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Alexandra Conover Bennet Demonstrates the North Woods Paddle Stroke
- Thread starter Glenn MacGrady
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One of my favorite Canoetripping.net quotes. I don’t have a name for most of the strokes I do, but I get there and back every time.
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It's got a great name. Far better sounding than the Hal Stroke, which I use for hours on end when I forget that I'm even paddling.
Another nice demo video. I still haven't quite gotten that front edge of the paddle down during recovery without pulling the gunnel down.... need more practice always.
The Canadian stroke, AKA Guide stroke, AKA Northwoods stroke, AKA knifing J stroke, AKA loaded slice return stroke, can also be done with a palm roll at the end of the forward stroke pull, as I discussed in THIS THREAD. If you loosen both hands when you've reached reached the back end of your pull, with your grip hand fully thumb down, many paddles will "auto roll"—meaning, the paddle will sort of palm roll by itself without much twisting force required by the paddler. The palm roll, by itself, will substantially correct the off-side yaw, and thus you don't have to apply much force during the in-water return of the Canadian stroke, which completes the yaw correction.
In short, you can execute the Canadian stroke with or without a palm roll. Without is more common.
Notice also how Rolf Kraiker holds his paddle at a comfortable angle and slide-levers the paddle along and off the gunwale. Prying off the gunwale can reduce the energy expended over long hours of forward paddling. This is a contrasting forward stroke technique to that of the "vertical paddle" mantra often taught. The power-enhancing and yaw-reducing physics of the vertical paddle pedagogy makes sense, but often at the cost of discomfort and energy expenditure. This is especially the case for paddlers who are shorter-armed or are in wider-beamed boats. Such paddlers cannot comfortably or efficiently reach their top hand far enough to get a paddle near vertical without straining. Therefore, perhaps most paddlers who are kerchunking forward strokes for hours on flat water should consider settling on a "comfort angle" with which to hold the paddle without straining to reach, learning the Canadian stroke, and using the gunwale as a fulcrum if that enhances bodily comfort and energy savings.
Here are two rather famous and highly skilled paddlers 40 years ago paddling recreationally and just naturally holding their paddles at what I call a comfort angle, and they're doing it in narrow canoes. Do you know who they are?
Might those be Masons?
Neither. They're both Americans. The one on the left is still alive and working in the canoe industry.
Wild guess - Charlie and Mike?
Based on Steve's guess, and the photo below, I'd say the guy on the left leans like Charlier Wilson
historicimages.com
"1993 Press Photo Canoe paddler, Charlie Wilson, on Schlitz Audubon Center pond"
1993 Press Photo Canoe paddler, Charlie Wilson, on Schlitz Audubon Center pond
Out for a spin: The maneuverability of a canoe is demonstrated on a Schlitz Audubon Center pond by experienced wilderness paddler Charlie Wilson of Ur
historicimages.com
"1993 Press Photo Canoe paddler, Charlie Wilson, on Schlitz Audubon Center pond"
Great canoeists here, but Sherlock Holmes' job is safe.
Bob, what's your preferred cordage and wrapping method? Do you coat the cord wrap in anything e.g. epoxy?
Another great video from Rolf Kraiker on his version of what I will call this 'family' of strokes.
I notice Kraiker sits with shoulders squared to the boat, whereas Conover Bennett recommends sitting facing at an angle relative to the long axis of the boat. I believe Lisa DeHart similarly recommends 'facing your stroke', despite the fact that she sits on a seat instead of kneeling.
When I've taken Northwoods Stoke clinics at the Maine Symposium, there's often talk of stacking hands and rocking forward and back, more than twisting the torso. Of course it's a spectrum (why I say it's a family of strokes), but there do seem to be some differences worth exploring, though it all bleeds together in an experienced paddler's hands. Perhaps rocking the torso back and forth (sometimes called a rocking chair stroke) vs twisting the torso is a distinction worth naming - is the former the Maine Northwoods Stroke and the latter the Canadian Guide Stroke? (I'm sure that posit will stir some rebukes and corrections haha.)
I think what ties the 'family' together is the steering correction during recovery (as opposed to a strict 'j' or goon, which I'd say is distinctly steer, THEN recover), but that the paddle also does leave the water later in recovery (as opposed to the in-water recovery aka silent stroke).
I notice Kraiker sits with shoulders squared to the boat, whereas Conover Bennett recommends sitting facing at an angle relative to the long axis of the boat. I believe Lisa DeHart similarly recommends 'facing your stroke', despite the fact that she sits on a seat instead of kneeling.
When I've taken Northwoods Stoke clinics at the Maine Symposium, there's often talk of stacking hands and rocking forward and back, more than twisting the torso. Of course it's a spectrum (why I say it's a family of strokes), but there do seem to be some differences worth exploring, though it all bleeds together in an experienced paddler's hands. Perhaps rocking the torso back and forth (sometimes called a rocking chair stroke) vs twisting the torso is a distinction worth naming - is the former the Maine Northwoods Stroke and the latter the Canadian Guide Stroke? (I'm sure that posit will stir some rebukes and corrections haha.)
I think what ties the 'family' together is the steering correction during recovery (as opposed to a strict 'j' or goon, which I'd say is distinctly steer, THEN recover), but that the paddle also does leave the water later in recovery (as opposed to the in-water recovery aka silent stroke).
That is a good video. Thanks for posting it. Demonstrating in the air with the canoe on picnic table is a clever idea in addition to the underwater videos Rolf has produced to explain strokes.
Rolf makes a good point in the video. A correction to the off-side, regardless of whether the correction is via a J, goon/rudder or guide/Canadian stroke, will not work unless the corrective force is applied behind the pivot point of the canoe. For a centralized solo paddler, the pivot point would be approximately where the paddler's body is. That means the (center of pressure) of the paddle blade must be behind the body while applying the corrective force of any correction stroke.
