I was the Northwest canoe poling champion for a number of years. When I ran my first race, I had bought my first canoe in January, a canoe pole in February, and ran a race in March. My first run was for less time than half of the second place run. Over the years fewer and fewer polers would race. Finally a friend took me aside and told me "No one wants to run for second place" so I stopped racing, undefeated. I wrote a book "Canoe Poling, a White Water Sport" and run up to class 4+ water (out of a scale of six being unrunable in anything).
I would never run White Water in these canoes, no flotation. OK for gentle water but not White Water. I developed a flotation system with Styrofoam side walls covered in duct tape. I could actually stand upright on the bottom of my upside down canoe and pole it down a drop ... even did it in a class four rapid. The sidewall foam also gave me a solid surface to brace myself against so I never had the insecure bouncing around that I saw in some of these videos. I also wore knee pads and braced myself forward on the center twart when going down a violent drop. I had cutout on the sidewall foam for my feet for more bracing and I could actually lift my Oldtown canoe out of the water hanging onto an overhead branch or rope.
I had to give it all up after a string of heart attacks. I had a 95% blockage of the major artery to the heart and I would end each canoe poling trip trying to go into shock. After five years of telling my HMO about the problem they finally checked me out and had me in heart surgery two days later. Much scarring. It is a disadvantage be be too strong to just pass out and fall down and have your HMO not believe that you are having a series of heart attacks.
@@wesfelty4513 Interesting topics. People are running/riding paddleboards on class 3/4 rapids these days. Talking to them, their perspective has been that "as a surfer" is not as challenging, and even if they "swim" canoeists and kayakers swim all the time in such rapids, so as long as they wear a pfd and helmet, it's no more dangerous. I dunno. Interesting though.
Quite a few places sell canoe poles online, it is simply a matter of looking around. One good option would be to google search "poleandpaddle". Go to their homepage, choose "products" then "Canoe Poles". If you want a two-part pole for easier transport, search "haydencanoepole" and look at their catalogue. You can buy complete poles from either site, order parts to build your own, or if you want to be really cheap you could simply use the pictures and info provided in the description to try and make your own from improvised parts.
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I raced Chip at the Nationals back in the 80's. Dude had legs like tree trunks from skiing. He was pretty good.
I was the Northwest canoe poling champion for a number of years. When I ran my first race, I had bought my first canoe in January, a canoe pole in February, and ran a race in March. My first run was for less time than half of the second place run. Over the years fewer and fewer polers would race. Finally a friend took me aside and told me "No one wants to run for second place" so I stopped racing, undefeated. I wrote a book "Canoe Poling, a White Water Sport" and run up to class 4+ water (out of a scale of six being unrunable in anything).
I would never run White Water in these canoes, no flotation. OK for gentle water but not White Water. I developed a flotation system with Styrofoam side walls covered in duct tape. I could actually stand upright on the bottom of my upside down canoe and pole it down a drop ... even did it in a class four rapid. The sidewall foam also gave me a solid surface to brace myself against so I never had the insecure bouncing around that I saw in some of these videos. I also wore knee pads and braced myself forward on the center twart when going down a violent drop. I had cutout on the sidewall foam for my feet for more bracing and I could actually lift my Oldtown canoe out of the water hanging onto an overhead branch or rope.
I had to give it all up after a string of heart attacks. I had a 95% blockage of the major artery to the heart and I would end each canoe poling trip trying to go into shock. After five years of telling my HMO about the problem they finally checked me out and had me in heart surgery two days later. Much scarring. It is a disadvantage be be too strong to just pass out and fall down and have your HMO not believe that you are having a series of heart attacks.
Whats an easy way to make a push pole?
@@wesfelty4513 Oh wow! I hope that you can at least get out in a canoe and enjoy just being on the water
@@wesfelty4513 Interesting topics. People are running/riding paddleboards on class 3/4 rapids these days. Talking to them, their perspective has been that "as a surfer" is not as challenging, and even if they "swim" canoeists and kayakers swim all the time in such rapids, so as long as they wear a pfd and helmet, it's no more dangerous. I dunno. Interesting though.
Excellent instruction
Where is this?!!.....= (A beautiful stream!!!)
so how long is the ideal pole length? same length as the canoe? 15 or 16 feet?
12"
How do you get or make a pole? For fishing, would you recommend wood, so it's not loud hitting the rocks?
Quite a few places sell canoe poles online, it is simply a matter of looking around.
One good option would be to google search "poleandpaddle". Go to their homepage, choose "products" then "Canoe Poles".
If you want a two-part pole for easier transport, search "haydencanoepole" and look at their catalogue.
You can buy complete poles from either site, order parts to build your own, or if you want to be really cheap you could simply use the pictures and info provided in the description to try and make your own from improvised parts.