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Tranquil paddle

Paddling the Tahe Greenland into the sunset this evening on Spring Lake. Life is good.

I was editing video for next week's Roll of the Day series and noticed a cool still in the sequence:I love the spinning background effect. Can you guess what roll it is?I have roughly 15 more rolls to complete for the roll of the day series. There are many rolls...

Head roll

When trying to explain to people what is going on underwater during a roll, video can be very powerful. But even in video subtle changes in body position are tough to discern or describe at times. I was exchanging emails with a fellow enthusiast who is trying to learn...

Roll of the day – Forward Forward Hand Roll

If you have a kick ass forward forward norsaq roll then you could be ready for the forward forward hand roll. The movements are basically the same. Unlike the norsaq rolls you are not getting any additional resistance or righting moment from the norsaq its just your...

The flip side of kayaking

I could not resist it... sorry

The other side of kayaking

Despite my obsession with Greenland paddling and rolling I do find the occasional moment to paddle in beautiful places. Even if the kayak was hideous, my companion and the environment were wonderful. And yes in the background is a now extinct volcano that is now...

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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.