Imagine there’s no countries
It isn’t hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace…
-lennon
I suppose it’s a good time for a preface. Gordon Brown is one of the most well respected and knowledgeable Sea kayaking coaches in the world. This is why when Gordon speaks, the sea kayak world listens. (Gordon, if you’re reading this, how’d you like that build up!??)
As most of us know by now GB started a bit of a fire in the traditional kayaking world during a recent podcast interview with Simon Willis by saying in reference to his new book, “Sea Kayak”:
“I have said quite pointedly that there is no place in modern sea kayaking for those [Greenland paddles]…The Greenlanders were a race of survivors. If and when guns came along, do you think they still used harpoons? And when outboard motors came along did they still use kayaks? And when nails came along, did they stop tying kayaks together? As sure as we are sitting here, if they had carbon fiber paddles, they would have used carbon fiber paddles…”
When I saw the sudden online firestorm rolling through QajaqUSA, I thought, “I bet neither Gordon nor Simon, were even slightly expecting this. . . ” Yep, that’s the power of our instant global communication world! One second you’re sitting nice and comfy talking to a friend and the next you’re being lynched by a bunch of strangers on the other side of the world. Ouch! Bloggers, Podcasters, and their guests may find a lesson in there that our words must be thought through, even if regularly mis-spelled.
My first thought was to re-iterate Rowland W’s assertion that one guy’s opinion is NOT the BCU opinion. The concept that the BCU is against traditional paddles is just plain silly. However, there are some silly coaches who are against traditional paddles. But that’s another story all together.
In reading what I have in the past from and about Gordon Brown, I think he’s another one of those coaches I’d sell my left shoe to get instruction from. I was curious what his take on the reaction would be. Although he has responded many times that he has a long history of using traditional paddles, I had really expected he would give a thoughtful defense or at least justification to the concept that “Greenland paddles have no place in modern sea kayaking”. It would at least be an interesting discussion.
I’m jaded. All you need do is paddle a couple days with Doug Van Doren to question such a blanket statement. Certainly Doug, Greg S. and others are intermediate to advanced sea kayakers. . no matter what Greg says. 
I do realize that there are many rollers who may not have the skills to do multi-day trips on rough waters. But then, there a plenty of NDK owners with the same problem. . . And hey, that’s not everyone’s bag anyway. If it’s an issue of materials, then we could argue there’s no place for a wood Euro either. But I can’t see an assertion like that being worth printing. Besides we’ve been seeing fast growth in traditional gear using modern materials. Superior’s Graphite paddles have been around for some time, and new traditional kit is coming out all the time. (can you say “traditional” and “kit” in the same sentence??)
Am I biased? Well, no more than anyone else who “goes both ways” as I like to say. My gut tells me they all go together. Beals & Lendals, Superior paddles & Epics all look great together. Nothing slicker than my black storm on the deck of my Explorer if you ask me! It all just seems like 2 sides of the same coin, and maybe the same side of the same coin.
So I guess I’m just confused and still wondering; “Greenland paddles have no place in modern sea kayaking”? In what way? Maybe, I’ll have to buy the book. . .
peace
It isn’t hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace…
-lennon
I suppose it’s a good time for a preface. Gordon Brown is one of the most well respected and knowledgeable Sea kayaking coaches in the world. This is why when Gordon speaks, the sea kayak world listens. (Gordon, if you’re reading this, how’d you like that build up!??)
As most of us know by now GB started a bit of a fire in the traditional kayaking world during a recent podcast interview with Simon Willis by saying in reference to his new book, “Sea Kayak”:
“I have said quite pointedly that there is no place in modern sea kayaking for those [Greenland paddles]…The Greenlanders were a race of survivors. If and when guns came along, do you think they still used harpoons? And when outboard motors came along did they still use kayaks? And when nails came along, did they stop tying kayaks together? As sure as we are sitting here, if they had carbon fiber paddles, they would have used carbon fiber paddles…”
When I saw the sudden online firestorm rolling through QajaqUSA, I thought, “I bet neither Gordon nor Simon, were even slightly expecting this. . . ” Yep, that’s the power of our instant global communication world! One second you’re sitting nice and comfy talking to a friend and the next you’re being lynched by a bunch of strangers on the other side of the world. Ouch! Bloggers, Podcasters, and their guests may find a lesson in there that our words must be thought through, even if regularly mis-spelled.
My first thought was to re-iterate Rowland W’s assertion that one guy’s opinion is NOT the BCU opinion. The concept that the BCU is against traditional paddles is just plain silly. However, there are some silly coaches who are against traditional paddles. But that’s another story all together.
In reading what I have in the past from and about Gordon Brown, I think he’s another one of those coaches I’d sell my left shoe to get instruction from. I was curious what his take on the reaction would be. Although he has responded many times that he has a long history of using traditional paddles, I had really expected he would give a thoughtful defense or at least justification to the concept that “Greenland paddles have no place in modern sea kayaking”. It would at least be an interesting discussion.
I’m jaded. All you need do is paddle a couple days with Doug Van Doren to question such a blanket statement. Certainly Doug, Greg S. and others are intermediate to advanced sea kayakers. . no matter what Greg says.
I do realize that there are many rollers who may not have the skills to do multi-day trips on rough waters. But then, there a plenty of NDK owners with the same problem. . . 
And hey, that’s not everyone’s bag anyway. If it’s an issue of materials, then we could argue there’s no place for a wood Euro either. But I can’t see an assertion like that being worth printing. Besides we’ve been seeing fast growth in traditional gear using modern materials. Superior’s Graphite paddles have been around for some time, and new traditional kit is coming out all the time. (can you say “traditional” and “kit” in the same sentence??)
Am I biased? Well, no more than anyone else who “goes both ways” as I like to say. My gut tells me they all go together. Beals & Lendals, Superior paddles & Epics all look great together. Nothing slicker than my black storm on the deck of my Explorer if you ask me! It all just seems like 2 sides of the same coin, and maybe the same side of the same coin.
So I guess I’m just confused and still wondering; “Greenland paddles have no place in modern sea kayaking”? In what way? Maybe, I’ll have to buy the book. . .
peace