Freestyle canoeing

boogie · Post by **boogie** » Jan 11th, '15, 08:47

Not Cape Dory but worth to watch.
http://www.wimp.com/freestylecanoeing/

Sea Hunt Video · Post by **Sea Hunt Video** » Jan 11th, '15, 09:40

Jacob:

Thanks for posting this. It is a great video and wonderful music to accompany the performance.

Steve Laume · Post by **Steve Laume** » Jan 11th, '15, 10:44

I have seen this before and this guy is a master at flat water canoe control. I still can't imagine spending the time it would take to achieve these skills, for a competition, in front of a handful of admiring spectators but that is what makes the world an interesting place.

This is also a fine illustration of initial and final stability that relates to our boats. Watch carefully as he enters the boat and when it is not heeled during any of his maneuvers. That boat has very little initial stability as witnessed by the wobble even this expert experiences. Once heeled to the gunnels he is very stable. This relates very well to a Cape Dory hull once it reaches 15* of heel.

For any of you that complain about the instability of hard dinghies, you could spend a bit more time in a canoe, Steve.

Gary H · Post by **Gary H** » Jan 11th, '15, 11:15

I still can't imagine spending the time it would take to achieve these skills, for a competition, in front of a handful of admiring spectators

In front of a handful of admiring spectators? This video has been seen by over 770,000 people on you tube!

Live performances are so twentieth century.

Neil Gordon · Post by **Neil Gordon** » Jan 11th, '15, 13:22

Does the bow tie impact stability?

tjr818 · Post by **tjr818** » Jan 11th, '15, 13:53

No life vest, untethered, no registration, no flares or throwable PFD . . .I think the bowtie was there to try and make a good impression should the Coast Guard show up.
No tiller and no prop to lock.

Steve Laume · Post by **Steve Laume** » Jan 11th, '15, 15:22

Gary H wrote:
I still can't imagine spending the time it would take to achieve these skills, for a competition, in front of a handful of admiring spectators

In front of a handful of admiring spectators? This video has been seen by over 770,000 people on you tube!

Live performances are so twentieth century.

I am so 20th century that it never even occurred to me that I was one of the nearly one million people who had watched this on U Tube.

The guy is a master and deserves the virtual crowd he is drawing. They do doubles freestyle canoeing as well and it is truly an art, Steve.

Jim Walsh · Post by **Jim Walsh** » Jan 11th, '15, 16:44

I've done most of those moves over the years, it just wasn't choreographed. It was inadvertent freestyle.

tjr818 · Post by **tjr818** » Jan 11th, '15, 17:46

I did one of those moves once in an Old Town Tripper. Did you know that those things only have neutral buoyancy (at best) oops: And very little stability when inverted.

That exhibition was amazing.

Sea Hunt Video · Post by **Sea Hunt Video** » Jan 11th, '15, 18:28

Jim Walsh wrote:I've done most of those moves over the years, it just wasn't choreographed. It was inadvertent freestyle.

Now that I think about it I've done most of those moves also; in a YMCA canoe on Pontoosuc Lake. My moves were not carefully choreographed to music, nor were there a lot of spectators - except the usual YMCA club weekend crowd. My moves were also a lot more frenetic than the artist in the video. I was just trying to keep from going in the water. The only thing I ever learned about that canoe experience was how to climb back into the canoe after tipping over. After you have climbed back in 25-30 times in less than one hour you actually get pretty good at it - climbing back in that is.

Jim Walsh · Post by **Jim Walsh** » Jan 11th, '15, 18:42

Sea Hunt Video wrote:
Jim Walsh wrote:I've done most of those moves over the years, it just wasn't choreographed. It was inadvertent freestyle.
After you have climbed back in 25-30 times in less than one hour you actually get pretty good at it - climbing back in that is.

I presume this was when we were all much younger, or the water was very, very, cold

Steve Laume · Post by **Steve Laume** » Jan 11th, '15, 21:48

I have a short plastic whitewater kayak and a 17" sea kayak but my favorite is a 70s vintage, fiberglass, 14' slalom boat. It is fairly fast but it spins and turns quick and smoothly. It gives me the feeling of what that canoe looks like. It can't swamp and it rolls back up if you flip.

It's a great little boat, Steve.

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