canoe & kayak racing
DESCRIPTION
Canoe and Kayak Racing seeks to promote canoe and kayak racing with editorial and promotional content designed to inform, educate and motivate beginners and experienced paddlers of all ages.TRANSCRIPT
Morgan House keeps his eyes
on the prize
First US Indoor Kayak Championships
A Show-Me-State Showdown
Strength training for getting faster
The role of rest in training
What a “smart paddle” may mean for high-tech training
First US Indoor Kayak Championships
A Show-Me-State Showdown
Strength training for getting faster
The role of rest in training
What a “smart paddle” may mean for high-tech training
www.epickayaks.com 1-866-GET-EPIC
RACING PAD
DLE
EPIC MID WING - 2X AWARD WINNER!
RACING PAD
DLE
O
PEN WATER R
AC
ING
KA
YA
K
O
PEN WATER R
AC
ING
KA
YA
KEPIC 18X - AWARD WINNER!
new epic full page ad:Layout 1 9/5/08 3:09 PM Page 1
inside March/April
3
Page 14
Page 17
Page 7
First US Indoor KayakChampionshipsMix in several elite athletes, a few coaches and a sprin-kling of some weekend war-riors and you have a great recipe for a successful er-gometer regatta. It didn’t hurt that it was held in Oklahoma City, the city expected to be the world’s premier urban watersports venue.
If you race, strength training is mandatoryOr so says U.S. marathon team member, Abel Hastings. Learn about his approach to strength training and how it is a must for the paddler look-ing to beat his friends on the lake or a national contender.
How Morgan House got to where he is today and where he’s going from here.
Canoe & Kayak RacingCanoe & Kayak Racing is a bimonthly electronic magazine containing news, articles and features about events, pad-dlers, training, race results and other information about canoe and kayak racing in the United States.CKR seeks to promote canoe and kayak racing with editorial and pro-motional content designed to inform, educate and motivate beginners and experienced paddlers of all ages. Each issue will cover a wide range of edito-rial and promotional content from tips and how to articles to race reports and feature stories.CKR regularly accepts by-lined edito-rial submissions with the right of final editing for style, tone, length and voice. Editorial and graphical content may not be used in any form, printed or digital, without permission of the editor with attribution.CKR is posted bimonthly at:http://issuu.com/ckrmagazine
Editor:Dan Grubbs
Contributors this issue:Dan Grubbs, editorStephen Mahelona, associate editorShaun Caven, contributorAbel Hastings, contributorMargi Bohm, PhD, contributorDavid Vincent, contributorRob Mousley, contributor
Canoe & Kayak Racing1221 Pheasant Ct.Liberty, Missouri [email protected]’s Facebook profile
More Inside
New surfski association butts heads with ICFInternational surfski racers collaborate to form a new association to counter recent action by the International Canoe Federation to enter into the lucrative surfski world......................................page 6
Ask Coach CavenEver wondered if interval training is for you? Or, trying to figure out if you incorporate enough rest in your training routine? No fear, Coach Shaun Cave answers these questions for you.........page 12
Paddle reviewRob Mousley gives his review of two thumbs up and claims the upgraded Epic Mid Wing Paddle is a winner.......................page 17
Show-Me-State showdownRocky Caldwell hosts this annual marathon canoe and kayak event in Tecumseh, Mo., and gives racers the opportunity to com-pete in four races in holiday weekend, May 29-31..............page 23
Australian surfskiers confess their hydration sinsSome of the most famous names in surfski Down Under admit they’re not very good at following current advice about staying hy-drated during races.............................................................page 25
“Smart paddle” may revolutionize trainingMargi Bohm, PhD, gives a detailed review of the new Excalibur paddle, which is a unique training device with built in high-tech electronics to give valuable training metrics........................page 26
4
Cover: A bearded Morgan House of Geor-gia looking slightly wiser and paddling his Nelo Vanquish during a training session as he prepares for the 2010 sprint season.
From the
Editor
5
Oh, what a year it’s been. Our last is-sue completed one year of publishing Canoe & Kayak Racing. So, here we are now, celebrating our first anniver-sary.
The paddling community has been positively responsive to what we’re doing. I’m encouraged that paddlers see the benefit of blurring the lines between paddling disciplines. In my mind, this is critical for the continued growth in all disciplines.
Many have partnered with us to raise awareness for racing and paddlesports. We’re thankful for their participation and willingness to join the effort.
There is still plenty of work to do and hundreds of races to learn about across the U.S., but we’re excited about the opportunity to bring readers what we learn about races, athletes and training.
Candidly, I’d love to hear from more race organizers of USCA style racing, but at least readers can always con-nect to these races through the USCA’s Worldwide Event Calendar.
I also know there are thousands of inspiring and fascinating stories out
there about paddlers and their racing lives. We’d love to hear about these stories.
I’d also like to thank our many con-tributors who have given their talent to provide readers with interesting and informative content every other month.
Our contributors are what make this whole thing work. There is far too much for one person to cover in a bimonthly, so contributors are critical. I encourage readers to communicate with our contributors who usually pro-vide their e-mail or Web site addresses with each article or photo.
I’d like to send out a special thank you to our associate editor Stephen Mahelona who has been our source for some great cover features and our expert on outrigger racing. Stephen’s special paddler’s sensitivity has made each of his stories creative and rel-evant. Mahalo, Stephen.
Now, about this issue.
We have a jam-packed issue for March/April. Our cover feature is a profile of Morgan House by Stephen Mahelona. House is a sprint kayaker and a member of the U.S. team. Read about the steps he’s taking on his Olympic journey.
We also have a race report of the first U.S. Indoor Kayak Championships hosted by the Oklahoma City Boat-house and KayakPro. This event was a critical racing opportunity for sprint paddlers looking for a place on the U.S. sprint team to paddle abroad.
Coach Shaun Caven has provided his insights in the role of interval training
and also about rest and recovery in a paddler’s training cycle.
We’ve also included an article report-ing on the developments in surfski racing where there is now two com-peting international governing bodies: the International Canoe Federation and the International Surfski Paddlers Association.
Top American marathon paddler Abel Hastings has written a detailed article about the role of strength training for racers. In his mind, if you race, you must include strength training in your routine.
We also give you a little race preview of the Show-Me-State Canoe and Kayak Marathon hosted by Rocky Caldwell.
We also hear from Dr. Margi Bohm who reviewed the Excalibur, a high-tech training paddle that records forces with special sensors built into the paddle shaft. Dr. Bohm outlines how the tool works and gives us her insights on how useful the Excalibur can be for training.
I won’t give everything away and invite you to put in here and read each article and pass on the link to oth-ers you may feel would enjoy these stories and articles.
Thanks to all of you who read Canoe & Kayak Racing for your attention.
See you on the river,
Dan Grubbs
In January, race organizers and key leaders in surfski racing regions collectively formalized the International Surfski Paddling Association (ISPA) in response to the International Canoe Federation’s (ICF) actions to cre-ate a surfski world series of races that it would govern.“I think it’s important to note, that while certain events have sparked the formation of the ISPA, this is by no means a knee-jerk reaction,” said Dawid Mocke, the current world surfski champion and member of the interim governing committee of the ISPA. “We have actually had a governing body now for at least four years, albeit very informal.”
