Ice, ice, ice! Not much we can do about it. To get some paddling we have to go abroad or to go indoor and use paddling ergometers.
The ice is really thick just outside the Canoe club.
It’s not even close to surfski but it is still good exercise.
To make it more fun I use my iPhone to play some inspiring music and my Suunto Ambit to monitor my pulse rate during the training session.
How do I become a better surfski paddler? I’m still fairly new to surfski paddling and I have never really focused on specific endurance and strength training regarding to paddling. I spend almost all time on the water, about 2-3 times/week depending on the season. When my kayak club bought a paddling ergometer last winter I was able to start practicing paddling even when the sea is covered with ice and when we have bad weather conditions during winter. I realize that there is plenty of things besides time on the water that is great to improve your paddling skills. I contacted Tim Jacobs, one of the best surfskipaddler in the world right now. Tim Jacobs won in Hong Kong last november and I asked him about his training and if he could give some cross training advice for a happy paddler like me.
The answer from Tim Jacobs:
When I am training for a race I will paddle up to 7 times a week in my K1 and surf ski, do weights twice a week and then some cross training.
If you are training indoors the best form of exercise that compliments paddling is boxing. It is an great aerobic activity and uses the upper body in fast explosive movements. Boxing is good because if you don’t concentrate you will get hit by your partner, if you are sparring. Pairing up with someone and hitting some focus pads is really good to do as you can do this yourself and keep changing the exercises/punches around.
The other cross training I do is on a stationary spin bike. I do this with a few of my kayakers, it gives the legs a rest but makes you work hard aerobically.
In the gym I think ‘pulling’ exercises are the most important, pull ups (both weighted and body weight), bench pulls, one arm row. You can’t leave out your core exercises though, if you can’t connect your legs to your upper body you are not going to get the power onto your stroke that you should be able to. Work on your oblique muscle groups to help your rotation and to hold your body up nice and tall when you are paddling, you need to have good, strong posture to maximise your stroke.
So now I do not have any other options. I just have to start training 
Tim Jacobs and Jeremy Cotter after winning the Manly Wine King of the Harbour (Photo from Oceanpaddler.com)
Born Nationality Surfski Tim began to paddle surfski at the age of 17. Before that he had been swimming a lot. The transition from swimming to surfski paddling was not easy and he had to swim quite much even as surfski paddler. When he turned 19, the surfski technique clicked to him suddenly. After the somewhat slow beginning, he has made full effort in his paddling career because everything became easier. Tim has represented Australia in both racing and surfski. Some of the highlights in Tim Jacobs career: 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 HomepageInfo about Tim Jacobs
1977
Australia (Sydney)
Nelo
1st Dubai Shamaal
3rd Molokai World Championship
2nd Molokai World Championship
1st National Ocean Series Surf Ski Championship
1st ICF World Series Nelo Summer Challenge
4th Molokai World Championship
1st Perth WC ‘The Doctor”
1st 2011 Ocean Series
1st Hong Kong WC ‘Dragon Run’
5th Nelo Summer Challenge
5th Euro Challenge
1st Perth WC ‘The Doctor’
1st Hong Kong OWS ‘Dragon Run’
Tim Jacobs website
This post is originally posted on my Swedish surfski blog: Surfski.nu
Check out this DIY hand made surfski Balance trainer from the Youtube user RivannaHipSnap:
This took less than 2 hours to build with the trip to Lowes included. It consists of a 1″x15″ table top disc cut in half and a 2″x6″ board cut to length along with some screws and scrap 2″x4″ board pieces for bracing. Total cost less than $14 USD. A good balance trainer that is definitely more challenging on hardwood floors than on carpeting. A great ab workout as well as a reasonably good kayak balance trainer. Sit on this whilst watching TV or reading a book and learn balance skills at the same time!
Which strengthening exercises do you need to do to be a better paddler? I’m doing pull ups, chins, one arm rowing, oblique situps / crunches and push ups on regular basis. That’s about it for me. I vary the amount of repetitions and also try to vary the performance of the exercises. Now I have got inspired to vary the push ups in a different way. Check it out! How do you do your push ups?
