・Canoe Training Day One
Hi, my name is Hibiki and I’m doing an internship at Evergreen Outdoor Center in Hakuba.
On June 23rd, we had the canoe training, and it was the first day of the training. James, the Evergreen’s general manager and a guide, was the trainer. First of all, James taught us the difference between canoes and kayaks. The difference is that canoeing uses a paddle with one blade, and kayaking uses a paddle with two blades on both sides. For the Evergreen canoeing tours, we use Canadian canoes, and two people can ride in the same canoe. The front paddler, the person on the bow seat, paddles on one side and the rear paddle, the person on the stern seat, paddles the opposite side to the front paddler. The front paddler cannot steer the canoe and is basically the engine, and the rear paddler steers and is the captain.
Then, James taught us basic strokes, forward stroke, reverse stroke, and sweep stroke.
・Forward stroke – Paddle from front to back to move the canoe forward.
・Reverse stroke – Paddle from back to front to move the canoe backward.
・Sweep Stroke – is like drawing a half circle to the side of the canoe to make it turn.
(I wrote about these strokes on my previous blog, so if you don’t know about these, please check the link. http://www.evergreen-hakuba.com/hibikis-internship-blog-day-8/ )
We also learned one more basic stroke for canoeing. The stroke is J stroke. J stroke begins like a forward stroke, but towards the end, the paddle is rotated and pushed away from the canoe. This is why this stroke is called J stroke. This stroke can be used to steer the canoe. Also, if you are soloing in canoe, you can use J stroke to go straight with paddling only one side.
James gave us clear advice about those strokes, and we practiced them again and again. At the end of the first day of the training, we got a command of the basic strokes.
James also taught us how to make a water bubble. If you learn how to do it and practice it, you will be able to make a water bubble like the picture below.
It was difficult to make a perfect water bubble at the first, but after I tried several times, I made a perfect water bubble. I think James has a lot of little tips and knowledge to allow guests to enjoy the tours, and this knowledge and experiences lead to guests’ satisfaction. This summer is my first season to work for Evergreen, but I will try hard to learn from other guides a lot of things to allow guests to have a great experience.
Evergreen offers canoeing, kayaking, SUP (Stand Up Paddleboard), picnic canoe, and evening firefly canoe tours. If you are interested in any of these lake tours, please check the link below.
http://www.evergreen-hakuba.com/green-season/#
We are waiting for you to come to Evergreen, and I know you will have an amazing time in Hakuba!!
Hibiki