A surprised surf-ski communityAccording to the new ISPA’s president, Rob Mousley, the ICF took what he characterizes as unilateral action with-out much input from the larger surfski racing community.“It appears that they took this action without consulting more than a few individuals in surfski and we are concerned that the people on the ICF working committee are neither representative, informed nor involved enough in our sport to make appropriate decisions.”Yet, according to written commentary by the secretary general of the ICF Simon Toulson, this was not a sud-den development but the culmination of several years of committee work.“As the organization officially recognized worldwide for the whole sport of canoeing and paddling by IOC, GAISF, ASOIF, etc., it would seem logical to have as many disciplines under the same umbrella. Surfski has been around for a long time and the ICF has had it as part of its committees for the last six years,” Toulson wrote. Toulson indicated there have been many meetings and discussions with the leading people in surfski, but did not identify whom they had consulted.Mousley questions who these leading people have
New surfski association forms, butts heads with ICF
been. “No one had any idea that this had progressed beyond a concept. No one in surfski would have agreed with this without a great deal more consultation.”Regarding this issue, Toulson wrote that the ICF has “a set of procedures and statutes for how we create committees and new disciplines. We have followed these procedures to the letter.”
Arguable benefitsSome observers might ask if all the sponsors and their support were already in place with the existing races that are attended by hundreds of international pad-
dlers, what would be the benefit of ICF leader-ship for surfski?According to Toulson, it would be the interna-tional structure of the ICF.“The structure and recognition of an inter-national sporting body is a main factor,” he wrote. The “possibili-ties of entering major sporting events, like
World Games, Masters Games, Olympics, Continen-tal Games, Beach Games, etc., can only be achieved through ICF.”The ICF structure also has more than 170 national paddling federations under its control.“The problem is that by far the majority of these federations have no knowledge whatsoever of surfski paddling,” Mousley said. “So we could find ourselves with surfski being run by a group of individuals from landlocked countries.”Jonathan Crowe, another member of the new ISPA interim governing committee, agrees with Mousley. “Every person I have spoken to in surfski paddling has joined the sport because of its lack of officialdom, bureaucracy and the soul and spirit of the sport.“We have our own World Series and events already set
see ISPA on page 306
As a novice paddler, I sum up the event in a single word: electric. Whether in the warm-up room or out on the competition stage, the environ-ment at the first U.S. Indoor Kayak Championships in Oklahoma City could be described as electric.It didn’t hurt that the event was held in conjunction with the Nadia Comaneci gymnastics festival and a large health fair all at the Cox Convention Cen-ter. Sitting on the ergometer during the first heat of the event I could hear many spectators cheering and shouting encouragement. Certainly, the indoor championship benefited by countless people passing by the heats and finals.
A success in several waysAs I reflect on what many athletes told me, I believe the benefit of the event was two-fold. One, it provided a criti-cal racing opportunity for the elite ath-
An inclusive environmenthighlights inauguralU.S. Indoor KayakChampionships
Event provides another important racing opportunity for the novice and elite paddler.Event provides another important racing opportunity for the novice and elite paddler.
letes. Two, the indoor championships gave novice paddlers an opportunity to paddle with some of the nation’s best. I considered it a privilege to be on the same starting line with Grayson Bourne, five-time Olympian for Great Britain and Romanian Olympic medal-ist in canoe sprint, Claudiu Ciur.“This is great preparation for the five to six races we compete in each year,” said Maggie Hogan, winner of the women’s 200 and 500 meter races and a member of the 2009 U.S. sprint kayak team.“It’s nice to race early in the season,” said Kaitlyn McElroy, also a member of several 2009 U.S. paddling teams. “We gain more experience with starts and lining up with elite paddlers.”
The ergometer’s time has comeThe athletes and coaches universally agreed that the event was valuable.
“This is an easy way to have races in the off season or in winter climates,” said Jeff Smoke, a member of the 2004 U.S. Olympic sprint kayak team and winner of the men’s 200 and 500 meter races. “I think the erg is a great way to train and helps complement on-the-water training … they let you work on technique and have consis-tent, measurable training sessions.”“The machines are beautiful and a pretty good simulation to water,” said Rusty Herbert of Houston and a multi-medalist at the 2009 World Masters’ Games in Sydney, Australia.
Excitement for everyoneA buzz was noticeable at registration and around the warm-up machines. Novice and elite paddlers mixed while coaches from around the country chatted to catch up with each other. Several younger elite paddlers who
continued
An inclusive environmenthighlights inauguralU.S. Indoor KayakChampionships
7
Clockwise from top left:
Jeff Smoke, men’s 200 and 500 meter winner,
Maggie Hogan, wom-en’s 200 and 500 meter winner,
Katy Hill, junior wom-en’s 500 meter winner.
Clockwise from top left:
Kaitlyn McElroy of the Oklahoma Boathouse,
Shaun Caven, Rusty Herbert and Jeff Smoke before a men’s heat,
John Hoffman with his game face on.
had been members of the U.S. junior team were looking to make positive impressions and continue their team careers. Volunteers and organizers were busy professionally running the whole show.When the schedule was posted, I saw I was in the first heat of the day. A few butterflies formed in my belly. I didn’t know what to expect never having been on the KayakPro GYM, the ergometer used in these champion-ships. Seconds before the start of the first 500 meter heat, I looked at the crowd that gathered and realized I was a part of something special, regardless of how well I raced. As soon as the heat started, it was clear it would be an exciting day.Men, women and juniors all took their turn in various heats, enjoying the shouts of encouragement and cheers from spectators and competitors alike. At the back of the stage where the six ergometers were positioned was a large-screen display showing the racing lanes, kayaks and animated progress of each boat during the heats. The entire event was webcast, making it available to watch worldwide.The morning was filled with 500 meter heats and finals crowning a champion in each division with the afternoon reserved for the 200 meter race and awards.Not making the finals, (I paddled a plodding 42.4 in the 200) I had a chance to watch all the best athletes of the day battle it out as the larger of the crowds gathered for the men’s 200 meter finals. In a close race, Jeff Smoke nosed out Grayson Bourne by half a second with a time of 35 seconds flat. Maggie Hogan outpaced U.S. junior team member, Katy Hill by three seconds with a time of 40.3. See full results in box at right.
Worth a repeat perfor-manceMost of the racers I spoke to indicated they would return if the event was held next year. I selfishly would love to see
it hosted again in Oklahoma City. It’s a central location easily reached by cheap airfare and associated with the world’s premiere urban water sports facility. Once America and the rest of the world see what’s happening on the Oklahoma River, the choice will be clear.As my weekend ended and I drove back to Kansas City, I couldn’t help think that paddlers, even the elite athletes and coaches, are some of the
Open Men’s Final – 200 meters1 – 00:35.0 Jeff Smoke2 – 00:35.5 Grayson Bourne3 – 00:36.0 Cedric Bond4 – 00:37.1 Stein Jorgensen5 – 00:37.7 Claudiu Cuir6 – 00:38.8 Jared McArthur
Open Men’s Final – 500 meters1 – 1:40.3 Jeff Smoke2 – 1:40.5 Grayson Bourne3 – 1:45.1 Jared McArthur4 – 1:46.7 Cedric Bond5 – 1:55.1 Rusty Herbert6 – DNF Stein Jorgensen
Open Women’s Final – 200 meters1 – 00:40.3 Maggie Hogan2 – 00:43.3 Katy Hill3 – 00:44.2 Kaitlyn McElroy4 – 00:46.1 Tatjana Perrin5 – 00:50.8 Kat Schiro6 – 00:51.9 Katie Pfefferkorn
Open Women’s Final – 500 meters1 – 1:48.9 Maggie Hogan2 – 1:59.4 Kaitlyn McElroy3 – 2:22.2 Katie Pfefferkorn4 – 2:23.3 Cathy Hearn5 – 2:48.9 Ann Reitzer-Smith6 – 3:45.2 Judy Slaughter
Junior Men’s Final – 500 meters1 – 1:50.1 Will Roszel2 – 1:56.3 Stanton Collins3 – 2:04.6 Kyle Mechini4 – 2:13.7 Dylan Puckett5 – 2:31.7 Cooper Wehde
Junior Men’s Final – 200 meters1 – 00:38.9 Kyle Mechini2 – 00:39.1 Will Roszel3 – 00:41.7 Stanton Collins4 – 00:42.6 Dylan Puckett5 – 00:50.4 Chase Skelton6 – 00:51.2 Cooper Wehde
Junior Women’s Final – 200 meters1 – 00:50.4 Tatjana Perrin2 – 00:53.5 Genna Ille3 – 01:02.6 Bria Cornforth
Junior Women’s Final – 500 meters1 – 2:10.4 Katy Hill2 – 2:17.3 Tatjanna Perrin3 – 2:53.3 Genna Ille4 – 3:12.9 Bria Cornforth
most welcoming people I know. Never did any of the elite athletes hesitate to chat with the novice paddlers, and the coaches were willing to talk shop with those of lesser skills. Anyone could stop a top paddler and ask a question or pick their brain even while they were saddling up on the erg. To me, that was the best highlight of the inaugural U.S. Indoor Kayak Champi-onships.
