by Kim Bowden - Feb 22, 2024, Crux Community Matters Safety nets look set to be added to the outside edge of the breakwater at Queenstown Marina off Frankton Road after years of lobbying by Queenstown local and accomplished kayaker Steve Gurney. The operations team at KJet, who manages the day-to-day running of the marina, is investigating the option to give any boaties or swimmers who may find themselves in trouble close to the marina an easier way to get themselves out of the water. KJet owner Shaun Kelly says he is aware of the safety concerns raised by Mr Gurney and, although he does not entirely agree with his assessment, he thinks it is important some changes are made at the marina in response. While ladders were initially being considered, Mr Kelly says the preferred option now is nets. The plan is to have up to 12 nets spaced approximately every 30 metres along the outside edge of the breakwater, which is a long curved structure that juts out into Lake Wakatipu to provide a protective barrier for the marina berths. Mr Kelly says the nets will be rolled up, "so they're not dangling in the water", with a clearly visible pull cord. "As soon as you pull it, it'll drop down accordingly and they climb up." He is clear that he does not believe the breakwater poses a risk. "It's the same as marinas built all over the world." But he is also keen to reach a resolution. "If somebody's got a concern, we don't necessarily agree with their concern, but we will put some things in place to mitigate that concern. "To keep people happy." While Mr Gurney is welcoming the news, after years of watching his complaint be bounced around between WorkSafe, the Queenstown Lakes District Council, the Harbourmaster, and the marina operator, he says it is hard not to feel a little bit sceptical until he sees the nets installed. However, he thinks the net proposal "sounds reasonable, as long as the swimmer can reach the pull cord". Not long after the marina was built, Mr Gurney raised concerns about the waves that rebound off the breakwater - that have the potential to topple kayaks and the small boats. Another competent local kayaker, Simon Bank, discovered the hazard the hard way when in October last year he was abruptly tipped into the water just off the marina. "It more freaked me out because of what it could do to someone else." Passersby up on the marina gave him a hand to pull himself up and out of the cold water. "The marina platform curves around and when the southerly wind is blowing, it creates quite a wave that washes against the marina, but it doesn't just stop there, it bounces back and creates a secondary wave that you can't see. "That's a design thing, and it can't be changed, but what can be changed, or certainly improved significantly, is the safety features of the marina." He says the side of the breakwater has "a bit of an overhang" and there is nothing for a swimmer to push off with their feet to give them a boost out of the water. He thinks a ladder or a net will do the job. "It's as simple as that." Mr Gurney says he would welcome an invite to a launch event for any new nets. "We'd love to have wee celebration and congratulations when they've put them on...So we can all come down and say thank you." The marina is owned by Californian Iraj Barabi. Main image: The start of the breakwater at Queenstown Marina.

Camaraderie, friendly support and encouragement are top hallmarks of adventure sport. We’re all competitive for sure, but there’s a palpable undercurrent of positivity and respect for our fellow athletes and crews. We could teach our politicians a thing or 2 about working as a champion team! Can Winston Peters and David Seymour make up? Is it even possible to teach our politicians to truly work in harmony as a champion team? Winston and David, grow up! Stop tossing your lego bricks at each other. You could a lesson or two about powerful teamwork from NZ’s world champion adventure teams. Firstly, let’s take a look at the history of politics from the time that humans first walked the earth; through biblical accounts of holy wars; through the annals of rampaging invasions, rape and pillage; Trump's ego (still echoing); to the recent politics between Russia and Ukraine, and the Gaza strip. The defeatist amongst us would throw our arms in the air and say that we’re forever doomed because politicians are drawn to politics, as flies are drawn to poo, by their out of control egos. Let’s face it, our DNA in the 21st century is what’s left after millennia of raiding, killing and DNA desecration. The nice peaceful people didn’t survive, the raiders killed them all off, along with their peace-loving, harmony-seeking genes. The DNA that has been subsequently propagated by genocide after genocide, is the stuff that you and I are made of. It’s evolution, for better, or in this case for worse. We are now genetically predisposed to competition, war and ego. Modern day humans need very little to have ego switched on in our DNA. It’s our circumstances, upbringing