Video Reviews by Elmore Holmes August, 2003      We're well into summertime now, and it's a great time to be a paddler.  We should be out in our boats every day, working out on the Mississippi, tearing up the Ocoee, traveling out West or abroad, exploring the watery wonders of our planet.      Unfortunately, I'm not doing any of that.  Fate has decided that I should spend my summer going a few rounds with a case of mononucleosis, and I'm laying low, spending a lot of time indoors.      Oh well, it's a good time to watch a few videos on TV.      I'm not a big paddling video junkie--I don't rush out and buy the latest hair-boating video as soon as it comes out--but I'm always on the lookout for good instructional aids, and this month I call your attention to a pair of productions that promote the advancement of skills.  One is aimed at whitewater boaters, while the other targets the touring market.

Elmore's columns appear monthly at the Outdoors, Inc.,website: www.outdoorsinc.com

Breakthru
Performance Video, Durango, Colorado
Approx. 63 min.

     This is the latest offering from the video production company founded by Kent Ford, a former national team member in whitewater slalom.  And I think it's one of the best: Kent has developed an instructional philosophy that emphasizes drills and maneuvers that one can easily incorporate into a routine river run or after-work lake session.  The main theme of Breakthru is that a paddler can "break thru" to a higher level of performance by trying harder moves on Class II-III rivers rather than by putting himself on more difficult and dangerous rivers.  (This is a point I tried to make in my column on safe paddling last month.)
     Though an accomplished paddler himself, Kent defers to more "current" stars of the sport to deliver the message.  Olympians and world championships medalists Scott Shipley and Rebecca Giddens are joined by a number of top U.S. paddlers and coaches, including Jason Beakes, Nancy Beakes, John Brennan, Sarah Leith, and Corey Nielsen.  These athletes demonstrate ways to improve skills in forward paddling, turning, ferrying, surfing, and more.  In doing so, they eradicate some of the mystery of how they got so good, and they emphasize that training is a FUN activity that we should want to do, not have to do.
     Breakthru is a fairly lengthy video which covers a number of topics.  Each topic is presented in an organized, concise unit.  The advent of the DVD format is ideal for a video like Breakthru, as one could easily watch a given unit anytime he wants.
     Breakthru, which came out in 2001, retails for around $29 in paddling shops and mail-order outlets everywhere.  Visit www.performancevideo.com for more information.
 

The Kayak Forward Stroke
Look Video Productions, Durban, South Africa
Approx. 25 min.

     Greg Barton is known for his forward stroke: his studied, precise technique carried him to four Olympic medals (two of them gold) and four world championships on flatwater.  Oscar Chalupsky's stroke is not quite so perfect, but this champion of surf ski racing on the ocean has proven he has the efficiency and savvy to dominate very long races over rough water.  Surely, the two of these guys together can teach us a thing or two about good technique in a touring boat.
     The Kayak Forward Stroke is in part a promotional video: Barton and Chalupsky are the co-owners of Epic Kayaks, and the Epic logo is prominent throughout the production.  But that does not alter the fact that these two giants of the sport have plenty of useful lessons for us all.  Topics covered include selecting a boat and paddle; correct posture in the boat; the discrete phases of the forward stroke (the catch, the power, the exit, and the recovery); and using a wing paddle.
     While the presentation of these topics is quite good, I found myself wondering when I would get to see footage of somebody out on the water just paddling.  Finally, at the end of the film, my wish was granted.  My suggestion for the production crew would be to make a "unit" of each topic discussed, complete with footage of somebody paddling across the water while an on-screen graphic points out the skill just described.  This would be particularly useful if the video comes out in DVD format.
     One of the most effective segments, meanwhile, was a video illustration of various mistakes paddlers make.  The egregious examples of poor technique make it easy to remember those habits to avoid.
     The Kayak Forward Stroke was shot primarily in the Republic of South Africa, arguably the open water/marathon racing capital of the world.  A favorite of mine are the race scenes, which include footage of inland marathons such as the Dusi Marathon, where racers must negotiate some Class III-IV whitewater in their tippy little sprint boats.
     Production of The Kayak Forward Stroke was completed just this past spring.  Visit www.epickayaks.com for information on how to obtain a copy.