U.S. Indoor Kayak Championships2010 - Oklahoma City
10
12
I’m a marathon paddler, and I’m wondering what role interval train-ing can serve in my training. Does interval training even have a place for long-distance paddlers?If you want to get faster in your boat and be at the front of races, then interval training will play a major part of your annual training program. All the top marathon paddlers in the world use interval training in some form. So I would encourage all paddlers to use explore the benefits of this method of training.Interval training has been the basis for athletic training routines for years. The first forms of interval training, called “fartlek” involved alternating short, fast bursts of intensive exercise with slow, easy activity. Fartlek was casual, unstructured training that perfectly fit its English translation: “speed play.”
What is interval training?The interval programs of today have become highly sophisticated methods of structured training for athletic per-formance enhancement. Physiologists and trainers have designed interval programs that are specifically suited to individual athletes. These sessions in-
clude precisely measured intervals that match the athlete’s race distance, event and current level of conditioning. Often the appropriate intensity and duration of the intervals is determined by the results of anaerobic threshold testing (AT) that includes measuring the blood-lactate of an athlete during intense exercise.
How interval training worksInterval training works both the aero-bic and the anaerobic system. During the high intensity effort, the anaerobic system uses the energy stored in the muscles (glycogen) for short bursts of activity. Anaerobic metabolism works without oxygen. The by-product is lactic acid, which is related to the burning sensation felt in the muscles during high intensity efforts. During the high intensity interval, lactic acid builds and the athlete enters oxygen debt. During the recovery phase the heart and lungs work together to “pay back” this oxygen debt and break down the lactic acid. It is in this phase that the aerobic system is in control, using oxygen to convert stored carbo-hydrates into energy.
The benefits of interval training This repetitive form of training leads to the adaptation response. The body begins to build new capillaries, and is better able to take in and deliver oxygen to the working muscles. Muscles develop a higher tolerance to the build-up of lactate and the heart muscle is strengthened. These changes result in improved performance particularly within the cardiovascular system.Interval training also helps prevent the injuries often associated with repeti-tive endurance exercise. It allows you to increase your training intensity without overtraining or burn-out. In this way, adding intervals to your rou-tine is a good way to cross train. According to the American College of Sports Medicine, more calories are burned in short, high intensity exercise. If you are counting calories burned, high intensity exercise such as intervals are better than long, slow endurance exercise.You don’t need to be a world-class athlete and have sophisticated blood
The roles of interval training and recovery
11
analysis to take advantage of the benefits of interval training. The standard “speed play” training of fartlek works well for the rest of us. This type of interval work is based on your needs. Simply pay attention to how you feel and set your intensity and duration accordingly.
Interval training safety tips• warm up before starting intervals• assess your current conditioning and set training goals
that are within your ability • start slowly • keep a steady, challenging pace through the interval • build the number of repetitions over time • bring your heart rate down to 100-110 bpm during the
rest interval • to improve, increase intensity or duration, but not both
at the same time • make any changes slowly over a period of time • train on flatwater to ensure even effort • you can include circuit training as interval training
Advanced interval training workoutsYou can take a more scientific approach to interval training by varying your work and recovery intervals based on your pre-determined goals. Here are the four variables you can manipulate when designing your interval training program: • intensity (speed) of work interval • duration (distance or time) of work interval • duration of rest or recovery interval • number of repetitions of each interval
Interval training in kayak examples• 3 min. wash leads in pairs for 30 mins. 3 min. rest x 2
or 3 (depending on fitness level)• 5 min. on 1 min. rest x 10• 1 on/1 off, 2 on/2 off, 1 on/1 off x 8There are hundreds of combinations that can be used depending on your goals and ability.For marathon racing specifically, interval training is vital as it will give you the ability to get a fast start, maintain pace, move up places in a group and finally sprint for a win.
I’m a middle-aged long-distance paddler who trains regularly and I want to better understand recovery and rest and how they work in training cycles. Being that
see COACH on page 24
14
Strength training is essential for all aspects of paddlesports racing. However, it can often
be used ineffectively by even the most serious athletes. This article is geared to help you make effective use of strength training to enhance your performance.During my 25 years of training, racing and coaching, I’ve often been sur-prised at who embraces strength train-ing and who doesn’t. Most sprinters and slalom racers are on the strength training bus, but many endurance pad-dlers don’t recognize the importance of strength training. And if they do, their training plan often doesn’t have the right goals in mind. All paddlers need strength training because hydrodynamic drag, the resis-tance that acts on boats by the water, is exponential. Increasing one’s speed takes increasing amounts of power as the boat gets faster.While this increase in power should be met with an improvement in tech-nique, the simple fact is that going faster requires power. This is especial-ly important because paddling requires a huge amount of power to move you and the boat through the water because the boat, no matter how sleek, deceler-ates very quickly.The basic premise behind my annual plan for strength training is to follow three phases outlined below and use the charts shown in Figures 1 and 2.The three phases include:• maximum strength• muscle endurance• competitive preparedness
Phase 1Maximum StrengthThis phase lasts 3-3½ months and aims at building maximum strength in all muscle groups through muscle-specific exercises with heavy weight and low repetitions.The focus here should be on complet-ing lifts that not only tax the larger
muscle groups, but also tax the smaller groups that tend to be easily injured while paddling, such as the smaller muscles of the shoulder support struc-ture. Care must be taken to complete these lifts properly so they don’t cause the very injury you hope to avoid.In this phase, athletes will find them-selves doing lots of different lifts with less specificity towards paddling and greater specificity towards shoring up the weak areas and building all-around strength.A spotter is important because you will want to push towards maximum load often. Workouts should include several sets of each exercise with 3-8 reps per set. Athletes should pay special atten-tion to the eccentric part of the lift (the down part of the lift), which builds strength quicker. Expect to step up in weight in small increments every 2-4 weeks.
Phase 2Muscle EnduranceThe middle phase, which lasts roughly 4-4½ months, is when the athlete uses the W-R curve in Figure 2 to turn the maximum strength they have been developing into sport-specific strength.Endurance paddlers should expect to regularly adapt their workouts to gradually move them from the left side all the way to the right side of the W-R curve. Sprinters and slalom racers should progress only part way from the left side to the right side in the 4-4½ months of the Muscle Endurance phase.I suggest about 25 reps as a maximum for 200 meter sprinters, 40 reps maxi-mum for slalom racers and 500 meters paddlers and 60 reps for 1,000 meter paddlers. The athlete’s training plan should move evenly from the left side
If you race, strength training is mandatory
Figure 1 shows an annual plan that is aimed at two major competitions. An athlete should begin with the date of the first major competition and work backwards at least 10 months to properly prepare. The year is broken into the three basic phases.
