by Christopher Crowhurst | Apr 5, 2018 | Uncategorized
I will overgeneralize and expose myself to the possible wrath of the internet, by saying that it has been my experience as a rolling mentor, that when learning and practicing kayak rolling, men overly rely on their strength. I was recently mentoring at Pagaia, a...
by Christopher Crowhurst | Mar 17, 2018 | Uncategorized
Getting your nose to touch the foredeck of your kayak should be a goal of anyone aspiring to develop a great Greenland kayak roll. The literal translation of “masikkut”, part of the Greenlandic name of many of the Greenland kayak rolls, means being...
by Christopher Crowhurst | Mar 13, 2018 | Uncategorized
Despite my desire for rolling to be a purely relaxed, gentle and meditative practice, I cannot overlook that strength is needed if one’s rolls are to be successful. Repeatedly practicing rolls helps develop strength in the muscles needed to roll if the rolls...
by Christopher Crowhurst | Mar 3, 2018 | Uncategorized
One of my favorite rolling practices afloat is to partially perform a roll and end in the balance brace position, where I hang out for a while stretching. The balance brace position is most effective when the shoulders are held in a horizontal plane with the chest...
by Christopher Crowhurst | Feb 26, 2018 | Uncategorized
It doesn’t matter if you are trying to perfect an advanced kayak roll like the Rock Roll, or getting your very first Standard Greenland Roll, we all need to be able to finish our layback rolls low. The higher you lift your body, the more power the roll needs to...
by Christopher Crowhurst | Feb 25, 2018 | Uncategorized
If you are like me, looking to improve your rolling, you may find the answer in yoga. Through my yoga practice, I have become a more naturally fluid roller. My body moves, stretches and bends in ways that help facilitate safe, powerful and graceful rolling. Yoga is...
by Christopher Crowhurst | Dec 26, 2017 | Uncategorized
I tend to spend my winters building kayaks and rolling indoors. This year more building than rolling. However, I had a brief moment today to put together a rolling list to help me remember what to practice. Too many times I have been practicing and completely forgot...
by Christopher Crowhurst | Jul 26, 2016 | Uncategorized
I help a lot of people learn how to roll their kayak. Many people come to a mentoring session and leave having completed a dozen or so rolls that they never dreamed they could do successfully. Many people come back to their next session saying their rolls vanished as...
by Christopher Crowhurst | Jun 23, 2015 | Uncategorized
I completed the Shrike-Skin qajaq project in time for my wife and my annual spring trip to the North Shore. The North Shore is the local’s term for the Minnesota Western shore of Lake Superior, and is home to a large number of State Parks and National Forest land....
by Christopher Crowhurst | Mar 3, 2014 | Uncategorized
In November I had finished building the Qajaqpak and so had idle hands. My father and I had been working on a concept of an adaptable stitch and glue kayak design that would allow people to build a great sea kayak with limited funds and experience. Adaptability was...
