

Notes on Rigging

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OC1 - A Paddler's Guide

The relationship between the primary hull and the secondary hull (ama) is critical to the overall handling of the sum of the whole.

This is the best way to consider the ama - as a secondary hull rather than a mere appendage which should be negated out of the equation by having as little contact with the water as possible.

Rigging is entirely about the ama's relationship with the canoe, not the other way around.

In the formative years, designers seemed to invest all their intellectual effort into the primary hull, at the conclusion of which, tired and at the brink of needing to make a return on investment, an ama was hastily shaped and even more hastily a set of i'ako and finally a crude manner of fitment and if you were lucky some minor ability to fine tune the ama to the canoe.

Many early released OC1s, had no option for adjustment, save for a crude system of opposing butterfly bolts which offered height adjustment of the outer i'ako to a vertical threaded steel rod protruding from the ama.

It was all very industrial and frankly they would have been better off to have kept the use of lashing with inner-tube in true Tahitian fashion than serve up something so rudimentary. It wasn't the 1880's, but the 1990's and on this issue, they got it wrong on a biblical scale given the technical level at which we were rigging our OC6 and V6 at the time - it seemed incongruous to drop the ball at the last hurdle.

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www.kanuculture.com It may appear crude, inconvenient, primitive and all very low tech, but as yet, no singular maker of an OC1 has devised a level of adjustability which comes close to that offered by indirect V1 rigging methods where rubber inner-tube, shims and wedges can be added to provide the highest levels of fine-tuning for paddler and ama to hull relationship. Did early pioneers of OC1 designs with their 'nut and bolt' non-adjustable, one slot fit for all level of thinking, really believe they had offered a giant leap in technology? V1 indirect methods of rigging still to this day offer the pinnacle in adjustment and by definition remain more of a technical art and higher level of thinking. Our 'Westernised' obsession for convenience, time-saving corner cutting desire for push-fit and twist mechanical alternatives, is not all it's cracked up to be when you want to fine-tune a craft in which your aim is to become a part of it in the same way a hand fits a glove.

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There must have been universal agreement amongst ever growing numbers of OC1 designer and manufacturers (regrettably) that the 'nut and bolt' system was the way forward, the jump in advancement the sport had been waiting for - being as everyone who followed for a time, did the same.

This simply reflected one of several things. Perhaps makers could not be bothered to invest any intellectual effort into what had to be a simple case of 'thinking' it through, or maybe the cost of tooling up and investing in this level of R&D was overwhelmingly high, or that the rush to 'get them out there' overshadowed any need to attend to the issue, or simply that these early pioneering designers were unaware of the importance of the relationship between ama and hull - which certainly wasn't the case.

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When there was finally an effort made to offer an improved mechanical method of rigging, it remained quite rudimentary, but on the upside it dispensed of the nut and bolt arrangement (which was later banned in Australia due to the dangers it posed from impact injury).

Today's OC1s tend to offer a variety of fitments and this publication is not about to set out all of the differing methods available, suffice to say some measure of adjustability is important to account for a number of factors.

Common adjustments available to you Distance at which ama can be set out from hull (partially affecting stability. Rear i'ako (and sometime also forward) to ama height setting (affecting the angle of hull lean), seat placement and (rarely) pedal adjustment.

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OC1 - A Paddler's Guide

Primary factors affecting how you rig You should be aiming for minimal pressure downward on the ama, which is ultimately directly related to your level of ability for any given sea / water state. This then becomes your guide-line for setting up the canoe to suit, so you can paddle at maximum efficiency while minimising drag from the ama.

Leg Length - determines where you will sit in relation to both ama and hull centre of buoyancy.

Your leg length will determine how far forward or back you sit relative to the canoe's 'sweet-spot' or at least the canoe's centre of buoyancy (usually its widest point, not necessarily its deepest) and consequently your position in relation to the ama and its centre of buoyancy (usually its widest point not necessarily its deepest).

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A worrying reality As already mentioned, in the early days of OC1 development, the level of adjustability of ama to canoe fine-tuning was something of a travesty and was seemingly the furthest thing from the designers minds. Compared to the level of rigging adjustability available to V1 paddlers using rubber-inner tube and chocks, the OC1 in the early days simply did not stack up.

Spend enough time tweaking the levels of adjustment on an 'indirectly' rigged V1 which uses rubber-inner tube lashing and you learn early on, that the closer you can set your ama in toward the hull, the more responsive the canoe becomes, the greater the control you have over the ama in shifting your body weight and the less affected by the individual nuances of the ama the primary hull will bare. In effect, it's much like a set of snow skis - the closer you can bring them together, the faster you will go and the lessening of the tendency for two to oppose each other.

For the most part, most all OC1 fail to offer radical alternatives for adjustment and most set ups do not allow for the ama to be as close to the hull as say a V1 will allow. So bad is it, that I personally, have taken a hacksaw and a drill to the i'ako of my canoes in the past (and current) shortened the i'ako distance and added extra holes and moved the spring-clip into the new slot. The result being I have moved the ama in closer to be at a distance that suits me, not the designer and herein lies the problem. The level of adjustability offered by most OC1 are fairly 'pedestrian' so the more experienced paddlers amongst us struggle to fine-tune the rigging to suit.

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OC1 - A Paddler's Guide

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1300km road trip (one way) to Hamilton Island, the Mooloolaba OC Club trailer and my truck 'loaded' with canoes.

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The message here is, if you feel your OC1 is overly stable and that too much pressure is acting down on the ama, even when set as close in as it allows and as level as possible, it may be time to take action by embarking on a 'do-it-yourself' basis.

A common problem with V1 paddlers, is that despite the level of adjustability offered to them, many continue to rig the canoe the same way as when they began learning. The same applies to OC1 paddler's - you must over time, begin to re-set your rigging to become ever 'lighter' as your abilities and confidence grow, as failure to do so, could well be holding you back.

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Consideration of some of the forces You could be forgiven for not really thinking it through as to what forces are at play in relation to the overall balance and feel of your canoe, but forces they are and they act against you to one degree or another and the trick is to minimise this through sound 'rigging'.

The question that comes to mind, to what exact degree has the designer thought this through. Is the ama in balance with the hull in terms of their relative centres of buoyancy and in addition, where is the hull's centre of buoyancy in relation to the paddlers centre of gravity. Who was the canoe designed for? A 6'6" paddler or someone 5'5" as this will greatly affect the positioning of your CG relative to the hulls CB. (A) Is where your entire body weight (centre of gravity) acts downward on the hull and this SHOULD CORRESPOND WITH THE CANOES CENTRE OF BUOYANCY, dependent on leg length and where you sit in relation to it. (B) Represents where your upper body weight in particular is transferred laterally when there is any lean left, in varying degrees, outward along the i'ako to the rear attachment area of the ama, often the ama's largest area of buoyancy in the case of highly curved ama. (C) Represents where most of the load from (B) terminates as the ama sweeps upward and leaves the water.

B

C

A

97 | OC1 Notes on Rigging

www.kanuculture.com Highly curved ama have been popular for some ten years or so, but there is a recognition today, that accept for a few situations, the footprint of the ama, being behind the seating of the paddler, causes an inbalance of forces resulting in a 'kicking' upward action making for a jerky feeling to the interaction between ama and hull, not altogether desirable or efficient. In addition, there is a natural tendency for the hull to be pulled to the left. Kai Bartlett.

Weight distribution between i'ako The further back you sit toward the canoes rear i'ako fitment area, the greater the downward pressure will be exerted outward along the i'ako to the rear footprint of the ama. In all cases, the rear i'ako supports more pressure by virtue of the paddlers proximity to it.

There are a number of net consequences of this. No matter how you set up your canoe, this added weight will tend to pull the primary hull left irrespective. In addition the hull will always lean inward toward the ama, this is offset by adjusting the height (position) at which the i'ako is attached to the ama. Your body weight from the hips downward will always be supported by the canoes buoyancy, however as your upper torso, arms and head move to the left, this weight either lessens or increases pressure to the rear of the ama.

Consequence of weight baring down on canoe Weight acting down on the canoe, will cause some of this load to move down the i'ako to the ama; not in equal parts, the greater part transferred along the rear i'ako. The greater the weight, the deeper the hull sinks in relation to the ama. The greater the weight, the more likely it is that the canoe will lean ever more away from the ama. Un-laden, the canoe may lean left.

The greater your weight, the more likely it is that you will need to sink the rear i'ako deeper into the ama (to roll the canoe left) to compensate for the canoe leaning right. Conversely, if you're light, then you're more likely to keep the rear i'ako high (to roll the canoe right) to compensate for the fact that the canoe is leaning left.

Pushing the i'ako deep into the rear ama, you will encourage the hull to roll left toward the ama, which pulls the rear of the ama up, 98 | OC1 Notes on Rigging

OC1 - A Paddler's Guide Raising the i'ako high from where it pushes into the rear of the ama, rolls the canoe hull away to the right. Pushing the i'ako deeper into the ama, rolls the canoe hull inward to the left. The paddlers weight acting down on the hull, rolls the hull away from the ama side.

In the learning phases, paddler's will tend to push the i'ako deeply into the ama, which rolls the canoe inward to bring about increased pressure acting downward on the ama. The negatives include, added drag and quickened onset of sciatic nerve pressure acting through the left buttock, along into the knee and even down into the feet, leading to numbness.

99 | OC1 Notes on Rigging

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which trims the nose down. Conversely, If you're attaching the i'ako high on the rear of the ama (perhaps because you're light) then the rear of the ama will be pushed down and the nose lifted high.

Typically beginners can struggle with balance and tend to heavily favour pressuring the left side of their buttock. You may want to set the canoe up to roll inward to the ama by sinking the i'ako deeper into the ama at the rear to make the canoe 'feel' more stable, but your aim is to have the canoe set level. In the case of V1 you use chocks / shims to bring about the desired trim. Straighter ama are generally designed to be rigged 'flat' - a tilted flat surface will result in water being pushed not separated.

Using a spirit level If you want to ensure the net outcome of your 'tweaking' results in the primary hull sitting level (with you on it) you can place a spirit level across the footwell area or seat, have a friend eyeball it or go by feel. !"#$%&'()*+%","-%.")*%/#0$%"%1&0'#2%&03&21%/#*%4*553#6%735,*#5%31"2/%5/%","%"5%5.*% 8(/#5-%5.*%(*"(%,"$%.")*%9%/(%:%.*36.5%4*553#64%;%4/,*%,/(*<%=5("36.5*(-%1>"5","("#1% 45$0*+%","%"(*%6*#*("00$%+*436#*+%5/%?*%(366*+%170"51%;%"#%'@A"(+%5305*+%70"5%4'(8"&*% A300%(*4'05%3#%A"5*(%?*3#6%@'4.*+%#/5%4*@"("5*+<%%%%%% The relationship between all these factors is critical to the overall performance and run of the canoe. Some are adjustable, some not.

Shifting forces as paddler reaches and enters blade.

Paddlers centre of gravity acting downward

Hull's centre of buoyancy acting upward

Paddlers weight travels along the hull, then outward along i'ako to the ama.

Paddlers weight travels outward along i'ako to the ama. This force tends to travel to ama CB.

Ama centre of buoyancy acting upward 100 | OC1 Notes on Rigging

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Curved ama or straight?

The geometry associated with a highly curved ama is complex, while the geometry achieved in using a straighter, flatter ama is a more practical solution given flat or choppy conditions (even moderate downwind situations) in that you can achieve a more 'balanced' relationship between both ama and canoe centre of buoyancy and by consequence, that of the paddler's centre of gravity acting upon the canoe and ama.

Where a highly curved ama is used as is often the case for downwind canoes, the rig is positioned so as the ama's centre of buoyancy is behind both the paddler's centre of gravity and the canoes centre of buoyancy; there is a trend emerging of these ama only being advantageous in 'bigger' downwind conditions.

Where a straighter ama is used, the ama's centre of buoyancy is more toward its middle, which brings it more adjacent to the paddlers centre of gravity and the canoes centre of buoyancy; the net result is a smooth ride, greater prediction of ama behaviour and a better balance between ama and canoe in relation to each of their centre's of buoyancy.

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V1 paddlers in Tahiti have the ability to use differing ama. All-round OC1 should have this facility, a choice of highly curved rear-riding ama for pure downwind paddling in larger ocean waters, where flying the ama and minimising the ama footprint and achieving high speeds in the drop in, are central to the art, as against flatter, choppier, moderate waters where you're wanting to find the optimum balance and control of the ama / hull relationship in spreading the load over a greater ama length and keeping power to the paddle in the most energy efficient way.

This design rationale makes sense of the Pueo catamaran styled ama which seems counter-evolutionary in bucking the trend of attaching a highly curved ama. The 'Catamaran' styled ama first appeared in contemporary use in California and was based upon the Hobie Cat pontoons devised by Offshore California's Billy Whitford and Bud Hol for use on OC6 - C1980s.

Pueo Catamaran Ama "The original Pueo ama's extended waterline, was among the first on the market to embrace the idea that the ama is acting as a second hull. When an ama has a lot of rocker, the resistance is constantly changing as a factor of how much weight you're putting on it. Slight changes in weight result in drastic increases in resistance as you start pushing the rocker through the water.

With a straight ama, you eliminate those drag spikes by allowing the efficiency to stay relatively constant regardless of how much downward pressure is applied.

While maintaining the long waterline of the original; we added volume so it could handle changes in pressure better; we kicked up the nose rocker a hair to keep the nose from digging; we rounded out the hull profile for added efficiency; we added a third setting to the front for added customisability; and the entry (where the water first makes contact with the hull) is much finer for added efficiency. The sum of the changes is an ama that is not only more efficient in the flat, but it's looser and more responsive in the surf".

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OC1 - A Paddler's Guide

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OC1 - A Paddler's Guide

Travis Grant grinding away on Hamilton Island. This was the older styled Pueo ama which was somewhat more angular than the preceding model.

The top image shows the front portion of the ama, smashing its way through oncoming waves (bad) and below you can see how easy it is to make it break free and travel light (good). Not designed so much for bigger downwind days, but more for moderate to 'choppy' and flat conditions.

This design underwent a rethink, resulting in marginally more curvature at the front in particular. These design ideas are now being applied to OC6 designs - but in fairness this is not a new concept for OC6 when you look at some past designs - but there is a sense now of greater refinement and a counterpoise of increased paddler skill levels.

105 | OC1 Notes on Rigging !"#$%$&'()*+,-(&*'

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Setting a Catamaran (straight) ama correctly is critical on account of the lack of any significant curvature. Too great of a trim fore or aft results in water being 'pushed'. Here the ama is trimmed too far down at the nose.

Adjustment of the Pueo catamaran ama, permits the paddler to sit near adjacent its centre of buoyancy. Here the ama is raised too high at the nose, below it has been set to a near optimum level.

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OC1 - A Paddler's Guide

Highly curved ama, work on the principal of 'riding' on a small footprint area of the rear section, causing the outward pressure from both i'ako to terminate within this one area, which requires the bulk of the volume and centre of buoyancy of the ama is within this area. For downwind paddling where there are larger waves and swell in particular, this design is favoured by many paddlers. The downside, is that both the paddler's centre of gravity and the hull's centre of buoyancy are often forward of the ama's centre of buoyancy, so as there is an in-balance which can be offset through the use of the steering. Below; Kai Bartlett in 2014, moved to follow the trend in offering a straighter ama. Some of his designs have been the most radically curved - not that this slowed him down much.

107 | OC1 Notes on Rigging

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The limitation with mechanical direct attachment methods of OC1 rigging, is that they are 'limited' and for many experienced paddlers, the settings fail to provide extremes of settings to match your abilities. Here the front aluminium i'ako has been 'kinked' to raise the front of the ama, which resulted in a 'livelier' canoe but not necessarily a more comfortable one.

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OC1 - A Paddler's Guide

You should aim to be able to paddle on the off side and with a bit of pressure on your right buttock, the ama should leave the water in a controlled manner so as you can bring about a lightening of compression when needed. This can take some practice, but if it's hard to achieve you can be sure your canoe is rigged too 'heavy'. The canoe above is a small volume design with a highly curved ama which with some modification, paddling with a 'light' ama is achievable. The larger volume canoe below, with a moderately curved, low volume ama, even after some modification, remained 'heavy' by comparison. More volume is needed to lighten the load to prevent it pushing water and being driven downward.

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5

Paddles

110 | Paddles

OC1 - A Paddler's Guide

Naturally, you're going to want to kit yourself out with a decent paddle and I say 'decent' in the literal sense, as I have always maintained the view, that a well designed, well balanced, light weight paddle is in no way a luxury or something to aspire to, it is in short an absolute necessity if you're to maximise your enjoyment and time on the water and therefore make the most of your OC1.

True to the variance of origin, nature, philosophical principles, cultural variance and geographical spread of OC1 and V1 users, it's no surprise perhaps that the nature of the paddles used between the two craft are often as different as the craft themselves.

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OC1 paddlers for the most part have had a preference for carbon (or hybrid / wood-carbon) single bend paddles, while V1 paddlers often prefer, double-bend timber paddles. The difference is significant and reflects a variety of complex reasons, both socioeconomic and technical. Only recently are we seeing a small shift by OC1 paddlers to experiment with double-bend paddles - this may be out of curiosity - but there can be some mechanical advantages if understood and applied.

Reasons for differences in preference between the two very different paddle designs has much to do with differing paddling techniques. All too often you will hear it said, the only reason someone would choose a double-bend over a single-bend is purely 'ergonomics' (comfort). This may be for the uninitiated, but for the more 'technical minded' the difference between the angles within the shaft, demands a very different application of biomechanics.

So far as which paddle you decide to invest in, buying your way up over a period of time to the paddle you should have purchased in the first instance, is a very much more costly process. Buy in at the top and you will not regret it.

Fortunately on account of the nature of OC1 and V1 sports, paddlers embrace a somewhat more revered view of paddles and understand the value of a good stick to go with their much loved canoe or va'a.

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Palm Grip, Hammerhead and T-Grip

More than just a handy implement for propulsion, the paddle has taken on powerful symbolism throughout many canoe-cultures. Its form has been revered in sculpture, jewellery and drawings. Even with the march of progress, whether all wood, carbon or a mix of materials, a well crafted paddle is the pinnacle of art, form and function. Its simple form evokes in the paddler an empathy for what it represents; a way of propelling yourself over the water, symbolising freedom from constraint, recreation, a good time and ultimately what you would rather be doing.

Without exception, paddles used today for outrigger canoe paddling are only vaguely ‘traditional’ by any standard. In many regards, many of their contemporary design elements are due to the advancement of Native American open canoe (river) paddle designs nurtured by Euro-American and European racers and shapers.

In reality, most commercially made racing paddles are grossly undervalued when you factor in the labour and skill involved in their creation and there are few in ‘the business’ who would disagree with this.

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Paddle anatomy The edges constitute the extremities of the blade. Grip circumference is the measurement taken around the throat - important that this is suited to your hand and finger dimensions. Too narrow and you will have to squeeze hard to gain control which can stress your forearms, too wide and you will struggle to gain any control. The power-face of the blade is the surface which grips and is pulled against the water, in contrast to the back of the blade. The shaft has two sides. The back is the ‘compression’ side and the front is the ‘flex’ side.

Some makers add a ‘compression-strip’ of a specific timber such as Ash to absorb the continual ‘crushing’ of the timber fibres. This is the side which often gets stress fractures and ultimately fails. Stress fractures often appear as small dark creases or fissures on the surface of the timber on the compression side.

Grips take on a variety of shapes in an effort to offer varying degrees of comfort and firmness of control and include, Palm / Pear Grip, Hammerhead or J-Grip, T– Grip.

Blade design performance requirements Blades are assessed on their four main areas of performance which are entry, grip, exit and air transfer. This directly translates into the various phases of the paddle stroke.

Entry As the blade enters the water, it should do so in a way that minimises energy waste; splash and excessive bubbles of air around the blade. Clean entry is vital.

Air tends to be dragged down with the blade as it is pushed into the water, especially along the back-face of the paddle. Excessive air drawn down the

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blade greatly reduces the paddle's efficiency, leads to cavitation and reduces its grip on the water. While the paddler is largely responsible for ‘clean placement’, the blade design can either hinder or assist in this respect.

Curved blade tips In the past, when blade faces where larger and tips thicker, flat (straight) tipped blades would sometimes create a noticeable ‘plopping’ sound. This was both annoying and inefficient as it was a sure sign that air was being drawn down the back of the paddle on entry. A 1-2" curved lip was added to the blade tip by some manufacturers, angled back toward the blade face marginally so that on entry, the lip entered vertically rather than 45º. This may have resolved some entry issues but can cause problems at the exit, where water can be ‘trapped’ and ‘scooped’ by the lip, creating drag.

As blade areas have reduced, edges thinned and paddling ‘styles’ changed, this issue has diminished and the curved lip is seldom seen on outrigger canoe paddles out of USA, Hawai'i, Australia, Canada. However, they are still prevalent in Tahiti where blade areas are somewhat larger with longer blade lengths for V1 paddling, where paddling technique and styles are somewhat unique and there is still a preference for double-bend paddles.

A smaller blade beside a larger. Paddlers will tend to own perhaps only 1 paddle to do all tasks, but in truth having a variety can certainly pay-off. You could use the larger for shorter sprint races and the smaller for downwind paddling - the bottom line however is that in all cases, so long as the blade remains stationary during the pull / power phase, then it's done its job - anything surplus to this size is unwanted drag especially at the exit while a blade that 'slips' under load, may be lacking in area to 'hold' your mass + canoe + strength of pull.

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Grip The blade must grip the water so an effective pull can be generated, leading to the analogy of the blade acting as an anchor in being stationary as the hull is pulled up to its level over the water.

Importantly, 'stationary' is not a relative term. Regardless of blade area, so long as the blade is stationary during the pull (power) phase, blade area only need be of sufficient size to achieve this important 'moment'.

Additionally, regardless of blade area, if insufficient compression (power) is given to the blade, it will slip backwards on account of uncompressed 'soft' water spilling from its edges.

Blade area therefore, needs to be proportionate to the paddler's strength, body mass, paddling style (fast or slow stroke rating) and of enough area to offset these loads by way of resistance.

The relative 'load' that a blade must resist is less than that experienced in a team canoe, which means that a smaller blade area can be used with OC1 or OC2 craft without any noticeable blade-slippage, provided good technique is used.

Blade areas have greatly reduced since the mid 90s, moving away from the ‘bigger must be better’ theory. Smaller blade areas have led to slightly more ‘aggressive’ paddling techniques and styles, with higher stroke rates to accommodate.