15
of the curve to the right side of the curve over the time period of the 4-4½ months as shown in Figure 2. This will require the following changes.Percent weight: The weight the athlete lifts for a given exercise goes down (yes, down), but the reps go up. The major goal for each work-out should be to beat the curve by completing more repetitions than is predicted by the curve, not by pushing more weight than is predicted.For example, if my maximum weight for one repetition of seated rows is 100 pounds, the curve predicts that I should be able to complete 24 reps at 60lbs. my goal should be to com-plete at least 25 repetitions with good technique.Exercises: The number of exercises per workout will necessarily go down. This requires that the types of exer-cises will become progressively more sport specific. The end goal may be a workout that only contains 3-5 highly relevant exercises such as single arm rows, trunk twists and triceps curls.Length of workouts: The length of the workout should generally not change. While the number of rep-etitions may go up, this should be matched well enough with the de-crease in the number of exercises that the time of the workout should stay roughly constant.Sport Specific Resistance: Phase 2 should also include some resistance training in the boat. Nearly every top level paddler spends a fair amount of
Figure 2 shows the Weight-Repetitions Curve (or W-R Curve), which is a general-ized relationship between the number of repetitions an athlete can complete and a given percentage of their maximum lift weight. This relationship has been a staple of the eastern European weight training plans for decades but is only now beginning to catch on in the US. The W-R Curve allows the athlete to plan workouts that help them to turn high strength into muscular endurance while keeping total exertion for each workout roughly constant. The left side of the curve has a point where one rep-etition corresponds to 100% of maximum lift. The right side has a point where 200 repetitions corresponds to roughly 20% maximum lift. This curve allows an athlete to convert maximum strength into muscle endurance in an optimal way.
byAbelHastingsIf you race, strength
training is mandatory
see TRAINING on page 23
Saturday & Sunday, May 1 & 2 — St Charles, IL — On the Fox River
Current Buster Canoe & Kayak RacePottawatomie Park, St Charles, IL
Tave Lamperez [email protected] Phone (630) 584-6931www.angelfire.com/sports/scccfox/
Sunday, May 16, 2010 — Libertyville to Mount Prospect, IL — On the Des Plaines River
53rd Des Plaines River Canoe & Kayak MarathonEXPERIENCE THE LARGEST SINGLE DAY CANOE & KAYAK RACE IN THE COUNTRY
Registration: www.SignMeUp.com/canoemarathonRace hotline: (847) 604-2445
www.canoemarathon.com
17
I was lucky enough to get my hands on the upgraded Epic mid-wing paddle recently. The new model has strengthened blades and a new lever length lock.
First impressionsThese paddles are very light. Mine weighs in at around 24 ounces. The paddles are works of art, and the fin-ish is exquisite. The new model re-tains the same blade shape, but has been beefed up considerably in the vulnerable area close to the shaft. The length lock has also been optimized by a lever lock. It’s extremely easy and convenient to use.
Using the paddlesI find that the paddles offer com-fort with an oval shaft that helps locate the correct angle for the con-trol hand. They are easy to set up; and, with the lever lock, it just got a whole lot easier. The blade design provides a firm ‘grip’ on the water at the catch. They are balanced well without a tendency to skid or twist as you pull through.
Models availableThe paddle blades, with a surface area of 116 square inches, come in two layups: hybrid (white) blades that are less expensive, and the full carbon blades. They are 6½ inches by 19¾ inches.Epic offer three alternative paddle shafts that have different flexibility characteristics. The most flexible is the hybrid ‘green’ shaft which is preferred for surf competitions or anyplace where the shaft may expe-rience impact. The ‘burgundy’ shaft with medium flexibility is most popu-lar. The stiffest shaft is preferred for sprint racing and is referred to as the ‘blue’ shaft.Check the Epic web site for more details.
Upgraded Epic mid wing paddle is a winnerby Rob Mousleysurfski.info
Want to see & compare what races are going on in, say ... Florida, Michigan, and Ontario on the same weekend? Or... AR, LA, MO, MS, KS, and IL? Or... CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT? Or... FL, GA, SC, NC, and KY? Or... IN, MI, NY, OH, PA, and Quebec? Or... WA, CA, BC, the Yukon, and the Rest of the World? Or... any combination of states or regions?
All on one screen? With links to detailed info (and their web sites) for all of them?
Then go to uscanoenews.com or uscanoe.com (a link is in the map image below) and check out:
Worldwide Paddling Event Calendar
This issue’s featured races
Illinois – May 16: 53rd Des Plaines River C&K Marathon
Massachusetts – April 25: 28th Run of the Charles
Michigan – March 27-28: The Klondike Challenge
Pennsylvania – April 3: Cameron County C&K Classic
Washington State – April 10: PNWORCA Championships
Wisconsin – April 17-18: Burlington C1 & K1 Pursuit
Eyes on London
Once a specta-tor of the Atlanta Olympic Games, Morgan House now sets his sights on his own Olympic dream.
Once a specta-tor of the Atlanta Olympic Games, Morgan House now sets his sights on his own Olympic dream.
by Stephen MahelonaAssociate Editor
19
The strongest headwind he’s ever ex-perienced howls down the Oklahoma River for the 2008 U.S. Olympic trials in Oklahoma city. Yet he hears only silence. The elements affect everyone equally and he tells himself that he is the best headwind paddler on the river this day. Color and motion surround him but he is conscious of only one thing: the finish line.With each flash of his blade he mentally draws the line toward himself. He races his race, as he has done a thou-sand times before. But he knows that this will have to be the best race of his life to beat top U.S. sprint kayaker and teammate Rami Zur.He focuses on his technique, for it is the critical element.“When you get tired, technique begins to fall apart,” House said. “The one who is able to hold on to his technique the longest has the best chance of walking away with it.”On this blustery day, young Morgan House walks away with the victory.
Working toward a big goalIn non-Olympic years, the U.S. na-tional sprint team competes in three World Cup competitions. Time trials at these events qualify a paddler for the World Championships. In Olym-pic years, performance at the World
Championship qualifies your nation for a spot in the Olympics. A paddler’s performances at World Cup races, Olympic Trials and Pan American Championships determine who will fill that spot on their country’s Olym-
pic team.Morgan moves one step closer to Beijing with a win at the Pan American Champi-onships in Mon-treal. In the somewhat convoluted system of award-
ing Olympic berths to nations, the United States had earned a single K1 500 slot at the Beijing Olympics, and it all comes down to a head-to-head between House and Zur at the World Cup in Szeged, Hungary. It is not nec-essary to win the overall competition, but simply to turn in a faster time than your teammate. By a one-second margin, the veteranRami Zur earns the honorof representing the U.S.and the up-and-comerMorgan House sets hissights on London.
1996Olympics,AtlantaEight-year-oldMorgan Houseenjoyedplaying allof the regularsports:
football, baseball, basketball and soc-cer. But he didn’t consider himself very good at any of them.He took an interest in the kayaks glid-ing across Lake Lanier near Atlanta, and soon discovered the thrill of kaya-king. The following year Morgan and his family attended the rowing and kayaking competitions of the XXVI Olympiad and he decided on the spot that kayaking was something he could seriously pursue.Looking back, he didn’t realize how much time and effort it would take. “It would become an entire lifestyle change.”
