Backstab presented by Jackson Kayaks

Contributed by Jeremy Adkins

Description: A backwards vertical cutback on a wave, putting the kayak in a vertical plane on the shoulder of the feature while still landing retentively on the wave or hole.

Feature Requirements- You will need a hole, wave, or wave/ hole with shoulders.

Note: If you can spin on the feature you can backstab the feature.  Practicing edging on a wave, hole, or wave hole will drastically help your ability to throw quality vertical backstabs.

Video

Steps

Step 1- SPEED TO THE CORNER

When gathering speed to the corner if you are going to do a big right backstab you need to do a big left stroke to carry your speed into the corner. This maximizes the speed to the corner for the biggest backstabs. The more speed you have the more likely it is to be retentative.

Note: While carving feel the moment to edge for the backstab. Usually, you want to be on the outside corners of the wave in an area that will keep you retentive. For weaker hole/waves you may have to practice the motion while cutting in the hole in order to stay retentive. Many paddlers try and throw a backstab on the low side of the hole. Whichever way the hole is easiest to spin is the way you are going to blunt in the opposite direction.

Step 2- EDGING

As you approach the point of initiation at the corner of the feature, a single hop (Ollie) helps your-
A) ability to go from edge to edge
B) boat clear the move because of the release off the water
C) vertical transition of the boat.

Your goal is to keep your inside knee up as you shoot across the hole, and on your bounce dramatically switch edges, lifting the outside knee and then driving

Note:  When you change the edge of your boat, the boat typically will initiate flat spin back towards the hole.  If this happens you will need more edge.  Your edge should begin with speed going towards the corner with what is usually 11 0r 1 o’ clock, with speed your transition from flat to edge would begin when the front of the boat is at the seam of the corner of the feature.

Step 3- PADDLE PLACEMENT

This is a well placed stroke timed with the edging of the boat at the end of the carve. You should be using the powerface of the left blade. The paddle stroke should be placed at the bow of the boat to the hip on the surface of the water. When coming towards the corner you will be leaning front until you edge and then you need to lean back.

Step 4- HEAD PLACEMENT

When doing any edged move you have to remember to lead with your head and eyes. In the move make sure that your head stays stationary and the boat comes around your head.  EX:  If you are doing a right backstab as you complete the move you need to be looking over your right shoulder so the boat will follow your eyes and not go half way and stop. The boat will always follow the eyes.

Note: If you are washing out because of doing the move and not landing in the hole it is almost always your head placement.

Step 5- BOAT SNAP

Your boat should snap around as you now move your paddle placement toward your hip. The paddle stroke towards the hip is like a big pair of scissors meeting in the middle. Staying as far forward as possible allows
A) you to drop back into the hole
B) keep your bow from pearling when you land
C) give you stability and control.

Note: Depending on the features flush level you will know whether to immediately forward stroke to stay retentive or to put your boat back on edge to not allow for a flip.

Step 6- RECOVERY

As you land on the side of your boat many times if your recovery stroke is not quick you will wash out the back or corner of the hole.  Make sure when you land off you right backstab that you backsweep the left blade on the left side of the boat.  This will ensure that you stay retentative in the hole.

Contributed by Jeremy Adkins.

Description:  A Backloop with a 360 degree clean twist on the long axis.

Feature Requirements- You will need a nice retentative hole or wave hole that you can plunge into without hitting the bottom of the river

This move will described as you throwing a Backloop with a clean twist to the left.

Steps

Step 1- SET UP

The first step is to set up on the backwash of the feature.  You want to be backwards with the stern of the boat pointing at 12 o’clock upstream.  You can use the corners of the feature to spin into position or you can back carve out of the hole and then back into the backwash.

Step 2- SPEED

You will need as much speed as possible.  Going deep with speed and the timing of the hope make for bigger air due to the buoyancy of the boat.

Note:  Remember to stay flat; this maximizes flight because of the boat catching all of the greenwater coming into the hole.  Digging an edge causes the ends to slice making you go into cartwheels.

Step 3- BACKWARDS HOP

In this step you will do a hop in middle of going backwards into the hole.  This will get you deeper and make the stern of the boat get up under.  As you keep the speed make the boat hop into the trough of the hole but remember to keep as much speed as possible.

Note:  Getting the boat up under you will do three things

A) Make the move bigger and cleaner

B) Make the twist easier due to the body being out of the water

C) Help you to stay retentative in the feature

Step 4- PLUNGE

In this step you are combining the plunge into the trough of the feature with the backwards hop.  You want to go as deep as possible remembering to get the boat under you.

