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inH2O:
Words: Deon Breytenbach | Photos: Helena Pienaar & Deon Breytenbach
MJ looking around at 12h00 while his
bow comes around on a left spin
Rolling youR kayak
So to get thingS StaRted, let’S take a look at
the baSic pRincipleS of Rolling youR kayak. it iS
tRue that in the beginning Rolling iS the moSt
difficult aSpect of kayaking, aS it RequiReS quite
a bit of flexibility and total commitment. But
once you get the hang of it, it's super easy and becomes natural. The most
important thing to remember is that a successful roll needs a strong hip
flick. Practise this by putting your hands on the bow of your buddy's kayak
or on the surface of some other stable-ish object, then put your head on
your hands and tip your kayak over as far as possible. Then use your hips
to roll your kayak back upright - all without moving your head off your
hands. This position will help you to isolate the movement to just your hips
and core, and it also gets you into the habit of keeping your head down.�
62 • DO IT NOW Magazine | January 2013
baSicS
bRing home the bacon
We've made it to
JanuaRy 2013, Which
meanS the WoRld
obviouSly didn’t
Stop Spinning and
the RiveRS aRe Still
floWing doWnhill,
bRilliant!
This year, my articles will focus
on essential river running and
freestyle skills, starting with
the basics. Freestyle skills are
more than just cool tricks. They
help you to fine tune things like
edge control and make you
comfortable in retentive river
features. Getting the basics
right could mean the difference
between escaping from a big,
nasty hole with a smile on your
face or taking a long, lonely
and sometimes rather traumatic
swim.