and environment that determine whether we exchange hugs, lego bricks, sticks and stones or nuclear missiles with each other. Politicians are switched, loaded and locked. Hell shall freeze over before we see team-work and harmony between David Seymour and Winston Peters! However, optimists like myself never give up hope that we might yet find the key to world peace, and many of us still hold rosy visions surrounded by harp-playing cherubs, of our politicians shedding their juvenile tantrums and poo-filled nappies, and putting down their lego blocks. Turning instead to constructive debate in the House, and going on to agree on policy to make NZ the best little nation in the world. So here I go with some suggestions from the world of Adventure racing where NZ is indeed the best little nation in the world, indisputably the world’s best at creating harmonious victorious teams: Idea #1 Enter them as a 4-person team in the GodZONE adventure race. Seymour, Peters, Luxon and Shaw. That’ll learn them! They will need to cast aside their errant egos and put all of their earnest energies into working in harmony with their fellow flesh and blood. For not doing so will mean map-reading mayhem and inevitable hypothermic death amidst NZ’s snowy precipitous peaks, raging river rapids and wild wilderness... But wait, the GodZONE has just pulled the pin… (ironically some disagreement with DOC.) Idea #2 There’s nothing, absolutely nothing better to garner trust, cooperation and mutual respect, resulting in true brother-hood, than to trust the other person with your precious life on the end of a rope, dangling 300 metres over a mountain precipice. We observe the true and transparent nature of a person in times of unpredictable trauma, when their life, health and very existence is under immediate threat. Can their genes be switched from tossing lego blocks, to loving harmony? I'll take them on a mountaineering trip. (maybe I'll take my sharpest rope knife?!)🤣 Seriously though... What top traits of team-work can we transfer from NZ's best Adventurers? They leave Ego behind. Just straight up, honest transparency They communicate clearly, directly, and truthfully. No games, no "beating about the bush". They take the courage to speak up when they need help or have an opinion to share. They're all on the same page, same goals, same agenda. Done by talking it through weeks or months before the race. They trust each other implicitly, not just on the end of a rope, but also emotionally in terms of the weaknesses all of us uniquely have. You and your team? How much stronger could you be as a team? How much more efficient could you be? How much more fun, enjoyment and satisfaction could you have? Get me in to work with your team. Call me now: 021 487 639 steve@stevegurney.co.nz

My next chapter: A sailing adventure… Fix a broken catamaran Mentor and motivate in the process Go sailing together I turned 60 the other day. It was a bit of a shock to estimate how many good summers I might have left in me! A few of my generation have already headed off to take a dirt nap, which got me thinking about my own mortality. After all, my dear Mum met her maker at a youthful 51, (melanoma), and Dad, rest his soul, bought the farm at 72, (cancer). I’m aiming to live longer on this earthly orb than my parents, but none of us know what will ultimately send us off pining for the Fjords. Best I spend my precious remaining moments wisely to avoid any deathbed regrets. Conclusion.. Steve, go find something really worthwhile to do. Use these guidelines: “Life truly begins at the edge of my comfort zone” What would motivate me in the same way that other great role models are motivated? (Mother Theresa, Martin Luther King, Gandhi, Steve [Crickey!] Irwin, etc) Tick these boxes: Contribution to my “world” Genuinely fun and satisfying Uses as many of my unique set skills and abilities What would you regret later if you didn’t do it while you’re able to? Supports my values and purpose Experiencing different cultures Minimising fossil fuel usage Connects with nature Connects with humans I reckon it’s time to go sailing! For a few years now I’ve been dabbling in sailing. My fascination with wind-power started as a kid, making my own kites, then windsurfing as a teen, then kitesurfing, then our PeterLynn Kite-buggy World-record crossing of the Sahara desert, and in the last decade I’ve raced my Noelex25 at club level. I’ve also crewed in a race around Tasmania, and a pacific passage to Fiji. It excites me that wind power relies less on fossil fuel and any innovations we can make in that direction are good for our planet. With the exponential technology “explosion” and our attendant disconnection from nature, sailing can be very satisfying at a gut level to reconnect with what’s happening with the weather and the natural world. A sailor needs to “feel” instinctively the changes in the weather. Also minimise fresh water and power consumption, to maximise solar, to be more and more “at one” with nature. Moffatt and