Accuracy

Accuracy – seems like a pretty simple concept. Be accurate. The crazy thing is that many paddlers are content with aiming at a general area rather than a specific spot. Don’t settle for being in an area. When you paddle try to be in an exact spot. Don’t just catch the eddie, catch the eddie in a specific place. This is much more of a mental concept than a physical skill. The challenge is making yourself begin to see specific places that you want to be. Once you start doing that you will push yourself to run rapids more and more precisely and you will become more accurate. Continue reading

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Paddle Awareness

Rocks aren’t always getting in the way of your kayak, occasionally they’ll do a number on your paddle as well. That’s why this post is devoted to paddle awareness. This particular skill may seem intuitive, but often in the heat of the moment the location of your paddle is the last thing on your mind. Shane explains why paddle awareness is important and demonstrates what can happen if your paddle is the last thing on your mind. Continue reading

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Making Peace with Rocks

Rarely is there a line on your favorite creek which doesn’t incorporate at least one ill placed rock. Dealing with rocks and not letting them affect your plan is an important skill to learn and become comfortable with. Here at Frankenstein we learn how to make peace with rocks, a classic rock jumble which has caused millions of bad lines because of some ill placed rocks. Shane takes a moment to explain the importance of carrying your momentum up and over the rock and keeping your eye on the prize while Robin Betz demonstrates near perfect form. Continue reading

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Creeking Instructional Overview

The Gorilla at the heart of The Green River Narrows

When we decided to do an instructional piece on creeking the location for this project was an easy pick. The Green River located near Saluda, North Carolina is a hotbed for creek boat design, creeking technique and creeking talent. With over 20 years of experience on class 5 creeks and just as many years as an instructor Green River Local and Liquid Logic boat designer Shane Benedict will be our point man. He will be assisted by a group of local paddlers including, Mefford Williams, Al Gregory, Pat Keller, Robin Betz and John Grace who combined have ran The Green over 2000 times!

In order to organize the information gathered during this project we have decided to relate one specific skill to each rapid on The Green River. To illustrate the techniques covered more clearly we will using photography both moving and still to clarify each explanation.

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