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Bow sealer

One of the challenges with a home built folding kayak is sealing the ends. I chose a simple approach with the stern; self-amalgamating tape wrapped around the end forms a watertight seal. The stern can be semi-permanently sealed as if does not come apart during...

Disassembling and Re-assembling the Kraken

This was filmed over 31 minutes, then accelerated. 31 minutes is the time it took for the first ever disassembling and re-assembly of the Yost Sea Rover 2. Not bad when compared to commercial folding kayak systems.

Searching for the Finmen

I purchased this book a few months ago when it appeared on the Facebook Greenland paddling scene, provoked by a group of traditional paddlers in the UK getting excited about it. I saved it to read on my family’s annual trip to Disney in the anticipation of an...

The rising of the Kraken

This Summer I gave up trying to convince my wife that buying a Feathercraft would be a good idea. At seven thousand dollars for the kayak I was interested in, it was hard to justify the cost for the few times I was planning on using it on trips. My parents visited the...

Get comfortable with the warrior within

About six months ago I was curled up in pain. A sharp stabbing pain across my shoulders and up my neck. I had an MRI, six weeks of PT later the pain went away. A possible diagnosis of lower trapezoid weakness was provided. I stopped the PT a few weeks after the pain...

Layback rolls body position analysis

Earlier this week I posted a video showing the similarity between all the forward finishing rolls. I focused there on how floating and getting near the surface was a consistently important part of learning any of the forward recovery rolls. This post is to demonstrate...

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Qajaq Rolls is dedicated to passing on the traditional art of Greenland kayaking. Greenland kayak rolling can be a relaxing, yoga-like exercise. Rolling is also a tremendously valuable self-rescue technique, and should be the go-to recovery for any serious kayaker. Greenland kayak rolls are steeped in the history of the Inuit people, whose very survival depended upon their ability to roll up and recover while hunting. But Greenland kayaking encompasses much more than just rolling, qajaq building, paddle carving, throwing the harpoon and rope gymnastics are just some of the many skills that make up this ancient subsistence culture. If you are interested in learning more about all aspects of Greenland kayaking consider supporting Qajaq USA and Qaannat Katuffiat:

Qajaq USA is a nonprofit membership organization that is officially recognized by Qaannat Kattuffiat (The Greenland Kayaking Association). Qajaq USA is committed to supporting Qaannat Kattuffiat and their efforts to preserve, study and promote the traditions and techniques of Greenland kayaking while seeking to further the appreciation and development of Greenland-style kayaking in the United States.
Please consider joining Qajaq USA and supporting the organizations efforts.

If you are looking to prepare yourself your equipment and then learn your first roll please follow this link to a series of articles put together to help people get started: Getting your first roll. Nothing beats in person training, especially one-on-one training. If you are looking for mentoring check out the Qajaq USA Events where you can become immersed in the culture of traditional paddling.

Free Guidebook and DVD

Rolling with Sticks® started as a project to document the progress I was making as I learned the different Greenland style kayak rolls. This work evolved into the water proof guidebook and DVD. The project has paid for the costs of production so I decided to make them freely available for download in English, español – Spanish and 中文 – Chinese. Please download and share them with your paddling friends, and help to promote the art of Greenland rolling.