Note:  You might have to observe the hole, which ever way is easiest to throw cartwheels is the way you want to throw the clean twist.  This will help you stay retentative more consistently.

Step 5- BODY POSITION

Here you will lean back as the boat is plunging.  This will get the boat under

Leaning back will help three things.

A) Help you get the boat up under you, which makes you closer to finishing the move

B) Help you get pop out of the hole

C) Help the move stay retentative

Step 6- HEAD/ EYES

As the boat starts to catch the air you desire you have to lead with your head and eyes.   Since you are doing a left twist, you have to lead over your left shoulder with your left eye. 

Note:  If you do not lead with your eyes you can not see your target and the boat will not follow.  This causes you not have enough snap because your body is dragging in the water.

Step 7- LAUNCH

This step is very important.  If you do not launch yourself out of the water you are just doing a roll in the hole.  You will be launching yourself over the left shoulder.  You have to remember to pull hard on your right knee but still throwing it over you left shoulder.

Step 8- TWIST

This is the step that has to be snappy.  When the boat starts to launch and you are looking over the left shoulder you are starting to twist.  As soon as the boat launches you are going to be throwing a back deck roll to the left. 

Note:  Gaining the flexibility to be streamlined on the back of the boat makes the body stay of the water.  This makes the move quicker and helps you stay retentative in the feature.

Step 9- LANDING/ RECOVERY

Here you have to remember that when the boat is landing keep the right blade in the water.  This makes the move complete and gives you some friction to pull yourself back in the hole.  If you can keep the right blade out of the water the entire time the move is more convincing.

Contributed by Jeremy Adkins.

Definition- A kickflip while freewheeling off a waterfall initiated upon approach named for the late Dave Norell.

This move is described as a left Norell.

Steps

Step1

Grubb Flip from Jeremy Adkins on Vimeo.

Clean Front Loop present by Astral Buoyancy

Contributed by Jeremy Adkins.

Description- It is a completely aerial front somersault without any support from paddle blades.

Feature Requirements- You will need a nice retentative hole or wave hole that you can go deep in the trough as to not hit bottom.

Note:  For bigger flips, find a hole that has a high pile.  If the pile is higher than the trough of the hole and the greenwater is steep coming in you will go deeper.  This makes for bigger air due to the buoyancy of the boats and the power and steepness of the hole and gives you better chances of big Clean Front Loops

Clean Air Loop from Jeremy Adkins on Vimeo.

This move is described as if throwing the stern of a left cartwheel, pivoting back to the right and going into a right cartwheel

Steps

Step 1- SET UP

You have to get up on the pile of the hole for a good set up.  This will help you to throw a quality Air Loop. The further back on the pile and the more speed you have going into the trough the more aerial your Air Loop will be.  The easiest way is to utilize the corner is to spin to the top.  Carving out and carving back in is another way to get on the top of the pile.

Step 2- SPEED

This is the most crucial step in this move.  Speed is the biggest help.  The more speed you have into the trough of the feature the bigger air on your Air Loops.  Remember to consider the depth of the feature

Note:  The steeper the water coming into the hole will highly increase your Air Loops.

Step 3- HOP

The hop (Ollie) is important in this move because it helps get the boat underneath you aiding in not hitting the bottom of the river.  You need to time the hop where at the end of the hop you are plunging as deep as you can into the trough of the hole.

Note:  Learning to hop and timing the hop to go deep will help you catch big air without hitting the rocks on the bottom of the river.

Step 4- THE PLUNGE

Now that you have figured out the hop and how to get on top of the pile, you have to figure out how to plunge;   plunge is driving the bow of the boat flat into the trough as fast and deep as possible.  The deeper you go the more air you get due to the buoyancy of the bow of the boat.  You have to remember to stay as flat as possible.  If you raise either edge of the bow, the boat will resurface.

Note: Continue leaning forward to drive the boat as deep as possible. This also helps your flexibility to reach the water on your stroke. You can also think of standing on the foot pegs to help you get deep and then jumping for the sky.

Step 5- JUMP UP, REACH FOR THE SKY

This step is the most important to getting your boat all the way out of the water enough to make the move completely aerial.  As you are plunging into the trough the boat is going to start to fly out of the water.  You now have to jump up as high as you can while extending your arms above you.  You will be jumping off the foot pegs.  I tell everyone it is like exploding to grab a rebound in basketball. When the boat comes out of the water and you have already stretched, you have to lean forward to reach the water.