I learned this lesson well when we climbed Aoraki /Mt Cook recreating the first attempt from 1889. Moffatt’s close call with frostbite made us very aware of the naivety we modern-day explorers risk with our new technology. https://www.stevegurney.co.nz/post/moffatt-gurney-s-mountain-adventure-now-on-youtube The adventurers of old absolutely needed to be “at one” with their surroundings, as so too do we modern day explorers! I absolutely do not want to rely the false security of electronics, PLBs and rescue for my safety! My sailing vision So I’m sharing my vision, my ideas for a new adventure. I can’t do this on my own and nor do I want to… I want to share and contribute. I’m open to other ideas, variations, let’s see what comes back as feedback. Here’s what I’m thinking: I’ve been inspired for 4 years now by Colin MacRae with Parlay Revival as he and some friends revive a wrecked catamaran https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MFRdpIr5aJU I would like to do something similar. As a trained mechanical engineer and handyman, I have the skills to be able to thoroughly repair a broken boat, (and to know when I need help). I’ve not got enough money to buy a “good”, sea-worthy catamaran, but have saved hard to have enought tin to fix up a broken one like Colin did. The trick has been to find a broken one at an affordable price. I’ve been to 3 insurance auctions but wasn’t successful … yet! Opportunity to give back I have a vision to make this a mentoring opportunity somehow. There will be a lot of hard work with an end reward of a sailing adventure. This is also an opportunity to mentor some less privileged folks, teens and adults who would benefit from being given some direction, guidance and a hand up to achieve some goals in life. If I can navigate a way through the red-tape of regulations I’d like to invite a few people to be a part of this. I’m still figuring out how to do this, so any solid advice welcome. Summary: · I’m selling off some of my sporting stuff to add to the funds to buy a boat · Anyone know of a suitable broken Catamaran that needs some love and attention? · I’m interested in hearing any feedback · I’ll need partners/sponsors. · Planning to create some sort of channel to share the journey and motivate others

I’ve accepted the invitation to join this innovative, energetic team at Barracuda kayaks. They’re really going places, (literally… in many ways ). I have 3 roles, one developing the family of new Multisport kayaks, another other wearing my mechanical engineering hat to expand the production capabilities of the new factory , and finally working with the team on innovative new projects such as the E-kayaks and foiling kayaks. Here’s the brand new factory at the beautiful Marsden Cove. The commissioning is not quite finished yet, but already we’ve doubled production, and our systems are now much more efficient…. And one of my favourites…. we’re looking after the planet with full circle recycling! All of our off-cuts go into the grinder to make the next boats. PLUS, at their eventual end of life, old Barracuda kayaks go back into the grinder to get made into new boats, avoiding landfill altogether! We’ve outgrown our Silverdale factory (and to be honest it was a dive) And we needed to be closer to the water for testing our exciting new kayak projects. Speaking of new projects, we’re really excited that our Equitise crowd funding has raised some good solid capital to leverage our Callaghan innovation funding, enabling us to significantly advance our foiling kayak, the E-kayak and the new Waimak Multisport kayak. Crickey! The future looks brilliant! I reckon we’re the market leaders. (Did you see Team NZ claiming they’ve got NZ’s first foiling boat, yeah Nah! Not so fast lads, we’ve done it already!) If you want to get on board with us, you’ve got 2 days to go.

2 middle aged adventurers attempt to climb Aoraki, NZs highest mountain, comparing modern equipment with that used 100 years ago .. Just for the hell of it. Their curiosity piqued by their previous re-enactment "A Most Ambitious Journey" Gurney and Moffatt were motivated to re-trace the steps of Marmaduke Dixon and Guy Mannering; in a most exciting mountaineering / kayaking dual adventure. Dixon and Mannering in 1890 were attempting to be the first to summit Aoraki/Mt Cook, followed by paddling their Rob Roy kayaks from the Hermitage down to the east Coast at Oamaru. Once again, Gurney was like a kid in a toyshop using the most modern equipment he could, whilst for comparison Moffatt uses gear and food of the original adventurers; hobnail boots, tweed jacket, oilskins, etc. The trip didn't go as planned with a drama high on the flanks of Aoraki/Mt Cook, with consequences later in the trip. The learning the pair got from this has direct applications, not only to modern-day adventure, but in Gurney's opinion, to the rapid march of technology in every-day modern life. Gurney expands on this concept in his latest book "Eating Dirt" and as a conference speaker.