2003 Junior World Cham-pionships, JapanThis change in lifestyle emerged in 2003, an eye-opening year for Mor-gan. That year he traveled to Ger-many and Poland as part of the U.S. World Cup team and competed in the Junior World Championships in Japan. “I was the slowest guy on the team, but the experience opened my eyes to the fact that this sport could take me around the world.”At the 2005 Junior Worlds in Hungary, Morgan reached the A Final in the
1,000 meters, placing him amongst the top nine paddlers in the world at that distance. Though he
Morgan House marks his steps to the 2012 Olympic Games
20
psyched himself out and finished ninth in the final, he could count himself amongst the top guys in the world. In the 500 meter final, the Russian paddler next to him exploded out of the gate.“I’ve never seen anyone start off faster than that.” But he kept his cool, raced his race, and finished fifth – the best finish ever for an American junior. He was named USA Canoe/Kayak’s Male Athlete of the Year.
World class coaches and training partnersBy his own admission, “training” was a very loose description of what he and his paddling friends were ac-complishing in the early years. “We would go out every morning and every afternoon and just kill each other, with no thought to actual training. You’d go ‘til you couldn’t go anymore.”But under the guidance of U.S. team coaches, “there is more thought in the way I train, and what I think about while I’m training,” House said. “It’s about making every stroke count, making it the most efficient stroke it can be. Again, technique.”The U.S. team hasn’t done all that well in international competition the past few years, but with the guidance of coaches such as Guy Wilding and Stein Jorgensen, House is confident that the team will make huge strides in the next two years. “We’ve got experi-ence under our belts now and great coaches.”House’s favorite (and best) event is the 500 meters. But the 500 will be replaced at the 2012 Olympics by the 200 meters. The shorter race is deemed different enough from the 1,000 meters that it may potentially open up the competition to a wider field of competitors. So House and his coaches will likely put extra emphasis on training for the 1000 between now and 2012.Training season runs from September to March, and scheduling is left up to
21
22
together.”House has trained with and competed against the same guys for the past several years. They’ve lived together in the same suite at the Olympic Training Center for the past three years and while they have become a close family off the water, they are fierce competitors on the water. While it would be easy in this year of the Winter Olym-pics to allow thoughts to stray ahead to 2012, House remains focused on the present. He is currently in Cali-fornia training for the U.S. Team Trials in April.“I’ve had a good season,” he reports. “I’m in the best shape of my life and I’m looking forward to it.”The national team will train in various locations this sea-son in preparation for international events, and Morgan is confident that he will be an important part of the team that travels to France, Hungary and Germany for the 2010 regattas.To learn more about Morgan House and his quest for Olympic glory, visit his official Web site by clicking here.
the individual paddler. In January House traveled to Aus-tralia for 3½ weeks of training. The Aussie training season typically begins sooner than what House was used to and he found himself very frustrated for the first two weeks.“I felt like I was learning to paddle all over again, I couldn’t keep up. But the last week and a half I got it all back.”Back in the States, he traveled to Florida, where he trained alongside two of his heroes – Olympians Adam van Ko-everden of Canada and Anders Gustafsson of Sweden.“These guys are the best of the best and I’m learning a lot from them,” House said. “I follow by example, pay close attention to what they do on the water and how they conduct themselves off the water.”While it still has its dreamlike moments, his quest to be an Olympian has moved from the realm of dreams into that of belief. “I haven’t worked this hard, ever. Believing that I’m going to get even better makes all the difference.”
2010 World CupDuring the April to August racing season, the national team holds camps. “You pretty much go to every one of these,” House admitted. “It’s important to be with the team, to train
time practically dragging an anchor. Most paddlers use a bungee cord threaded through a tennis ball for resistance. Sections of paddling work-outs should be dedicated to resistance training in the boat as it is the most relevant weight training one can do. I like to add 10-25 minute sections into my workouts when my body is fresh as this is best opportunity to maintain good technique while doing strength training in the boat.
Phase 3 - Competitive PreparednessThe final phase of training is to assimi-late your fitness into speed. This phase begins six weeks prior to the first ma-jor competition and can last as long as another 10 weeks. The major goal here is to plan a time to stop progressing along the W-R Curve and allow your body to catch up to your training.Most physiologists will agree that it takes the body 4-7 weeks to respond to a given level of “progressive over-load”. This means your body lags behind your training by a few weeks (the body is somewhat lazy and will only build new muscle once its sure it is going to need them). This is why a hard workout the Monday before a Saturday race will only have a nega-tive effect.Following this annual plan will make you race-ready, whether you’re train-ing for a world championships or a local showdown with your paddling buddies. Training for success comes down to proper planning and strength training.
It may not be the Deep South, but paddlers will find a special hospi-tality at the Show-Me-Start Canoe and Kayak Marathon, May 29-31, in Tecumseh, Mo. Held annually on Norfork Lake and run by Rocky Caldwell, this three-day event gives paddlers a chance to race four dif-ferent races of about eight miles in three days. It’s a bargain, too, at $5 per race.“The Show-Me-State marathon is always a fun race that I look forward to each year,” said Mike Herbert, three-time Olympian on the U.S. sprint kayak team. “You get to paddle a lot of races and Rocky does a good job at covering most classes, so everyone gets to paddle.”Camping is recommended at Sun-burst Ranch or Dawt Mill park near Tecumseh, Mo., with a full weekend of racing and camaraderie highlight-ed by the following events:
Saturday, 3 pmUSCA C1 race – 8 miles start/stop at Tecumseh Bridge
Sunday, 9:30 amUSCA Aluminum Class – start at Sunburst Ranch/end at Dot Mill
Sunday, 2 pmUSCA Pro/Cruiser Class – 8 miles start/stop at Tecumseh Bridge
Sunday, 4 pmAdult/Youth tandem class – less than 2 miles
Monday, 10 amOpen unlimited kayak/surfski – 8 mile start/stop at Tecumseh BridgeWith the different classes, racers can paddle aluminum and cruiser canoes
one day and hop on a surfski the next. “I’ve got it set up so kayakers can jump in and race with some-one else in a pro boat or a cruiser,” Caldwell said.He expects to have at least 30 boats racing during the weekend, including several Boy Scout teams.The weekend of racing usually at-tracts other top names, too. Caldwell reports he expects Joe Royer (Tenn.), Phil Capell (Ark.), Doug Pennington (Mo.), Jim Short (Mo.), Don Walls (Ark.), Dale Burris (Ark.), Steve Lynn (Ark.) and Elmore Holmes (Tenn.) to be among some of the more well-known names.“I expect most of these guys to look to finish somewhere near one hour in these races,” Caldwell said. “Me in a C1, I’ll finish in an hour five or an hour and ten minutes.”Those in the USCA racing world will know the name of Calvin Hassel of Grand Island, Neb. Hassel has more than 500 race titles and 50 national championships to his name. “I raced there from 1997 to 2004. I always enjoyed racing there and thought it was a fun event,” Hassel said. “I like the fact that I could compete in four different races on the weekend.”“It’s a good chance to learn a differ-ent discipline, such as a kayak; or a kayaker learn to paddle a USCA canoe,” Caldwell said. “It’s great cross training. Mike Herbert always tells me you can be a better canoe racer by paddling a kayak.”For more information about the Show-Me-State Canoe and Kayak Marathon, send an e-mail to race director Rocky Caldwell [email protected]
Race Preview
Ozark Mountains and scenic water part of Show-Me-State race
23
TRAINING from page 15
24
I’m not a twenty-something whose body recovers quickly, what should I be thinking and planning regarding recov-ery and rest between training sessions? Can you explain active recovery and the role that plays?This is a great question for athletes of all ages. For middle-aged athletes or older athletes, rest and recovery is very important. Rest is key to the planning of a successful train-ing regime. I find that most athletes and coaches don’t plan in enough rest. To compound the issue, most athletes do not recover effectively when they get the opportunity to get some well-deserved rest from regular training.Focusing on the fact that you are middle aged, I would sug-gest you include a variety of activities in your training plan. This will allow you to train and get the added bonus of ac-tive rest between key boat sessions. The base activities can be paddling, strength training, running, biking, swimming, skiing, etc. Identify key boat sessions and then rotate other activities around key sessions. This will improve you more than just boat sessions every day.Picking up on the interval training question, use this train-ing methodology. I would also suggest middle-aged pad-dlers will get better results if they build their training week in this way: day 1 train, day 2 train, day 3 rest, day 4 train, day 5 easy train, day 6 train and day 7 rest.This method allows you to train intensely on training days and recover on rest days. If you have been training for years, this approach is refreshing because you get good results and psychologically you feel as if you have gained a lot of time in your week to spend with friends, family or catching up with life. This is important because as an ath-lete, if you can reduce any source of stress it will improve your race performance.The next step is to plan your training load. Cycle each month through weeks of high, medium and unloading intensities. (Unloading: This means reducing the volume, number and intensity of sessions during this week. This could be called an easy or recovery week.) For example, week 1 medium, week 2 high, week 3 medium and week 4 unload. Using this method will allow you to train really hard, maintain or even improve performance and still have a life. This brings me to recovery. Recovery starts during ses-sions, moving at 30% speed between fast intervals will help flush lactate and improve overall session performance. Drink fluids during training. Regular small drinks will im-prove performance throughout each session.It is important to warm down. The minimum should be 10 minutes at 30% boat speed with good technique, then stretching. Remember to rehydrate and eat some carbs and protein within 30 minutes of finishing your session. There, are plenty of recovery products on the market, but ask ad-vice before using these products.
