From There to Here, A Paddling Share by Tim Hudyncia

This is a story of a surf ski ocean kayaker, a beginner (now intermediate or somewhere in between?) on a quest for knowledge and expertise. It’s my story, and it starts in 1967 but we can skip the first 40 years of me as a dry-lander.

The kayak days

Finish of Nahant Race

For several years I was a very recreational flat water paddler in a 60 pound Valley Aquanaut (after 25 years of some running and mostly bicycling). I longed for more speed and challenge, and in November 2011 I test-paddled (10 minutes on a pond) a new Epic V10L (Performance). Much to the surprise of all, I stayed dry. Be it for brilliance or demons, I bought that V10L for $1,500, figuring I could re-sell it for the same if I failed to succeed, or succeeded in failing, or both. It was a wall ornament for 6 months, paddled in rookie fashion for 2 months (with a new wing paddle), and then a wall ornament again as I partially avulsed a tendon in my right elbow (nothing to do with kayaking, fyi).

Double Beaver

performing at a parade

That brings us to October 2012. The gods were inclined to see me progress, and two pivotal things happened at roughly the same time. One, I started to look for video and written instruction online and found “Technique in kayaking” – 14 points, an article I’ve read many times (and I’ve watched Anders Gustaffson Slow Motion Part II about a hundred times). Two, I met and paddled a few times with Wesley Echols. Some of you may know him; he has been known to occasionally paddle a surf ski or two (insert chuckle here). All joking aside, Wesley changed my outlook; he made me super-hungry to develop as an ocean paddler. Be it cannabis, hooch or sincerity (pretty sure the latter), he fed me a whopping dose of passion, instruction, positive reinforcement and encouragement, and quickly had me believing that I had beaucoup potential (I’m very grateful to have met Wesley, and have included a portion of my experience/testimonial below). My hunger for knowledge and progress have not ebbed, and I’ve written this article to share the online resources that have helped me the most. I’m sure I’ve forgotten one or two.

Sakonnet River Race

The best case scenario, as I see it, is that this article is a resource for some and an opportunity for the more learned and experienced to share their gems, with this article growing legs and becoming a more valuable resource than it was when only fed by my brain. So, what books, articles, video, websites and people have helped you become the paddler that you are today? Beginner minds want to know!

McCorrie Point after paddling the double this fall.

To Read (and watch):

Technique 14 points – http://www.chriswalkeronline.com/chris_blog/2010/05/technique-in-kayaking-and-surfski-paddling.html

Collection of technique links – http://www.tcsurfski.com/#!technique/ct5v

Articles – http://www.tcsurfski.com/#!blog/cxpq (on left, scroll down to “Category Archives”)

Another collection of links – http://race.fit2paddle.com/C1240588584/E20070610095949/index.html

www.surfskiracing.com (training and archives sections)

Training – http://www.surfski.info/getting-started/tips-training.html

Video:

Mykayakcoach Jimmy Walker – http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcX3oz4Hp-QdEgQh5QKB_jA

Paddle2Fitness – http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCW96pX7roRxCBZ6xqLp4xEQ

Anders Gustafsson – http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCp6LPHsYSshMCG4ogS-OSOg

How to paddle – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=npfwYuMDm9k

Borys Markin – http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRYsR35x1wFiexnBP5lMwlA

Stroke technique – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_0G9GPi8D0

Technique analysis – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hf9s16Jixao

Part of my testimonial (on SurfskiRacing.com): …In some ways I have pinpoint focus and talent. Every single time someone lies down on my chiropractic adjusting table, I do the same exact thing: I give them the very best adjustment that I can, aiming for it to be the best they’ve ever had. Yesterday I felt like Wesley carried the same focus and approach into coaching me, along with a very high level of expertise – It was as if every expert web-video and article that I’d watched and read was a part of my session with Wesley, along with the one thing that I really thought could make a world of difference for me: Wesley’s observation, feedback, and continued critique. And it did! I cannot wait to get back on the water so that I can practice the many things that he addressed.

I’ll also call Wesley’s approach comprehensive and powerful. The power is in his high level of passion and his non-judgmental way, along with his knack for making you feel really darn good through positive reinforcement and an unwavering view of me, the student, as having tremendous potential.
The changes I need to make in my paddle stroke will not be easy, but interestingly Wesley’s passion and strong belief in my abilities make it seem much more achievable. I’m really excited to meet others in the surfski paddling community, for my first meeting with Wesley and his strong welcome have impacted me very positively, indeed…

Dr. Timothy Hudyncia, aka bridge guy