Training Schedules - I’ve never found even one laundry or cereal box that opens (and closes) according to the design! Þ Good design is vitally important Þ Following the instructions is important too, I guess! So it is with training schedules. How do we design a training schedule well? As summer in NZ comes to a close it’s the perfect time to design your training for the upcoming season. Good design Of course, an experienced coach is a great option (and I can help you if you want). However, from my 40 years of racing coaching and research, there’s a lot you can do yourself: Here are what I consider the 9 keys to opening your lid to effective training: 1 - Check that your goal is important enough Is it truly inspirational? Does it support your purpose or core values? Does it give you goose bumps, make you feel excited, or at least put a smile on your face? We need this level of emotional response to give us the all-important intrinsic motivation that will trump obstacles, pain and adversity. People often ask me if I still feel nervous on the start line after all of those years of racing. My reply is YES! If I don’t feel nervous then I know I haven’t set my goal high enough. Nerves are an excellent sign that this goal is truly a worthy one. The trick is to then transmute the nervousness into excitement! “Life truly begins at the edge of our Comfort Zone” A good way to test whether a goal is aligned with our core values is to ask ourselves; “If I achieve this goal, what will that give me that’s more important than the goal?” You can repeat the question below, again and again until it leads to a big, zen kind of answer: “If I achieve that fully, what will that give me that’s even more important than that?” With each subsequent answer, you can quietly observe in the background how this is leading you to a powerful place in your mind, heart and gut. If it doesn't lead your soul to a motivational place, then perhaps your goal is not aligned with what really matters to you, so go ahead and choose a better goal. Or maybe you just need to adjust the goal, eg set it a bit higher, or adjust your reasons for doing this. 2 - Turbo-charge how you imagine your goal. Give it reality! NLP research shows that successful achievers imagine in vivid and intricate detail what they’ll see, hear, feel, smell and taste on their pathway to achieving their goal. What signs of progress would confirm to you that you’re going to get your goal? Could it be the satisfaction of completing and reading your Grade II kayaking certificate? The pleasant exhaustion of a fantastic training run over Goat pass? Or what people might be saying to you on the finish line and, the excited tone of voice you’ll be internally congratulating yourself in? The feel of the medal around your neck? Etc etc etc… 3 - Periodisation Dividing your year into phases of training ensures that you’re building on the right foundations for each phase of your schedule. If you’re doing the same training all year round, you won’t be getting the most efficiency from your valuable time, and perhaps worst of all, you’ll get bored without some bigger, planned and purposeful variety in your schedule. Here are some of the basic principles of periodisation over 12 months: Over winter it's useful have an “off-peak” season where you’re doing related training, but without pressure or expectation.I call it adventure training. For example, over winter, playing Canoe Polo, or weeks riding the Te Araroa mtb trail, or running orienteering /rogaining events, or hiking weekend/overnight trips. Build a base of long slow, endurance in the first months of your season, showing your body the typical length of the event you’re training for, but without the intensity. Strength phase is next. You can only build speed and power if you first have the base of strength. Eg hills phase of 2 or 3 months before doing interval training. In your final training crescendo in the 2 or 3 months approaching your race, Arthur Lydiard, the wise and famous Kiwi coach advises limiting your intense interval phase to a minimum. He opines that 6 weeks is enough so long as you have the months of base training to build on. Otherwise you risk mental staleness and the mental characteristics of overtraining. Personally, I start my intense interval phase, 10 weeks out from race day, because I include a couple of recovery weeks spaced equally through my hard weeks, and I add in 2 weeks of taper before the race. 4 - Recovery between hard sessions and hard weeks is just as important as the hard sessions. Make sure there are 2 – 4 days between hard sessions, and you’ve programmed an easy recovery week after every block of 3 hard weeks. Don’t skimp on recovery, because without recovery after hard stuff there are no gains. 5 - Separate endurance training from intensity For long events like the Coast to Coast we need to prepare our metabolism and our muscles the time duration that we’re going to be out there. These endurance sessions are an important keystone of our training, but they need to be done without interruption at low intensity so that we’re training the appropriate energy supply system and fatiguing the muscles appropriately. We’ll be tired for a few days after this so allow recovery. 