What’s Really Wrong with your Roll?

Is it really that: “You’re lifting your head”?

Have you ever had a friend or instructor tell you “you’re lifting your head!” when you’re rolling? So many people assume that lifting your head is a problem with a roll that it has become the most common advice I hear newer instructors give. The problem with that advice is that lifting your head is a symptom of an underlying problem, not the problem itself.

So what’s the real problem? Too much pressure on the blade causing your instincts to pull down with one hand, push up/out with the other, and throw your head up.

Note some other common issues you might hear people talk about with “bad” rolls. “Your paddle dove!” = you pulled down with your main hand. “Your top hand punched out!” = you pushed out with your top hand. “You’re lifting your head!” = you threw your head away from the pressure on your paddle.

Weird, all of those common things people think they are doing wrong, they all come from too much pressure on the blade. So how do you relieve that pressure? The easiest way is to crank your wrists back more like you’re revving a motorcycle.

Want to see this correction in action? Here is Rush Sturges just after rolling in his short film Before I Die:

Look at how far back his wrists are!!! He’s completely released all of the pressure on his blade. I’ll be honest most people will find this an exaggerated position, but compare this photo to the one at the top of this email. My student has his wrists forward and is just pulling his kayak forward away from me instead of helping it roll.

Was that helpful advice? Do you have more questions about your roll?

If you think your roll might need a bit of tuning this winter, book a roll lesson with me. I teach more roll classes every year than any other instructor in Colorado and I often work with people who haven’t had success with a friend or even another instructor.

If you don’t see a time that works for you, I’ll be adding more classes to the calendar soon.

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“I learned more in a 1-hour private with Nik than the other students did in a 2 or 3 half-day group lessons with other instructors. If you really want to progress quickly--and develop confidence--I highly recommend Whitewater Workshop.” - Jeff Recent Google Review

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-Nik.

PS. Made it this far? I like to include a random outdoor-related thing with each email: Did you know that the late Jimmy Carter is the reason that there is not a dam on Waterton that would have flooded the Waterton, Foxton, and Deckers sections of the South Platte? His EPA director vetoed the Two Forks Dam. NRS made a short film called The Wild President that follows Jimmy Carter’s whitewater career including a first open canoe decent of Bull Sluice Rapid on the Chattooga River.