Sleep is vital. Make sure you get enough sleep at night, wake up at the same time each day and if possible try to sleep for 20 minutes during the day. Doing this will have a marked positive effect to your training and racing.Massage, icing and stretching will aid recovery, a small amount of time spent on these will improve performance, reduce the chance of injuries and you’ll feel better.Active recovery. This concept means doing some form of activity at a low level, thus helping the body clear lactate, getting oxygen and nutrients to the muscle cells. Probably the simplest form of active recovery can be going for a walk. I would suggest active recovery could be swim-ming, hiking and cycling. This will give the physiological benefits of low intensity activities and mentally it allows you to change your environment, which can be refreshing. Therefore, when you are back to your boat sessions you will be able to hit them hard.In summary, planning is vital. You can spend less time training, by making your training and recovery more effec-tive. You will be able to improve your race performance and have a life. Sounds like a win-win situation to me.If you have any specific questions for Coach Caven, you can reach him via e-mail at [email protected] or follow on http://twitter.com/coachcaven and his blog at http://rt-66boathouse.blogspot.com/
COACH from page 12
25
Dean Gardiner admitted at an ocean paddlers’ forum that he has completed the Moloka’i Challenge - which he won nine times - while consuming as little as half a litre of water. And in a refreshing admission in an era when most elite athletes are sponsored by sports drinks manufacturers, Gardiner said he doesn’t believe there is any magical sports drink, and that he tends to buy whatever brand is in the service station on the way to the event.Speaking at an event on the edge of Narrabeen Lake in Sydney, Australia, as part of a panel of five champion pad-dlers, Gardiner began by acknowledging he was “probably a bit weird” on the hydration front. “I actually don’t drink unless it’s two hours or more gener-ally. It’s not uncommon to do 20 Beaches [25 kilometers] without taking a sip, it’s also not uncommon for me to have done Molokai with less than 500 milliliters of water con-sumed from my bottle.“It’s one thing I just sort of don’t do - I’m probably a bit stupid not to do it, but I just generally forget to do it, it’s not something that I really find that I need. “Sometimes I’ve raced in super-hot conditions in Tahiti and Hawaii and found that I have needed to take more [drink] and probably erred by not taking more,” he said. He finds that cold drinks leave him feeling uncomfortable. “I believe if you’re going to take substances in a hot race over two hours, then you want to make sure it’s probably at air temperature or close to it. Although it might taste weird to you at first, it’s actually probably better for you and easier to absorb.“With regard to what goes in [the water bottle], I don’t have any set stuff, I just buy whatever the service station sells on the way to that particular race.“I don’t believe there’s anything really magi-cal out there. Everyone of these people will tell you they’ve got the magical solution to hydration and the min-eral salts and all the other stuff they’ve got in it. There’s probably some out there that are pretty good, but I think generally it’s a market-ing pitch for most of those.”
Some boys down underconfess their hydration sins
He says that when he does carry water, it’s in front of him, where he can see it. “I have done races where it’s been behind me and it’s leaked out,” he said.Veteran international surfski racer Dave Kissane said he is similar to Dean in not drinking much during races. “I tend to be pretty cynical about the mixed drinks and tend to be pretty happy just to go with water for most races, except for Moloka’i,” he said. “If you’re going to be out there for four hours like it’s been for the past couple of years at Moloka’i and it’s hot,” he said, paddlers have to think not only about hydration but keeping energy levels up.Murray Stewart, who was fourth place in Dubai, said he takes a drink with him in events 15 kilometers or longer. For sub-15 km events, he’s careful to hydrate before the race, starting the night before a morning race, or in the morning ahead of an afternoon race. For events longer than 15 km, he takes water with him or a “fairly diluted” sports drink, because he finds undiluted sports drinks burn his stomach.“If you drink a litre of Gatorade® and it’s not a diluted mix, it burns your stomach halfway through the race and you don’t really want that,” Kissane said.He said backpack hydration systems make him uncomfort-able. He uses what he says is a simple hydration system, with a tube feeding through his shorts, so he can start drink-ing when he’s ready. Another Australian Jimmy Walker says the most important thing is pre-race hydration. The biggest mistake people make is trying something new on race day. He suggests
trying both water and electrolytes weeks preceding a race.“Whatever you use, try it in training,” he said.“It’s better to make a mistake in training, because if you make a mistake in training, it’s not a mistake, it’s only a mistake when you do it again.“There’s a hundred different things that people will tell you. What is right, is what’s right for you,” he added.
byDavidVincent
TimJacobs
DaveKissane
MurrayStewart
26
Technique tends to separate the men from the boys in competi-tive canoe and kayak racing.
Most coaches and athletes have access to technology that monitors simple metrics, but few are able to measure paddle forces and physiological data such as heart rate, lactate concentra-tions in blood or VO2 max in situ.The most useful data for technique is the relationship between the force generated by the paddle and resultant boat speed. Instrumentation developed at the Australian Institute of Sport and other nations allows coaches to mea-sure the forces exerted on the paddle as well as boat speed and acceleration at very small time steps.With this instrumentation, it is pos-sible to analyze the effectiveness of a paddling technique in terms of making the boat go faster. These data are also useful in the development of success-ful team boats as they allow coaches to match force curves between different paddlers. Unfortunately, the cost of this technology can be prohibitive for most clubs.But, recent advances have allowed the development of paddle technology in the private sector at more reason-able costs. One such product is the Excalibur paddle manufactured by Talon Technology in Sydney, Australia (www.talon.com.au).A review of the Excalibur paddle from the perspective of a club-level coach and paddler is my focus here. A companion article that discusses how the data can be interpreted and then used in flatwater technique will be published in the next issue of Canoe & Kayak Racing.
