Messages

31

Gear Talk / Re: 1st GoPro coming in two weeks!

« on: December 03, 2012, 10:05:25 AM »

Another vote for the paddle mount. I've seen many clever ways to get it mounted, but Gopro's handlebar mount is quick, easy and fits perfectly. You can get some really cool near-360 panning shots if you can manage to hold the paddle level and swing it around your body - and the footage is remarkably stable despite all the movement going on.

If you're editing short movies, try to change the mount up, like half session on the paddle and half on the nose. I like a few nose shots, despite the smaller waves, because it gives you a look at what the paddle mount doesn't (ie: using the paddle to surf). And grab some other random shots to mix up the footage - even great waves get a tad repetitive if its all the same shot for 5 minutes.

Oh, and if you're out with somebody and you want to get them on film (and they want to be filmed), you need to get right in their face because that camera is just so wide.

32

Share the Stoke / Re: Sunrise Session on Lake Ontario

« on: November 23, 2012, 04:44:57 AM »

There is a music credit in the video. What's the consensus on this? Obviously this kind of thing is not for commercial purposes...

33

Share the Stoke / Sunrise Session on Lake Ontario

« on: November 22, 2012, 08:39:55 AM »

Probably the most fun I've had out on the lake to date! A big Saturday wind left clean waves (by our standards) on Sunday at sunrise. And, I had some fun with the paddle mount...

Ok, I can't get this to embed. Here's a link with the video (half way down):

http://showerboyproductions.wordpress.com/2012/11/11/lake-ontario-surfing/

34

Gear Talk / Loose fin?

« on: May 09, 2012, 12:25:36 PM »

Quick question: I just installed a Becker race fin on a Bark Dominator. Should it wobble (side to side), or is something off?

Nevermind, it seems common and could just need a shim. Thanks!

35

Technique / Re: Engaging the Hips

« on: April 19, 2012, 11:00:12 AM »

Been thinking more about this... rotating the hips "forward" might be a bit misleading. It seems that in a C1 kneeling stroke, the hips rotate from open to square (relative to the path of the board). But, on a SUP, you're starting in a square position, so in order to simulate that open-to-square hip movement, you'd have to stagger your stance.

36

Technique / Re: Engaging the Hips

« on: April 17, 2012, 11:40:29 AM »

I admit, I'm a technique junkie but with a background in other sports. Paddling technique is totally new and fascinating to me. Anyway, for those that are interested, I just found this great technique checklist - it looks like our coaches here in Canada might be using it or something similar. It breaks down the stroke in clear detail and pretty much confirms what we've been discussing above...

http://canoekayak.ca/files/47/83/CanoeTechChek.pdf

37

Technique / Re: Engaging the Hips

« on: April 17, 2012, 05:45:55 AM »

Ok, I think it's clear that the forward hip rotation is necessary to plant the paddle. Then the question is, if the hips leads the stroke, they should be unwound first, leaving room for forward thrust in the 2nd half of the stroke, while the core and shouders are still unwinding. In other words, this sequence:

1. Fully coiled and paddle planted.
2. Hips unwind through 1st half of stoke.
3. Core, chest and shoulders follow the hips.
4. Hips, now fully unwound, begin to recoil forward (or thrust?) while the core and shoulders finish unwinding.
5. Forward hip movement promotes exit, provides an anchor for core and shoulders to keep unwinding with more power, and has effectively started recovery from the bottom up.
6. Core, chest and shoulders follow the hips in the recovery.
7. Back to #1.

So... the sequence is alway hips-core-chest-shoulders. Unwinding and then recoiling. The key though, is that the hips begin to recoil while the blade is still in the water. Or do they? That is the answer I'm after and seems to be the impression I'm getting watching C1 paddlers, which should translate to SUP.

38

Technique / Engaging the Hips

« on: April 16, 2012, 10:56:37 AM »

I'm new to racing and am at the point where I find myself seriously thinking about technique to get faster. The issue is the hips, which I'm sure are a critical source of power. Now, what is the proper feeling we should be chasing?

1. Hips rotating forward, and then uncoiling during the power phase (ie: feeling like your paddle-side hip is forward, then driving back, with some push coming from the non-paddle side leg in a slightly staggered stance).

2. Or, do the hips drive forward? That is, feeling like you're thrusting your hip toward the planted paddle?

Or is it a combination? Unwinding the hips backward, but then driving forward/beginning forward rotation while the paddle is still in the water before the recovery (in other words, the hips leading the recovery after unwinding). Watching a C1 canoer seems to suggest a forward hip thrust.

I know this is critical, just as in any sport (even a good golf swing is built from the ground up). Any advice on getting the right feeling of how the hips act?

39

Downwind and Racing / Re: Drysuit Downwinder

« on: March 28, 2012, 06:00:59 AM »

Nice video. Is that MF in the background with you? He said he was out that morning. We were trying to surf in those angry conditions all afternoon and had a blast... well, those of us that weren't getting washed up down shore by the current.