Some paddlers, as they age, move back to a wider, larger blade area, preferring a slower stroke rate. While more blade area equates to more grip, there is also more drag to contend with at the exit phase of the stroke and more weight in the paddle.

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Flutter In the late 90s, there has been a move to greatly reduce the surface area on paddle designs. This is partly a result of rethinking the paddle's function; i.e, that its surface area only has to be large enough to anchor itself. Surface area beyond this optimum size adds extra weight and ineffectual surface area which translates into unnecessary resistance and drag, particularly during the exit phase of the stroke.

'Flutter' is a characteristic associated with the blades tendency to 'oscillate' side to side as you make the pull. It can be associated with the blade area (resistance) being excessive for the paddler relative to their strength, technique or body mass. It can also be associated with poor On the left, a flat faced blade design, which either encourages water runKialoa blade. On the right off or may morph under load, causing water to a ZRE Power Surge, with leave the blade edges under varying degrees of dihedral running from the pressure (and positions) as the pull is made. neck progressively diminishing towards the tip. These dihedrals or splines, add some degree of balance to the blade, permitting water to leave the blade surface in near The inclusion of a spline or raised dihedral from equal proportions toward the end of the stroke as the the neck to a quarter or two thirds down the centre of the power face of the blade, can provide power diminishes. With the evolution of smaller some balance and reduce this tendency, but blade areas, splines have slowly been omitted or diminished, as faster, more aggressive paddling techniques have evolved, requiring paddlers increase compression of the water against the blade face at the catch phase.

Smaller, flat faced blades demand an aggressive catch and do not always suit the entry level paddler as flutter will occur if not used in this manner.

Essentially flutter results as water, under pressure, leaves the blade face at random points along its edges, causing shifts in the forces (resistance) acting against the blade during the power phase.

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relates more towards taming this behaviour at the end of the stroke as the power band diminishes and the water begins to naturally leave the blade face.

Paddles with small blade areas will often tend to suffer less from flutter, but demand a more aggressive, explosive catch and power phase in order to compress the water against the blade, to prevent this behaviour, along with blade slippage.

With diminishing blade areas over recent times, the spline has disappeared or diminished from paddle design but a remnant of it is still often added in the very top quarter of the blade to improve stability.

Exit When you remove the blade from the water, you want to minimise energy expenditure (loss) by both paddler and blade. This is achieved by exiting the 119 | Paddles

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blade from the water at the earliest opportunity after the power-phase of the stroke, even if some of the propulsive power is lost from the end of the stroke.

If you pull the blade too far past your body, it slows your potential stroke rate down and uses unnecessary energy, as the critical and most powerful part of your stroke has already been made.

This being said, whereas in team OC paddling this is a strict practice, where the loads are significantly greater, the lighter weight and reduced drag as experienced paddling an OC1 or V1 permits some push (at times) to be used to good effect, so as 'push' becomes 'shove and this is certainly true when paddling in rough waters.

The larger the surface area of the paddle, the greater the drag or resistance will be during the exit part of the stroke. The solution for this is to reduce the surface area of the blade, particularly its length.

A short blade length; 18" (45.72 cms) measured from the tip to the neck of the shaft, will mean that the blade is not buried so deep in the water and can be exited and re-entered with smaller movements and with less energy expenditure.

Design and suitability Outrigger paddling is an endurance sport and it is essential that you can manage your paddle efficiently for long periods of time, in a way that is comfortable and effective, avoiding undue fatigue and a reduction in performance.

When selecting a paddle, you need to take into account your individual requirements which are determined by your physical attributes, your paddling style and the type of va'a you are paddling. A poor paddle design or even a good one that is not suited to your style of paddling will mean you will fail to reach your full potential.

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Remember, your paddle is what provides the essential link between your energy expenditure and the effectiveness of your stroke.

Over the years, paddle designs have changed in an effort to increase comfort and reduce fatigue while improving its over all efficiency. How much of this is simply a smart commercial move in order to offer something different, or is a genuine attempt to improve comfort and efficiency while reducing fatigue is uncertain. The design features undoubtedly have merits, some paddlers like them, others do not, ultimately it’s a matter of personal preference. It's worthwhile to try as many different designs as possible, then make an assessment of what works best for you.

Concaves The inclusion of concaves or scoops within the blade face can actually ‘hold’ water at the power phase of the stroke. However, there is a distinct disadvantage at the end of the stroke as the water fails to release from the blade face. The blade must be released very early at the hip and ‘lifted’ to allow the water to ‘spill’ from the face of the blade. Excessive drag at the exit phase will lead to early fatigue, slower stroke rates and often a ‘pull down’ effect acting on the va'a.

Blade shoulders While some blades have very pronounced shoulders, which tuck in and away from the edges up towards the neck of the blade (where it joins the shaft) many lack these curved shoulders. Shoulder-less Tahitian teardrop shaped paddles, have dominated the outrigger canoeing market for many years since the Tahitians introduced them to outrigger canoeing. Paradoxically, pronounced shoulders were a manifestation of high end open canoe racing in the USA. Pronounced shoulders allow you to drive the paddle closer to the edge of the va'a and even under the hull to some degree so as some surface tension can be broken between hull and water. Often associated with low aspect paddles, they tend to offer improved levels of balance permitting the greater part of the blade area to be concentrated in a more uniformed area or block rather than a rapid diminishment toward the blades upper limits.

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How a paddle should feel Even before venturing onto the water, it's possible to determine at least some basic tactile virtues inherent in any paddle you choose to pick up. Above all, it must feel comfortable in the hands, at the grip (handle) and where the lower hand wraps around the shaft (throat). Avoid paddles which are excessively blade heavy so the paddle should balance in your hand at around one-third the way up the shaft.

Even before price is a consideration (don't ask) just go through a variety in your hands and essentially pick out the ones which feel best to you and then enquire about the price. This simple test will provide fuel for thought versus cost.

Tear-Drop blade straight shoulders.

High aspect blade A high aspect blade by ratio, is relatively long in relation to its width (long and narrow) and may lack shoulders which merely curve away to meet the neck. As a result of their shape, they tend to have a relatively high centre of effort.

In terms of 'feel' the high aspect paddle with its higher centre of effort, is often preferred by taller paddlers in rough water, being that you don't always need to bury it fully to reap the benefits of grip. In terms of feel, the high aspect paddle is less forgiving with regards to poor paddling technique, especially when pushing forwards with the top arm during the power-phase (which you shouldn't).

It can very easily trip over itself, the top portion of the blade travelling over the tip, which acts as the fulcrum point. Being that there is considerably less surface area in the upper portion of the blade, there is less resistance (counter-resisting water pressure) and so the upper portion of the blade, wants to move faster (easier) through the water than the lower portion of the blade, which tends to remain anchored.

High aspect blade marginal shoulders.

Low aspect ZRE with pronounced shoulders.

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Low aspect blade A low aspect paddle tends to be more rounded or squat in shape (more equilateral) and has its maximum width somewhat higher up towards the mid section of the blade's height. These blades tend to have more pronounced, curved shoulders leading up to the neck of the shaft and require careful, deeper placement, though the low aspect paddle can be a little more forgiving than the high aspect paddle, being that the bulk of the blades area is often spread over a greater area of its overall length.

Blade balance It's not just the area of mass of the blade which is significant, it's also what's missing. Note where the widest point of the blade is on any blade face. The wider the extension of the wide spot, the larger the 'sweet-spot' in which the blade can find bite and balance and remain vertical for longer.

Each blade shape, provides differing levels of feel and performance. Blades which provide a narrow 'band width' of balance (centre of effort) low down, which diminishes rapidly towards the neck of the blade are prone to 'falling over' at the vertical 'moment' when some delay is required in order to lengthen the drive time of the blade.

Rounded shafts vs oval The shape of the shaft makes a big difference in terms of comfort, control and how the paddle feels in the hand. Many paddle shafts are near perfectly cylindrical (round) and for the most part this is probably down to ease of manufacturer when in actuality, an oval shape tends to be more ergonomic and

Grip circumference and the shape of the shaft can make a big difference to comfort and control, especially if your hands are wet. The oval shaft can sit in the nape of your fingers without rolling off-axis. Ultimately it comes down to personal preference, but it is yet another factor to consider regarding the paddle's overall design merits.

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better suited to the shape of the closed hand. The oval shaft is generally stronger in engineering terms. Importantly, it prevents the shaft rolling off-axis and permits the shaft to rest between finger and palm without unnecessary pressure having to be applied. The lower three fingers should not have to squeeze hard, but should be partially relaxed, the pull should provide enough pressure to prevent the hand slipping.

Sizing the length of your paddle When choosing a paddle, the overall length from tip to grip, is a very important issue you need to consider. Unfortunately, it is far from being a perfect science, and we have a range of theories which are worthy of note, more to exemplify why they are not suitable methods of selection rather than why they are. The problem with most theories is that they fail to account for the height of the seat relative to the level of water, while others fail to take into account the length of your arms.

What is certain, when moving between OC6 and OC1 or OC2 you will need a shorter length paddle because you are sitting very much closer to the water. The total difference does not equate to the difference in seat height between the two, but for the most part the difference seems to be near to 2" - so if you paddle with 52" in an OC6 it would be reasonable to use a 50" when on an OC1.

The following are examples of methods that claim to determine the correct paddle length for any individual. 1 - 4 are examples of what to avoid. Number 5 offers the best solution.

1. When standing, the paddle should reach your chin. This measures your leg and trunk length but fails to take into account the length of your arms, the canoe's depth or the seat height.

2. A paddle's shaft should be 6 to 8" (15.24cm to 20.32cm) longer than your arm from armpit to the tips of your extended fingers. This still fails to take into account the characteristics of the craft.

3. When standing, the grip of the paddle should fit snugly up into your armpit with the blade level on the ground. This fails to take into account the length of your arm and again the characteristics of the craft.

4. The paddle shaft should be as long as the distance from the top of your shoulder to the ground when you are sitting on the ground, plus the height of the crafts seat from the floor. This fails to take into account your arm length.

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Clearly all these theories end up with a variety of so called ‘ideal’ lengths which are confusing. Here is the best method, it is simple and worth the effort.

5. When the blade is fully immersed at the mid-point - (vertical phase) the power phase of the stroke, your grip - (top hand) should be level with your eyes or the tip of your nose.

This may sound simplistic – but it does ultimately take into account all factors, as well as the paddler’s physical and biomechanical make up. Following on from this, we could conclude that the most accurate method of sizing a paddle removes leg length from the equation. Remember, this is based on exercising good technique.

One of the simplest methods endorsed by ZRE paddles in the USA suggests sitting in a chair and measuring the distance from the chair seat to the bridge of your nose or eye-level. This equates to the length of your required shaft from neck to top of the grip. From here, add the blade length of the paddle model you prefer, in order to obtain the total paddle length from tip to grip.

Carbon paddles often come supplied at one length, 54" or greater. The grip is not glued so the shaft can be cut to suitable length. Some paddle manufacturers have a variety of formulae that they use, but even these will not always guarantee that you will end up with the correct length for you or your craft.

Kialoa in the USA use the following recommendations; with the advice for selection of a paddle for OC1 or V1 3 ' . . . go to the middle or low end of the range'.

Your Height

Length

5'0"-5'2"

46"-47"

5'3"-5'5"

47"-49"

5'6"-5'8"

49"-51"

5'9"-5'11"

51"-52"

6'0"-6'2"

52"-53"

6'3"-6'5"

54"-56"

1. If you have broader than average shoulders, go to the high end of the range.

2. If you have a long torso relative to your height, use the high end of the range.

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Over time, paddle lengths have been shortening for both OC and OC1 craft. For example, even a paddler who is 6'6" can be found using a 51" paddle. The most popular lengths for a wide variety of heights seem to fall between 48"-51" which is only a small variation in relation to varying heights of paddler, due to the fact, differences in height between paddlers is more on account of greater differences of leg length rather than torso length.

Cautionary Note: An overly long paddle can and probably will, over time, cause rotator cuff - shoulder, damage because you are applying power to the stroke with your upper arm raised well above the level of your shoulder. Better to use a paddle marginally too short than too long.

Grip circumference The circumference of the shaft at the throat is important for both comfort and control of the blade. How much attention has been given to this in the manufacture of outrigger paddles is a little hazy. It is fair to say though that most men's grips are larger in diameter than the women's. However, paddles generally come standard, with no allowance for women. This could be a distinct disadvantage if the diameter of the grip is too large.

When you grasp a paddle, your thumbnail should be level with or slightly overlap the line of your fingernails. A larger diameter than this will cause unnecessary fatigue, as you will need to ‘squeeze’ the grip more to control the blade. This can lead to elbow and wrist injuries as well as cramps in your forearms.

The shape of the shaft makes a big difference in comfort and control. Some are almost perfectly round while others are more oval in shape. Personal preference plays a large part in selection.

Shaft types The two most common shaft used for OC1 paddling are the single bend and for the V1 the double bend, though some paddlers reverse this trend. Importantly, straight shaft paddles are not as efficient or comfortable to use and tend to be regarded as less high performance.

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Kialoa 'Whacky' paddle

paddlers) and Kialoa's 'Whacky' paddle, attempts to improve the angle of the lower wrist in moving the lower hand further back with the dual aim of improving the paddles 'catch' and power delivery through the lower arm in particular.

The merits of these differing shaft angles may come down to personal preference, but each requires a differing approach to technique way beyond simple statements, that it's entirely about 'comfort'. Move from a straight shaft to a double and you will need to reconsider how you use it.

Bent shaft | cranked shaft, crooked paddle, single bend Beyond specific blade shapes, there are also differences in the profiles of paddle shafts. The origin of the bent shaft paddle does not lie in Oceania. It was originally developed in 1948 for the sport of canoe racing, made popular by 127 | Paddles

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Eugene Jensen in 1971 and introduced into va'a racing at the 1978 Moloka'i to O'ahu race by a mainland American team. They went on to win and in doing so, created great interest in their paddles. These paddles also included a T-Grip, which at the time, was not in popular use in va'a paddling. Since this paddle design was introduced to the sport, it has become a catalyst for the development of va'a paddles.

In 1994, we saw some radical adaptations of the outrigger paddle, specifically a reduction in blade width and height, but the blade still angled away from the shaft, averaging 10–13º.

The benefits of the bent shaft paddle; 1. Blade maintains less angle in the water during the latter part of the stroke.

2. Thrust is maintained along the side of the va'a over a greater distance.

3. The tendency to lift water during the exit phase of the stroke is reduced.

4. The paddle reaches farther forward during the catch phase of the stroke.

5. It has a natural tendency to ‘feather’ when it leaves the water.

These points are based on the assumption of the use of sound technique.

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Double-bend shaft paddles This is a variation of the bent shaft paddle in an attempt to go one better. Its design concept aims at reducing fatigue and wrist strain and makes good sense when you consider its design elements. Unlike the single-bend paddle shaft where the bend originates at the neck of the paddle, the double-bend shaft has a bend in both the upper and lower shaft.

The benefits of the double-bend shaft paddle; 1. The upper angle brings the grip back towards the driving hand, so that the paddler's shoulder and arm extension is lessened, reducing fatigue. a

b

The greater the angle of upper 'crank' the further back it moves the grip (a) toward your off-side shoulder, which gains greater reach and blade angle for 'no-effort' as against that of a single-bend which places the upper hand further forward (b).

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2. The lower shaft angles towards the paddler so that the wrist is naturally aligned with the shaft at an angle reducing wrist strain and fatigue.

Double bend paddles specific to outrigger paddling come in two distinct types.

The curious issue here is whether this developed from different approaches to construction or genuine thought regarding performance. On page 129 the top paddle, is essentially a series of ‘curves’ and more often than not laminated in a ‘jig’; timbers bent and glued to conform to the jig’s shape. Conversely, the double bend below it is far more angular and often made as a straight shaft, then the last third or so of the shaft is ‘scarfed’ - cut diagonally, reversed and laminated back on to be angled away. This is common to Tahitian paddles.

The soft ‘S’ shaped double bend, generally provides less mechanical advantage as the pivotal point is less acute than with the more angular shaft. Tahitian paddlers use this mechanical advantage by pushing forward with the top arm when the blade is vertical, during the power phase, and their concern is far from one of ergonomics, which seems to be the primary selling point for many manufacturers.

The added ‘kink’ in the top third of the upper shaft, brings the grip closer to the paddler so the top arm is further back during the set up and entry phase of the stroke. We are today beginning to see a migration of double-bend paddles into OC1 paddling by a number of top paddlers. Tahitian paddlers in particular have adjusted their paddling technique in order to use the mechanical advantage inherent in the additional upper bend in the shaft.

Timber paddle construction Many paddles out of Tahiti may seem ‘rustic’ when compared to the paddles of Hawai'i, USA, Canada or Australia. In these locations, the paddler’s demand a highly polished, well-finished implement built to out-live the paddler’s life expectancy.

Yet, in the remote islands of French Polynesia, the art of paddle making is as revered as the design and creation of the va'a itself. Limited to tropical timbers and an economy that must allow anyone be able to afford it, the paddle is considered more of a consumable than a permanent item. As such, this keeps the flow of ideas constant, though this has changed in recent years, with more expensive carbon paddles now being made - though ownership is not widespread with timber remaining the most used.

Here, the premise is that the paddle must blend with the paddler’s technique not the other way around. They are, in short, demanding of and not subservient to the paddle or the paddle maker.

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Traditional paddles were simply carved from solid lengths of timber.

Contemporary paddles use a well known manufacturing procedure called ‘laminating’. The laminating or layering together of woods by glueing them, adds to the uniform strength of the paddle. Another advantage is the creation of a lighter paddle by combining light and heavy timbers, rather than just being limited to one type for strength.

Laminations Weight versus strength is the eternal quest, as strong as possible, as light as possible. These requirements are in the hands of the craftsperson, whose skill lies in the careful and skilful selection of the timber and with meticulous laminating, which determines the paddle’s durability.

Balsa blade, hardword shaft of ash with a carbon stringer dividing the laminates. Balsa is a hardwood, but you would never guess it. Hard to work with, but lightweight, it is often laminated with carbon fibre and epoxy. Right: Tahitian paddle made from mangrove. ‘Green’ mangrove tend to be heavier, grow near the water and have higher water content.

‘Silver’ mangrove tend to be lighter, grow away from the ocean and have less water, sometimes laminated together, green for shaft and silver for the blade. The characteristics are lightweight, fibrous, strong and flexible.

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Laminations - thin strips of timber which are joined and glued together, often using a mix of hard and soft timbers. This can often create a visually appealing result, especially in the creation of ornamental paddles. Laminations can be used in both the blade and the shaft, or one and not the other.

Assessing a timber paddle Very thin glue lines between laminates will indicate a stronger finish and therefore improved adhesion.

Wide gaps between laminates will indicate that the timbers have not been butted up hard against each other during curing. Adhesion between timbers is essential.

The greater the number of laminations, the stronger the paddle will be and laminates should be laid vertical in relation to the blade not horizontal. Many paddles today, only have 3 laminates in the shaft - two outer light weight timber and a central hard wood for strength.

Check for wood defects such as knots, resin pockets, short grain shakes and warping. All of these will cause weak-spots which will be prone to breakage.

Look for a well-made, long tapering splice on the shaft. This will ensure good shaft strength in a uniform length from the neck to the grip.

Check the quality of the varnish and the lay-up of the glass on the blade. Check for air pockets. Pay close attention to the edging and blade tip regarding the seal and finish. Is the edging synthetic (resin) or fibreglassed hardwood, and is it sufficient protection for the blade?

Hardwoods - Softwoods Hardwoods include all the broad-leafed groups of tree species; eucalypts, oaks, meranti etc. Softwoods include all the cone bearing species (conifers) pine, spruce and fir trees. Hardwoods are not necessarily hard or softwoods, soft.

These general terms are biological classifications and are given to describe the general qualities of the wood and in particular its resistance to impact.

However, do not put too much faith in this, as Balsa wood, one of the softest and lightest of timbers, is classified as a hardwood.

All carbon paddles Carbon paddles began their push into paddle sports in a meaningful way during the mid 1980s. With the evolution of OC1s in the mid 90s coinciding with increased participation in Canada and the East Coast of America of outrigger canoeing in team canoes, the idea of using all carbon paddles for OC1 paddling was quickly taken up.

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This was due in part to the large number of river marathon paddlers entering the sport, bringing with them their views on the way things should be. This ultimately created a mild clash of cultural standpoints and issues as to whether they should be permitted to be used in OC6 racing. Though some countries relaxed the rules to permit them, hybrid composite paddles became the preferred choice for most crews (Tahiti remaining with all timber).

The benefits of all carbon paddles are simply stiffness and lightness. At the low end of the scale, a carbon paddle can weigh in at a mere 9oz. Arguments for the use of these paddles are largely a matter of personal choice over preferred â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;feelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, some measured performance improvement (but not always) and budget. For the most part, carbon paddles are more expensive than their timber counterparts.

Ironically, one of the biggest contributions the elite carbon paddle makers of East Coast USA made to the sport of outrigger canoe racing, was in providing new ideas on blade shapes and refined designs in general, which in time were adopted by many timber paddle makers.

The notion of using carbon paddles for OC1s has been a popular consideration since the formative days of their development in the mid 1990s (supplied predominantly by East Coast manufacturers ZRE and Barton). Naturally some paddlers tried to migrate their usage into team outrigger canoes.

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Consequently, the Hawaiian Canoe Racing Association (HCRA) in 1998, passed a ‘Wood Only’ policy for the State of Hawai'i, which related to their OC6 regatta events where koa wa'a are used. The O'ahu Hawaiian Canoe Racing Association (OHCRA) moved to implement a ‘51%’ ruling, which stated that 51% of the paddle must be constructed from wood.

By 2004 HCRA and OHCRA race rules stated in relation to team canoes; ‘Paddles must be single bladed and shaped of wood only.

However, the paddle used for racing may have a protective or supportive (strengthening) covering which may be fibrous, kevlar, carbon fibre, etc. The paddle may have an edging or prosthesis for protection on the bottom or sides. The paddle may have laminated (horizontally or vertically) synthetic materials (kevlar, etc.) for strength and support.’

The weight of the canoe and load on the paddler is a very serious consideration regarding which paddle material to pick. Along with being light, carbon paddles are for the most part stiffer than any timber shafted equivalent.

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If the shaft of a carbon paddle has little flex, then the load from the blade is transferred further up the system, to you. Your body’s joints, first your wrist, then elbow and shoulder, can be stressed and injured. It is very important not to use a blade too big for you when using stiffer shafts, especially if loads will be varying on the paddle such as open ocean, up wind, sprint turns and starts.

