Paddler Magazine: Functional vs. Interpretive Freestyle Canoeing

I think “advanced canoe paddling techniques” should cover it. Or “ beyond the basics”

I suppose this is an example of "functional freestyle" although there seems to be a bit of the interpretive stuff mixed in.

To me personally I see freestyle as 2 words. Free and style..
To me the style part are the manouvres.
The free are all the non standart chances that can be done either for more fun or more finesse or because it fits you better.
Some fit doing style on music, some free on music, some sryle in silence, some free in silence.
All 4 can be done with an audiance or alone.

Think Tom MacKenzie popularized “obedience training for your canoe” back in the Adirondack canoe symposium days. It originally started out as Adirondack freestyle symposium. Personally, I have always thought it should be spelled FreeStyle. Style so you look good doing it and Free so you can put your own tweaks on maneuvers and linking them.

Pseudonym said:

I very much want to see "Canoe Dig It?" now that I know @Marc Ornstein was involved.

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This film is making the rounds of small theaters in New England and Alaska now. I saw it last night in Bethel and enjoyed it. Has anyone else here seen it and/or want to offer any comments? The link below has more details.

Benson

Preface: Please read my reply to Marc Orstein's post below and note the Added section to this post.

After recently spending several days paddling on small twisty streams around, over, and sometimes through numerous obstacles of all sorts, I'm convinced that FreeStyle isn't really about advanced paddling techniques. FreeStyle is the artistic expression using those techniques. Those same maneuvers can be applied while out paddling for the day, adding a graceful element to an outing, but FreeStyle isn't a set of distinctive paddling strokes. That is, just because FreeStyle demonstrations use strokes that typically aren't used in everyday paddling doesn't make them FreeStyle, it's the creativity and embellishments in linking that wide range of maneuvers that make it FreeStyle. In my mind, the idea of functional FreeStyle is a useful but unfortunate misnomer and perpetuates a notion that using most (or all) the strokes available for paddling isn't "normal" canoeing.

So what term could be applied to skillfully navigating a canoe with a wide range of maneuvers? Sport canoeing has been used in the past and I think it's time to resurrect that term. I like the term "sport" because, as I posted earlier in this thread, it's quite similar to a sports car navigating a twisty section of road. A sports car is the vehicle of choice in the same way a sport canoe is on a narrow, twisty stream. So does that mean that the maneuvers used in sport canoeing are limited to sport canoes? Not necessarily, you can do a cross post in a big tripper, just as marathon racers use it for buoy turns, but it isn't going to be as efficient as in a sport canoe.

The strokes taught at Freestyle symposiums aren't strictly FreeStyle moves, they're a comprehensive set of maneuvers skillfully done in a sport canoe. It's up to you if you want to take them to the level of interpretive FreeStyle but there's no obligation to do that. And you can bring a big solo tripper to the event, but learning some of the moves isn't going to be as easy because that canoe isn't as nimble as a sport canoe. Still, there are skills to be learned that can make paddling all the more enjoyable.

Added: I gave this some more thought and came to the conclusion that it wouldn't matter what advanced canoeing was called, there's a perception that investing in the time (and often some money) in learning those skills isn't necessary. Maybe it isn't, but I know I've benefited greatly from making that investment. I'm enjoying canoeing now as much or more than I ever have and encourage anyone thinking of attending a clinic, workshop, or symposium to give it a try.

I can see pros and cons to renaming or rebranding FreeStyle canoeing and to the various suggestions that have been bantered about. My personal choice would be Advanced Quietwater Canoeing, although even that is imperfect. Advanced Quietwater Single Blade Canoeing is a bit more precise but seems cumbersome. Of greater concern is that although the name, FreeStyle Canoeing, has the limitations that have been previously expressed, many folks have some concept of it and a major rebranding could create confusion of it's own. Many products/companies have, throughout history, made serious rebranding errors that cost them existing customers without attracting sufficient new ones. Any rebranding needs to be done cautiously, and with sufficient promotion so as to offset the predictable confusion associated with the change.

Marc Ornstein said:

Of greater concern is that although the name, FreeStyle Canoeing, has the limitations that have been previously expressed, many folks have some concept of it and a major rebranding could create confusion of it's own. Many products/companies have, throughout history, made serious rebranding errors that cost them existing customers without attracting sufficient new ones.

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Good point, Marc, and one I was going to add to my previous post after thinking about it some more. Naming ends up being a matter of semantics: FreeStyle or Sport, they both conjure up images of something other than everyday canoeing. I think the unfortunate aspect of promoting advanced canoeing, much like advanced driving, is that people are reluctant to invest the time (and often money) to become proficient if they aren't going to paddle a sport canoe or drive a sports car. Changing the name from FreeStyle to Sport isn't going to change the paradigm. It's too bad that there aren't enough instructors such as yourself and the rest of the FreeStyle cadre to put on local mini-events and join retailer events to teach and promote canoeing and encourage people to attend a symposium or workshop.

Paddler 99 said:

I suppose this is an example of "functional freestyle" although there seems to be a bit of the interpretive stuff mixed in.

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That video has me really wanting to get back on the water! I haven't paddled since last September when I tore my rotator cuff lifting my old heavy blue monster canoe; my new to me Explorer is waiting patiently in the shed. PT is going well so soon...

I never heard of "freestyle" paddling before this place. But years ago I remember paddling on NJ's Cedar Creek which a friend described as "a nice technical paddle."

I was struck by the similarity with flying (my other passion). Most fly their planes to get from point A to point B, but some of us like "aerobatics", which can be violently thrashing the plane around, judged competition aerobatics, or smooth graceful maneuvering just for fun (just don't call it "stunt" flying!). In competition aerobatics there is the "known" routine where the pilot flies a published routine that he can practice, the "unknown" routine that's only announced the day of the contest so you can't practice it, and the "free" routine (sometimes called "freestyle" which the pilot makes up.

Perhaps "aquabatics"?

Aquabatics could have been a good term for "Interpretive FreeStyle" had they chosen it as such, way back when. It has a similar connotation. I think what many are looking for is a better moniker for "Functional Freestyle", where the maneuvers, variants, and linkages of them, all of which comprise the FreeStyle curriculum, are used to enhance the everyday paddling experience. I'm doubtful that we'll all settle on and rally around a common new brand but perhaps the discussion about what FreeStyle is, in itself, is enlightening.