37 Different Rolls

In mid April we were fortunate enough to have Greenland gurus Cheri Perry and Turner Wilson visit. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to attend their clinics due to work but they held a club day on Sunday .

I’ve put together a video of the demo that Cheri did with Turner narrating. Cheri demonstrates 37 different rolls. I missed shooting ( of all things) the standard roll and balanced brace, so that would make it 38 rolls.

I should point out this video is not authorised and is simply a record of Cheri’s consummate skill and an illustration of what is possible. If you want a better idea of how to get  there, then I recommend their new DVD This Is The Roll, produced by Justine Curvengen. Expedition Kayaks in Sydney sells them, or Google it , verb a noun, and you’ll find a copy easily enough.

So here you go: 41 different techniques demonstrated including 37 rolls. Full list below.

Here's what's in the video:

1.      Greenlandic Balanced Brace

2.      Side Sculling

3.      Standard Elbow Roll

4.      Shotgun Roll

5.      Behind The Head Standard Roll

6.      Spine Roll

7.      Norsaq Roll

8.      Standard Hand Roll

9.      Elbow Body Roll

10.   Roll With A Rock

11.   Roll With A Rock To Head

12.   Mummy Roll

13.   Chest Sculling

14.   Reverse Sweep

15.   Behind Head Reverse Sweep

16.   Storm Roll

17.   Continuous Storm Roll

18.   Arms Crossed Storm Roll

19.   Behind The Back Storm Roll

20.   Norsaq Storm Roll

21.   Hand Storm Roll

22.   Hand Reverse Sweep Roll

23.   Standard And Reverse Roll Progression

24.   Standard And Reverse Roll Progression Behind The Head

25.   Foredeck Sculling Roll

26.   Under The Deck Sculling Roll

27.   Norsaq Sculling Roll

28.   Standard Roll – Euro Blade Unfeathered

29.   Reverse Sweep Roll – Euro Blade Unfeathered

30.   Storm Roll - Euro Blade Unfeathered

31.   Standard Roll – Euro Blade Feathered

32.   Reverse Sweep Roll – Euro Blade Feathered

33.   Storm Roll - Euro Blade Feathered

34.   Standard Roll – Wing Blade Unfeathered

35.   Reverse Sweep Roll – Wing Blade Unfeathered

36.   Storm Roll - Wing Unfeathered

37.   Standard Roll – Wing Blade Feathered

38.   Reverse Sweep Roll – Wing Blade Feathered

39.   Storm Roll - Wing Feathered

40.   Paddling Upside Down

41.   The Pry

Hmmm. A lot to learn.

On the Sunday early Cheri gave a yoga class, with a few asanas that work particulaly well for paddlers including freeing up hamstrings.

After Cheri’s on-water demo they spent some time on land illustrating various moves and techniques.

Cheri at work

All pay homage to the mighty Land Kayak

 They then took to the water  with three pairs of bunnies: one pair who had no Greenland roll, whom they taught standard roll, one pair that had a roll, whom they taught reverse sweep, and a final pair who had reverse sweep that they taught storm roll.

Turner commentating on Cheri's demo

I was lucky enough to be in the final pair, all nicely tucked up in a tulik. Never worn one before, very warm, but would be  way too hot to paddle in most temperate Australian waters.

Turner teaching me to luurve my boat. Hands clasped underneath, big kiss to the left gunwale. O but I love my boat. 

Fashion God that I am, working on a Storm Roll. How come Turner looks cool and dignified while I look like I'm being extruded from a bicycle tube?

Later they gave a terrific slide show about attending the Greenland Championships , in Greenland. Makes you realise just how derivative is the sort of stuff we recreational paddlers get up to., and how inauthentic the boats.  Regretting not taking time off work to join their workshops, but I’d just taken a block of time away to play in the mountains so I need  to pay the rent.

Never has rubber looked so good. Turner and Cheri and a couple of complete strangers. Pic courtesy Owen Walton.

A privilege to meet Cheri and Turner, and to talk with them a while. Like so many pro kayakers they were charming and generous, and lovely to see how the pair of them had found each other through a mutual passion.