You may find that you can offset the strain of stiffer paddles by reducing the blade size and actually get the paddle deeper in the water. I personally prefer wood in the six man canoes. With the added weight of the canoe, it allows for a certain amount of flex in the shaft to take place and relieve some stress on the body.

So far as team wa'a racing is concerned, I am yet to be convinced that super lightweight, super stiff carbon paddles are superior to the light weight, timber paddle whose shaft has a reasonable degree of flex, especially over the virtues of a hybrid paddle. No world-class wa'a team uses all carbon paddles, period.

Therefore, to argue for their choice is to fly in the face of expert opinion.

The argument that light has to be superior, always, has been discounted by most of the best paddlers, who genuinely prefer some discernible weight to give the paddle a degree of inertia during the recovery phase. The notion of zero shaft flex is also considered a negative, giving the paddle a lifeless feeling with no recoil at the exit phase of the stroke when load is released from the blade.

The argument about which is better comes down to a preference for using the right tool for the right job. Supply and demand being what it is, the vast majority of smaller Pacific islands do not use carbon paddles, period. In short, their use is confined to the more affluent areas of the world where river canoe racing and flatter conditions are prevalent.

Flex appeal A degree of flex or spring in the shaft is preferred. Stiff shafts increase the chance of shoulder injuries. Spring gives the paddler a more encouraging, relaxing feel to the paddle stroke and in this respect, timber shafts are far superior to synthetics. However, advances in synthetic construction, largely carbon fibre, now allows for varying amounts of flex to be built in.

It was concluded towards the end of the 1990s, that the ideal va'a paddle should have a super stiff blade and neck area to prevent ‘flex’ and morphing of the blade shape, and that the shaft should have a degree of inherent flex. Hence the creation of ‘hybrid’ paddles.

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There are two critical stress areas where flex can occur on a paddle, at the neck and further up the shaft, particularly just below the point where the lower hand grips. If the neck and shaft flex as you apply pressure during your ‘pull’, it's like compressing a spring and this energy will remain stored in the paddle, until you release it when the pull is relaxed.

Essentially you've redirected and reduced the torque in the most powerful and efficient phase of your stroke, the pull, only to release that torque in the exit phase where it's all wasted energy.

Some paddlers notice a ‘snappier’ movement of their canoe as a result of using a carbon paddle, because of the added stiffness. A flexing blade creates an inefficient shape on the blade face which allows water to slip away and creates a fluctuation in the pressure/vacuum ratio between the front and rear faces of the blade. This causes the blade to flutter. While a stiff paddle is best for energy transfer, a paddle whose shaft has a slight amount of flex is easier on the body.

Wood composite paddles – hybrids Advances in materials and construction techniques led to the development of ‘hybrid’ paddles, which use a mix of timber and synthetic materials. They are used by many top solo outrigger canoe paddlers.

Wood composites are similar to traditional all wood paddles in that both have solid wood blades and sometimes shafts. Where the two construction methods differ is in the use of reinforcing composite skins such as fibreglass, kevlar, or carbon fibre on the blade.

The combination of the lightweight core and composite skin allows the builders to use lightweight woods, usually Balsa, as the core of the blade. The combination of a light weight core and composite skin produces paddles which are lighter, stronger and more durable than traditional wood paddles. To a large extent, outrigger canoe paddle manufacturers were motivated to start building wood composites because of requests from their sponsored athletes.

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‘The real light, all wood paddles were for race day only, and weren't very durable even with limited use. It seemed like a waste to throw away a paddle after only a few uses. So we asked the Hawaiian builders if they could come up with something light, yet durable enough for everyday use. We felt strongly that we wanted to develop something with our builders, rather than look outside the sport.’ Mike Judd Lanikai.

The weight game Wood composites generally weigh between 14-18oz, depending on the blade surface area, overall length, and the particulars of the manufacturer's construction method. Weight reductions of 25% are common when compared to similar size wood paddles.

‘They are light enough. They aren't as light as a full carbon, but lighter than a woodie. They are right in the middle. The extra weight can be user friendly into the wind. They have just enough weight to keep them on track. The carbons sometimes fly around.’

Jim Foti Lanikai.

Paddlers often guess the weight of their wood composites as much lower than they actually are. Most of the weight reduction comes from the blade portion of these paddles. Typically, they are blade light, meaning the blade weighs less than the shaft. Traditional wood paddles tend to be blade heavy, unless they have a small blade surface. Blade light paddles have a quick, balanced feel to them. Compared to a blade heavy paddle of the exact same weight, most people will guess that the blade light paddle is lower in weight.

Durability With its composite skin and synthetic edge around the blade, wood composite paddles are generally more durable than all wood paddles. The use of epoxy resins and aerospace skin allows the paddle manufacturers to utilise high performance technology from other applications such as auto racing, airplanes, and space travel.

‘It's been a long road experimenting with our Ultra-Lite paddles. I spent a lot of time talking with surfboard makers, boat builders, etc., about the characteristics of composite material and epoxy.’

Les Look Makana Alii. Les estimates that it takes about 40% more time and twice the material to build one of his Ultra-Lites.

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paddles. Hanging weights from the tips of their blades, a typical wood paddle failed at around 76lbs (34kg). Hybrids were able to handle weights of 108lbs (49kg), at which point the wood shafts began to fail. While it is difficult to translate this data into real world paddling, in the test environment, wood composites are proving to be stronger than traditional paddles.

Will they make you faster?

Data to support the claim that a certain paddle or characteristic of a paddle, makes a paddler faster is difficult to substantiate. Variables such as effort of the paddler, water conditions, wind direction, or duration of the event make it difficult to control and say that the paddle is the sole reason for any speed difference.

Testing by Kialoa in sections ranging from 1 to 20 minutes yielded data, which suggested that with paddles ranging in weight between 10-24oz, weight did not make a significant difference in speed. The surface area and/or design of the blade seemed to be a more significant contributor to speed changes than the weight of the paddle.

So will a lightweight wood composite paddle make you faster? Probably not.

However, when the difference between first and second place in a 40.8 mile race is decided by a mere two seconds, the top racers want to know that their paddles are as light as those of their competitors.

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6

OC1 Paddling Techniques

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Biomechanically speaking The most powerful muscles used in the OC1 stroke are your upper back, the fan-shaped latissimus dorsi, the erector muscles running along the spine, the deltoids and trapezius muscles of the shoulder. The smaller muscles of the arm such as the biceps and triceps are used predominantly in the initial pull phase of the stroke, with the greater portion of labour and power ultimately being transferred by torque created by twisting around the spine using the larger muscle groups. This is especially true when using a single bend paddle and the correct technique to match.

Core muscle groups are where the primary power delivery manifests.

As a consequence of some limiting factors relating to seat height (read on further) there's over-whelming evidence which supports the fact, that OC1 paddlers will often tend to rely somewhat more on the biceps, triceps and forearms to generate power on

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The transversus abdominus muscles are prime power sources for assisting torque and rotation during the power phase of the stroke as are the external and internal obliques, the rectus abdominus providing stability, 'compression' as well as rotation.

Paddling with incorrect technique for several years or more, will ultimately 'sculpt' your body, so as when you attempt to modify this technique in order to create greater efficiencies, the body has to be resculpted, new reflexes learned and the body retrained, highlighting the need to ensure you learn sound paddling technique early.

Differing 'techniques' whether Hawaiian, Tahitian, Anglo-Polynesian, differing paddle lengths and a multitude of small micro adjustments, will tend to work differing muscle groups harder. In all of this, it's important to keep in mind that the smaller muscles; biceps, triceps in particular are neither as enduring or powerful as the use of larger muscles of the back and abdominals and hence the focus upon engaging the core muscle groups.

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account of a compromising of the ability to rotate (twist) into the stroke and engage the core muscle groups as readily as with paddling in a team canoe.

While adverse body motion is not as obvious in a team outrigger canoe, it will still serve to affect the run of the hull. Smooth transmission of power in the stroke is essential.

Comparisons with OC6 / V6 technique One of the most common questions asked by those who also paddle team OC6 or V6, is how does the stroke in an OC1 differ, if at all? Well the answer to this is that the stroke is in fact uniquely different for a number of very simple reasons, which may not at first be entirely obvious.

OC6 / V6 differing seating arrangement to OC1

OC6 / V6 seating in comparison to OC1 / OC2 provides a superior, more bio-mechanically efficient position from which to generate power, compression and torque so as core muscles can be used.

Weight baring down on the leading leg limits pressure on the sciatic nerve and improves transfer of forward drive to the canoe hull.

Critically the seating arrangement of the two craft are vastly different, which immediately dictates the reason for the variance in stroke. Team canoe seats are situated high off the hull floor, which permits the paddler to transfer a good deal of leg drive through the leading leg in particular. This also permits you to paddle 'over the stroke' more effectively being as the added paddling height, ensures you can drive downward more affectively.

Rudderless Va`a Hoe | 155

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Additionally you are free to alternate your legs with the switching of paddling sides, usually the leading leg being on your paddling side and your off-side leg tucked under the seat (though some teams have experimented reversing this leg set up so the leading leg is tucked under the seat and drives backward in pushing and thereby translating this energy into driving the canoe forward).

Naturally in an OC1 your legs are fixed, though leg drive is still possible to some marginal degree - not the same extent as used in a Surf Ski, being as the OC stroke is shorter and tends to end at or near the hip area.

This factor alone, makes the OC6 / OC1 stroke not so much vastly different at first appearance, but significantly the energy transfer from the paddle, rather than being transmitted equally between the paddler's feet and rear, the bulk of the drive and force terminates at the paddlers rear.

Further consequences of lowered and narrowed seating Due to the narrowness of most all OC1 seats, in addition to being significantly lower than that of a team canoe, it is perhaps not so obvious that the paddler cannot twist and lean the torso to be near over their leading leg - over knee level. In addition you cannot offset the hips by turning toward the stroke side as efficiently so not only is your 'reach' compromised, but your ability to engage the hip during the power-phase and therefore fully 'wind' or 'unwind' using torque throughout this phase.

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These somewhat bio-mechanically 'limiting' factors, leads the paddler to adapt and resort to a modified version of what passes for team canoe paddling techniques. This raises the need for greater paddler flexibility through the hips and shoulders and certainly for all round 'flexibility' in order to reach and twist within what is ultimately an almost neutral 'square-on' and neutral seated position.

In all, the position is generally not as 'supporting' in that the paddler cannot support their body weight through the feet more especially, when driving downward from the outset of the stroke, which tends therefore to lead to increased tension in the lower back area and upon the abdominal muscles.

Newcomer aches and pains Newcomers, often feel pain and discomfort in the hip area and lower back in particular and certainly as a consequence of biasing weight to the ama side in being concerned over capsize, pain in the left rear cheek. Tension of the hamstrings and numbness of the left foot or pins and needles, can be debilitating to the point where you can no longer concentrate or apply any pressure to the blade as your focus is entirely upon 'pain management'. (See chapter on sciatic nerve).

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ergonomics. So bad has this problem been, that some enterprising individuals have taken to making after-market seats to order, even offering personalised moulded seats.

Many stand up paddle boarders who migrate to OC1, often suffer with sore deltoids and this is often a consequence of the increase in stroke rate and lactate issues leading to soreness.

Aches and pains manifesting from OC1 paddling are many and varied, but while the newcomer may suffer sore forearms or biceps, as a consequence of pulling, the unique demands of the OC1 seated paddling position; the seat, footwell design, relative height between heels and your rear, the level of adjustability of the seat, its width and general design all serve to make the experience more or less 'bearable'.

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Net consequences This less than ideal seating arrangement, fundamentally compromises your ability to provide optimum efficiency of power to the blade in not being optimally positioned to apply body weight or maximum torque, further compounded by the use of the single blade paddle.

By comparison, the Surf Ski paddler's lowered seating position, near the same level as that of the heels, who uses a very much longer lever and a double-ended paddle, can still effectively maximise twist, reach, extension and drive, being as the stroke relies both upon pull with the lower arm, push with the upper and greater follow through.

One additional difference created as a result of some compromised reach, is that many OC1 paddlers tend to not just pull, but also add an element of 'push' behind the body line to increase 'blade water time' as it were. The net consequence, is a longer stroke from entry to exit. The addition of a rudder ensures that in some respects, poor paddling technique can be 'hidden' with the trade off of using this mechanism to cover up a multitude of shortcomings.

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OC1 paddlers who come to OC6 paddling While long term OC1 specialists may be very powerful, fit and accomplished, slotting into an OC6 crew can sometimes be a difficult transition. Typically they can struggle with 'timing' and 'blending' with the crew having operated at what may be termed a 'maverick' do as you please modus operandi. One of the causes can be that they pull too far past the level of the hip as a consequence of having adopted a longer 'out the back' stroke.

There are many stories of top level OC1 paddlers, being chosen to try out for a crew and both parties become frustrated at what should be an easy transition only to discover the issues. Beyond this, it can be that some solo paddlers simply don't play well with others, through no fault of their own, other than character.

It must be noted also, that some paddlers will paddle much harder in a team situation, than for themselves, so when paddling an OC1 they simply lack the will and the drive to push themselves on an individual basis. This can be a warning to coaches who may over-rely upon OC1 racers to make up the bulk of the crew - always.

Legs and seat adjustment. First things, first.

As mentioned, though some degree of leg drive can be obtained, the lowered seating position and single blade, makes this problematic, hence much of the drive terminates at the paddlers rear.

This being said, it generally pays to sit as close to the feet as possible without being 'bunched-up'. Whereas Surf Ski paddlers aim for about a 'fist' space between the deck and the back of the knee, in an OC1 you should aim for quite a bit more. Shifting your weight forward toward your feet, permits you to 'get over' the stroke somewhat more and therefore generate greater downward pressure on the blade, transmitting some additional pressure to the feet.

Sit too far from your feet with near straight legs and you will struggle to apply pressure to the blade - you will be 'working behind the stroke' not 'into and over' it.

Avoid being too close to your feet, as you will limit your reach, twist and torque, while also increasing the instability of the canoe.

It's a fine balance, but seat adjustment is a micro-management issue which you have control over and so you must experiment to get this just right. In addition, your seat positioning (optimum) will vary between upwind, crosswind and downwind paddling angles.

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The OC1 adjustable seat, enables you can micro-manage its positioning to ensure you're comfortable and at the correct distance from your heels in order to maximise reach and compression over the stroke.

All too often, paddlers fail to adjust this with any real thought as to the importance of optimising this distance. While some seats simply slide on a railing system, others (top left) have a moveable moulded seat which affixes with velcro.

These thermo moulded foam seats offer the most support and comfort in general terms - they are usually offered with different mould-positions of the seating area to meet the needs of differing paddler heights. The foam seat can also be used as a life-preserver should your canoe ever sink (rare) - simply rip it off and hold onto it.

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www.kanuculture.com Micro-managing your seat position, relative to your feet (heels) is a significant option available to you. Sit too close, you could compromise torque and make control of the ama difficult. Too far and you compromise compression, putting you constantly 'behind' the stroke, unable to get 'over' the stroke. The middle photo tends to be optimum.

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For sprint racing / flat water paddling, consider sitting closer to the pedals for greater compression and assisting with a faster stroke rate.

For longer rough water races and paddling, you will need to sit further away from the pedals and place your centre of gravity (weight) closer to the centre of buoyancy of the ama, giving you greater control over its flight and travel permitting a longer, more relaxed stroke and less compression to your rear.

Downwind, though it's tempting to want to weight the nose of the canoe by sitting further forward to assist drop-ins, you loose control over the ama and leaning back to keep the rudder engaged during steeper take-offs, becomes difficult, therefore the better option tends to be to remain seated a little further back. Where you sit is therefore a critical issue to the overall control you have over the ama, the rudder and ultimately the way in which you can apply yourself bio-mechanically to the stroke.

Upwind you will generally want the seat further forward to keep the nose from pitching and to assist with keeping the stroke rate 'up'.

Naturally, if your paddling over a long course with a mix of all conditions, it's hard to find a compromise and not always possible to adjust the seat while siting on it!

Adjustable pedals If you are fortunate to have a canoe with adjustable pedals and seat, your options are much greater - significantly, aim to keep your body weight (CG) over the canoes centre of buoyancy or sweet spot. If only the pedals move, then it's simply a case of adjusting to suit, the seating should already by optimal.

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Lower hand positioning on shaft The positioning of your lower hand has a very important net affect upon the biomechanical application of force upon the blade face and this relates entirely upon the variance in lengthening or shortening of the lever-arm distance, which in simple terms equates to the distance from your lower hand around the throat of the shaft, acting as the non-fixed fulcrum point (a) and the centre of effort (usually the widest point of the blade) which remains fixed (b).

Being as you can move your lower hand up and down the shaft, this becomes the primary variant. The higher up it moves, the longer the lever arm distance becomes; as the distance from the blade's centre of effort increases.

So what does it all mean? Well in simple terms, as you move your lower hand further up the shaft, the lever arm length is extended, which results in your having to apply greater amounts of leverage by degrees in using your upper hand. Think of extremes . . . if you placed your upper hand a few inches down from your top, you would have to rely upon your top hand pushing forwards, so as the paddle is being used as a first class lever.

A C

In this example, Mandy has her lower hand very high up the shaft, so she is overreliant on push from the upper hand, which results in some loss of power delivery from the lower hand and importantly blade control. Choking down (c) would improve blade control.

B

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OC1 - A Paddler's Guide Longer limbed paddlers, who are also 'strong' - may be able to choke further up the shaft with minimal negative affect, but for the 'rest of us' this is generally not a viable option.

Upwind in particular, 'choking' the lower hand down the shaft, will give you improved blade control and power delivery (at the lower hand) and improved engagement of the latissimus dorsi and core muscle groups.

Your stroke rate can be raised as a result. Finding the correct fulcrum point on the shaft, in relation to your arm length and torso height, makes this a somewhat personal issue, but nevertheless, the biomechanical principles and application of force remain the central issue. Total paddle length is also is a critical factor in order to balance the mechanics. You do not want to loose power delivery or control from the lower hand, or apply force to the blade by pushing the top arm forwards and thereby use the paddle as a first class lever.

Stand up paddle boarding by default, lengthens the lever arm from lower hand to the centre of effort of the blade face, which leads many SUP paddler's to over-rely upon push forwards with the top arm, thereby using the paddle as a first class lever which engages the small muscle groups. The solution is rotation of power around the spine which engages the larger muscle groups and keeps the blade vertical for longer. Correct overall paddle length is critical. Typically, for upwind paddling, SUP paddlers move the top hand down to grip the shaft and choke down with the lower hand, thereby (unwittingly) shortening the lever arm and bringing greater control and power to the blade face as a result (and in increase in potential stroke rate).

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Set up / entry of blade (single bend) The beginning of the stroke cycle or 'set up' contains a great deal of coiled energy that is created during the 'recovery' phase (the swing through from exit).

The set up is the moment just prior to the entry of the blade into the water.

Sometimes, particularly in flat water paddling, it can incorporate an almost undefinable pause. As you move from the set up to the entry, the position of your body and legs remain more or less unaltered, contact of the blade with the water is achieved predominantly by lowering the leading shoulder.

Extending the blade as near far forward as possible is achieved by rotation around the hips, not mere extension of the arms. In the beginning of the stroke, most of the potential power - 80-85%, is in front of you.

The blade tip touches the water and enters as a result of the leading shoulder moving down (paddlers who free-fall from the shoulder to enter the blade are using a ‘dynamic’ paddling technique). Ensure a ‘clean’ entry with minimal splash. Just prior to the catch, the latissimus muscle is stretched and the ‘rubber-band affect’ of this stretch together with pulling with the lower arm is the first force that propels the canoe.

Travis Grant

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Paddle entering sideways towards the hull Dragon boat and other canoe sport paddlers suggest that the paddle should enter parallel to the hull so the blade tip is entered square on and directly downward, in effect the paddle is 'plunged' downward.

The common practice of feathering the blade during the recovery phase of the OC stroke by an inward rotation of the wrist and rolling relaxation of the lower shoulder, permits the blade to be sliced in sideways at the point of entry (encouraging body rotation) It then becomes parallel with the hull as the paddle moves through to the catch and the top hand moves over to the blade side.

The advantage of the blade being entered progressively from one corner, rather than flush with the surface of the water is that it produces a cleaner entry with less chance of aeration occurring along the length of the blade.

The catch - ‘Applying pressure’ This is the shortest phase of the stroke and the most perplexing as it is sometimes confused with the ‘entry’. Ultimately it is as it suggests; the exact moment when the blade is fully submerged and catches or grips the water. This requires that water is ‘pressured’ against the blade face. The term lock and load provides a good visual parallel. The blade has been placed, locked into position, then loaded - immersed and under pressure.

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Compression of water against the blade face is the key to good catch. The quality of the catch is largely determined by the quality of the entry and the manner in which power is applied to the blade and the design merits of the blade itself. Many experts suggest the catch phase is the most important and dynamic part of the stroke.

No matter how hard you rotate, pull and drive, if the blade has poor catch - grip on the water, it will simply slip backwards and fail to pull the va'a up to the blade.

The blade can be anchored or braced against the water once fully submerged. It is still being directed in a downward motion by the top and lower arm, shoulders, upper back and the body’s rotation.

Catch is achieved by a synchronised pull with your lower arm and rotation of the torso from the hips so you unwind from the reach position. The paddler’s centre of gravity is marginally lowered as the blade travels close to and nearly parallel with the va'a. A solid catch is essential for the next phase of the stroke to ensure the maximum use of the power-face. The power-face is essentially ‘primed’ to take the load that will be transferred to it during the power phase of the stroke.

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Compression

Torque and drive

Relaxation

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The pull (power) phase An estimated 80-85% of the forward power is generated during a mere 7-8" of pull, originating from the point of entry. The notion of â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;surprisingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; the water should be emphasised, so the torque of the body and pull of the lower arm can be executed in an explosive yet smooth manner. This quick and sudden compression of the power-face against the water provides little escape time for the water to flow off and around it - this is especially critical with smaller blade faces.

Parallel pull - well, almost Being that your legs are both ahead of you and set equally, it is in fact problematic to achieve a direct hand-over-hand vertical and parallel pull through on an OC1 (more easily achieved in a team canoe or V1) being as you are not seated in the best biomechanical position from which to generate maximum torque and power using a single blade.

