Morning on Kayak Beach

Maine Greenland Kayak Festival

by Liz Johnson

This article appeared in the October issue of Atlantic Coastal Kayaker online magazine.

Kayakers around the world are drawn to the simplicity and grace of the Greenland paddle. It's the perfect tool for rolling, but its application goes far beyond rolling and paddling in protected waters. Some of the world’s outstanding paddlers today use Greenland paddles for extensive expeditions and rough water paddling.

Maine, home to the world’s first island trail, has a particular historical connection to Greenland. It seemed natural to celebrate that heritage, while helping Greenland paddlers develop the knowledge, skills and experience for exploring Maine’s unique coastal environment. So the idea for the Maine Greenland Kayak Festival was born.

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Sea kayaker going into rough surf by rocks

BCU 5 Star Training

Maine Island Kayak Co, Peaks Island, Maine

BCU Coaches: Steve Maynard & Tom Bergh

Participants: Jeff B, Thomas H, Jed L, Ned O, Chris P, Charles P, and Bill Z

I had wondered about BCU 5 Star training since the days of my first sea kayak lessons. You know, we’ve all heard stories about people who have actually passed the 5 Star test and lived to talk about it: mythical paddlers who don’t need food, water or sleep and can live for days in their boats with hardly a concern for the weather. You hear about how they do battle with huge surf and high winds, sea monsters and horrifying races that mere mortals couldn’t possibly handle… you know the stories can’t be true, but somehow…the image stays with you.Continue reading

Paddle Power

Paddle Power

June 17, 2016

Powering the Kayak

Two of us are paddling along the undeveloped coast of Great Diamond Island. Noticing that my student is allowing too much of his paddle effort to be absorbed by his body, we work on “driving the boat forward”.

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