INSTRUMENT REVIEWThe Excalibur paddle is fitted with a strain gauge placed inside the shaft at either end to measure shaft bend in response to pressure placed on the paddle blade. Accelerometers are lo-cated in the three planes of the paddle.These data provide information on the force applied to the paddle and its
orientation through the stroke. Effec-tive load is calculated to identify the effect of paddle angle on the quality of the applied force.
The Excalibur paddle has several clev-er design features. All of the electron-ics are located in the shaft so that there are no major external appendages to interfere with the feel of the paddle during stroke execution. Secondly, the paddle connects directly to a computer through a USB port, allowing coaches to download data in the support boat or on the bank. Access to the USB interface and battery case is easy and waterproof. The software is interac-tive allowing easy data download, review and analysis. There is a small control panel on the shaft with a power switch, data record-ing switch and four LED channel but-tons (Figure 1 at right).Once the paddle has powered up, the user selects the channel in which to store the data. Measurement is activated by pressing the data record-ing button and the LED for the chosen channel flashes for the duration of sampling and data storage. The pad-dler can turn the measurement system off at any time, change the channel and restart measurement. This allows multiple data collection opportunities
within the same training session. I use this feature extensively when I am coaching many athletes in the same session or testing different applications
of a technique concept.Other sensible features include location of the sensors close to the ends of the paddle shaft where the fulcrums of the system lie through the position of the hands. Furthermore, placing the instruments inside the shaft provides protection and allows athletes to choose which brand of paddle blade they wish to
attach to the shaft. For example, I use Bracsa IV max blades attached to the instrumented shaft. A possible drawback of the Excalibur design is that the instrumented shaft is not transferable between different paddle blades. However, I have found that a 2.14 m shaft attached to Bracsa IV blades and a 2.18 m shaft with Bracsa I blades seems to work nicely
New ‘Smart Paddle’ mayrevolutioNize traiNiNg
Figure 1
in our club environment.Paddlers not familiar with Bracsas do need a practice paddle prior to data collection to get used to the paddle. For the most part, I have no problems using one paddle across many differ-ent athletes. I also use this paddle to test a technique drill that I can then pass on to the paddlers I coach.The only problem that I have experi-enced with the Excalibur paddle is that the battery tends to discharge quite quickly if left in the paddle.
SOFTWARE REVIEWThe Excalibur software is embedded
in a windows environment and comes with an excellent user manual. It does not take long before the software is self explanatory.The TASKS window prompts the user to select a variety of actions that facilitates connection to the paddle, access to paddle setup information and download of data. When a paddle is connected to the software, a PADDLE INFORMATION window provides details on memory usage and battery charge as well as a Clear Log button that allows the user to reset the memory. The PADDLE window provides user control on set-
tings such as sample and recording rates for the five sensors, which is a great feature for experienced users. The software returns an estimate of re-cording time as a result of the chosen settings, again a nice feature.Once data are downloaded and saved in a folder of your choice, they can be accessed through the software without reconnecting the paddle. The data can be viewed and edited in the RECORD-INGS window as well as in the ANAL-YSIS window. The latter provides the user with additional tools such as statistical analysis, data trimming and data export (Figure 2 below).
New ‘Smart Paddle’ mayrevolutioNize traiNiNg
byMargi Bohm, PhD
Figure 2 - The ANALYZE window in the Excalibur software where the user defines which blade and the format of the data. This example shows data for both paddles as defined by ticking the Load A (LH stroke) and Load B boxes. Horizontal Load is selected as the user is interested in the ef-fective load on each paddle. This means that the force curves have been corrected for paddle angle. The Start, End and Pan keys have been adjusted to emphasis 14 particular strokes, 7 on each side. The default settings for Rise and Fall Detect are used in this example. These settings only become important when the software identifies individual strokes to calculate statistics like impulse and stroke rate.
27
It is in the ANALYSIS window that the user specifies which force curves are displayed (left blade – load A, right blade – load B, or both) and in what format (raw data or as horizontal load).Statistical options allow the user to investigate direct measurements like peak power, rating and the time taken to complete a stroke as well as cal-culated values such as impulse or the integrated force for each stroke and stroke utilization and quality. These are expressed as ratios to inform the user of the effectiveness of their stroke.A really nice feature is that when one of these options is selected, bars are superimposed on the data showing how the software has defined the start and end of each stroke. The user can manipulate this through the RISE and FALL DETECT settings at the bottom of the ANALYSIS window. Again, great for the advanced user.Finally the software allows the user to calibrate the sensors in situ. The man-ual provides detailed instructions on how to set up the paddle for calibra-tion and how to ensure that the sensors are calibrated properly. Calibration is sensible, but not necessary if the same
paddle is used.
USING THE DATAThe force curve data are useful for technique analysis and correction, and for monitoring technique improvement in the following ways:1. Consistency of paddle sequences: The software allows expansion and contraction of the data sequence to fa-cilitate quick scanning which is useful for checking stroke variability. Peak forces and the general shape of the curve are compared right against right and left against left (Figure 3 below).2. Comparisons of left against right strokes: I use Excel to generate a com-posite stroke for each side from 10–15 successive strokes. These graphs tend to shock most paddlers into paying at-tention to the symmetry of their stroke and can guide specific training to even up asymmetry (Figure 4 next page).3. Development of applied force through the stroke: Composite plots in Figure 6 are also useful to analyze the effectiveness of the catch, the ability of the paddler to hold force through the stroke and the efficiency of the exit. This information plays an important role in identifying priorities in technique correction.
4. Magnitude of generated force: Peak force data provide incentives to improve effective catch and strength development and is easily monitored in subsequent measurement sessions, especially if the same Excalibur paddle is used. This information is then correlated to boat speed or race performance to determine if the extra strength is being converted to perfor-mance.5. Stroke statistics: The Excalibur software outputs a variety of useful statistics across a user-defined interval of strokes. This information is useful when testing consistency during race conditions. Statistics that are available include minimum, maximum, average and variance in peak power, power, impulse, total impulse and rating.
CONCLUSIONSI am very impressed with the Excali-bur paddle. It has provided me with a useful tool to extend my coaching effectiveness. In particular, I find that the data provide paddlers with visual evidence that supports my on-water coaching instructions and this has resulted in improved technique among most participants.As an academic, I am now able to test
Figure 3 - Force curves for both left and right strokes (Load A = left hand stroke) presented as horizontal or effective loads, i.e., the data have been corrected for blade angle in the water. The data show that the shapes of the curves are consistent for each paddle, but that the right paddle is generat-ing more force than the left. It would appear that the way the forces are built up in the initial parts of the stroke varies between left and right. In these comparisons, it is important to correct any differences in the zero between the load A and B profiles.
28
29
some of the technique theories held dear to many coaches but seemingly inconsistent with the physics. In this regard, the most redeeming feature of the Excalibur paddle is its user flexibility in sampling setup and data export. It is my belief that the Excalibur paddle will revolutionise competitive kayaking because of its designer ca-pability, affordability and its ability to meet both routine testing and specialist research applications through its setup and data export flexibility.In addition, the tool partially levels the
playing field between elite and club level coaches and athletes with the potential for improving the calibre of paddling across the board and this is true for non-competitive paddlers as well.Finally, individuals who do not have access to coaching can now access information that if used sensibly, pro-vides them with a capacity to improve their own paddling skills.
Figure 4 - Composite left (blue) and right paddle force curves constructed from the data shown in Figure 5. These composite curves immediately identify a lack of symmetry between the left and right strokes. Not only is the right stroke able to generate more force, it is also catching the water quicker, thereby allowing a longer and more effective stroke on the right compared with the left side. Over the length of a race, this difference is significant. NOTE: The Effective Loads reported here are in the units output directly from the strain gauges. Effective load is obtained by ticking the horizontal load box in the ANALYZE window.
