Hit the sound button, I really like the song on this one. Standing 200 feet above the water the beautiful St. John’s Bridge in North Portland makes a convenient poor man’s drone. Kudos to Liz, whose hands move like cold molasses even on a vibrating bridge platform with cars zooming past! This 300mm footage...
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Video: West Greenland Kayak build, Day 10: Paddling test
The actual maiden voyage of the kayak built in this series was posted at the beginning of the series so make sure to scroll back and check out that video. Filming conditions weren’t ideal that day though so I think I’ll conclude the series here with a re-edit of an older video of me...
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Video: An impromptu rolling session
Just some random footage of an impromptu rolling session taken when my friend Jenny came down to pick up her new boat. I’m not usually successful at teaching the reverse sweep roll unless I’m standing next to someone in the water but we gave it a few tries anyways. Jenny’s failed attempt here is...
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West Greenland on the water check
Took a bit of time this morning to get Jenny dialed into her new Greenland kayak on the water. For Greenland commissions I like to fit the paddler to the bare frame and then also do an on the water check with the finished kayak. For both safety and performance, the fit on these...
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Video: Some cut footage from our whitewater testing of the river kayak prototype
Turn the sound on! Among the many challenges of making good video is the ruthless selection process which inevitably results in some pretty nice footage not making the final cut. Here’s a short montage of reject clips that from the YouTube video I’m making right now about our trip down to Clackamas River in...
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Video: Capsize recovery in the sailing canoe
The first thing I do with any new boat is work out a capsize recovery plan. Little sailers are always sketchy with all the strings involved and that’s a strong reason to have as few as possible. Stowed oars, a sprit rig, and a daggerboard would eliminate all the tangles but the sheet, although...
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Video: Canoe self rescue practice
The only way to know if your self rescue is actually going to work in real life conditions is to practice a LOT. Through endless repetition in all kinds of conditions you figure out what works and what doesn’t and solve all the little problems BEFORE you discover them in real life emergency. My...
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Video: Rolling my West Greenland near-replica kayak
Short video rolling my West Greenland near-replica kayak. Just posted a video walk through of my West Greenland design, its history and features - check it out on the YouTube channel!...
Using your Greenland Kayak
This is not a sea kayaking instructional text, it is only an explanation of some of the issues specific to paddling a Greenland kayak. Your safety is your own responsibility, get educated, get instruction, and practice! Modern kayaks are designed for the maximum comfort and utility in a recreational context, traditional hunting kayaks were...
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PC-TIKS: Pacific Coast Traditional Inuit Kayak Symposium
Meet on the beach, the swell report is 3 feet at 11 seconds. Everyone is stoked for a nice afternoon paddle with a bit of caving and exploring. 45 minutes later on the outside…. we’re watching 10 footers plunging from top to bottom on the set waves. These are the first pulses from a far...
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Greenland Rolling
Just some random photos of a rolling demonstration I gave at the Depoe Bay Wooden Boat Show. I try all the rolls during the demo, not just the ones I can already do. This time I hit my first forward finish norsaq roll!...