6 - Get the right skills - Gaining confidence is key. And I mean get really specific. If we have the right skills, we'll be relaxed over rough terrain/water. When we're unskilled, we will waste energy on getting stability, we travel slower, and our risk of injury skyrockets. Most importantly, when we have the right skills it's SO much more ENJOYABLE! Being a fast marathon road runner is of little use if you’re doing the Coast-to-Coast run, because every step of the Coast to Coast is off-road, with rocks, river crossings, and only a tiny bit of boardwalk. Do all of your run training on uneven ground, ideally over rocks and in creek beds, but you can simulate this by running 5 metres BESIDE trails in Woodhill or Burwood Forest, run straight up the long grass on One Tree Hill or Mt Vernon, round up the sheep on your mate’s farm, or go fast-packing/tramping for the weekend. If you must run the roads to get to your forest park, then run the grass verge and curbs. No good waiting for calm, fine weather to go kayaking, master the wind and waves by going out in crappy weather too, BUT do it safely, onshore winds, paddle with skilled people, take the right gear. Get totally comfortable with fast bunch riding, join club road racing for the season. 7 - Share your goals, from the heart You’re going to need the support from those close to you. My research shows that many people are afraid to share their goals, because they’re afraid they’ll look stupid if they don’t achieve their goals. This is actually increasing their chance of failure because; They’re not backing themselves. Their “near and dear” people are still going to treat them as version 1.0, and not create “the space” for version 2.0 Share your goals excitedly with a genuine sparkle in your eyes. Follow instructions 8 - Consistency Even if you run out of time to do today's session, at least do something that's related to what was scheduled. Time to get innovative. Doing something on those occasional days when scheduling turns to custard, even if it is only a quarter of what was on the schedule, helps you to develop discipline, good habits, and there is also the placebo effect in action. It also keeps your mental momentum going. If the schedule says 2 hours biking on the hills but the kids need picking up early today from school, then do 30 hard mins on Zwift instead. Or just 30 minutes on the roadie or mtb. It’s better than nothing. Or if it was a 60 min run, but you have the kids, then take them to the forest park with their bikes, they bike the trails, and you run beside them, jumping over the obstacles, branches and scrub. Family that plays together stays together! If they’re a 2-year-old, pop them in a backpack and do a hill climb! Importantly, as much as possible, apply the concept of “quality, not quantity”…. When time is short, make sure training ticks off the key principles of specific skills acquisition, quality hard sessions, and remember how important recovery is between hard sessions. 9 - Recovery is super important Don’t jam in extra sessions to make up for what you missed 4 weeks ago. Let that go. The schedule is designed with space between hard sessions for an important reason. This recovery time is necessary for our bodies to rebuild better and stronger for the next hard session. Without it, there are no gains made, and we risk overtraining and injury. Sacrificing quality for quantity If the session calls for an easy ride, don’t go with your mates for a hard hill smash sesh. Take the example of professional athletes; they focus mostly on enhancing their recovery so that they’re ready sooner for the next hard session. Enhance your recovery by doing these things: Early nights Reducing stress (delegate or put off stressful decisions/tasks ‘til after your race) Delete social media, TV etc. Drink plenty Eat healthily Massage, focusing on having the therapist identify potential tight/injury spots Yoga (as much for the calming mindset as for the stretching) Stretching (stretch when warm, in the 5 minutes immediately after your session) Integrate a warm-up and warm-down into every training session. Design it well, follow the instructions and you’ll open the lid to training and racing goodies! Train smart. Steve If you’d like some coaching help, I’m taking on a small handful of clients for the 2024 Coast to Coast. Typically clients do 3 or 4 sessions with me @ $150 per 90 minute session. This can include kayaking on the water too. We'll start with an initial 15 minute free chat to see if we’re “matched” for coaching. steve@stevegurney.co.nz

Steve Gurney shares technique tips on using your rudder and hull design for more race speed, while also improving your safety on the river. It’s not what you do with your paddle. It’s not how fit and strong you are. It’s not whether you can roll either. THE most important and fundamental skill for kayaking is to use the kayak hull as your tool. The hull has different angles, curves and edges in its design, designed to interact with the various elements of the moving water surrounding your kayak. A good paddler will “be at one” with their kayak or feel like the kayak is an extension of their body positioning the hull exactly where they want it to be, carving, slicing, lifting and railing. A beginner multisporter in a river likely feels none of this warm, kindly, connection. Understandably they’ll feel unfamiliar and disconnected, that their boat is a terrifying, unpredictable beast ready to toss them out to the taniwha, whirlpools, and bluffs. Summary: In this article, I’ll explain the how, why and when to use the hull shape to aid turning, positioning, safety and overall