I don’t think I ever will try it, but it is cool.
Chris Laughlin has interviewed Sean Rice, Dawid Mocke and Michele Eray about surfski training, training with the Pros.
Do surfski paddlers ever stop thinking about their training? Fitness and racing is such an integral part of the sport that many ski paddlers, never mind their rank, eagerly succumb to the lifestyle of “amateur athletes.”.
Training is a particularly interesting topic. The paddler who puts in the most time, and works the hardest in their training, will be best prepared come race day. Equipment choices are vital to each individual, but it’s the work we do on the water that produces the results.
Chris ask all of them questions about how much focus and time they spend on training. The impact of having a coach. How much time the spend on the water. What kind of training they do. What kind of cross-training activities they are into. Quality vs quantity etc etc. It is really interesting reading. After reading their most important advices for paddlers looking to increase their paddling fitness I realize I want to spend more time in my surfski.
Read the full article at Think kayak!
A big thanks to Sean Rice for the tip about the article.
Seamasters 2012, the Swedish Champs, are coming up next weekend. Hopefully has your training during the year resulted in better strength, endurance and paddling technique. It is time to perform at your best. How do you usually prepare before a big race? Don’t spoil the season by bad preparation the final days before the race. Here are some important advice about race preparation from Dawid Mocke.
/Dawid Mocke
11-13 May 2012 – Barnens Ö, Väddö
At Surfski Spring Camp awaits a weekend filled with paddling, great company, lots of good food and the unique opportunity to test paddle the latest surfski models and paddles on the market. You exercise as much as you want, look at the spring camp as a great weekend among friends, with the possibility of organized training at all levels – from beginners to elite paddlers.
This year, the world’s best surfski paddler, South African Dawid Mocke, comes to Surfski Spring Camp to run clinics and give lectures. This is the first time Dawid comes to Sweden, so do not miss the chance to paddle with the world’s leading downwind paddler! A better teacher is hard to find …
The program includes lots of activities to look forward to;
• Beginners Classes
• Downwind Sessions
• How do I paddle my surfski with the right technique?
• Learn how to re-entrys in practice
• Paddle with elite kayakers, get direct tips and tricks
• Safe in your surfski – what is needed?
• Choosing the right surfski …
There will also be a race on Sunday, Surfski Spring Race, that everyone can join. A 5 km funrace for those who are new to the sport, or a longer distance if you already master your surfski.
In the evenings we socialize on our “After Ski” with something nice to drink, we have fun together and listen to Dawid Mocke who speaks about “life as surfski professional – and what it takes to be the best in the world.”
The camp site is located at Barnens Ö, Väddö, about 100 km north of Stockholm.
Join the fun and get a kick start of the season!
Friday – Sunday, 2700 SEK (€295)
Saturday – Sunday, 1750 SEK (€192)
Sign up as soon as possible! To register, send an email with your full contact details to: peter@globalsurfski.com
The following videos comes from Mykayakcoach.com
Quick guide to catching runners.
A video to demonstrate jump ons.
Catch Swell-Runners
The big race…
Paddling with ease.
When two mates race ultimately only one can win. Sometimes one can get into trouble.
Tired of regular push-ups? Watch this video then! I promise, you will find new and exciting variations of this amazing exercise. This guy is scary …
The guy in this video is STROOOONG… I love one of the comments to this clip: “100% ex con. Classic prison workout. Nothing to do but work out for 10 years and drain society in every way.” Hahahaha!
Outlaw Paddling is a Australian joint venture by ocean paddling experts Wade Vautier and Jarad Kohlar. Wade has been at the forefront of promoting ocean paddling, with the organisation of his largely informal Outlaw series of 2008/2009. The demand for this has outgrown the initial concept however, and has seen necessary the expansion to a professionally managed event series.
Jarad may be better known to some as one of the world’s top adventure racers, but his promotion of paddling has been hugely beneficial to both the adventure racing and ocean paddling communities. Together, these two are the men behind the new Outlaw Paddling venture, designed to increase competitor numbers from beginners right through to the elite, and give everyone a racing forum to test their skills.
I found a couple of articles on their site,written by Jarad, that might interest you…
