Introduction
If you have read the previous article on using stoppers we should have now have a better idea of how a stopper is created and works.
In this series of articles I am going to cover how you can, whilst moving downstream, use a stopper to help you cross the river.
From a slalom perspective this is easiest shown either setting staggered gates over a feature, or a down above the feature to an up on the other side of the feature. (we will cover using curls in another article)
Here is a quick video showing this.
If you have read the previous article on using stoppers we should have now have a better idea of how a stopper is created and works.
In this series of articles I am going to cover how you can, whilst moving downstream, use a stopper to help you cross the river.
From a slalom perspective this is easiest shown either setting staggered gates over a feature, or a down above the feature to an up on the other side of the feature. (we will cover using curls in another article)
Here is a quick video showing this.
There are lots of examples, Over the next three articles I will try to cover the concepts of
- Using upstream edge on the back of stoppers
- Using downstream edge on the back of stoppers
- Fakies
Upstream edge on the back of stoppers
As we know the water on the back of the stopper is moving upstream. This ontop window we discussed in the last article is effectively an eddy.
Knowing we can edge upstream in an eddy then means on the back of the stopper we can also lean upstream. The only reason we flip in a stopper by leaning upstream is when we are in the pit or outside the ontop window.
In the video below we can see a series of jumps to upstream rolls to cross on the back of the stopper
This requires confidence to do, but if we can jump well over the stopper or roll though the stopper well then we can get into the ontop window and lean upstream. However what is the point in this?
- Keeps boat light and on top thus providing stability
- Creates movement across stream
- Creates rotation by sliding tail away and therefore bows rotating upstream to cross river
Why Lean Upstream
To understand why, we must understand what can happen if we lean downstream. We can use leaning downstream to our advantage, but I will look at that later.
Think back to the ontop window being an eddy. (the water is moving back upstream) Now imagine we are entering an eddy with lots of speed and landing in the eddy from air (like an up after a drop) If we lean downstream as we enter an eddy the sharp contrast on landing in the eddy means the edge is hard to control, the water can catch the edge leading to instability.
The Video below shows this on both a eddy and a drop
With this downstream edge catching,
the boat just stops.
We also have a tendency to then lean back too, this sticks and bogs the tail, and therefore stops the boat.
Sometimes even the edge on the tail catches and sinks the tail. This then either mean the boat spins on the spot, so now you are rotated and pointing directly upstream and out of control, or the tail sticks, rejects and the bows fly off downstream.
Using upstream edge and rolling the boat however means water flows under the boat and the boat lifts ontop of the water.
Also as we upstream roll the boat, we have a tendency to lean forward to look both across and upstream. This creates movement across and slides the tail around. This sliding of the tail means that the bows effectively rotate up. With the bows now facing across/up, we can drive to move across river.
As the picture above shows, landing on the upstream blade and therefore upstream edge keeps the boat light and doesn’t fall away. We can also see this increases the chances of looking across river. In general the boat runs where we are looking. If we are looking up and across the boat will move in that direction.
Moses and hitting the stopper.
Sometimes this leaning upstream can also part the stopper and flush it though. This again helps the tail slide though.
Moses and hitting the stopper.
Sometimes this leaning upstream can also part the stopper and flush it though. This again helps the tail slide though.
In the above image you can see the water parting.
Again imagine the stopper as a hump. If as we go down the drop and into the pit of the stopper, lean downstream its like hitting a wall, and we stop. If we lean upstream the boat can almost slide up the wave.
Now we know both these things, it explains why rolling the boat with upstream edge can also give us a lot of momentum across stream. If the water is flushing though (like a wave) then it has less hold on the tail of the boat, the tail of the boat flushes though so being able to get into the on top window better, and not holding the tail. This holding or bogging of the tail as we looked at above can give instability
Below are 2 images helping support this.
Again imagine the stopper as a hump. If as we go down the drop and into the pit of the stopper, lean downstream its like hitting a wall, and we stop. If we lean upstream the boat can almost slide up the wave.
Now we know both these things, it explains why rolling the boat with upstream edge can also give us a lot of momentum across stream. If the water is flushing though (like a wave) then it has less hold on the tail of the boat, the tail of the boat flushes though so being able to get into the on top window better, and not holding the tail. This holding or bogging of the tail as we looked at above can give instability
Below are 2 images helping support this.
This image again shows a dryer boat and the water breaking so the boat and especially the tail sliding though better.
This image shows well the tail being sucked down, and the overhead view shows well how much distance has been gained across the stopper by upstream edging and being “lighter” rather than the water holding the tail and stopping the boat.
This however this “Moses effect” does not happen all the time, if the stopper is big, or has a big hump this is less likely to work..........best be careful, if in doubt jump :)
Jumping over from above.
Most of the footage we have looked at shows jumping off straight and then rolling the edge.
The below video shows paddlers jumping over the top of the stopper but still not ever landing on the downstream edge, and the boat sails across the stopper lovely.
This however this “Moses effect” does not happen all the time, if the stopper is big, or has a big hump this is less likely to work..........best be careful, if in doubt jump :)
Jumping over from above.
Most of the footage we have looked at shows jumping off straight and then rolling the edge.
The below video shows paddlers jumping over the top of the stopper but still not ever landing on the downstream edge, and the boat sails across the stopper lovely.
Other options.
For me I jump then as I land I roll the edge and shoot across as we have discussed above.
Joe Clarke however on Picadilli especially does this slightly differently. Before he lands he puts on upstream edge, and lands with this edge already on.
FW drills
Important to rolling edges is edge control. One flatwater drill I found useful was rolling and holding an edge on the flat.
In this article we have looked at why upstream edging on the back of stoppers is so important.
However this is not always the best thing to do. Sometimes downstream edge on the back of the stopper is vital. In our next article we will look at how it can be good to have downstream edge on.
Will leave you with this, is we want the tail to slip though and a stable platform, we lean upstream, if we want grip and the stopping of downstream momentum, we lean downstream.