For the most part some marginal offset results. Fortunately, the rudder permits the paddler to compensate for this. Surf ski and kayak paddlers excel in using this technique because it is a natural extension of the kayak stroke. However, ensure your stroke does not sweep away from the side of the hull as this will diminish the forward propulsion.

Chest over knees

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Getting ‘Over’ the Stroke Creative visualisation or at least having a sense of what you are trying to ‘feel’ during the power-phase of the stroke is a valuable tool in self analysis.

You want to have the idea of pole-vaulting yourself over the top of your paddle.

The grip needs to be in front of you, so you sense you are working from ‘behind’ the paddle and your top arm will tell you a lot about whether you are achieving this, especially when the shaft is vertical.

A paddle that is too long in the shaft will fail to give you this feeling, as your top hand will be too high above your head. From this position you cannot achieve this sensation. This is one reason why overall paddle lengths have reduced over time. Another reason is preventing shoulder injury often caused when the top arm has to work too high above the head when the shaft is vertical.

The abdominal muscles play an important role in ‘squeezing’ and rotating the body, the latissimus dorsi is the major muscle group in controlling the pull of the blade. Aim to keep your upper and lower hand, hand-over-hand and lower back arched for as long as possible while rotating around your spine to ensure maximum time and effectiveness in pulling.

compression + angled blade = lift

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Shoulders rotated in sync with hips

Twist Relaxed hips

Leading foot poised to drive

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OC1 - A Paddler's Guide Bringing the top arm backward, will gain you greater reach as you can twist further forward.

Note the triangular 'window' created between shaft, top and lower arms which remains throughout the entire stroke. 'Breaking' the top arm, comes about when you push forward with the top arm and pull with the lower early on in the stroke so the triangle is broken - hence the term 'breaking the top arm'.

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Avoid moving your body excessively forward as this will encourage ‘push’. The lower small of your back should remain arched. As the torso ‘unwinds’, your leading shoulder moves back, while your offside shoulder moves forward, until the shoulders are square and the chest vertical. Once the shaft moves past vertical, as a result of the va'a being pulled up to it, your lower arm will naturally need to bend at the elbow and the top hand should be almost level with your sternum. This signals the end of the stroke.

Lift When the initial pull is applied to a blade with a 10-12º angle, lift is the result with greater amounts of forward drive being generated as the blade moves through to almost vertical. This lift effect has become increasingly recognised as critical.

There is now increased emphasis on the pull being considered in terms of moving downward and backward while attempting to keep the blade face angled for longer and keeping this lift happening for longer. As the blade moves to vertical, emphasis is then placed on rotation around the spine to generate torque. Consequently, we can talk in terms of a lift phase which then transfers to a drive phase. !"#$%&'$%()*+$%,-%.$/&,#*)0%123/%)24$/%*/5%#$*-$-%&2%63))0%&'$%&26% */57-%+24"4*/+%63-'%,-%/$+3#$+%*"+%123/%(2+1%#2"&,"3$-%&2% /2&*&$%*/23"+%123/%-6,"$0%6/2.,+,"8%624$/%&2%&'$%()*+$9%:23/% )24$/%*/5%$)(24%4,))%"*&3/*))1%($"+%4'$"%,&%,-%"2%)2"8$/% $;;$#&,.$%4'$"%&'$%()*+$%/$*#'$-%123/%',6%*"+%&'$%$<,&%,-% ,",&,*&$+9

Avoid 'Breaking' the top arm A common error is to push forward with the top arm, leading to what is termed 'breaking' the top arm and an early engagement of minor muscle groups in pushing rather than using torque around the spine and a downward transverse progression of the top arm.

Pushing the top hand forward so it passes over the lower hand of the lower shaft, prevents the blade being vertical for any delayed period and equates to 163 | Paddling Techniques

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using the paddle as a First Class Lever - which it is not. This indicates poor rotation and is often used as a way of avoiding pressure experienced during the subsequent rotation and pull.

Many novices use this technique until gaining strength.

In addition, it causes the blade to move to and past vertical prematurely. Little power is gained by pushing forward with the top arm. Pushing forward is only truly effective with a double-bend paddle at the point at which the shaft is almost vertical. Your top arm must push down at the early part of the power phase as this acts on the angled blade, which in turn causes an equal and opposite reaction providing lift and drive forward.

Vertical positioning As you begin to rotate/unwind and apply pressure to the blade face, the shaft will quickly move from almost vertical to 10-12Âş offset forward. This is characterised by having your top and lower hands above each other. When this position is reached, no pushing and loading of the paddle in a downward manner should continue, only rotation and torque around your spine, using the larger muscles of your upper back, shoulders and latissimus dorsi.

Power phase common errors: Arms Lower arm pulling too early, rushing the stroke. Pushing paddle too deep.

Continuing to push paddle deep once shaft is vertical. Pushing forward with top arm (single bend). Upper hand pushed prematurely over the lower hand on shaft. Jerky pulling of the lower arm.

Paddlers will sometimes continue to generate downward thrust past the vertical and fail to rotate and pull back, driving the paddle deeper than required and generating little or no forward power. Timing and execution of the transition between catch and the power phase is critical. Do not bury the blade much beyond the shoulder of the paddle.

Posture Back too straight or hunched over. Insufficient body weight applied to paddle Rotation of upper torso not coinciding with gradual lift of the body as it moves to being square on, affecting energy transference along the shaft through to the paddlerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s body. Power applied only after the blade has travelled past vertical.

Paddle driven deeper as it passes knee and hip.

Legs Poor leg drive.

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The exit phase The lower arm bends progressively as the hull is pulled up to the blade. Ensure leg drive and transference of energy through your buttocks and feet to the hull is in a forward direction, with stability around your trunk and spine.

Soon after the shaft passes through the vertical, your lower elbow will want to bend, this defines the end of the power phase of the stroke.

Tension is released from the body and the exit phase of the stroke can begin. In flat water conditions, a clean whirlpool, nearly free of air bubbles should be all that remains after the exit. This indicates that a clean entry and good catch was achieved at the beginning of the stroke cycle and that the exit was executed at the correct time.

Upper arm is near straight and hand is level with or just above the knee. The upper torso should now be almost upright, shoulders square, relaxed lower and upper wrists and shoulders. Lift then slice the paddle out of the water and away from the hull as it reaches the hip, using the lower arm, rolling the elbow outward.

Note that continued pulling at this point will turn in to a push and pull-down, the reverse of the forces at play at the beginning of the stroke. These are counter-productive.

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While it is universally agreed that the paddle should leave (exit) the water soon after it has reached the hip area, it's commonplace for OC1 paddlers to have a tendency to pull past the hip, thereby contributing some element of 'push' to the stroke. This is in part possible because of the lighter weight and drag which an OC1 has in relation to its bigger brother, the OC6 / V6 and makes up for some loss of power at the front of the stroke when compared to the force you can generate sitting in the higher seat of the team canoe. You must still avoid loading the paddle, which serves to pull the hull down and create added drag on the blade.

Exit phase common errors As you rotate, apply power and move through the power phase, the blade naturally moves past vertical and is inclined backwards. Your lower elbow will naturally find its own limits and begin to bend as the blade passes your knee, the blade exiting approximately level with your hip.

The blade is now angled toward the rear and in an upward trajectory. While at the front of the stroke this created lift, it now has the opposite effect. It will pull down on the hull if you continue pushing and lifting, which causes it to slow as the run or glide is hindered. Consequently, pulling must not become 'pushing' to the extent of causing 'pull down on the hull' - the blade either lifted directly up or out to the side if using the 'feathering' technique.

Posture/Body Paddler fails to rotate body. Paddler over-rotates so their torso now faces outward on paddling side.

Arms Slow exit of the paddle causing drag. Paddler pushes to excess and lifts paddle past the hip, scooping the water, pulling hull down.

Exit and recovery techniques There is a rule of thumb which goes that, ‘the recovery phase of the stroke is near twice that of the actual stroke itself.’ This rule does vary depending on which style you develop, as the Tahitian style often appears near equal proportions as against the Hawaiian which is closer to the 1:2 ratio.

At the moment the exit is commenced, paddlers have two options. They can either lift the paddle directly up and carry the blade in an ‘up and forward' motion through the recovery phase; or they can initiate a motion which exits 166 | Paddling Techniques

OC1 - A Paddler's Guide !"#$%&'$(#$)$*$+%'',-./0$123'Once the blade is exited, it's important to keep in mind this then becomes the 'recovery' phase, where need to relax in the swing through, winding up through to the set up and entry.

Relaxed shoulders, wrist and hips so you swing through with minimal tension.

These images demonstrate an outward swing from the side of the canoe so the blade swings low over the water.

This is particularly helpful in rough waters so you can quickly add in a bracing stroke if needs be.

Note the top hand has not gone much below the level of the sternum.

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the paddle out from the side of the hull using an up and outward rotation of the lower shoulder. This effectively slices the blade sideways out of the water, and commences feathering of the blade even before it completely exits the water.

The blade then travels in a low sweeping arc over the water.

These two styles are overtly different and constitute a major variation in technique which has a direct affect on the recovery and entry phases of the stroke.

Sideways exit and feathering This is achieved by rotating both your wrists inward once the blade is totally free of the water, leading arm bending and angling out, away from the side of the va'a and a lifting and rotating your shoulder outward.

Slicing the paddle up and out from the side of the va'a, employing a low swinging recovery while ‘feathering’ the blade. Top arm remains low at the exit and the paddle is swung forward as the body rotates through the recovery, the lower arm extends outward and the top arm travels up to bring the shaft upright. In contrast to ‘lifting and carrying’ the blade forward, the majority of the work carried out by the body’s rotation.

Your lower shoulder begins to relax as the blade begins its exit. Your elbow, as it continues its bend, is relaxed and angled out from the side of the body, while the wrist is relaxed as the blade begins to exit the water outward from the side of the va'a. Your lower and upper wrists roll over and inward as they relax so the blade face begins to open out into the feathered position for the commencement of what can be called the air transfer phase. Once free of the water, the paddle commences a low arced trajectory across the water in a ‘c’ shape away from, then back to the side of the va'a in a feathered position to reduce the effect of wind resistance.

As a consequence of this low arced recovery, some paddlers will tend to ‘slice’ the blade into the water sideways, as opposed to a more ‘vertical’ downward entry. This can create a smoother, cleaner placement into the water, as air is less likely to be trapped on the back of the blade.

At the mid point of the recovery - usually twice as long as the stroke itself, the upper arm reaches its highest point and your body begins to move from vertical into a controlled rotation around the spine, so your leading shoulder begins to move forward and down. Your body remains relaxed and the shaft should be almost vertical, close to the hull. Your lower and upper wrists begin to prepare the paddle for entry once the set up has been reached.

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Carrying the paddle squarely forward The paddle is 'carried' forward rather than 'swung' at the exit, a consequence of the paddler having rotated to nearly upright - chest vertical, shoulders square, and through a lifting up action of the lower and top arm. The top arm remains quite straight.

This has been common in the Tahitian stroke using double-bend paddles, though in recent times there appears to have been some modification, with a 169 | Paddling Techniques

www.kanuculture.com Double-bend paddles are gradually finding their way into OC1 sport. Here Travis Grant uses a double-bend in the 2014 Molokai to Oahu race. The mechanical advantage is inherent in the grip being angled backward toward the top shoulder and the added fulcrum point in the upper shaft where you can apply some added 'leverage' using a short punch forward of the upper arm, mid way through the stroke, combined with equal force of pull from the lower. Overall, less rotation is required through the torso, with more emphasis on use of the shoulders and arms. (Our V1 - A Paddler's Guide - has a lot more detail regarding use of the double-bend)

Top arm need not hyper-extend forward being as the grip is angled toward you.

Additional fulcrum point

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greater degree of feathering at the exit and greater swing. You will end the stroke sitting almost straight up as the paddle is lifted up out of the water.

Some feathering of the blade is initiated by rolling your wrist, the arms carrying the paddle forward together, with the twist or rotation of your body coming reasonably late in the movement. This square recovery is common to dragon boating.

Flicking When using the sliced exit avoid flicking the blade by over working the top arm.

While some advocate this flick believing it contributes to forward propulsion, it actually creates drag as the paddle is effectively loaded when it should be empty. As the paddle leaves the water, it is essential to relax to allow tension to leave your body and to ensure a more fluid recovery phase. This is your chance to breath in.

Recovery phase common errors; Arms Lower elbow and wrist not relaxed, should turn inward. Top hand wrist not relaxed and failing to control paddle when feathering. Exit is jerky. Leading arm too low.

Posture Upper body excessive movement. Paddle carried back too low and hits the water during the swing back. Paddle carried too high back to set up phase during swing back.

Relaxing, letting go of tension and remembering to breath are all vital elements of the recovery phase. This is a time to focus and concentrate in a relaxed state during the move through to the set up phase.

The smooth action of your recovery is essential to avoid unnecessary downward pressure on the hull. Your pull has set the hull in motion, it is important you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t interfere with this. Smoothness and fluidity needs to be emphasised. In flat water, practice by having the blade face skim over the top of the water during the recovery phase when feathering the paddle.

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Adding in extra rotational torque While it is accepted that it's biomechanically less practical to be able to apply large amounts of rotational torque on account of the feet being near level and ahead of the body line, there is a way to apply yourself and bring greater amounts of torque into your stroke, thereby engaging the larger, stronger, more enduring core muscle groups.

While it may fly in the face of all that we know of OC6, V6 and V1 paddling technique, the addition of the rudder, permits you to paddle in a manner which is somewhat less linear so as you need not always adhere to placing (slicing) the blade in and making your pull directly parallel with the hull.

It has always intrigued me how many of my paddling friends in Australia who come from a surfski paddling background, can make an OC1 travel so fast, using what seems an unconventional outrigger canoeing stroke. The fact is, because surfski paddling relies greatly upon rotation around the spine and an almost transverse stroke so as the blade travels often progressively away from the side of hull, surfski paddlers often (unwittingly) apply this to their OC1 stroke to very good affect.

Rather than applying a direct parallel pull so at the mid point, the upper and lower hands are hand-over-hand, they quite deliberately almost sweep partially across the body-line, the rudder then used to offset any bias of pull. Paddling in this manner, delivers added power to the blade and brings in greater force from the core muscle groups - it can be a very effective means of improving your upwind paddling speed in particular.

Paddling in this manner will affect how cleanly the blade can be entered. The blade is entered travelling at speed, not just downwards, but partially backwards, so as to slice in and take up pressure on contact and may not be as clean as text books would suggest it should. Because the implosion into the water is so great, the blade 'stops' as the water is instantly pressurised and becomes 'hard' so it is anchored. It is progressively driven downwards and marginally outwards as you unwind into the stroke.

Paddling upwind is not everyone's favourite point of paddling, but using this method of greater wind-up and therefore additional torque can pay off. Downwind the stroke is not so effective but can be used when stalling where you may need to add impetus to break free and save the smaller muscle groups from early fatigue.

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OC1- A Paddler's Guide Adding in greater torsional rotation, requires your top arm be lower than when paddling conventionally.

The shaft remains angled across the body-line at the point of blade entry and progressively straightens as it moves through the power phase. The rudder is used to offset any bias of pull.

The triangular 'window' still exists, but is now angled more laterally than vertically.

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7 Downwind Paddling and

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Those who hail from an ocean paddling background, will generally know the excitement to be had from downwind paddling. To excel at this skill requires, often, years of uniquely acquired paddling skills and a passion for chasing â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;runnersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, connecting the dots, knowing the rush one gets from combining the energy of wind and water.

This particular form of outrigger canoeing, is essentially the catalyst which set in motion the development of the OC1 craft, the foundation of major races and the nurturing of a branch of the sport which truly tests the paddler's abilities in combined surfing and paddling skills; dependant on endurance and an entire repertoire of ocean skills and physicality which may be honed over many years of devotion to an ocean sports lifestyle.

In short, downwind paddling is addictive like no other branch of the sport and represents the very foundation on which OC1 sport evolved.

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Overview To take on the might of wind and water in an oceanic environment, paddling significant distances downwind between two islands separated by deepwater channels or from one land point to another, travelling at high speeds, with the wind at your back, is to take the sport to a place which demands the melding of mind, body, blade and craft with elements.

In this ocean environment, there are no road signs, no rules and no crowds. Sensory perceptions are tested in a way which are highly compelling and addictive. Here bodies can be brutalised, combining paddle skills with poise, balance, stealth, speed, endurance and tenacity. With each drop-in, the rider constantly scans the ocean for holes and powers up and down between sets, chasing 'runners' and looking to squeeze every drop of energy from its movement, searching for speed and a trade off between surfing (relaxing) and paddling hard.

Defined Downwind paddling is characterised by the paddler using the wind to their advantage and enjoyment, in combing paddling and surfing skills so as to travel in a near direct line of the wind (usually up to 20 degrees either side) harnessed

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through appropriate equipment, skills and physicality and an understanding of the required logistics, ocean and wind dynamics, central to the discipline.

Many of todays thoroughbred OC1 designs are essentially conceived with downwind paddling in mind - fuelled not only by demand, but by prestigious races around the world which uphold this area of the sport as the ultimate test of athleticism, paddling skills and ocean knowledge.

Elite participants seek strong winds and fast moving seas or waters of undetermined size. Locations are varied and defined as exposed coastal waters and protected bays, lakes, lagoons; wherever a wide open exposed body of water can be found and used safely and legally.

Downwind locations are often characterised by open stretches of water, generally exposed to prevailing winds, which may be ‘trades’ as associated with tropical and sub tropical regions of the world, or simply ‘prevailing’ winds. In either case, winds of this nature tend to be seasonal and have some degree of consistency in direction and velocity relative to the time of year, though any wind may be harnessed.

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Ironically, many of the skills associated with being able to excel at the discipline, are unteachable in the true sense of the word. Most of what you learn is experiential and only acquired after a considerable amount of time through the mechanics of 'discovery learning', much like surfing.

Bumps and runners The experienced paddler reads the ocean or water as a series of ever rising and falling peaks and troughs collectively known as ‘bumps’ into which they steer their canoes, attempting to remain on the ‘fastest’ sections which provide the most assistance - the downward slope or forward face. This water is characterised by fast moving, wind generated surface water.

While there can be many bumps, not all bumps are 'runners', a term which more accurately defines the waves as being able to be 'surfed' and 'ridden.' There can be many bumps, but some are better 'runners' than others and this you learn by attempting, often fruitlessly, to chase and paddle hard for everything. The art is in selection.

If a ground swell is present when downwind paddling, it may be possible to 'transition' between riding the surface generated wind waves to riding the larger ground swells. Where they are 'full' they can be difficult to catch and offer little speed gains - the steeper they are the better - where a swell for example is travelling south and there may be a north flowing tidal flow, this can assist the swell to 'stand up' and offer a better chance of being ridden.

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OC1 - A Paddler's Guide 01!$-)+$2!$3$4$,-++.5678$9:*+5

Here you can clearly see the scarred sea surface, whipped up by the prevailing wind and just ahead the ground swell, rolling away in the distance. The paddler (Travis Grant) is between 'sets', behind him another is building. He's looking for drop-ins and speed gains by steering the canoe into the 'holes' - looking for 'runners' to keep a high constant speed if the hull speed is right and all things come together, then he will lock onto the larger, faster ground swell - at this moment, maintaining control becomes the primary issue and looking to 'stay on it' for as long as possible. And below, here he's onto a swell - from here you're concerned about control, steering the canoe and taking a breather as much as you can, 'tapping' the canoe along looking for the next drop in.

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As a snow skier moves left and right to carve a path between bumps, so too, the ocean paddler seeks a similar path between the waves. In response to this particular need, designers have created OC1s which are highly manoeuvrable moving rudders ever further away from the tail, developing high volume ama and tweaking hull rocker, width and the canoe's 'sweet spot' specific to the purpose of ocean paddling, more specifically, chasing runners downwind.

The art of selecting and remaining in the fast section of these runners requires the paddler to remain alert, anticipating or seeing where one section is diminishing and another is forming. The goal is to ultimately ‘connect’ or ‘link’ these newly forming sections to maximise assistance and speed, sometimes referred to as ‘connecting the dots'.

As a consequence, in the case of downwind paddling, the fastest direction between two points is rarely in a straight line.

Importantly, when moving at speed it’s not so much what’s behind you that matters, but what’s in front. This is in contrast to freesurfing, where for want of a better term, you are 'pushed' from behind. This represents a paradigm shift in thinking for surfers in particular.

Ground swells and localised wind generated surface waves While surface generated wind waves (sea state) are a localised phenomenon, a larger ground swell can reside below and between. Ground swells, are caused by distant powerful storms and are often mere decoys in terms of where real gains in speed can be found when paddling offshore.

Though the ground swell encountered far from shore in deep water will often be moving at a greater speed than that of the surface waves, they are generally difficult to catch because they are not as steep as the surface waves and not always travelling in the direction of the wind. However, if the distance between the ground swell is short and the incline steep and following the direction of the wind, this could change your tactics.

Navigator Nainoa Thompson explains the difference between swells and seas, or locally-generated waves: "Swells are big waves generated by pressure systems far beyond the horizon, and they maintain their direction for long periods of time (and travel in the general direction of the winds generating them). Seas are generated by local winds. Seas generally come downwind, but they may vary by as much as 30° on either side of the wind. When the wind changes, seas become more of a mishmash" (Kyselka 167-8) 180 | Downwind and Ocean Paddling

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Safety first - involve others Downwind paddling often elevates the need to take safety to another level. This includes advising others of your intentions and your intended course and duration, especially if paddling on your own. Whenever possible, paddle with others, but be aware of each other's abilities and stay within them.

When paddling with buddies, you may often be only as fast (or as safe) as your weakest paddler - some paddling buddies can be more of a liability than an asset.

Notify someone you can trust and understands what you are doing. Consider notifying the Coast Guard of your intended departure time and more importantly, notify them of your arrival. This is important when you have a larger group of people or where the conditions are do-able but perhaps technically difficult.

If your course takes you past a Coast Guard Station or Surf Lifesaving Club, it's sometimes common courtesy to let them know what you're up to. Sometimes 'do-gooders' will ring the Coast Guard thinking you're in trouble, but if authorities know you're out there, then you are covered. To quote a famous movie line 'A good man knows his limitations' and while it's important to push the boundaries in having fun, the question you should ask yourself is, 'If things go bad, am I covered and how will I respond?'.

Logistical issues Central to downwind paddling is good planning and becoming accomplished in dealing with the logistics required. 'If you fail to plan, you plan to fail' as the saying goes. Whilst this may become second nature over time in your local waters, any move away to take on new areas of water will lead to logistical challenges.

