Wants Kyack lessons

Aug 30 21:36 UTC 1993

My husband and I want to learn how to Kyack.  we need to rent kyacks and of
course to take a lesson.  Anyone know where within an hours drive, this can
be accomplished?  Thanks in advance.

response 2 of 19:

Aug 31 11:28 UTC 1993

Another place you could call is Canoe Sport.  They're on North Main
just south of the NEW Center.

response 4 of 19:

Sep 1 01:50 UTC 1993

You are supposed to turn upside down. That is the "eskimo roll" (or is
that an ice-cream sandwich....;-)). Are you sure you want to drink
Lake Union?

response 6 of 19:

Sep 1 03:48 UTC 1993

  Polar Bear's definition of Eskimo Roll--- Plump Eskimo wrapped snugly in
whale blubber or seal.
;)

response 8 of 19:

Sep 1 13:22 UTC 1993

And you all go out for Chinese food, afterward?

response 10 of 19:

Sep 4 20:07 UTC 1993

I would prefer the Eskimo Pie to an Eskimo Roll.  Did an "Eskimo Roll" once
while canoeing down the Huron after a storm.  We were zipping along at a rpid
(that's rapid folks) speed when a downed tree branch loomed in front of me
(I was first in the canoe).  Like the great sportswoman I am, I grabbed the
tree with both hands and over we went.  Wound up under the boat standing
in what surely was quicksand (also uner the water).  Not a pleasant sight.
Lost the oars, our food, got drenched (it was fall and cold) and to top
it off, almost drowned.  Now that I think of it, cant understand why I want to
Kyack.  Anyway, you can surely understand why I dont want to roll over in
a Kyack. . .and thats why I want lessons.  Come to think of it, my best sport
is read. . .ing.  Safer that way.

response 12 of 19:

Sep 5 13:00 UTC 1993

When I was young, I used to take a yearly canoe trip on the Pine.  One year,
I had a real doofus in the bow of my canoe.  On the Pine, anyway, a bowpern
is supposed to look for rocks and other problem areas and tell the sternpern
which way to steer.  

This idiot would shout out "Rock!" only *after* we would hit it.  So most of
the rapids we negotiated sounded like....Bang..."Rock!"........Smash.."Rock!"
Until we finally scraped up onto a large submerged rock, and the canoe began
to turn circles, with the center of the canoe wedge up on the boulder.
After the third 360, I heard him say, "Rock!"

response 14 of 19:

Sep 5 23:40 UTC 1993

Your arms must be longer than mine, Rane (or else the front seat in your
canoe is closer to the bow that the canoes I'm used to).

response 16 of 19:

Sep 6 03:38 UTC 1993

In cross-bow paddling you don't reach past the bow - you reach out
port or starboard, and pull the bow over. You can thread a fine course
this way. The trick is to transfer quickly between port/starboard -
experts do some paddle twirling during the transfer ;-). 

response 18 of 19:

Sep 7 13:52 UTC 1993

When doing an eskimo roll, you don't get out of the kayak.  The whole point
being to get upright without taking on too much water, hence the covered
deck and spray-skirt that fits tight around your waist and the opening in
the yak.  The tricky part being how to use your paddle as a platform from
which to right yourself from.  Not at all easy.
I just recently discovered canoing.  Now that I'm no longer single and have
2 kids to boot, the yak isn't getting the use it once did.  We started out
with an old aluminum canoe my inlaws had and then bought our own fiberglass
Old Town Columbia a couple years later.  The Columbia is light, tippy, fast
and loads of fun!  We've even entered a few races and always seem to wind
up with some trophy or another at the end.  Don't know why Old Town has
discontinued it.  Too much of a good thing?  Makes those rental iron boats
feel like paddling a full oil tanker.