"QAJAQ Hits Home"

Well I was delighted when I got home from work yesterday and checked the mail. A Christmas gift to myself showed up just in time for the season. A membership to the QAJAQ Greenland Kayak Association American Chapter. I opened the package and of course like a curious kid a Christmas time I went through the components and read the very nice welcoming letter from president Ed Zachowski. I've had the pleasure of meeting the previous president Greg Stamer a few times on his visits to Newfoundland and participated in one of his Greenland paddle clinics at one of our retreats a few years back.

I can honestly say that Superior Greenland paddle Greg had sure felt good in my hands. Never thought I would ever own one. I did eventually get one a couple years later and have had it for less than a year and haven't used anything since. Thus began my interest with Greenland paddling.

I have since made one of my own, a greenland paddle that is,  and now I am interested in the boat. Though I do not have a garage I am scheming how I can put one together for next year.

There is an interest in Greenland paddling here on the Island and people have been using the paddle and the boats long before me of course as my interest is recent. Some of my friends I paddle with are hooked on the paddle and have made many of their own with some unique and original designs. Sean Dawe continues to make GP's with considerable ingenuity with incorporating hollow shafts and blade protections for those rocky zones.

Malcolm Rowe has praised the paddle and the Greenland history as well as the Greenland kayak designs having paddled many of the designs from Valley Kayaks including the Anas Acuta.

Brian Duffet one of Newfoundland's most excellent paddlers has built a skin on frame and other kayaks of various materials over the years.

Neil Burgess has used Greenland paddles and hosted Greenland Paddle constuction clinic ( of which I participated) in the basement of his home last year. He also attended this past September a Greenland Camp put on by the Ontario Greenland Camp www.ontariogreenlandcamp.com/  which he said he thoroughly enjoyed and took away tons of good Greenland Paddling info. He will share some of this at an up and coming Greenland Paddle pool workshop at the Aqua arena on Feb. 5th, 2011.
 I am sure these people and others I do not know about have been at it for a while in terms of their intersts in Greenland Paddling. Hopefully I will be able to now tap into some local skills and knowledge and enhance it with the experience and organization of the reputed Qajaq group. I have visited their site many times and I am very impressed with what they have to offer in their efforts to promote the traditions and techniques of  Greenland kayaking. If you are at all interested in this area of kayaking I suggest you visit their site http://www.qajaqusa.org/  you won't be disappointed. The Onatrio Greenland Camp site is also an excellent website for further info about Greenland paddling.

Now if it would only stop raining I might be able to put a sticker on my rig.