It can be beneficial to document and plan out your session using a note book or white board, drawing in the wind direction, course to be taken, areas to avoid, exit points and final destination. Try to estimate how long the journey will take and factor in when paddling with others, that 'You are only going to be as fast as your slowest paddler' - avoid paddling off into the distance, leaving your slower (weaker) paddlers behind - stop at regular intervals if required.

Transportation issues At your arrival point you will need to consider some form of transportation unless you have paddled back to a safe haven, such as back to your home, or a club ground or similar. There are a few approaches to this.

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Taxi ride. Drop off a sufficient number of vehicles at finish point, to take paddlers and their canoes (some or all) back to their vehicles at the start point.

Taxi ride and trailer. Drop off a vehicle with trailer at finish point plus enough vehicles to return paddlers and their canoes back to the start point.

Designated driver. Have designated driver/s after your departure, to drive your vehicle/s to the finish point. Paddle home, ride back. Here you drive to your entry point, set off and on arrival you leave your canoe somewhere safe and ride a push bike back to your car or if your lucky enough, get a lift back using your second vehicle with the help of immediate family / friend.

Carrying and managing your canoe on land Have help on windy days when loading / unloading and in carrying (if you cannot find shelter) as they are a handful in fresh wind and there's every likelihood of loosing control. Ideally you can call on the assistance of a buddy or passing stranger if the situation warrants it.

Securing and removing from a roof rack (especially high sided vehicles) through to placement on the ground and carrying in general provide opportunity for the canoe to literally be 'blown away', easily lifted and blown off the roof of your car and can easily roll down the beach if left unattended.

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When being carried, they can swing around violently through wind pressure and impact against people or solid items. All of these scenarios can lead to injury to self or others, damage of canoe or other valuable items. Never leave your canoe side on to the wind; usually into the wind offers the safest option.

Carrying, launching and exiting the water Launching and exiting the water in high winds can be problematic, more especially launching. The degree of difficulty will depend on the wind direction, relative to the canoe's angle of placement in the water. Strong cross-shore winds present a difficulty. Mount the canoe with minimal delay and set off as the shore break allows. If paddling through shore-break, it's usually better to paddle out beyond the shore-break, then put your leash on. Don't think of your leash as for surfboard use, this is more to do with preventing 'loss' of your canoe at sea, not in the shore-break.

Checks While it is possible to paddle downwind in extremes of wind on flat water, knowing your limitations is a good maxim to live by. Ensure the wind is moving in a suitable direction and ideally, no more than 20 degrees either side of (directly behind) your intended line of travel.

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Check weather forecast for changes in wind direction or velocity. Ensure you are confident to the task as is your fitness. How is your confidence in deep water? Ensure your equipment is up to the task and suitable for the conditions.

Calculate your approximate departure, arrival time and inform others. Notify appropriate authorities / persons. Ensure you're suitably hydrated and have sufficient energy levels.

Entry and exit points Wind direction will have a profound affect in determining your entry and exit points. You must establish safe and suitable exit points for your downwind run.

The longer the distance to be traveled, you should consider additional exit points along the way if the need arises. If there are none available, you will need to implement additional safety measures. A common error is to fail to account for the exit points changed state over time due to rising or falling waters (tide) or increased swell / wave action accompanying this and the effects of 'fetch'.

Get to know your local area, prevailing wind directions and water conditions.

Familiarise yourself with your surrounds in all conditions and always carry out some reconnaissance before each session. In unfamiliar areas, seek out local advice, study maps and get informed. Not uncommonly the entry point is often calm or in the lee of the land, whereas the exit point can often be rougher and more exposed unless a safe haven can be reached.

Entry points This will be your 'upwind' point from which you will launch and proceed to paddle to your 'downwind' exit point. Entry points take on many differing types; river mouth, harbour entrance, exposed beach. In all cases exercise due caution.

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OC1 - A Paddler's Guide Entering and paddling out the back through shore break often presents less of a problem in terms of 'being cleaned up' as does coming back to shore. Going out relies upon a sense of good timing and certainly there must be commitment - hesitation will usually result in a negative outcome. It depends very much upon the nature of the wave. If they are small pitching waves like this below, the best practice tends to be to simply paddle hard into it on the ama side - importantly taking a good solid stroke into the back of the wave once through it, to make up for the loss of rudder control.

Here the wind is travelling cross-shore from right to left.

Having 'handlers' can be of help, but also a liability if they get in the way!

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www.kanuculture.com You need to think it through given the situation.

Finding yourself on the shore-side of your canoe and having it turned side-on to incoming waves is about as bad as it can get as it's all working against you.

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With windy conditions, a shore break is more likely. On-shore winds can create dumping waves and make launching challenging. Don't break any access laws, respect private property, check for any signage associated with that particular stretch of beach. Ensure beach break is manageable.

Exit points Changing weather, wind and tide conditions can affect the exit location and make it difficult or unsafe. If you know your exit point is consistently safe and free of hazards then there may be no reason to check this prior to departure.

Due to the logistics involved it is commonplace for vehicles / trailer to be left at the finish point and therefore the finish / exit point will often be seen prior to departure. You could ask a friend who lives in that location to provide feedback or if available, check out a web cam, view any maritime / surf information.

Things are never static, in 2 hours time, the tide may have come up and wind increased 10 knots. You wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t just check out that one exit point over a distance of say 10km, you should allow for additional exit points along the way â&#x20AC;&#x201C; in the event you have to abort.

This is at the finish of a 13km downwind leg of a race in Australia . With no idea what to expect coming into finish, it pays to have a good look around and plan your 'line' early. The advice here is to make sure that you 'take-off' straight on the wave that's going to bring you toward the beach.

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A quick glance to see which way and how the wave may be breaking, keeping the nose of the canoe aimed straight for the beach, it's a question of keeping power to the blade to 'out-run' the wave especially as it slows up and pitches in the shallows. If you let it pass under the hull there's a chance you will loose control - as the wave breaks behind you, the fin may well cavitate in air bubbles - more reason why you need to be as straight as you can, as any sideways bias, could end badly. Leaning back on the fin may help - however, keeping the bow 'engaged' (buried) will provide some directional stability often better than a fin struggling to find grip.

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Wave selection - don't necessarily just paddle in without having a look at what's behind you.

Whereas downwind paddling relies on chasing what's infront of you, when you approach the shoreline, the rules of engagement change as it matters what's behind you.

Line the nose up to come straight in to the beach - not side on.

Here the canoe should have been aimed more to the left. Wave breaks to the side, travels under the hull so as the canoe is floating on a cushion of bubbles, the rudder is now ineffectual and the hull is now sliding sideways. Paddler attempts to protect the ama by leaning right and this results in a capsize.

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Ending up between hull and ama with an oncoming wave, can result in injury and as much as you may want to protect your canoe, it may be wise to dive / swim away from it if necessary. The wave will win most every time when you are in this situation.

Seats get ripped off, i'ako snap, ama get cracked - you could say it's part of the learning process, but it can be expensive and not without its dangers.

If wearing a leash, attaching you to the canoe, my personal advice, is to take it off, if there's a good chance you are going to 'loose it' in surf conditions - leashes are for prevention of loss of canoe at sea not in the shore break!

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Here Australian Darell Thoroughgood, leans back marginally and uses the blade to help steady the canoe and assist with steering. The rudder has broken free and the bow which has buried, is providing the greatest portion of directional stability, that is until the wave passes under the hull and it breaks free. Mostly it's about anticipating what comes next and how to adjust for it.

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Equipment Check your paddle for signs of stress and replace / repair accordingly. Paddle failure once under way can have dramatic consequences. Consider taking a spare paddle strapped to rear i'ako (using inner-tube).

Check your canoe for dings, leaks and fin fitment, security and especially, check your rudder system. Check bungs and all rigging related items for wear or signs of fatigue. If using leash, ensure it's not showing signs of fraying or fatigue.

Checking your equipment, allows you to form a better relationship with your kit - many paddlers fail to maintain or look at their equipment in any detail. If borrowing equipment, check it in the same way you check a hire car!

Paddles High wind, specialist downwind paddlers look for paddles which are light and easy to throw over when changing sides for very clean exit and entry. Very high stroke rates are sometimes required. Differences in downwind paddling styles may vary so some paddlers will prefer smaller blade sizes in order to permit high stroke rates while some heavy, strong paddlers in particular, may prefer slower rates using larger blade face sizes. There's no one size for all as it will very much depend on the paddler's physiology and approach toward bump riding.

Paddling techniques Variance of Stroke Rate Relative to Rate of Travel ; When paddling downwind following a ‘running’ sea, knowing when to paddle hard and when to back off are key skill elements. The ability to deliver varying power, increased stroke rates and different technique to achieve effective speed gains, is a true skill.

The trigger to change any single or multiple aspect of technique or application, can either be a visual response in seeing the runner forming ahead in the form of a trough or a ‘feeling’ when the craft begins to drop at the nose and lift at the tail.

Your focus needs to be on what’s ahead of you, reading and interpreting the constantly changing shape of the ocean and anticipating how your canoe is going to react. These skills transcend true explanation and must be learned by experience. You must remain resolute and confident, continually biting away at the ocean, reading its nuances immediately in front and below the blade, keeping a broader view and continually setting up to take advantage of the ocean’s energy. Avoid ‘switching off’ and simply swinging away without thought.

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Knowing when to vary the stroke rate, how much power to deliver to the blade, and your optimum length of reach, is only acquired by paddling all points of the ocean; across, into and with, so you learn to vary your stroke to get the most out of the ocean and your canoe.

This knowledge is paramount in remaining in harmony with a constantly shifting ocean.

The faster the canoe travels, the higher your potential stroke rate will be, indeed it should increase and in addition your stroke rate can also be shortened. Stroke rate can be measured by strokes per minute. Some paddlers fail to vary their stroke rate, creating retarding forces countering the canoe's progress.

Think in terms of powering a scooter, using long and strong leg pushes on flat ground using a regular steady cadence. As you progress up a hill (wave) your leg action will shorten and slow on account of the added forces working against you (don't waste energy pushing up-hill) then as you reach the crest and drop down the hill (wave) your leg action speeds and length of reach will increase then shorten as you reach maximum speed, your stroke rate can slow, maintaining good reach, at which point you can stop altogether as you enjoy the ride. As the scooter begins to slow, you bring your leg back into action to provide direct power where gravity has left off.

Vary your stroke rates, relative to your position on each wave. This variance will alter your paddling between anaerobic and aerobic states. Slower equates more anaerobic. Faster equates, more aerobic (more oxygen dependant). Essentially chasing runners consists of a series of short sprints followed by periods of relaxation (recovery).

Variance of stroke rate relative to position of hull on wave When you are in the trough of a wave, between wave sets, your stroke rate will tend to slow as the surface water particles are revolving counter to your direction of flow, which tends to bring about longer, deeper, stronger strokes.

Long and strong is the maxim here generally. By adopting this technique, you conserve some aerobic energy and prime the canoe keeping the power on the blade.

Water particles within waves, rotate forward at the crest and backward at the trough. This results in (approximately) no net motion of the water as the wave passes.

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Within the wave trough, the water particles are revolving against you.

As you approach the back of the wave the water particles tend to be revolving in your favour, assisting in ‘pulling’ you up to the crest.

Once you reach the crest (peak) the rotational forces increasingly act against you as you begin to move down the wave.

At the crest, you will need to ‘push-over’ this section by paddling over the crest and onto the wave face until such time as the net rotational hydrodynamical forces of the water moving up the wave face due to the canoe's speed are sufficient so the buoyancy of the hull and the gravity of your weight acting downwards, reach a point of negating each other (net zero

Top image, Travis Grant is keeping the power on, the nose just angling up slightly but in a good position to 'push-over' and down the wave face just ahead. Below this, the nose has dropped significantly and he is powering up for the drop in and below, relaxing on a 'runner' enjoying the sleigh ride, working the pedals and looking either side of him for openings and new waves forming.

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OC1 - A Paddler's Guide Nose up and stalling a good time to switch sides and power up with fresh arms, this allows for the wave to pass under the hull and put you in a better position to 'take-off'.

Canoe already levelling out during the switch.

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www.kanuculture.com Make your first stroke count so you can 'push-over' the runner in front and 'surf' down its face, then consider your next line of attack.

Use the pedals, but don't over-work them.

Too much pressure left or right, kills speed so learn to use them sparingly and early, not late leading to overcompensation.

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OC1 - A Paddler's Guide As you take-off and begin to surf, the best angle of attack tends to be from left to right - fly the ama if appropriate, this will give you improved speed and control along the line of the wave, increasing water line length, while reducing wetted surface area. It's time to relax physically and to eyeball where you are going to go next.

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force) which frees the hull up so it is ‘surfing’ and you can partially relax. This will tend to lead you to initially weight the hull towards the nose, then lean back as the hull gathers speed down the face.

Either the nose will drop, as the tail lifts as the wave behind catches you up if you have slowed dramatically, or if you have maintained speed (ideal) you will steer the canoe over and into the next trough (hole) - both can result in the canoe beginning to surf the wave as this transition happens, the canoe gaining speed and momentum and your stroke rate should increase in direct proportion to the point where you can cease paddling and enjoy the ride. At this point you can sit back, stretch and relax, work the pedals, the ama, your direction of travel, looking just ahead and either side 10-15º looking for the next drop in.

Once you get into a rhythm of the canoe's nuances and interaction with the waves you will be better able to alter your stroke rate to suit and in time it will become instinctual. What you want to achieve is priming the canoe (going deep, going hard), increasing stroke rate as you drop into the wave, ultimately, lengthening and stopping as you catch the wave and ride it out, coupled with a skill known by many as ‘connecting the dots’.

Common mistakes Failing to vary stroke rates. Failing to vary stroke lengths. Failing to combine these in harmony. Tending to follow a straight line. Not eyeballing water around you, looking at feet not eyeballing the water. Chasing poor quality waves. Chasing every bump (not every bump is a 'runner). Lack of concentration.

Switching paddling sides The fundamental principal here is to ensure your arms remain fresh, so your aim is to change sides before you fatigue. In the context of downwind paddling, where there are runners to be had, there is a time to change sides and a time not to. A good time to change sides, is if you feel fatigue building up, but if you're just about to drop in on a runner, this could jeopardise your success.

Ideally, change sides before you fatigue.

Just as the hull begins to take off, your stroke rate will increase. This is not a good time to change sides if you haven't quite got the momentum you need to drop in. Once you are actually surfing down the face, this is a good time to change sides. Change to avoid fatigue and to maintain momentum in relation to your canoe's rate of travel, whether stalling or accelerating. This skill applies even when chasing small runners.

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When you feel the canoe 'stalling' (nose up) When the canoe stalls and its forward momentum has slowed between waves, usually because of the retarding forces of water flow in the opposite direction of your travel, this is a good time to switch sides so as you can grind hard and deep to get momentum but importantly, this is a good time to change direction; surface tension can be pulling the canoe downward - break it by nudging the pedal and breaking the pull.

The hull is 'stalling' the nose is angling upward and as it does so, the canoe in this case is effectively 'swamped' in its mid section - this is common to low volume OC1s where more volume in the mid section would help prevent this problem keeping the canoe 'drier' and assist in maintaining greater forward momentum. Here the revolving water particles on the back of the wave are pulling the hull backwards. This is not a time to power up and paddle (uphill) but often a good time to change sides, to ensure fresh arms ready to prime the hull for when the nose begins to drop as the wave dissipates in front and the hull is released from the pullback effect - the wave may even catch up from behind, lifting the tail ideally you're trying to avoid spending much time in this predicament, but it's an inevitable part of downwinding. Rider Mike Murray

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Going long or going short While keeping a ‘long out-front’ paddling style is essential, there are times when you will want to shorten up. This is a 'feel' orientated skill which takes time to develop.

Going short, is demanding in terms of its application. A shortening of the reach provides you with a brief opportunity to; increase hull speed through increased stroke rate; maintain speed in adverse situations such as paddling against strong tides and shallow water (where the hull is sucked down - known as 'interaction') or when you need to push over the face of a swell. It can also be used in short bursts to catch up and overtake when racing.

Perhaps the most common example of its application is from a standing start where the stroke-length is initially short and deep, progressively lengthening out as a steadier pace is established. The skill here is in having excellent paddle control so the blade is buried cleanly, ensuring it ‘bites’ before power is applied and that the exit is clean. 'Rooster tail' starts may look good, but are generally inefficient.

While the longer stroke is appropriate for consistent distance pace paddling, when a short burst of speed or additional power is required, marginally shortening the reach and depth-charging the paddle can effectively provide acceleration. Working within a burst of six to ten strokes seems most effective.

Adding variety to your stroke The most common time to vary long and short reach is when chasing runners.

A following sea continually accelerates and decelerates the progress of the hull as it travels between waves and at times ‘stalls’ in the trough when it buries into the back of the wave ahead. During the ‘lull’, when the canoe falls off the runner and labours in the trough, it's a good time to ‘shorten up’.

You want to apply plenty of power, driving deep, 'depth-charging' your stroke for a short period of time, to ‘prime’ the canoe for the next drop in. Naturally your stroke rate slows marginally, proportional to the canoe's speed, so you compensate for this by pouring on the power. As the canoe drops in and gathers speed, the stroke is ‘lengthened’ out and the stroke rate increased, again to match the canoe's speed.

Flat water paddling calls for a consistency of stroke length and rate. But even in this situation, variation will break the monotony and provide bursts of speed in between the ‘distance pace’.

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Powering up / powering down Relates back to our stroke rate and length. Powering up means you are applying maximum power to the blade. Pulling / rotating as hard as you can.

Often used in the trough or when wanting to drop in on a wave or when the hull is stalling. Here you are priming the hull, putting a lot of power to the blade.

Whenever you find the canoe is slowing, apply lots of power and consider switching sides to use fresh arms.

When you feel you are about to surge on to a wave, the faster you begin to go, the less leverage or power required to the blade being as you are transitioning from paddle power to wave power - in effect, going from muscling the canoe into position to allowing nature's power to take over.

When switching paddling sides, avoid doing so when totally fatigued. Do so before this happens in order to maintain a higher overall level of power and consistency. Having changed sides, power up straight away. Changing sides is not a time to rest, but a chance to power up with fresh arms.

Paddling variations simplified 1. Long and strong when the hull is 'running' along larger wave face, when cruising in flatter water keeping lots of power to the blade. Avoid pulling too far past hip.

2. Short and deep. Shorten length out front, but go deeper. Use when in trough of wave. When powering up, or just before you drop into the wave.

Shorten stroke and go deep.

3. Quick 'n light. Stroke rate increases, power to the blade lessened and not driven so deep. Use when on wave, moving quickly. Canoe travelling very fast at speed, maintain momentum, quick and light to keep canoe moving. Think also in terms of exiting paddle early.

Generate mental pictures of varying paddling rates and how much power to apply to the blade. Going deep gives you power but is fatiguing so vary it and know when to use it. Varying stroke rate and length is to work with the movement of the water not against it.

Flying the ama Flying the ama is a much talked about topic, more especially with regards to whether it's a skill which will gain you control and speed or is it merely a bit of show-boating and simply fun to do?

In the early days, it was certainly a factor of mere fun and the challenge of being able to 'fly' the ama to impress your mates or even yourself. Flying the ama in 204 | Downwind and Ocean Paddling

OC1 - A Paddler's Guide With steeper take-offs, the rudder can break free and the ama takes over in controlling your direction of travel which results in the hull being pulled dramatically to the left, which causes you to 'round up' and possibly flip. It's a hard trade off. Here I am leaning back to try and reengage the rudder, while pressuring the ama to stay down, which only contributes to pulling the canoe left. The best way to deal with this, would be to take off more to the right to avoid nose diving and to consider flying the ama, but that decision would need to be made early, here it's too late.

Surfing an OC-1 - Luke Evslin Hawai'i Surfing an OC-1 is all about keeping the nose of your canoe facing down . . . winners are paddling downhill while the rest of us are paddling down a bumpy road, or, even worse, paddling uphill . . . outrigger canoe paddling is similar to skiing down a set of moguls that are constantly moving . . . the best paddlers anticipate the movement of the moguls and keep their nose down, while average paddlers go straight down the hill and wait for the chance occurrence of a mogul moving out of their way . . . get rid of the temptation of catching a wave and running down the face of it. When you catch a wave, the goal is to milk that wave for as long as possible and wait for your opening . . . sit on top of the wave and put in just enough energy to keep the nose facing down. Often times you'll have to cut a hard angle either left or right to keep your nose from hitting the wave in front of you . . . put all of your effort (mental and physical) into connecting into another wave. It doesn't happen by chance, it happens by scouting your opening and using one wave to propel your canoe to another. It takes time to understand that critical energy balance between dropping in and falling off the wave . . . time to be able to find the openings. Putting it all together takes a lifetime. The ability to surf is arguably the single most important aspect of outrigger canoeing. You can be in peak fitness with a perfect stroke, but you'll get obliterated if you don't understand the concept.

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the context of downwind paddling OC1s has become not only a highly skilled technique, but a factor of added control and gains in speed.

Rolling the hull over to the right, sets in motion a number of factors, which include; increased water line length, reduced drag in releasing the ama from the water, some added directional stability when riding waves to the right or left, any relief you may need from pressuring the left cheek and importantly a chance to relax and look around you.

Particularly when travelling to the right, the canoe seems to behave particularly well and you can very easily use the paddle as a brace as the wave face is high of the canoe. You even find the canoe sliding down the wave face.

Ultimately it permits you to trim along a wave and ride it for longer rather than simply dropping straight into the back of the wave ahead of it. It gives you longer, faster rides, which though it may take you off-line of your destination, the trade-offs keep your average hull speed often higher than when simply taking a straight line approach.

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To the left, flying the ama is possible, but never seems quite as comfortable, because your body is leaning into the trough of the wave, rather than into the wave face and in order to use your paddle as a 'brace' is more problematic, being as there's a depression into which you have to place the back of your blade face. In addition, the pressure from the wave can threaten to push you over. It's possible, just not as controllable.

When using the blade as a brace, extend you arm outward and ensure back of the blade is skyward. Relax and keep your hips loose. Think of the paddle now as the ama which is controlling your angle of lean to some degree. You don't want to push down hard, just let the blade skim over the surface of the water.

When you need to drop the ama back down, transfer the weight back to the left hip gradually and as the ama begins to lower, you can swing through to take a stroke.

You will not want to fly the ama until you've guaranteed yourself good speed and glide time. Short-lived bursts of flying the ama, tend not to pay off, while longer periods of 'flying' suggest you've timed it well. Flying the ama will not always gain you what you want and you could indeed be slowing yourself when you should be paddling.