speed. Beginners often assume that fitness, grunt and muscle power are the basis of a river kayaker’s prowess. But I stress that this is not the case, the basis of good river paddling is the art of kayaking, the skill rather than the grunt, how to use the hull efficiently. It may seem subtle, but this skill is what will give consistently fast river speed, it will make river paddling fun and satisfying, and is the difference between a beginner and a confident paddler. these skills will help a kayaker harness the best speed from the river water that is already moving in their direction. Ie positioning their kayak in the fastest water. having these skills enables the paddler to put 100% of their effort into going forward instead of nervously hesitating and support stroking. having the foundation of good skills, is then a good platform to build fitness and grunt. Rail-steering Many multisport kayakers don’t even realise that there are several ways to steer your kayak with more efficiency than a rudder. Rudders are actually terribly inefficient, (but are sometimes a necessary evil). The trick is to know: how to use multiple steering methods when to use each different method There has always been a debate about when and how to introduce rail/bilge steering when someone is learning to kayak. I firmly believe that it is logical to teach rail steering right from the start. I opine that failure to teach all methods to steer the kayak teaches bad habits and confusion, which ultimately undermines safety. To extract the best speed and safest function from a multisport kayak a beginner needs to be instructed comprehensively in ALL methods of steering, when, and in what order to use the various methods to turn the kayak. There are times when it’s better to steer by rail-steering and there are times when rudder steering is best. I’ll explain the difference in clear detail below. Lifting the edge This article also explains how to use the edges (or the rail). Perhaps the most dramatic and eye-catching example is in slalom where a competitor stands their kayak on its tail to catch the deeper current and turn it quickly through the gates. They do this by slicing the tail of their kayak under the water using the sharp “rail” edge of their stern. Multisport kayakers, on the other hand, need to do the exact opposite, instead keeping the sharp edge of their rail above the current to prevent the rail catching side currents. Knowing how to use the edge is: Life-saving if you’re caught on a strainer hazard. As a beginner it’s the difference between staying upright and capsizing. “Fart at the fast-water” Contents Kayaking 101 basics What is the rail? Tributary or braid flow joins from the side “farting at the fast water” Cutting out of an eddy into the main flow Which is the fast water? It’s confusing at first! Cutting into an eddy from the main flow Surfing sideways on a wave Which is the fast water? Caught on an obstacle or strainer Rail-steering How to get extra speed from your kayak. Procedure for getting down the river fast and safe Priority order of strategies of planning and turning methods Waves and wind How to make turning easier for yourself Wave train rapids Boils They’re easy when you know how to use your rail Bluff rapids They’re actually easy, here’s the fast line Tree strainer rapids How to navigate safely Training ideas Tricks and tips for more speed with rail-steering Typical river rapids on the Waimakariri River A diagrammatic representation and some tips Brief history of the multisport kayak The NZ phenomenon Kayaking 101 railing basics. This is how I teach beginners. As you’ll see in [Figure #1], all kayaks have a rail (an edge) that’s relatively sharper than the hull. It’s where the deck and hull join together. Tributary or braid flow joins from the side “Fart at the fast water!” … by lifting the rail. …The most important and fundamental technique for moving water (and surfing a wave). You’ll recall being taught this, or some variation of this as a beginner. The fast water that we refer to here is fast relative to the speed and direction of your kayak, (not relative to the land. Imagine that you’re a starfish stuck on the hull of your kayak and can only see or feel the water 10 cms around you). By lifting the rail or edge of the kayak when fast side-water comes from the side (instead of from the usual straight-ahead direction), the kayaker prevents the fast water catching the edge and capsizing the kayak. Instead the fast water from the side slides under the hull allowing the kayak to kind of “skim” sideways over the fast water in the same way that a surfboard would. [Figure #1] In a river situation this “fart at the fast water” rule is applicable for: [Figure #2] when a significant tributary or braid joins the flow that the kayaker is paddling in [Figure # 3] cutting out into the main river flow from an eddy or a put-in [Figure # 4] cutting into an eddy for a break, portage, inspection etc [Figure # 5] Surfing sideways on a wave (e.g. at the beach, or a large breaking wave in the ocean or lake, or a standing wave in a river, or stationary on a buffer wave such as a bluff) you’ll be farting at the fast water relative to the kayak hull. [Figure #6] Being caught on an obstacle such as a tree or singular rock. Cutting out of an eddy into the main flow Cutting out of the main flow into an eddy Surfing sideways on a wave Scenario d) is fun! Surfing sideways! This is most common