Dubside in Helsingborg

Wednesday, August 22, 2007, 0 comments

Dubside showing a stormroll

After a busy weekend at the boat fair in Helsingborg, there was more rolling activities coming up. Dubside on swedentour, initiated by Sara and Johan at EscapeKajak, came to Helsingborg (after a couple of days at Horisontkajak in Stockholm) for a couple of days with rolling classes, and was invited to assist Dubside on the water.

....not everyone enjoyed the luxury of a personal porter.

But first I could participate in one of the classes, in a group with skilled instructors. Dubside spent time with everyone, on our individual level, which was very rewarding. At last we rolled us through the entire Greenland competition list – that is, we rolled as far as our skills would allow. One after another stopped trying as the rolls got harder to do and for the last ones (fx the straitjacket roll) we were all spectators, with Dubside showing.

...everybody now! one, two, three...

The afternoon group were mostly paddlers with a shaky standard roll on one side or no roll at all, and the procedure was quite another. Dubside described the rolls from land and I demonstrated in the shallow waters 5 meters from the beach. Then Dubside instructed individually standing in the water and I followed up helping with practice in deeper water. At last Dubside showed some rolls, from the list and some far more spectacular versions.

Between the groups there were time for some rope gymnastics. I realized very quickly what an efficient strength and coordination training this was! Dubside showed quickly 20-25 variations, increasingly hard to do, while at the same time effortlessly describing them – I breathed like a steam engine, looking at red aching palms after trying two of the easiest…

Next Dubside will be in Gothenburg, and will finish the tour at the Stocken Kayak Meeting this weekend.