Using the pedals Don't over rely upon the pedals and avoid standing heavy on them - learn to use them with skill. Every time you hit the rudder, it turns and drag is created.

Learn to use the rudder when you are flying the ama.

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With the pedal pushed to take me to the right, you can see how the bow remains holding its line, the tail of the canoe being directed over to the left, to bring about a right turn. With the ama out of the water, this can bring about a rapid change of direction without the added drag and the hull in effect 'skids' or 'slides' on its acutely rounded side section. This 'skidding' is what can come about when going right on larger bumps so as you slide down towards the trough, rather like the same control you have with rounded rails on surf boards, downwind SUP boards or windsurfers.

Turning right, clean water pressures the right side face of the rudder, while 'dirty' water creates low pressure on the left face.

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Continued canoe run An ability to maintain good 'run' is due in part to the combining of all factors.

Your ability to maintain stroke rate, stroke length, changing sides at appropriate times, looking either side of you, working the pedals with skill, keeping the hull on its 'sweet spot', sourcing out the waves and holes when present, in order to maintain a high average speed. Combining all these abilities will reduce the amount of time you spend stalling. The idea is to keep momentum as much as possible.

Sweet spot variance between canoes Downwind specific OC1s in general design terms, feature some common design traits. These canoes tend to have greater amounts of overall volume than that of flat water / all round canoes, necessary to limit 'swamping' and stalling between sets where added buoyancy comes in handy. The rudder will tend to be moved further forward and be approximately 9" or longer to maintain contact with the water when dropping-in. The ama will be of high volume and often highly curved so as it rides on its rear quarter.

The 'sweet-spot' is the point along the hull where when the wave is positioned the hull travels fastest in balance with being able to be controlled. It is the canoes optimum glide / surfing spot if you will and because the paddler is seated and in a fixed position, the sweetspot will only be within a very narrow band-width, usually under the area in which the paddler sits. Where you sit in relation to this sweet-spot is critical. Too far forward or back of it and you could nullify its affect - this is why the sweet-spot must match your height in relation to where you sit on the canoe - the solution - moveable pedals.

The constant shifting of the undersides foot print relative to where it is on the wave, requires that added 'rocker' designed into the canoe, keeps the footprint more constant and conforms better to the natural curvature of the waves.

Straighter OCs can struggle in nose diving and overall general handling, but few canoes have radical amounts of rocker to avoid bogging down in the flat spots.

Observation and anticipation An ability to identify runners and knowing which ones to chase is a skill. You need to be constantly eyeballing the water and looking to put yourself into a position in order to stand a chance of connecting with it. Remember these runners are all ahead of you (on a good day).

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Change paddling sides frequently to keep fresh arms and to keep in sync with the ocean's movements. When you drop in, alter foot placement to suit, alter your centre of gravity. Enjoy the ride, but it's important not to switch off, as you need to keep looking for the next.

One way to identify a runner forming ahead of you, is to observe the ocean tearing itself apart, creating a hole. Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re looking to put yourself there by steering the nose of the canoe in the hole.

Not every bump is a runner. Every time you see an opportunity, work out if it is worth chasing. You're looking for the steepest and fastest moving section, travelling more or less in the direction you want to go. After 3-4 hard strokes, if you're not on it, save your energy and look elsewhere. As you begin to fatigue it's not uncommon to begin to make judgment errors and get caught out.

The surface generated waves - the fast moving surface water, is generally what the downwind paddler seeks. Ground swell can be caught only with this assistance, but are not the primary provider of speed gains. The primary distinction between surfing and downwind paddling, is that the surfer is concerned with waves behind him. For the downwind paddler everything is generally ahead of you, traveling at speed, looking to drop into the wave ahead of you. Looking ahead of you. A bit like downhill skiing, looking at dropping into depressions and putting yourself into a series of holes. Don't look over your shoulder â&#x20AC;&#x201C; look in front of you.

Developing a sense of anticipation is an essential skill only learned with lots of time spent on the water chasing runners. Anticipating how the waves are forming ahead and around you and determining where you need to be, even before it happens, is a sixth sense, which the best downwind paddlers develop in putting themselves with consistency into the fastest sections of water which pay off in speed.

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Physiological aspects Chasing runners is essentially a series of sprints or efforts followed by recovery periods culminating with the set distance or marathon pace. While it would be easy to think of the Moloka'i to Oahu as a marathon event, in ideal conditions, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s really a series of sprints, with brief rest periods in-between.

In such conditions, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s important to remember that bursts of effort for long periods of time are neither possible nor profitable. Rest periods, or at least periods at a steady pace must be balanced between these bursts and surges in power and effort.

During these bursts of effort, heart rates increase and the lungs may scream for air, placing high cardiovascular demands on the body, as opposed to the slower, more sustainable rate. Downwind paddlers must develop strong cardiovascular fitness because there are high aerobic demands placed on their bodies. Running, bike riding and swimming are activities which complement this fitness, delivering higher maximum heart rates than perhaps achievable when paddling.

Summary Like surfing, downwind paddling is something of an art which cannot be taught per se, but must be learned through time on the water - lots of it. Observe those more proficient than you and don't be surprised that even paddlers very much older and wiser than you, but not as fit, can still leave you way behind, purely on account of how they read the water and apply body, blade and canoe to the task.

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Leashes, Capsize and Recovery

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Being ‘leashed up’, sounds like madness when you first encounter the idea, but based on a variety of ocean/water and wind conditions there are times when it is totally applicable and sensible.

Exercising one’s own personal ‘risk management’ strategy when it comes to solo or double OC paddling exploits, should be a natural and instinctive part of every paddlers check list prior to setting off.

However, due to the nature of the species, it's common place for many of us to have an over inflated opinion of our abilities and and underestimation of the elements capacity to change a good day into a bad one.

Some conditions absolutely warrant the wearing of a leg leash. This is England. The water's cold (10º C) and it's blowing 35 knots and there's plenty of moving water. One fall at the wrong moment without a leash and it's safe to say that I would be in serious trouble. Keeping your wildest sessions 'uneventful' requires prior thinking and planning.

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Ability, knowledge and experience all blend together to allow a paddler to make an educated assessment of any given situation as to what is safe or unsafe for them. The merits of wearing a leg leash on an OC1/OC2 or surf ski has been a subject on the table for some time and while at times it seems appropriate, there are times when it clearly isn’t.

When out beyond the surf line, or where moderate to high winds are present and when downwind paddling at any speed, seems the most appropriate time to ‘leash up’ and if you’re alone, it becomes even more crucial.

Paddling out through small shore break, should present no problem for you to leash up even before you hit the water. If you have to paddle through anything sizeable with power, think about the consequences of being pulled down and along with your canoe as the wave powers it along toward the shoreline.

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OC1 - A Paddler's Paracanoe | OC1 / V1Guide Paddler's

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The wearing of a leash is ultimately more important than the wearing of a PFD, on the premise that the canoe is your PFD and with a leash attached, a PFD is rarely ever going to be required.

Wearing a leash does seem somewhat more clear-cut than the wearing of a PFD, unless you are a totally incompetent swimmer, which probably means you should have taken up swimming before paddling. If Hyperthermia is your greatest concern, then invest in some good quality thermal gear.

Additionally the leash type that you wear is important. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s got to stretch, probably more than a 1:2 ratio and must include a quick release mechanism, such as Velcro with a large release tab, able to be located in a hurry. Cold hands fumbling for a tab the size of a thumbtack is enough to make you want to chew your leg off.

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Leg leash options and requirements There are several commercially made, sport-specific OC1 leashes, though you can in fact use some creativity in using a stand up paddle board coiled leash, but probably not a body board leash, though some folk do. Many races do not specify that you have to wear a leash - if there are sufficient rescue craft on hand, then perhaps that helps, but you may need a way of alerting them you're in trouble (smoke flare, whistle).

Ironically, some areas of the world, make it mandatory to either wear a PFD or at least have it on hand (strapped to the deck) but not so the wearing of a leash?

This has more to do with blundering ignorance in blanketing all water sports as 'equal' in demanding the wearing of them.

Strapping a PFD to a canoe because you may need it, is total nonsense if you become separated on account of not wearing a leash? If you get hit over the head by the i'ako and rendered unconscious, it's no good to you either even if you were wearing it, as you would float face down?

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Even on the lightest wind days with minimal water movement, falling without a capsize taking place, can result in the canoe surging well ahead of you when paddling with the wind behind or on your quarter. Falling and keeping ahold of the paddle, I then throw it toward the canoe immediately on surfacing, then begin to swim after it. Don't delay, even if the canoe appears to be near, it only takes one gust, one wave and your day could go bad.

For training days on your own, paddling in exposed open waters, the wearing of and for all downwind sessions, I would recommend a leash above all else. If you have any doubt as to how important it is, I thoroughly recommend having a, 'fall and retrieve' session when its's windy and see how you go - see how fast your canoe can be blown away from you even in a light to moderate breeze.

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centralised under seat, retractable leash, which is neat, efficient and serves as a constant reminder to get connected.

The problem with anything such as this however, is that it adds a mechanical element to the canoe, a mechanical element which can break and even fail being very probably not as strong or reliable as several alternatives.

More straight forward, has been the use of knee attached (upper calf) cuff, short coiled leashes, which then attach to the front i'ako. It's about as simple as it gets. It works and does a very good job of doing what is intended; preventing the loss of your canoe through separation.

Outrigger Connection Hawai'i were first to introduce in-built retractable leg leash fitments to some of their OC1.

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Conventional set up - this leash is too long (stretched from use).

Cuff is attached to right leg, below knee (you'll need a 'knee cuff' not 'ankle cuff'). Leash attached to front i'ako. Coil can knock on the hull (annoying) or get trapped behind the pedals (annoying) and all in all, it's in the way of things.

The primary issue with the leash arrangement, is simply the aftermath, recovery and remounting which involves leash management in avoiding becoming tangled up in a mess.

While many paddlers may wear coiled leash attachments, many have yet to actually capsize wearing one and if you're one of those, it's advisable to practice as you may find it confusing and a little threatening. On the one hand you've prevented the loss of your canoe, but now you're figuring out what to do next?

Left or right leg attachment There's much talk about which leg to attach the cuff. Frankly it won't make much difference to the mess you find yourself. Wearing it on the right leg, attached to the front i'ako means that the coil crosses over the steering pedals and will be more likely to interfere with the steering. The only advantage is when you fall without capsizing the coil remains in alignment with the i'ako as against travelling across your legs if you remount from the non-ama (right) side. If you prefer to remount from the left, then wear the cuff on the left leg.

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Waist worn / Rear i'ako attachment Front i'ako to leg attachment, does not feel liberating - it feels restrictive and a clumsy mess. The coil sometimes bashes against the footwell or upper deck with every stroke, or a coil gets wedged behind a pedal so it cannot operate fully. Rear i'ako attachment solves all of these issues and you won't even know you've got it on.

The best place to attach your leash, is therefore the rear i'ako not the front as it avoids interfering with the pedals and in being a distraction. The issue becomes, how to set up something which works?

This is turning everything back to front, but it may entice you to be connected more often. Ridding of leg attachment and moving to a waist attachment is a paradigm shift in thinking which resolves many issues.

Your first thought should be, what is the quick release system set up with this and how does it all go together? The system is very simple. All you will need is short coiled leash of appropriate build quality (don't buy cheap) and it won't matter if it comes with an ankle or knee cuff and a separate waist belt fitted with a quick release toggle arrangement. These can then all be put together to form a very neat solution for the need to 'tidy' things up.

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OC1 - A Paddler's Guide With your legs, footwell and front i'ako clutter free, the advantages of this set up are many, not least of which you barely know you're wearing it. If you fall from the canoe without a capsize, your legs are not impeded in any way, there's less chance of pull-down on the canoe and once again you'll barely know you're wearing it. Additionally, having the leash attached behind you, reduces the likelihood of the leash being overstretched, as the canoe travels away from you, being as 'slack' is effectively accounted for so as there's no adverse immediate pull on the front leg. In every sense this set up makes sense.

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The coiled leash end which usually attaches to the craft, attaches to a sliding loop on the waist belt, the other end will attach to the rear i'ako.

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Capsize reactions If you feel you're about to capsize, chances are you're on the right, the most obvious course of action is use your paddle as a brace.

Turn your paddle blade face upward.

Leaning out, push downward in order to act as a counterpoise against the rolling force.

This will either save the situation or in the event of going right over, keep the pressure downward on your blade to slow the canoe's forward speed and slow A quick toggle-release mechanism that's way easier to reach, quicker to activate and ultimately safer to use than a velcro cuff wrapped around the leg, detaches the system in the event of needing to jettison it.

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Faced with a possible capsize, your reaction should be to at least delay it and certainly slow it. Doing nothing, is to loose control.

Pressuring an outstretched blade back face, will assist to control the speed of the roll. Stay in the seat as long as you can. Keep your head forward to avoid a knock on the head by the i'ako raise you top hand as the ama comes over as a safety precaution. the roll down. Your next immediate concern when capsizing is having your head smacked by the rear i'ako. As you roll with the moving canoe, the force of the water drives you backward and can put your head in alignment with the i'ako. In any event, assume it can happen.

Keep your head forward of your body-line if possible - just before the ama makes contact with the water, release your top hand and raise it above you to prevent impact.

If you've capsized, then things get more complicated. The canoe rolls over from the left to the right, you fall (generally

Leash? Hell no! You would not want to be dragged toward the beach with your canoe in tow.

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speaking) to the right. This can put you between the ama and the hull. The good news is, the canoe is now more or less stationary. Don't panic or rush.

Think. Take stock of things.

Where it all begins to go wrong for the 'not so up to speed on the process' is those paddlers who have just lost their Maui Jim Sunnies, their favourite go-fast cap is missing in action, the hose from the hydration-system is wrapped around their neck, their paddle is missing and they are now in a state of chaos, having gone from being dry and in control of the situation to being semisubmerged and shocked into a state of dis-belief (reality).

Top image shows leg leash and front i`ako connection. As you fall the leash is already beginning to stretch. This can lead to recoil which pulls the canoe forward so the rear i`ako is level with your head. With a waist worn attachment and rear i'ako attachment (lower image) there's no tension pulling you forward through the leg.

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If you can't afford to loose it, either don't take it with you or tie it down so you can't loose it in the event of a capsize.

Wasting time and energy on worrying and searching for your cap, sunglasses or bottle is a recipe for disaster. The order of things is simple. Keep a hold Electing to push roll the canoe over by pushing upward on the i'ako (it can help to of your paddle, hit the water, come up for air, reach down, grab the opposite gunnel and pull toward release the leash (from your you, slow the roll to avoid ama damage. lower calf), then figure out your You can see how much tension there is on the leash when leg mounted (below) position and the recovery drill. compared when waist worn (below this).

This can hinder the recovery of the canoe as Shore-break it acts to pull against the roll.

Wearing a leg leash while

paddling out through a solid shore break, is probably not the smartest thing to do, but putting an OC1 or OC2 in that predicament is also not the best of ideas. A surf ski on the other hand is made for the job.

On a big shore, reef or point break situation can you imagine being in the rinse cycle with your OC1 attached to your leg? The canoe is now wearing you for protection. In this situation, you have to wonder if being attached is such a good thing, hoping your canoe doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t smash into you as you struggle to keep as far away as possible. Smaller shore break may be manageable in the case of a fall and capsize but faced with any size and pitching waves, consider the consequences.

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Remounting from the right with leash attached to the left leg and the front i'ako, you can see the tension in the leash and problems it can lead to.

Remounting from the left with leash attached to waist and rear i'ako there's no tension or problem with the leash being obstructive.

Falling A fall from your OC1 which results in the canoe remaining right-side up, is a rarity, but the fact is, this is the most likely situation in which you will loose contact with your canoe if the wind or surface waves get a hold of it - and you're not wearing a leash.

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Capsize fall Ironically, a capsize which inevitably results in a fall, renders the leash almost worthless, being as the canoe, wrong-side up, has the hydro-dynamics of a house brick.

Differing recovery scenarios Whether you fall or capsize and fall, the leash type, length, how and where you have fitted it to the canoe and yourself, which side you have fallen, all lead to differing situations of recovery.

Ama Side Fall (infrequent) Ama Side Fall + Capsize (rare) Non Ama Side Fall (common) Ama Side Fall and Capsize (common) Remounting from the side you've fallen is the Remounting from the non-ama side, place the path of least resistance, but not always the leading hand on the footwell edge, the rear on the opposite side on or near the seat. Keep easiest. your legs floating out behind you, not straight down. Your trajectory needs to be transverse - up and across, near straightening your arms in process. Twist yourself as you plant yourself in the seat, releasing the leading hand. Note the waist worn system here ensures no issues with the leash causing any restrictions or entanglement.

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The most common side to fall is the right hand side.

Remounting from non-ama side Righting the canoe from this side and remounting is possible, but does require a

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little more athleticism and balance skills than if remounting from the ama side, where the ama can counter-balance your body weight. From this position you may have no need to disconnect your leash.

To do so, you will need to keep your body low and ensure you get your torso right over the seat and quickly, otherwise it could end in another capsize.

When capsized, remain leashed or disconnect?

Regardless of which side you fall and how it all pans out a leg leash attachment always seems to be a hinderance. The most obvious thing to do, but rarely ever mentioned, is to reach down and detach the leash from yourself as the first step in recovery - the leash has done it's job, you're with your canoe, now you need to get back paddling avoiding all limiting factors arising from the wearing of it. The chances of loosing your canoe at this point are minimal, conditions Before duck-diving under the up-turned permitting.

Once free of the leash, you're free to recover the canoe and yourself without the drama of possible entanglement, or it pulling down when attempting

canoe, remove your leash. Using both arms rather than grabbing the i'ako, tends to give you more control over the roll speed. Before the ama hits the water, reach up with the right arm and grab hold of the rear i`ako (or front).

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Remounting the canoe from the ama side, you won't need to be so concerned with capsize.

to right-it. If you want to remain 'connected' then things can become messy in terms of 'leash management' even the best designs will still wrap around or across your legs, your arm, around the paddle shaft, around the canoe and any other number of variations on that theme.

That being said, if you're between the ama and the hull, it's generally easy enough to simply roll the canoe back over by pushing upward on the i'ako - remounting the canoe from the right, without having to remove your leash.

Duck dive recovery Alternatively, duck-dive under the hull to the opposite side, reach over the hull, grab a i'ako and pull the canoe back over and remount from the ama side (in both cases always 'cushion' the re-entry of the ama to avoid it splitting). Once back on the canoe, you can get leashed back up again. If you leave your leash connected to you, it will wrap over the hull as it rights itself. Best practice is to release it before duck-diving under.

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Sliding over the hull Sliding over your canoe hull bearhugging the canoe works often after a few attempts. Damage to the hull can be a concern. You control the fall rate of the ama by holding on to the hull as you roll.

Swimming around the nose or tail Suggestions of swimming around either the bow or tail end of the upturned canoe in order to flip it back over - while remaining 'connected' - over-looks the dangers of wave action lifting and surging either 'pointy end' into your skull - in fact you may even pull the canoe toward you because of being connected and in reality, a short coiled leash is simply not long enough to make this a practical option.

If you need to be on the opposite side you find yourself incapable of duckdiving under the canoe to get there, then the question has to be asked, 'What right do you have being out on the water?'

A bear-hug rolling of the canoe.

Not as easy as you may think.

Holding the i'ako as you roll, restricts you, so it's best to just use your arms and swing weight. Note again, waist worn system makes this hassle free.

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Rolling the canoe over from the non-ama side, leash still attached to the upper calf and front i'ako, you can see the problem immediately. The only options now; remove leash and climb on or duck-dive to non-ama side and remount from there.

This is akin to having to right an OC6 and everyone swimming around the bow and tail - the longest route and not the path of least resistance. It's not rocket science, it's about quick thinking, presence of mind and doing the obvious.

The paddle The paddle is your propulsion. Recovery of your canoe, while loosing control or sight of your paddle means one of several things. You've got the canoe, but can't see the paddle and now have no means to paddle it, or you're back on the canoe, can see your paddle, but can't get to it without dismounting and going through most of the process all over again.

This highlights a few obvious factors. Don't let go of your paddle when falling off. Having fallen, you will need to ensure that during the recovery process that you either hold on to your paddle, or

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make sure that it's very close to hand, but most importantly, when you go to remount, have the paddle with you. Finding yourself stoked to be back upright and in the seat again, that warm feeling will soon pass when you realise you either can't see your paddle, or can, but cannot get to it.

Spare paddle Whether you drop, break, loose or have problems managing your paddle in the event of a capsize, having a spare paddle is not as crazy as it sounds. OC1 and V1 paddlers are minimalistic creatures when compared to sea kayakers (eskimo kind). Taking a spare paddle never seems to be on their minds, but as a back up, when paddling on your own, any distance from shore, it's seriously recommended. Best method is to simply attach the spare paddle to the rear i'ako using inner tube.

Lisa Martin, Kailua CC, O'ahu In the Hawaiian islands, when the Moloka'i team races are over, many people are out on their solo crafts. It is absolutely vital to think before heading out on the water. We must always respect the water and realise that our lives are at risk if we act foolishly.

This past weekend while doing a Hawai'i Kai run, my paddling group came across a distressed swimmer who turned out to be a paddler. It seems he was not wearing a leash and had lost his canoe.

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I was well passed him when I heard his yells for help. Even when I turned around, he was not easy to see â&#x20AC;&#x201C; luckily he managed to hold onto his paddle through the ordeal.

When one of my partners and I reached him he was frustrated and exhausted.

His canoe was well over 500 feet away. We came to find out that he was a novice paddler, this was his first time out on an OC1 and that all his friends had left him behind. To make a long story short, it took us close to an hour to resolve the entire situation and get everyone back on their way. It was just about that time that his friends came back.

Being personally involved in this, it honestly upsets me. This could have turned out very, very bad. During the time we were assisting this paddler, no one else came by; no solo crafts, no sailboats, no motorboats. Nothing.

We were on our own in choppy water just off the tip of Diamond Head, not a place Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d choose to take an hour long swim. Seeing that everything turned out OK, except for my canoe, which got banged up during the rescue, this was a

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Into the blue . . .

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relatively inexpensive lesson and luckily, no one got hurt. I feel obligated to share our experience with you so that we might mitigate the possibility of any future incidents. ‘ALWAYS use a leash, ALWAYS stick together and look out for your buddy, ALWAYS paddle smart.'