With a PhD in fluid mechanics, Margi Böhm has been paddling for more than 35 years at junior, elite and masters levels in both sprint and marathon.
and we need to all work together to establish this se-ries as the superior and premier series,” Crowe added.Mocke echoes these thoughts. “The ISPA’s primary concern will be to advance and protect the interests of surfski paddlers worldwide,” Mocke said. “Our sport is unique as a paddling discipline and it is this essence that we need to preserve. Our mandate will be cen-tered around this.”Toulson indicates this isn’t unprecedented. “Surfski’s situation is similar to boardercross, snowboard, skate-boarding, BMX … all these disciplines have eventual-ly realized they need to join major federations to gain mainstream recognition and exposure, hence they have joined the FIS and UCI.”
It seems to be workingYet, there already is significant prize money at spon-sored races around the world, even in the ICF strong-hold of Europe.“Surfski paddling has come a long way from its begin-nings of a few guys making their own skis and chasing the wind,” said Jonathan Neill, race organizer for Eu-roChallenge 2010 in Spain. “Today it is a well-orga-nized and complex sport that has developed on various levels. This has been done … through the dedication of paddlers and race organizers around the world. The sport has grown beyond our expectations.“Local competitions have been run in different parts of the world for the last 20 years and each year more countries are getting involved,” Neill added.Yet, according to Toulson, there is growing interest in the ICF structure for surfski racing.“A lot of our federations have expressed interest in surfski,” Toulson wrote. “The ICF can create a series and disciplines within paddling sports; this is the main reason of being, to promote and develop paddling ac-tivities. Surfski is seen as part of that development.”Others, some even experienced with the ICF way of doing things, aren’t so convinced this will be the case with surfski racing. According to DeAnne Hemmens, once a member of the U.S. sprint kayak team, the ICF is not the right direction to take for surfski.“I think anything to do with the ICF is a bad idea,” Hemmens said. “More regulation, limits and fees for paddlers is not the way to go. Surfski paddling does not need them to have an official world cup or any-thing else. With the ISPA we can develop the cred-
ibility over time that elevates the sport. ICF has for too long had control over sports without elevation, proper promotion and development; and basically some of the sports they represent are dying. I don’t think jumping on a sinking ship is the way to go.”
Where do sponsorship monies go?Another issue raised by the ISPA is media rights.“Given that the media rights for these races are the only asset of the sport that is attractive to potential sponsors, it is crucial that we have a proper under-standing of who would own what in the future,” Mousley said. “It is our position that the races must retain their own rights. Would ICF take these away? We simply don’t know.Toulson did answer this question in his written com-mentary. “Any global sponsor would be arranged by ICF and any international TV signal or exposure would come under ICF domain.”Hemmens views the money as the primary reason the ICF wants to get in involved with what many paddlers agree is already running well.“They (ICF) see money and high participation and they want to get their hands on it,” Hemmens said.According to Toulson, the “strength of paddling is in using the resources out there to promote the general ac-tivities as best we can and ICF is a central player to that.As of now, it seems, the big carrot of the Olympic games is not enough to entice surfski racers to play under the ICF flag. Race organizers also seem hesitant to want to play the ICF game with too much sponsor-ship money to risk.“Key to the current popularity of surfski racing is the fact that the average paddler can line up with the best in the world,” Mousley said. “ICF World Cup sprint races limit the number of entries per country. We need to ensure that this doesn’t happen to surfski.”According to some, what is likely to happen in the short term is that there will be some degree of sup-port for the ICF from European nations. Yet, without having the biggest names in the game racing in ICF world cups, it’s apparent no one who rides a ski will consider a world champion determined by the ICF. With Moloka’i and the ISPA world series not part of the ICF, and the hundreds of thousands of dollars in current prize money without the ICF, it’s not likely that the ICF will ever attract enough racers to make it work to match what currently exists.
ISPA from page 6
30
by Dan GrubbsLast December, the International Canoe Federation made several key decisions to advance paddlesports. Notwithstanding gender equity, I feel one of the most notable actions taken was one to enhance the appeal of sprint racing to spectators by focusing attention on the 200 meter distance in the Olympic program and eliminating the men’s 500 meter distance.Yes, there will be those who lament the loss of the 500. Yet, as a public relations practitioner, I’ve come to the conclusion that changing the distance is a smart decision.If you watched the Vancouver Olym-pic Games on television, you may have witnessed the drama and excite-ment of short-track speed skating. That is a sport made for TV: compelling and action packed. Even when star athletes emerge, such as Apolo Anton Ohno, race outcomes are not guaran-teed and the slightest thing can impact results. This creates audience appeal in a big way – something that television producers crave. Now, imagine you’re watching the 2012 Olympic Games in London. NBC’s Bob Costas announces that they will take us to the media center in the finish tower at the sprint kayak
venue where Joe Jacobi will give us the play-by-play of the men’s K1 200 meter finals. Jacobi makes his predic-tions for who will have the best start, so critical to the outcome.The start official positions racers and seconds later, in a flurry of paddle blades and spraying water, the race for the gold begins. Eight kayaks fly down the course, bows bobbing slightly and nosing each other out along the way. The tracking camera follows along and home viewers can see the strain of every muscle and the grimace on some of the athletes’ faces across the lanes of the regatta course.Jacobi’s voice rises as he calls out the name of American Tim Hornsby who has taken a slight lead after 50 meters. Germany’s Max Hoff is charging hard with Canada’s Adam Van Koeverden just an inch behind. The races is bow to bow and when they boats cross the finish line with Jacobi’s excited voice going hoarse, race officials call for a photo finish. Moments later, in a new Olympic record, Canada’s Van Ko-everden is announced as the “world’s fastest man on water.”Think about that statement. World’s fastest woman on water. World’s fast-est man on water.
What has the 100 meters done for the world of track and field? What has the 50 meter freestyle done for swim-ming? These are the most anticipated races of every meet, and the most exciting. Now, sprint kayaking will have its equivalent.In the world of sports, television is king. You’ll never get television in America to cover sprint kayaking until the appeal of the sport is more compel-ling to the networks. A tip of the hat to the ICF for taking action in this direc-tion. The chance to show the event that crowns the world’s fastest human on water is pretty compelling.At a coach’s conference in Oklahoma City in February, Frank Garner, chair of the sprint committee of the ICF, acknowledged that sprint kayaking needed better appeal. I believe this decision by the ICF took a significant step in this direction. International Olympic Committee president Jacque Rogge said the 200 meter event would make sprint racing “more spectacular.”Now, it’s time to start building the buzz and make our brash predic-tions for who will wear the crown as world’s fastest man and woman on water. Who will it be in 2012?
Adam Van Koeverden Britta SteffenWorld record 50 meter freestyle
Usain BoltWorld record 100 meters
Closing liquid logic
Mark the dates: August 10-15, 2010 — six great days of sprint and marathon canoe &
kayak competition plus — Canoe (& Kayak) Orien-teering & the ever-popular “fun, unofficial” Biathlon!
• Check out: Worldwide Paddling Event Calendar • • uscanoe.com • (715) 735-9763 •
And don’t forget to save July 3-4, 2010 for the
USCA Stock Aluminum Canoe Marathon Championships
and Arkansas’ Big Dog C2 Pro Race in Pocahontas, AR
uscanoe.com • uscanoenews.com • (870) 892-4290
The 2010 USCA National Canoe & Kayak Championships
Peshtigo, WI — August 10-15, 2010
New Demo Events for Stand Up Paddleboard
inAdult Sprint, Biathlon, Orienteering, Marathon