This collides with some advice to the effect that the paddle should not be carried behind the hip on a forward stroke. I'd refine that advice to say that, while the blade needs to be behind the body to effect a correction, the lower paddle hand normally does not need to travel behind the hip.
How far aft the lower hand needs to travel depends upon how long the paddle blade is and how high up the throat the lower hand grips the paddle. Rolf is using a long animal tail paddle and grips fairly high up on the throat, so he can get aft-of-pivot-point corrective leverage without bringing his lower hand aft of the front of his hip. A paddler who uses a shorter blade paddle and/or grips lower down on the throat may need to bring the lower hand further aft to get the best corrective leverage.
This collides with some advice to the effect that the paddle should not be carried behind the hip on a forward stroke. I'd refine that advice to say that, while the blade needs to be behind the body to effect a correction, the lower paddle hand normally does not need to travel behind the hip.
How far aft the lower hand needs to travel depends upon how long the paddle blade is and how high up the throat the lower hand grips the paddle. Rolf is using a long animal tail paddle and grips fairly high up on the throat, so he can get aft-of-pivot-point corrective leverage without bringing his lower hand aft of the front of his hip. A paddler who uses a shorter blade paddle and/or grips lower down on the throat may need to bring the lower hand further aft to get the best corrective leverage.
To your point Glenn, another difference between Kraiker's stroke and the Maine style is the length of stroke. The Mainers advocate a stroke only from knee to hip. Skip to about 0:40.
But there's a big difference. Kraiker is solo paddling essentially at the central pivot point of the canoe; hence, his comments and mine about correction physics relate to paddling from that solo position.
In the paddling video you linked, the guy is paddling stern in a tandem canoe. He is, and every stroke he does, is aft of the canoe's pivot point. So, of course, he can correct at any point in his stroke, short or long. If he were sitting centrally at the pivot point, physics says he couldn't correct with a stroke so short that the blade doesn't go aft of the pivot point.
In the OP video you can see Mainer Alexandra doing a short stroke solo from amidships, but she brings the entire paddle blade behind her body to correct. So does Kraiker in the video you embedded of him in post #24.
As to the length of the stroke, Alexandra, Rolf or any experienced paddler can shorten or lengthen it depending on the cadence, efficiency and comfort they want to achieve, which could change from time to time. For example, one might want to have short, high cadence strokes when fighting wind or currents, but have longer and more relaxed strokes while cruising long distances on calm, flat water.
Levering the paddle off the gunnel or one's leg, or not at all, are also all options for an experienced Canadian/guide/northwoods stroker. As is gripping atop of the shaft or down lower cross-hand on a secondary grip.
All this emphasizes that there is no one "right" way to paddle recreationally. There are several ways to paddle efficiently and comfortably when using single-sided correction strokes—depending on what hull shape canoe one is in, where one sits or kneels in it, and what kind of paddle one is using.
No arguments with any of your points, Glenn. I hadn't explicitly considered the interaction between location of correction in the stroke vs location in the boat relative to pivot point before this discussion - very interesting.
I was seguing back to differences between the Maine Northwoods stroke and the Canadian guide stroke as I called them above (though I'm sure one could quibble with my terms there). The Mainers tend (though I don't think Conover Bennett mentions it) to emphasize shortening the stroke and increasing the cadence for energy efficiency. But you're right, I think they're often in heavily loaded tandem boats, even when paddling solo (a la our illustrious logo), whereas Kraiker sits in the central solo position. And again, it's all spectra that a good paddler moves fluidly among, but it's helpful to define end-points of the spectra in discussion for learning sake, even if it's not that clear cut in practice.
I was seguing back to differences between the Maine Northwoods stroke and the Canadian guide stroke as I called them above (though I'm sure one could quibble with my terms there). The Mainers tend (though I don't think Conover Bennett mentions it) to emphasize shortening the stroke and increasing the cadence for energy efficiency. But you're right, I think they're often in heavily loaded tandem boats, even when paddling solo (a la our illustrious logo), whereas Kraiker sits in the central solo position. And again, it's all spectra that a good paddler moves fluidly among, but it's helpful to define end-points of the spectra in discussion for learning sake, even if it's not that clear cut in practice.
A couple things Kraiker mentioned that I do are choke up with your lower hand and not letting that hand slip past your hip. All three used a short stroke. Sometimes I sit at an angle and other times I stay square to the hull. One thing I don't recall being mentioned is how long you keep the blade in the water. For efficient paddling I bring it out of the water as soon as the correction is made. If it is very windy I may keep it in the water the whole time to control the bow. You also keep it in the water for the silent stroke.
The further back in the canoe the correction is done, the less correction (and the less energy) is needed. When I'm in the stern my correction happens with the blade not only behind my body but it is also behind the canoe. By leaning and carving towards your paddle side you can sometimes eliminate the need to do any correction. The other day I was out in my 20' White and was carving towards my paddle side so hard that I found I was doing a sweep to keep going straight and had to dial back on my lean and carve.
There are a lot of variations to this stroke, you just need to do what works best for your situation.
The further back in the canoe the correction is done, the less correction (and the less energy) is needed. When I'm in the stern my correction happens with the blade not only behind my body but it is also behind the canoe. By leaning and carving towards your paddle side you can sometimes eliminate the need to do any correction. The other day I was out in my 20' White and was carving towards my paddle side so hard that I found I was doing a sweep to keep going straight and had to dial back on my lean and carve.
There are a lot of variations to this stroke, you just need to do what works best for your situation.
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