Chris O’Kieffe California Here is my take from a lesson learned. I have been selling leashes from Da Kine and Huki now for two years, but have only used them on a few occasions. I had the, ‘It wont happen to me’, mentality.

As many know, California conditions are usually very mild. After last Thursday I will always have a leash. As I started my paddle off the reefs of La Jolla the conditions were awesome; warm sunny with very little surf. While doing a race piece back to La Jolla shores, I took an inside route through the reefs in an area I know very well. A set of waves started to break on the outside reef. No big deal, I was well inside and knew that the wave always fizzles out on the deeper inside water.

Unable to get to the channel on the side of the reef I pointed the canoe into the waves to ride them out. The first two were easy, the third looked to have a bit more energy but no problem. Unfortunately it had some weird side energy that knocked me off my canoe and took the canoe inside. I swam to get it; at this point I still had no worries for either the canoe or myself. With a few feet to go, another wave got it and that is when I knew things were going bad.

At high tide the shore break was slamming into the beach and cliff. The canoe slammed into the cliff nose first. I could see the nose open up. The second wave opened up the side. Now the canoe filled with water and weighed a ton.

Struggling with the weight and the shore break, another wave slammed us against the cliff and took out the tail of the canoe and ripped off the nose.

After several minutes and several more waves. I finally made my way up some steps with what was left of the canoe. With a severally bruised ego and a threepiece canoe I reflected on the situation. A $25.00 leash would have saved me from the incident. Who is to blame? Of course it’s me. However if the same situation were to happen in a sanctioned race who is to blame. Of course it is still me. But, in this day of lawyers and sue happy individuals, the race organisers should protect themselves by making leashes mandatory. It could be worse. They could make wearing a PFD mandatory.

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Safety grab-bags For those days when you're pushing the envelope or paddling on your own, a pre-packed safety grab-bag is a really good idea. This can be in a small dry bag or fanny-pack (bum-bag).

The contents can include such items as, sky flares, orange smoke flares, a whistle, marine VHF radio, 1m length of rubber-inner tube, pliers, spanner and a knife. If you ever have a rudder cable go on you, or issues with your steering, the spanner for the rudder-nut or the pliers will fix it, or release it.

If you're wearing a leash, then you can generally get away with a small dry bag, otherwise 'wear it' in case you get separated from your canoe.

Sky flares stay up for only a few seconds so you might need to consider having three. Orange smoke is a good, long lasting attention getter. There are several types of Signal Whistles available, sufficient to catch the attention of your paddling buddies or a passing boater within ear-shot VHF Marine radios have become very advanced in recent years and very much cheaper. Some now feature electronic positioning signalling, sending a signal with your exact position, global positioning information (GPS) read outs, are water-proof, some even used for diving purposes. In the US you do not require a licence while in other regions a short course is required.

PFD Back in my Windsurfing days, I remember researching an article for a magazine involving the testing of harnesses and PFD’s. The conclusion I came to along with my editor, was that PFD’s offer several levels of protection, but can also be a hindrance; aiding floatation but hindering being able to swim, especially when trying to madly swim after your canoe, makes it all the more difficult to achieve and if you fail to make it, because of the PFD, you would float around cursing the decision to wear one.

Now you’ve avoided drowning, you lie around waiting for possible hyperthermia to set in – then you’ll drown. Maybe it’s my warped sense of irony, but sometimes we don’t see the bigger picture. (Yes, the wearing of a PFD slows Hyperthermia down, but it’s not effective indefinitely).

Paddling Apparel You must dress to swim. In many parts of the world, it may turn out that a tight top and shorts are the most that you should wear. It's best to choose shorts that don't soak up much water and are not baggy ... that won't hold a lot of water when swimming. The same with your choice of a top. In Hawai'i and other 242| Leashes, Capsize and Recovery

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warm places, the water and air temps don't require you wear much clothing. In warm waters, a loose fitting cotton top and shorts could make a long swim difficult and slow. In other parts of the world, cold water and air may require that you wear a lot of neoprene and/or other tight fitting weather ready gear.

The clothing will effect your ability to paddle and swim efficiently, but it might keep you alive long enough to swim for your boat or the shore if nothing else works. Loose fitting watertight tops and pants work fine if you're in the water for only a few moments, but they fill with water during a long swim and you have to drag all that with every miserable stroke in a swim for your life.

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9

Lifting, Carrying, Launching and Returning

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The importance of lifting, carrying and setting down your OC1 entails a few primary considerations; 1. Many injuries occur on account of poor lifting techniques.

2. Damage to your craft commonly occurs during it's 'putting' down.

3. Damage can occur when carrying the canoe if it collides with objects.

You may wonder why include a section devoted to carrying and lifting, but the fact is, good technique (physics) is required when handling not only such a relatively delicate, expensive and no doubt 'precious' craft, but one which is ultimately awkward on account of it's length and the added issue of the i'ako and ama. Regarding these issues, there are a few basic things to consider;

On the shoreline Right side up or upside down Right side up, is for the most part, the common way paddlers have their canoes positioned, but the fact is, there are several negatives. The hull is pressing down onto a hard surface and easily damaged. The fin will have pressure acting upward on it which is also a negative (placing a stool or something similar under it is advisable). On the other hand, placing the canoe upside down protects both the hull and the fin, so the question has to be, why not set the canoe upside down as surely this makes more sense in protecting, the canoes most vulnerable areas?

Windage The affect of wind on the hull makes carrying problematic, forcing the canoe around so as you struggle to control it, especially in a side wind. Where possible, keep the nose or tail into the wind. After a long paddle when tired, this can be a challenge if a strong cross-wind is blowing. You can try and turn the canoe into the wind (nose or tail) before attempting to make your lift. You may need assistance.

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With the canoe 'belly up' the primary soft spots and the fin are protected. The only concern being, the upward pointed fin can be a danger. Pick up is relatively easy - step in close, bend the knees and lift upwards and walk inwards.

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You can either lift onto the shoulder keeping the ama on the outside of you, or you can step in between; it's generally better to keep it on the outside of you, stepping inside just before you set it down.

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With canoe resting on your shoulder, to lower in to the water, you will need to step inside the ama to lower it down and roll it over to the right. You may need to do this before you enter the water, especially if there is any shore break.

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Step inside the ama (before setting down) - you can do this just before entering the water.

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If your canoe is light enough an alternative way to pick up, is simply grab the hull, lift and roll it right over onto your shoulder.

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With the canoe resting on your shoulder, nose pointed seaward in this manner, is the easiest way to limit the number of movements you will need to launch. Where you need to 'jump' on and start paddling quickly were shore break exists, this is a good option to take (you will need a light weight canoe).

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Returning to shore, you can slide off on the ama side as one option.

The method is a little awkward, but in calmer waters can be easy to pull off. You will be inside the ama and it may drag in the water until you are out of the shallows.

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Be careful not to crush the hull with your shoulder and take into account wind direction and strength.

Step outside the ama (if you have a long walk)

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Alternatively, if you can position the canoe seaward, dismount from the non-ama side, grab the rear i'ako and roll the canoe over and up onto your shoulder.This is less awkward and can be easier on your back.

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OC1 - A Paddler's Guide Flip the hull over with some speed to take advantage of the swing weight of the ama - swing and lift in one motion. Note where the paddle is being held, in the leading hand, blade down.

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Setting the hull down, right side up.

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10

Sciatic Nerve Compression and other Discomforts

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If there's one commonality shared by many OC1 paddlers in particular (less so with V1 paddlers on account of the higher seat and no footwell) it's pain and numbness radiating from the left buttock, along the hamstring (seemingly) into the back of the knee and on occasion resulting in pins and needles or even a numb left foot. In some cases it's just sheer pain in the butt. The culprit in all of this is the sciatic nerve extending the length of the left leg.

The causes of the onset to this pain are simple enough to understand, the solution on the other hand is a complex issue, but attacking the problem in a number of ways can often bring about a positive result. In some cases, genetic deviations between us result in some of us being more prone to this occurrence than others.

While the problem is common to Kayakers, some Surf Ski paddlers and other forms of Canoeing, the problem is absolutely made more prevalent in OC1 paddling on account of paddlers applying undue weight to the left buttock in attempting to stabilise the ama, resulting in greater pressure in this area - and this is only part of the problem.

The sciatic nerve

The sciatic nerve is the longest, thickest nerve in the human body, measuring just under 1 inch (2.54 cm) in width, comparative to the diameter of a finger. It runs from the lower spine through the pelvic area and down through the hip and back of the leg. It's the major nerve supplier to the legs branching out to provide movement and feeling to the hip, thigh, knee, calf, ankle, foot and toes.

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In spite of its length and size, it normally behaves like all other nerves; it transmits signals to and from the muscles and the brain.

All movement and feeling in the legs and feet are dependent on the proper function of this nerve and its branches.

Compression at the L4 lumbar region can result in pain radiating from the lower back to the knee. Compression of sciatic nerve (S1) can result in pain radiating down to the foot. Permanent damage to the sciatic nerve can result in a weakening of the knee.

When the nerve becomes inflamed, pinched, or injured, the symptoms are known as sciatica.

A troublesome sciatic nerve resulting in sciatica can cause acute pain anywhere from the lower back and hips to the feet and toes. Sometimes, it can become pressed or crushed because of a herniated disc in the lower spine a symptom some paddlers have suffered.

A by-product of paddling seated

Tightening of the hamstrings is a common ailment and result of many years of paddling, but tight hamstrings donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t directly cause pins and needles or numbness. Such sensations are associated with nerves or occasionally blood vessels (circulation).

The position in which OC1 and V1 paddlers paddle, replicates a test for sensitivity of the sciatic nerve, which in itself is an indication of just how bad this inescapable posture is.

Paddling seated, forces the tailbone down onto the sciatic nerve and prolonged sitting can result in pinching of the nerves. This can result in a sharp pain starting deep in the rear that often travels down the leg. Continuous tensioning of the nerve, can lead to irritation and nerve pain anywhere along the course of the nerve and compression is certainly one of a number of contributors.

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The Canoe paddlers 'slouch'

Tight gluteal, hamstring and calf muscles will serve to 'pull you down' into a slumped position and ultimately a tensioning of the sciatic nerves in both legs.

This 'slump' is common to many paddlers, especially those who may have paddled for many years and perhaps avoided any remedial stretching of the hamstrings and calf muscles.

This can lead to long term nerve tightness in the sciatic nerves and its branches. When you cannot engage the legs and exercise leg drive to push with the opposing foot as you rotate your trunk, this encourages leg tension in the hamstrings in particular.

Enlargement of the upper torso and over-development of certain muscle groups especially the latissimus dorsi all contribute to added upper body weight and disproportionate levels of strength between the upper and lower body. These factors alone can make a paddler feel 'top-heavy' and slumping becomes a characteristic way to carry oneself.

Horizontal pressures

Horizontal pressure can manifest from exerting pressure through the feet, pushing backward, resulting in the lower back resisting this force leading to tension. The same sensitive area in your spine that's pressurised horizontally Horizontal pressure from the feet / heels pushing backward, rotation and lean stress the lower back, while vertical (downward) pressure (gravity) is supported largely by the buttock region with only marginal weight baring being taken by the heels.

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www.kanuculture.com Many manufacturers have gone to great lengths to perfect an ergonomically comfortable seat, not just by ensuring some degree of softness and give, but also in terms of the shape. The paddlers rear needs to sit back into the seat to feel secure, hence the raised rear ridge and the undersides of the thighs must not be pressured, though there is a strong case for seats to be canted slightly forward so you are paddling down and into the stroke as against feeling as if you're falling away from the stroke, with pressure being moved further backward on your rear.

by your legs pushing, is being pressurised additionally by the combined weight of your torso and thighs, that is nearly all your body weight.

Vertical pressures Vertical pressure, is simply a factor of gravity (weight) acting downward on your buttocks, with only minimal weight being taken up by feet, very much reflecting the demands of OC1 paddling. Because of the way in which we sit on the canoe seat, with legs equally outstretched, this results in a heavy vertical pressure (weight) applied on the lower part of your spine when seated, as your legs are prevented from supporting your body weight in this position.

Seat alterations, gel pads, padded-short

If your seat is actually about as comfortable as you could imagine it to be, cutting holes out of it to relieve the pressure or wearing padded-shorts or using a gel pad are all very much short term fixes which may gain you a few more minutes, but rarely result in a complete solution. There have been some notoriously uncomfortable OC1 seats, perhaps no more so than the Hurricane OC1 seat, which led to certain entrepreneurs making retro fit alternatives.

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OC1 - A Paddler's Guide Travis Grant paddles the Kaiwi Channel using an after market Australian seat which was markedly more comfortable, just by being softer and fuller around the hip area.

Cushioning serves to help spread the load from the 'sweet-spot' of the point were you experience pain and from where it radiates, but in time it seems to manifest no matter what for many paddlers.

Ensure the forward edge of the seat does not cut off circulation. If so, adjust.

Canted-seats

A seat that is canted forward sometimes works. The front edge being lower than the rear does not impinge as easily on the sciatic nerve as a level seat, but try finding a manufacturer who provides this. Canted seats make perfect sense as they permit the paddler to fall into the stroke in a natural gravitational manner.

Weight can also be better transferred if only marginally, to the feet, so the load is spread.

Seat height relative to feet

One of the ways to offset some degree of vertical pressure on the rear, has come about unwittingly by the lowering of the seat position so the paddler's rear is at a closer alignment with the heels. This tends to spread the load on the paddlers rear a little further and wider, though it does result in some bio-mechanical loss of ability to generate compression to the blade. The Hurricane OC1 seat has always been situated quite high, however the foot-wells are relatively shallow compared to many larger volume canoes. This has lead to the pressure being somewhat more centred, so the load is not spread wide which has brought about the onset of pain quicker for many paddlers.

Foot-well depth

Complicating this issue is the depth of the foot-well. Fuller, larger volume canoes, whose degree of buoyancy and volumes are large, will tend to have deeper wells in relation to the upper portion of the canoes hull. This can permit the paddler to drive down into the feet more so than with shallow foot-wells.

Seat distance relative to feet

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www.kanuculture.com Some foot-wells are markedly deeper than others, resulting in lowered feet / heels in relation to the seat, resulting in more pressure being able to be directed to the feet.

Low volume canoes, where the footwells cannot be placed much lower than the seat, will lead to more pressure on the rear. Raising the seat results in a raised centre of gravity of the paddler, leading to greater instability.

spread of load. The act of paddling creates compression if paddling efficiently, compression to your rearend, which is acting as the drive shaft and gear box all in one - only a small amount of this force will find its way to the feet.

Paddle too short (close to the feet) and there will be increased pressure to feet / heels, but not much compression from paddling as you'll be too bunched-up.

Just the right distance will spread the load a little better and give you the best bio-mechanical advantage while compression from the blade (drive) will be maximised. Too far away from your feet and you will not be able to paddle with substantial force and though your vertical weight may spread out a little better, this defeats the purpose by being in a poor paddling position.

This can be problematic for taller paddlers who are paddling canoes which simply don't have enough space to find the optimum distance. V1's tend not to have this issue, though some V1 forward bulkheads are close to the feet.

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Possible causes of sciatic nerve issues shortened posterior leg (hamstring)

Shortened hamstring and calf muscles are common in those who sit all day long for work or even where the legs are bent. Sitting with near outstretched legs in the OC1 (more so than in the V1, were legs can be alternated between leading legs) the demands being made of them is counter to what they are familiar with. Therefore hamstring and calf stretches should be part of your daily routine.

Poor pelvis positioning

Shortened hamstrings will tend to prevent you from rotating your pelvis so as you may sit fully upright. The hamstrings, pulling down on your pelvis, will cause a 'paddlers slouch' so the lower and upper back becomes 'rounded' causing the weight bearing down on your butt to be shifted. Try to avoid slouching to ensure pressure on your sit-bones, which require you have bent knees.

The V1 cockpit permits paddlers to switch legs between a leading and a rear and more fully engage the hips in the paddling process, more similar to that of OC6 paddling. Seat heights vary but overall, a more comfortable position can be achieved.

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Pinched sciatic nerve

Because the sciatic nerve passes between your 'sit bones', the bones upon which you sit and your hip bone, it is easily compressed by tight tissue in your butt, often through the piraformis muscle, an external leg rotator. It is possible to compress the nerve, simply on account of sitting, usually caused by what your sitting on and the degree of pressure being exerted downward and how powerful your stroke and of course, the duration.

Pressure on the back of the thighs

This can lead to nerve impingement and cutting off the circulation, hence why seats which pressure the undersides of the thighs can be contributors.

Immobility

The body simply does not like to be 'immobilised' for lengthy periods.

'Sloppy' left knee adding to cheek pressure

Many OC1 and V1 paddlers, unconsciously paddle with their left knee lolling over to the left as a consequence of wanting to add stability by compression to If the inner left knee falls toward the ama, this results in greater pressure to the left cheek and compression (drag) of the ama.

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OC1 - A Paddler's Guide Rubber inner-tube tied around your knees - is a novel training tool to remind you to keep your knees together, more especially, to prevent your left knee falling toward the ama.

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the ama. Try paddling with your knees together. You can use inner-tube or bungee to prevent the left knee from falling left. Keeping knees together (touching, if easier to remember) as this will help you stay centred. Try to weight the right hip to minimise pressure on your left butt-cheek.

Solutions

It has been suggested that a series of nerve gliding / tension exercises can improve the mobility of the sciatic nerves together with hamstring, gluteal and calf lengthening exercises. Yoga-style poses are most effective for this. When you have tight muscles your body will try to cheat and avoid stretching the tight muscles. Yoga poses generally aim to stretch a series of tight muscles rather than isolating one.

Work on increasing flexibility

This addresses the problem most directly and helps to condition the body in handling being seated on the canoe and putting out a high work load. Ageing leads to progressive loss of flexibility. As you age, stretching should become increasingly more central to your off-water activities and certainly before strength training, being as paddling is in its own right, a form of strength training. Yoga is the best method by far.

Emphasis should be on forward bending exercises which stretch the hamstrings. The use of stretch bands are highly recommended. At home avoid sitting around. Better to lie around and do some stretching.

The stretch band is an extremely safe method of stretching the body while offering up some resistance at the same time. Many paddlers use stretch bands within their exercise regime.

Typically, shortened, tight muscles benefit from this form of stretching.

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Massage

Massage of the legs can be of great help. It may hurt, it may make you hysterical with laughter as the tension is released. Seek out massage therapists trained in myofascial release (MYR) of some type, a process which involves assisting the muscle and fascia connective tissue to lengthen.

Stand up paddle boarding cross-training

One of the most useful cross-training an OC1 paddler can under-take is Stand Up Paddling Boarding (SUP). Years of sitting and paddling, will ensure your hamstrings have shortened and your hip flexors will be as tight as a drum.

Indeed, your entire lower-torso will be in a near state of atrophy if you have not

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invested time on your legs. SUP will force you to use all of your stabiliser muscle groups, ensure engagement of the hips during the power phase. The legs will be under a good deal of tension, so hamstring and calf stretches will still need to be done.

Switching the ama to the right

Granted this idea flies in the face of all that we know to be sacred to the sport, however let's not over-react and keep things in perspective. Canoe surfing permits, if not actively requires ama sides are altered and for the most part most distance races permit the ama to be on either side - there's no specific advantage accepting that some conditions would result in better handling - the issue is more to whether you've practised it. Sprint racing on the other hand often requires the ama to be on the left on account of turns being made to the left.

With the ama on the right, the paddler will tend to lessen pressure to the left and favour the right. The sciatic nerve on this side is less affected by pressure and therefore the net result can be one of relief. Naturally, most OC1 do not permit this change in ama side on account of the mechanical fitment on one side only. It is of course an easier alternative in the case of V1 rubber rigged craft.

Lower back pain

Ideally, canoe paddling should include torso rotation initiated from the hips and therefore pulling and drive from the hips. This requires a slight lean forward which when combined with repetitive rotation puts strain on the lower back as it must support the body even while rotating. Even seasoned paddlers may suffer from lower back pain. The solution again, predominantly rests with off-water stretching and flexibility exercises.

Piriformis syndrome

Piriformis syndrome is an uncommon neuromuscular disorder. The piriformis muscle is a flat, band-like muscle located in the buttocks near the top of the hip joint. This muscle is important in lower body movement because it stabilises the hip joint and lifts and rotates the thigh away from the body. This enables us to walk, shift our weight from one foot to another and maintain balance. It is also used in sports that involve lifting and rotating the thighs.

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www.kanuculture.com JOSS photo

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The condition occurs when the piriformis muscle irritates the sciatic nerve, causing pain in the buttocks and referral pain (sciatica) along the course of the sciatic nerve which goes down the back of the thigh and/or into the lower back. A deep pain in the buttocks can result, made worse by sitting, climbing stairs, or performing squats.

The piriformis muscle assists in abducting and laterally rotating the thigh. In other words, while balancing on the left foot, move the right leg directly sideways away from the body and rotate the right leg so that the toes point toward the ceiling.

Anatomically, the piriformis muscle lies deep within the gluteal muscles. It originates from the sacral spine and attaches to the greater trochanter of the femur, which is the big, bony "bump" on the outside top of the thigh.

The sciatic nerve usually passes underneath the piriformis muscle, but in approximately 15% of the population, it travels through the muscle. Acute or chronic injury causes swelling of the muscle and irritates the sciatic nerve, resulting in sciatica. Patients with the course of the nerve through the muscle are particularly predisposed to this condition.

Some of the other causes of sciatica include disease in the lumbar spine (e.g. disc herniation), chronic hamstring tendinitis, and fibrous adhesions of other muscles around the sciatic nerve.

Once properly diagnosed, treatment is undertaken in a stepwise approach.

Initially, progressive piriformis stretching is employed, starting with 5 seconds of sustained stretch and gradually working up to 60 seconds. This is repeated several times throughout the day. This stretching can be combined with physical therapy modalities such as ultrasound. If these fail, then injections of a corticosteroid into the piriformis muscle may be tried. Finally, surgical exploration may be undertaken as a last resort.

A good sports medicine physician with experience in caring for athletes with the piriformis syndrome can help direct appropriate management. With proper diagnosis and treatment, there is no reason this syndrome to be dreaded.

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11

Racing Preparation, Change Overs and other Stuff

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Race strategies and preparation The concept of race strategy and preparation is a complex issue, it is however what sets those who take their racing seriously from those who 'also raced'.

Ultimately it is a form of management.

Preparation is primarily a pre-race strategy for success, a strategy which brings together all the facets of that pre-race preparation when on the start line and once the race begins, to ensure the greatest success.

