"Paddle out of Peril" video with Omer Stringer

[Glenn MacGrady]

This is a rare video of Omer Stringer demonstrating basic canoe strokes. It is a 6+ minute clip of a 1979 film that was 25 minutes long. Maybe someone who is a good searcher can find the entire film somewhere.

 

[Glenn MacGrady]

@Ralph has found the entire video. Thanks.

http://www.tamakwaarchive.ca/video10/PaddlePeril.mp4

Omer Stringer says at 10:20 of the video that "even though I weigh but 130 pounds, any canoe up to 90 pounds is very easily rolled onto my shoulders" for portaging. Take that, you wimpy modern Americans!

 

[Glenn MacGrady]

At 19:20 of the video, Stringer demonstrates a rescue technique for an injured/unconscious swimmer that I've never seen or thought of. He deliberately swamps his own canoe, paddling one-armed, to float the injured swimmer into it. Of course, he then has to paddle the swamped canoe to shore somehow.

 

[Ralph]

Glenn, not that I'm a good searcher but I did find the full length version at:

http://www.tamakwaarchive.ca/playvideo.php?passfile=video10/PaddlePeril.mp4&linknum=1957

It's interesting that I use the same canoe over canoe technique that he used. I found that many people have trouble getting back into a canoe by themselves so I do what Omer did, I get the swamped canoe part way over my canoe then I lean over the upside down swamped canoe and help the person into the boat. I find it to be extremely stable and it really allows me to help heavier and/or less fit people get into the canoe. I believe that my way is not the way that is currently being taught but I find it more effective than other methods I have tried.

 

[Murat V]

For anyone interested, the canoe used by Omer in these videos is now hanging in the Algonquin Park Visitor Centre.