Note:  You can practice this on any diving board as you fall off or get one of your friends to bounce you up and down on the side of the pool.

Step 6- SNAP/ DRIVE

To complete this move you must have a good snap of the hips and drive of the knees.  While in the air you will be driving the right knee down and the left knee up.

Step 7- PADDLE PLACEMENT/ CLEAN FRONT LOOP

When you are in the air your paddle placement will increase snap while throwing Air Loops.  Always remember to pull on the powerface of one blade to maximize air time.  This gives friction for your core muscles to have something to react upon making you go bigger with more snap.  If you are doing Clean Front Loops try to rely more on snap and pop to not use your paddle blades.

Step 8- EXTEND PADDLE BLADES

When doing the Clean Front Loops make sure to extend the paddle to make the move convincing to everyone watching.  You will have to rely more on the depth of the hole and your snap to get the boat to complete the move.

Step 9- RECOVERY

This is the step that is most important.  With all the momentum you are carrying towards the back of the hole it is hard to stay retentative.  You have to remember to land in a forward stroke or rudder when you are in the hole and sighting your landing.  When you land, you forward sweep with a blade to make sure you land upright and also to pull yourself back into the hole.

Note:  If you do all the above steps quickly and efficiently you can throw some big Clean Air Loops where your head stays dry.

Clean Space Godzilla present by Shred Ready

Description- A past vertical aerial cartwheel done with no support from the paddle, you must pass under the boat.

Feature Requirements- You must have a hole or wave hole that is retentative and have some depth as to not hit bottom

This move is described as if you were doing a left Space Godzilla.

Steps 

Step 1- SET UP

You have to get up on the pile of the hole for a good set up.  This will help you to throw a quality Space Godzilla. The further back on the pile and the more speed you have going into the trough the more aerial your Space Godzilla will be.  The easiest way is to utilize the corner to spin to the top.  Carving out and carving back in is another way to get on the top of the pile.

Step 2- SPEED

This is the most crucial step in this move.  Speed is the biggest help.  The more speed you have into the trough of the feature the bigger air on your Space Godzillas.  Remember to consider the depth of the feature.

Note:  Whichever way is easiest to throw multiple cartwheels is the direction you will want to throw your Space Godzilla

Step 3- HOP

The hop (Ollie) is important in this move because it helps get the boat underneath you aiding in not hitting the bottom of the river.  You need to time the hop where at the end of the hop you are plunging as deep as you can into the trough of the hole.

Note:  Learning to hop and timing the hop to go deep will help you catch big air without hitting the rocks on the bottom of the river.

Step 4- THE PLUNGE

Now that you have figured out the hop and how to get on top of the pile, you have to figure out how to plunge;   plunge is driving the bow of the boat flat into the trough as fast and deep as possible.  The deeper you go the more air you get due to the buoyancy of the bow of the boat.  You have to remember to stay as flat as possible.  If you raise either edge of the bow, the boat will resurface.

Note: Continue leaning forward to drive the boat as deep as possible. This also helps your flexibility to reach the water on your stroke. You can also think of standing on the foot pegs to help you get deep.

Step 5- JUMP UP, REACH FOR THE SKY

This step is the most important to getting your boat all the way out of the water enough to make the move completely aerial.  As you are plunging into the trough the boat is going to start to fly out of the water. You now have to jump up as high as you can while extending your arms above you.  You will be jumping off the foot pegs.  I tell everyone it is like exploding to grab a rebound in basketball. When the boat comes out of the water and you have already stretched, you have to lean forward to reach the water.

Note:  You can practice this on any diving board as you fall off or get one of your friends to bounce you up and down on the side of the pool for the perfect timing.

Step 6- SNAP/ DRIVE

To complete this move you must have a good snap of the hips and drive of the knees.  While in the air you will be driving the right knee down and the left knee up.   When making the move big and clean you will have to really snap with you entire body to complete the move.

Step 7- EYES/ HEAD

If you do not lead with your left eye you will not complete the move and you will stay retentative.  Make sure as soon as you start to get airborne you lead with your left eye over your left shoulder.  This will make the move snappier because you will win up you torso and give t the chance to snap the move through.

Step 8- RECOVERY-

This is the step that is most important.  With all the momentum you are carrying to the left corner of the hole it is hard to stay retentative and to not flip over.  You have to remember to look over your left shoulder to know where you are in the hole and to sight your landing.  When you land, you forward sweep with the left blade to make sure you land upright and also to pull yourself back into the hole.