Preparing a number of weeks out from an event, even months, constitutes good planning, whereas planning when on the start line could be considered a strategy for disaster. Generally the longer the race, the greater the importance of planning and the greater the amount of preparation needed.

Pre-race preparations

Over the course of time leading up to an event, months, weeks and days, various pre-race preparations will need to be considered as part of your strategy for success.

Selection of a training regime, considering how to deal with problems - capsize, injury, equipment failure, support boat breakdown (if used) - hydration, food, selection of equipment, checking and carrying out maintenance, rigging, bungs, ama, i'ako, hull, seat, paddle (take spares where possible). Support boat selection if required, payment issues, driver knowledge, medical kit, paddler medications.

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Tool kit with all necessary tools and materials. Where required, supplies for the support boat, payment of fees, registration, eligibility, divisions, pre-race food and hydration needs, time and day of race, briefing time on race day, meeting place and time, travel arrangements, accommodation.

Pre-race analytical considerations

Various pre-race analytical considerations will help form the basis for success.

For many races, the course is decided upon only a few days out and there are often alternative courses in place to allow for poor weather conditions.

However, having some idea of the race area is at least a greater benefit than having no idea.

Analyse the race course, use charts and maps, consider tide states and direction, prevailing winds, sea states, prevailing swells, currents, crew selection suited to conditions, length of race, expected duration. Analyse the start line, noting the time of race and â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;expectedâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; conditions, reading weather charts, listening to local forecast. Use web-based weather prediction sites. View the race course and travel over it by boat beforehand if required.

All these considerations help to build a picture about the nature of the race so you can begin considering your preferred race strategy - course to take, change over points, starting line position, etc.

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Race day preparation

Check actual conditions against predicted, ensuring the course is the same and has not been altered, checking all equipment and rigging, rig appropriate to conditions attach spare paddle, check bungs, ama, check race course and any alterations, start procedure, registration, support boat checks, attend briefing, hydration systems in place, food if required - the list is quite exhaustive.

Race strategy

Your race strategy is putting into practice the pre-race analysis which you have formulated. Having confirmed the course and having checked the actual conditions, you can now put into place your plan; position on start line, course to take and the manner in which you will run your race, etc.

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Three basic strategies

Three basic strategies are used and these include; lead and pace, even pace, and negative split.

Longer open water events require that you are adaptable. A relatively static, flat water course provides for a number of strategies, but as conditions deteriorate, options tend to be limited as the event turns into a matter for survival of the fittest. Each requires a different strategy.

Lead and Pace Used for shorter distances in particular, where the object is to establish an early lead and to hold on until the end, putting psychological pressure on the opposition. Training for this race strategy must be specific, as it requires paddling at near sub-maximum pace for as long as possible.

Because the lead and pace method requires maximum pace in the early stages, the paddler must be well disciplined to rate high. The first strokes of the race are crucial with minimal blade slippage, therefore good paddle skills and a high degree of strength are required.

Even Pace Essentially this requires the race to be broken up into two equal parts. The intention here is to attempt to cover the first section of the race at a pace which may represent approximately 75% effort, with the intention of finishing the second half of the race with greater intensity and pace. This requires a high degree of discipline, it means being behind at the start and saving energy for the second half of the race. Even pace may work fine in calm conditions; if conditions deteriorate the plan could be affected.

Negative Split More suited to longer sprint races, the concept relies upon constantly improved upon intermediate times, i.e. progressive build up of speed to the finish.

Technically very difficult to implement.

Strategies over distance Most successful paddlers have fast starts and the ability to maintain a high average hull speed throughout the race, having enough in reserve for a fast finish. A fast start is crucial to avoid collisions and adverse wake, and in many respects the lead and pace approach seems to bring big benefits in this regard.

High intensity off the start line, employing a high stroke rate, which lengthens and slows with only a marginal drop in intensity over the first few minutes is the key.

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Dominating the start of a long race and establishing a good position within the first 15 minutes of racing is important as it seems that there comes a point where positions often remain unchanged within any given race. There are many ways to break this 15 minutes down; the first 30 seconds, the next 60, the next 2 minutes...

Top paddlers will often blend of near maximal and sub-maximal paddling throughout the race, i.e. 75% - 90% effort. This is particularly true where a race course includes a following sea and wind conditions. Additionally, some paddlers will have an advantage depending on their preference for rough or smooth water, upwind or downwind paddling. Knowing your abilities and optimum performance conditions will play a big part in your race strategy.

Playing to your strengths is vital in order to optimise performance.

The start Before the start of any race a warm up is essential. For longer events, as much as 15 minutes of water time prior to the race is OK and the longer the race is, often the more important this seems to be. Usually immediately following the race briefing, you should be thinking of getting on the water, warming up and finding composure and a feel for your surounds.

When on the start line, you must take control of the situation and make your intentions clear, positioning yourself in a good spot early on the start line, while ensuring the canoe is under control and lined up appropriately. Steering and

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micro-managing the hulls position on the line can be something of an art in adverse winds and tidal flow.

In big races, where there are many canoe's on the start line and when conditions are adverse, collisions are common and you will want to avoid these - however you cannot account for others losing control of their canoe or those who are aggressive in nature and use ramming tactics.

Some paddlers will try to line up beside fast paddlers who know what they are doing - but then you are more likely to end up log jammed. If you are relatively slow, it may be a good idea to line up behind a fast paddler, not beside them, so you have a clean run behind. It does pay to know your limitations at times.

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When the start of the race comes, make sure you are paddling not steering.

You cannot afford to miss a stroke after the gun. This can be achieved if the canoe is aligned appropriately and free from others infringing on your space.

After the start After a few minutes into the race, you will be jostling for position, eyeballing the best line, seeing where the top paddlers are headed or if you are out in front, you will have to begin putting your own stamp on the race as leader.

Avoiding collisions with others is a top priority; out-paddle, outsteer but avoid actual physical contact with others if at all possible.

Settle yourself, find your pace and line and above all do not loose concentration.

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Remember to look over your shoulder, don't get tunnel vision. It's OK to cover an overtaking canoe from behind, i.e. move left or right to prevent a canoe from passing, but once it has established an overlap you must give way. This can be detrimental to your own game plan and ultimately an exercise in folly.

On occasion, fast paddlers get tangled up at the start and then come marching back up the field. Realistically, if they're very quick and you're not so fast, it would be smart to let them go as it's inevitable that they'll get past at some point, don't make it to your detriment. Choose your battles carefully.

Though you have your race plan, be flexible. Keep your options open as many things can occur during the course of a race - the longer the race, the greater the number of variables which occur. You will have to make judgement calls at some stage and this may mean being bold and courageous in order to counter a situation and improve your position.

Dealing with problems

There's no question that things do go wrong from time to time. Equipment failure, capsize, paddler problems and so on. These eventualities should have been covered during training and should not be something which creates great confusion and stress if they occur.

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'Interaction' - what is it?

Interaction is that spooky thing that happens when the OC1 travels over shallow water of less than around 3' (1m) or so and it feels as if it's moving through mud. The shallower it is, the slower you seem to go. This is one level at which interaction can occur, it's also what happens when two canoe's are close at speed, they often collide - they are attracted to one another due to pressure waves.

As the OC1 travels over shallow water, the hull and the sea bed act to squeeze the water between, creating pressure which pulls them together. The OC1 is actually being pulled downwards and the faster you are travelling the greater the effect. Cutting corners and travelling over shallows and experiencing interaction is often a poor trade off as paddler's suffer in having to work so hard to deal with this.

Water change races

OC1 distance races that incorporate paddler change-overs, add a dimension to OC1 racing that is totally unique to the sport. It adds a dynamic that gives it a hardcore edge, an element of intensity, putting added pressure on the paddlers, through to the support boat driver.

Beyond the physical element which change-overs demand, there is also a good deal of strategy involved which highlights the different levels of professionalism and preparedness. Many races have been lost through poor management and strategy. It calls for an increased level of athleticism and often challenges you to overcome any fear of the ocean as you leap off your support boat into water that is sometimes thousands of feet deep, way beyond the continental shelf. All you have to do then is negotiate the swells and wind, sight the canoe, set up for the pick up, reach for the canoe travelling sometimes at considerable speed - and haul your butt in as fast as you can.

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Compared to the mechanics and demands of team canoe changes, the differences are so great, that they are in effect differing sports but require equal precision and speed and lost time here can cost you valuable distance loss.

Many factors make up a good change including a good sense of timing, swimming ability, co-ordination, strength and an understanding of the mechanics of what it is you are trying to achieve.

Whereas a team canoe has so much inertia which can be used to good effect to assist pulling you in to the canoe, OC1 lack the same pulling power and the mechanics of getting 'on-board' are markedly different.

Creating a change chart

Many change over teams, may not bother with a change-chart, however where change charts are created where water changes are made using a support boat, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s worth noting, that while your chart is a key element, there are times when through injury, fatigue or radical changes in conditions, that you will need to improvise and make decisions based on instincts. At times like these, the chart may become a liability not an asset. You must always be prepared to be flexible.

Unlike a team change chart (OC6 / V6), the OC1 chart is very simple and may relate only to time spent on the canoe and how these times may be predetermined. You try to pick sections of the race which best suit the paddler, in terms of water / wind conditions and duration of time into the race in relation to their individual endurance levels for example.

While you can create a change chart which will run for the entire race (and beyond in the eventuality the race takes longer than expected) this is often a nearly impossible task due to a number of factors. The more experienced the paddlers, the greater the number of races they have shared, after a few hours of racing, much of the sequence of changing becomes clock-work.

Many paddlers will only create and use a chart for the first few hours or so, after which they will revert to decision-making changes as they see fit. Sometimes paddlers will be asked if they want keep on on going or have time out.

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Change chart manager

A change chart manager/coach on the support boat can act as a time keeper and is the 'General' in charge of running the change-over sequence. If you do not have someone taking charge of the chart, paddlers will have to follow the chart themselves with assistance from the boat driver (though I have done races where we were both driver and paddler!)

A 'chart manager' should be methodical and not prone to seasickness. This is a common problem, yet it is often overlooked. You want to be sure that you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t loose your essential link between the chart and yourselves. Your best change chart manager is an experienced paddler and or coach.

Start your watch with the start of the race. Ideally, if you have done your sums right, your first change will coincide with the chart time.

Time issues Most races will have either a pre-determined time after which changes can begin, or a particular point which must be reached before the first change can be made. Once you have made your first change, the entire process is ultimately at the discretion of your change chart manager/coach if you have one, but more often than not between yourselves.

Keep in mind, that while a change race covers a long distance, the race can be considered as a series of short hard efforts followed by a rest. While the generally accepted time stint is 12-15 min per paddler, experimentation should be done in relation to longer stints; i.e. 20 minutes or more to suit the paddlers capabilities and conditions.

Energy expended when exiting or climbing on and the loss of canoe speed are factors which suggest that the more frequently this occurs, the greater the room for error and the greater the cumulative effect.

Apart from the generally accepted rule applying to when the first change can be made, there are no rules concerning when or if a change should be made. Cold water changes, in particular, can be very energy sapping both while in the water and when on the support boat as the body consumes energy just keeping warm.

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For example if a paddler is travelling well - why make a change. As radical as it may seem, if you are involved in a change-over race such as Moloka'i to O'ahu it is not compulsory to make any change-overs whatsoever. Religious adherence to changes is fine, as long as it is not to the detriment of your positioning. Why make a change if the current paddler is catching runner after runner and overtaking others? It should cross your mind to leave that paddler as is, until it becomes apparent a change is required.

Dummy changes

This is a ploy which can be used when racing neck and neck against a team and the changes are being closely monitored between each and often mirrored. It is used more often towards the end of a race. The support boat will tell the paddler it is going to make a dummy drop off. The support boat will then travel ahead and make a drop off and the canoe goes through the motion of approaching the paddler for a pick up. The opposition, seeing this, (may) make their own move to make an actual change. Come the time to make the change, the paddler continues paddling and hopefully the opposition team make an actual change and loose time as a result.

Race start

In relation of how to start a race, you generally need your fastest paddler first and keep it that way for as long as possible. Getting the best advantage at the start is crucial. While others are making their first change, if you can delay your change and get a few boat lengths on them, so much the better.

Towards race end

Towards the end of the race, there may be some very critical moments - to make a change or hold off decisions, especially if it's close. Every time you make a change, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re going to lose distance on your opposition. If you're down to the wire with only five or ten minutes remaining and you're duelling with another canoe, would you make a change? Consult with the paddler. If they feel strong, then it may pay to leave them.

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Support boats

Beyond key elements of boat handling, the support boat must be suitable for the task. It should ideally have shade from sun or adverse conditions and adequate space to safely stow drinks, supplements and paddlers gear. Ensure the boat is powerful enough to cope with the load and that getting into the boat from the water is easy and safe. Some races have minimum boat standards.

Dealing with your support boat driver

The hire of a support boat is often expensive. Though the support driver is the Captain, it's your money, your race and therefore state what you expect. Drivers fishing during the race, boozing, breaking down, arriving late, not arriving at all, utterly incompetent, rude, unhelpful, dim witted, arriving with a boat load of buddies 'along for the ride' and a suntan are all common happenings.

You are entering into a contractual arrangement and you must be confident enough to call the shots in regards to how you want things done. For many drivers, it's a cash-windfall and a good day out. For you, you've trained your arse off, made a commitment financially to be in the position to race.

Dealing with support boat drivers can be very difficult and frustrating. You must explain clearly what you need to have happen. They are an important part of your 'Team' and race strategy.

Support boat positioning

Support boat drivers need to cause minimum disruption with regards to their boat's wake, noise and fumes. When the call is made for a change, they are generally behind the canoe and they need to take as wide an arc away from the canoe as possible on the non-ama side. You don't want a whole lot of wake on the ama side which can jeopardise the paddler. As you come across, you want to go up and back at a slight angle, rather than straight across the path of the canoe, this will help minimise wake. You want to line up the drop relative to the direction the canoe is travelling.

When the support boat needs to communicate with the paddler it approaches the canoe from the non-ama side, level with the stern and approximately a canoe length behind. When following your canoe, remain behind or to the off side of the canoe, far enough so as to avoid fumes, excess noise and boat wake.

Make sure you don't provide wake-riding waves to your opposition. Take notice of other canoes around you. Experienced paddlers will look for any assistance they can get, so don't let them use your boat wake to their advantage.

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Support boat - positioning for the drop

The support boat then falls back and remaining on the non ama side, travels directly outwards at 90ยบ for at least a few hundred metres. They then make a wide sweeping arc to be ahead of the canoe by at least 500 metres or so. The support boat then needs to slowly time a drift across the path of the on coming canoe, to be in alignment when approximately 150m away.

When to jump

The relief paddler must be ready to enter the water on the command of the paddler (or however you have determined) who waves their paddle or arm to signal they have seen you and it's OK to enter the water. Alternatively, the coach or relief paddler can determine when to jump off the support boat if experienced. However, the key issue is that the paddler on the canoe has identified the support boat.

In the confusion, it's easy to loose sight of your support boat.

Critically, the support boat must be stationary and engines in neutral both at the time of exit of relief paddler and pick up of exited paddler.

You can make the drop directly in the current path of the canoe, or a coach can also drop the paddler off at some other spot to initiate a large deviation of course, if you think the canoe needs to be headed in a different direction. This forces the issue and the paddler has no option but to change course. Don't make it too radical.

When in the water

You need to make yourself visible - raising an arm for example can help. Don't confuse the approaching paddler by swimming back and forth. Get into position early.

The approach and dismount

The usual approach is for the paddler to dismount on the ama side and secure the rear i'ako to stop the canoe's forward motion and to apply a counterpoise weight so as the swimmer may climb on from the non ama side. This ensures the fresh paddler can securely mount the canoe and sort themselves out before paddling off.

Line up your swimmer early and don't be tempted to veer off to catch a runner.

Stay focused on the task at hand - you are aiming to get within only a few feet of the swimmer, but exercise caution in the approach as the pointy end of the bow can cause serious impact injuries.

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For the dismounting paddler, it's really important to anticipate the dismount a the right time. Too early and your swimmer will be swimming too far toward you. Too late and you will be on top of them or worse, past them.

Ideally they need to made to swim in toward the seat area by at least a few strokes so as they have space to have impetus and their legs on the surface and behind them, in the same way as your approach is when entering a team canoe. Ensure you take hold of the rear i'ako. Place rear left hand on i'ako before you dismount so as you sure you have hold of the canoe. Roll toward the ama into the water. If sharing the paddle, hand it to the relief paddler when ready.

Swim into your change and boarding

One of the most common recurring problems is when the relief paddler reaches for the canoe and their body is too vertical, feet directly below them. You need to have your legs out behind you, so when you reach up and pull, the legs can follow easily. When your legs are directly below, they end up being pulled under the canoe, which is really hard to recover from. If you are not sharing a paddle and have your own, paddle management will be an issue. Practice the process before race day! Being as you are stationary, if you drop the paddle close by, it's not a major issue to pick up. If you need to adjust your seat to account for differing leg length, if a velcro fitment, adjust before climbing on.

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Pick up of change paddlers

A rope with a small buoy attached thrown to the paddler entering the support boat can assist and is preferable than the driver attempting to get 'close'. Allow the paddler to climb aboard without 'pulling' them in as this can lead to injury.

Making the most of time off of the canoe

Typically on long distance races, individual paddlers will spend some proportion during the race off of the canoe in a support boat on a beach or in car travelling to the next change point. Clearly this initiative comes about by the physiological needs of the body to rehydrate and replenish vital energy sources, What some paddlers fail to recognise, is that this time is also a good opportunity to refocus the mind.

In land-based sports such as tennis and volleyball, the suggestion has been made that winning or losing the next point is largely influenced by what the athlete does in between points (both physically and psychologically). Similarly when given a break from a paddling race, how that time is spent will greatly influence the energy and determination a paddler takes with them onto the canoe.

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Paddler mindset is an important concern.

For example, paddlers resting, seeing their partner is not doing as well as they expected, may spend the changeover time with thoughts of, 'it could have been different' and 'we're not going to do it'. Such a mindset is likely to leave the paddlers feeling negative, perhaps causing them to develop a self-fulfilling prophecy where their diminished effort results in the unsatisfactory placing they knew they were going to get!

Compare that example with the paddler who uses the changeover period to create the ideal mental platform for the next stretch of paddling. These athletes appear confident, in control and portray an image of composure to their team mates. Success thrives on success, and a successful team generally consists of athletes who believe in their own ability.

To maximise your efficiency during a changeover you must give yourself the best possible chance of preparing for the next session. The following are psychological skills that you may find useful when trying to obtain a positive mindset.

Closure

Paddlers cannot compete in the past or paddle too far into the future.

Therefore, to maximise the likelihood of success, individuals must paddle focusing on the task at hand and the current stretch of water.

I know of many paddlers who will divide a changeover race into sections.

Closure cannot occur until the paddler has considered and analysed what occurred in the previous stretch on the canoe. If the paddler was performing well, they can use that information to reinforce their confidence in both their ability and race strategy. If the paddler has lost distance on the water, then they must be able to turn that negative into a positive. For example: 'yeah, I was further behind team x than I'd want to be right now, but my rate is good - I'm following my race plan, I can do it'.

The paddler should consider, thinking briefly about what has been done well and where improvements can be made and then focus the rest of the time thinking about what they will be doing next, and how to achieve it.

Unfortunately, not everything is under the athlete's control (Strong head winds, opposition etc).

These uncontrollable events can distract the athlete's focus away from the relevant thoughts about achieving the pre-race goals. A useful phrase is to repeat the mantra 'right here, right now'. This also works as a distraction technique which will block out anything that has happened in the past and 299 | Race Preparation, Change Overs and Other Stuff

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stops the athlete from getting too worried or focused on sections of the race which are too far ahead.

One way of dealing with these issues is to use a technique called 'Parking Thoughts'. Just as the thought suggests, having a mental location where problems can be left, and dealt with at a later date. For example, paddlers may imagine putting a collision with another boat inside a 'mental black box' that cannot be opened until the race is over. The reality is that energy spent dwelling on that incident is a waste, so by using the black box and bringing closure, you can continue on preparing for the race.

Arousal levels

For the next step, paddlers need to maintain a level of physical and mental arousal that allows for calm, clear thinking and be energetic enough to maximise their performance. The energy levels needed to be most focused and ready to exert maximum performance, and how to produce that energised state. Many different techniques exist for controlling arousal.

Relaxation (controlled slow deep breathing) can be used to calm down an over aroused state, whereas, increased arousal can be generated by sharply increasing physical activity (push ups). When paddlers have reached a state of optimal arousal (or activation) then they should begin to consider their goals for the next paddling session.

Concentration

Athletes are usually always thinking, however, they're not always concentrating! The key is to be able to focus and concentrate on the right thing at the right moment. Paddlers can optimise their concentration by knowing from the outset what has to be done and by being able to focus whether they are working towards that goal, or whether the plan needs to be modified.

Keeping in touch with your personal goals for the race is often a useful strategy to achieve utmost concentration. Paddlers who have planned their goals for the race, written them down, and kept them specific, measurable, and realistic are setting themselves up for success.

Creative visualisation

Paddlers can visualise exactly what and how they are going to achieve the goal of their next paddling session. Visualisation allows an athlete to experience success in their mind, by preparing the body for its next activity.

For Example, it may have been pointed out to you in the support boat that you need to lengthen your stroke. Spend a few moments seeing your blade in the catch position with a long reach.

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Visualisation is the result of 'what you see is what you get'. An athlete who thinks about failure is setting themselves up to achieve it. Therefore, the successful athlete is the one who not only wants to achieve success, but can see themselves achieving it.

Positive thinking and communication

The advantage to the break in a changeover is being able to communicate with others. If the coach is in the support boat, the paddler has a unique opportunity to get feedback on their performance and to plan for the paddling ahead.

Good communication with the coach or the person organising the changes is crucial to gaining the most from the break. The majority of athletes are most responsive to instructions which are both specific and positive. The key to any self-talk by the athlete is to remain positive. This is probably one of the greatest skills an athlete can develop. When an athlete is positive, their self-esteem and confidence will increase, allowing them to best maximise their potential.

Using cue words is a useful strategy for helping a paddler to develop a desired mind-set. If you are feeling like you need to relax 'Calm' may be the word you need. If you need to get energised. 'Fire up' may be the phrase you need. The mind and body are highly responsive to the words we use, so in your pre-race preparation and training, experiment with words which will lift you to the level you need.

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