A few weeks ago after paddling with Mark Ceconi, I spoke to Nick Murray on the phone about Surf Skis, what else!  Nick just opened up a Surf Ski Shop on Traverse Bay, Lake Michigan. I encourage you to check out Nick’s website and then visit him to get the best Surfski’s available.  Nick is quite the athlete finishing 6th out of 700 competitors in a huge race, the M22 Challenge made up of run/bike/paddling which happened last weekend, June 9th. So Get Fit with Nick!

 Introduction 

TC Surfski (Traverse City Surfski) http://www.tcsurfski.com/ is owned by Nick Murray.  They are a new start up business located on West Grand Traverse Bay just outside of Traverse City specializing in Surfskis and Performance Kayaks. They stock two of the leading manufacturers including Stellar and Epic. As Nick’ says they firmly believe in the motto “try before you buy” and have made a significant investment in having demo boats available in all of the models we sell.  Browse his site or give Nick a call to learn what surfskis and performance kayaks are all about.  See Nick’s blog about his race, his STELLAR weekend, how to choose a surfski and much more. All excellent information. 

Stellar Inventory!

 Nick and his family of four, considered themselves extremely blessed to live in majestic Leelanau County overlooking West Grand Traverse Bay. Nick grew up in Alaska and his wife Kim grew up in Empire. They moved to Northern Michigan after getting married in 2001. After 3 years of looking out at the beautiful blue water everyday, Nick decided that he needed to be spending more time ON and IN it. He bought his  first surfski from California in 2004 and have been obsessed with all aspects of performance paddling ever since.

Nick w/kids

 

Nick Murray at M22 Challenge, 6th Overall out 700!Impressive!

Below is the link to the HUGE race Nick participated in this weekend called the M22 Challenge. 

M22 Challenge

 

http://m22challenge.com/

http://blog.tcsurfski.com/2012/06/12/m22-challenge-race-report.aspx

 

The 5 Dimensions of Surfski Paddling by Nick Murray 

One of the things that intrigues and excites me the most about surfski paddling is the many dimensions to the sport that all come together to ultimately determine how well you will perform.   All these dimensions ensure you’ll never be bored with surfski padding and if/when you get into racing it will always be exciting as the different water conditions will play into the different strengths of the paddlers you are racing against.  Below I will take a look at each of the key dimensions

Forward Stroke Technique

When paddling a surfski developing a good forward stroke technique is absolutely essential.   Unlike traditional sea kayaks where you can get away with poor technique,  the surfski will demand strong technique because it is so critical for stability.

In addition to the added stability, developing a good forward stroke technique will ensure that you are able to use your full body and maximize the power input from your major muscle groups.   The catch (planting the blade in the water) and exit (pulling the blade out) will also require a high degree of finesse

Core Balance

Developing excellent core balance and strength is also a critical dimension to being an effective surfski paddler.  Much like cross country skiing, the better your balance is, the more efficient a paddler you will be.   If you have strong balance you’ll be able to put full power into your stroke and keep a constant cadence in any type of conditions.    If your balance is not as developed, you’ll spend a lot of time using your paddle to brace and avoid tipping over and this will ultimately cost you a lot of speed

Strength

Your level of max power and endurance strength will also factor into your overall paddling performance.   Max power is critical when sprinting to catch the wake of another boat in flat water racing and to catch swells when racing downwind in wave conditions.   Endurance strength is necessary to maintain proper form throughout long distance paddles.   Functional body weight exercises such as push ups, pull ups, planks and situps are some of the  best strength training for paddling.

Cardiovascular (Lactate threshold / VO2 Max)

Because paddling is ultimately an aerobic sport, your cardiovascular conditioning will also play a major role in your overall performance.   This is especially true the flatter the water conditions are.

Downwind Surfing Skills

As the waves pick up and you start racing downwind,  forward stroke technique and cardiovascular conditioning become less critical and the ability to read the water and position the boat to gain the most advantage from the momentum of the waves becomes the deciding factor in who goes the fastest.   Strong downwind paddlers will know how to pick the right waves and link from one wave to the next to keep their momentum going.    Less experienced downwind paddlers are more likely to make mistakes and end up stalling the boat in the trough of waves.   This causes you to lose all your momentum and slows down your average speed considerably

Summary

What really drew me into cross country skiing was that you had many of these same dimensions to work with.    What I love even more about surfski paddling is that you have all these dimensions, and then some,   plus no stress about snow fall, grooming, or waxing