when surfing waves at the beach, but exactly the same principle applies for being sideways in static waves in a river or sideways to breaking waves on lakes and the ocean. In [Figure # 5] the fast water relative to the kayak (if you were a starfish stuck to the hull of the kayak looking at the water right there), is the smooth green/blue water coming from the side because the kayak is actually surfing sideways down the wave. So we need to activate our core strongly and consistently and lift that buttock and fart at the relative fast water! Caught sideways on an obstacle or strainer Scenario e); caught sideways on an obstacle or strainer: It is critically important that you keep that rail lifted as in [Figure #5 and #6 top] and to do this consistently, paddlers need to have a strong core (rail steering develops this). Failure to keep the rail up will could mean drowning/death. If the rail drops to the water line, even for a nano-second, the current will catch it, flip the kayak down under the water, wrap it around the obstacle, fill the kayak with water, and trap the kayaker underwater to drown. The power of the river is immense, no matter how seemingly slow the flow, and there is no way that a single human will win against it. Please have a healthy respect and avoid being caught in trees. Firstly avoid trees, plan well ahead and if in doubt get out. Pull over well in advance and portage around the trees. If (when) you do accidentally end up caught on a tree, a log, a solitary rock, it’s critically important to strongly lift the rail with your knee to fart at the incoming fast water, and most importantly, you need to consistently hold the rail up with strong core muscles. You’ll need to keep calm and make some quick decisions: You may be able to hold the rail up and push your way around the obstacle you’re caught on, thus floating free. If you judge this is impossible or dangerous then abandon your kayak, pull yourself up and out, climb the tree, climbing away from the incoming water. If you have capable kayaking partners practiced in rescue, then there’s a small chance they’ll get to you before you’re too exhausted, but it’s unlikely they can help you in time. Prevention is best. Plan ahead and keep your core strong in training sessions by practicing rail steering as described later in this article. Rail-steering Many multisport kayakers don’t even realise that there are several ways to steer your kayak with more efficiency than a rudder. Rudders are actually terribly inefficient, (but are sometimes a necessary evil). The trick is to know: how to use multiple steering methods when to use each different method Rail-steering (also known as bilge-steering) is tipping the kayak to one side by 20 to 40 degrees to alter the shape of the hull below the waterline such that it turns the kayak without the use of a rudder. The kayak turns because differential in the water pressure along the length of the hull. It is a very efficient way to steer and its inherent in the design of the hull. (yachts do this too) [see figure #7] Rudders are a later addition to the multisport kayak phenomenon in NZ. Rudders can be viewed as “lazy”, because when used naively and inefficiently they are “steering by blunt force”. But rudders do have their place! River and sea kayaks are designed with more rocker than a flat-water kayak to be more manoeuvrable, and thus are more easily “spun off line”, and thus, a rudder is quite useful in keeping a river kayak in a straight line, for helping in a side wind, and for making emergency fast turns. Intermediate and advanced level kayak hulls are designed to turn very efficiently and quickly when leaned over. Beginner-level kayaks don’t respond as easily to rail-steering, mainly because their extra width/buoyancy makes it harder to lift the rail, but they will still rail-steer. Rudder advantages: It’s easy and relatively simple. (Rail steering can be counter-intuitive and hard to learn at first) Rudders are useful in side-winds Rail-steering advantages: Faster kayak speed. (rudders can be a “blunt-force” way of turning) Inherent in the design of river boat hulls and enables quicker turns. (thereby safer) Safety skill for when the rudder breaks. Negating the need to pull out of the race/trip. Teaches core control and proprioception, therefore better athleticism. Procedure for getting down a river as fast and as safely as possible: What I’m describing below is in the context of getting down a river as quickly as possible in a race. Recreational paddling or playing in currents or waves (river and ocean) has a different focus/paradigm and you may use the steering methods in a different order, but the principles of turning are the same. Rudder steering should be the last priority for steering in a race because just like doing a handbrake skid, it slows your kayak. For a racing situation, here are the best steering methods in order of what I consider to be fastest priority. 1/ Scanning ahead and planning your route This significantly reduces the need for turning. In other words, positioning your kayak in the current. For maximum speed in a race, we (generally) want to position our kayak in the fastest water. Fastest water will be where the bulk of the flow is. (Fast flowing water is generally characterised by long wave trains and a long wavelength between crests, and if the water is clear (not muddy, milky), the deep fast water is usually a deep blue colour.) When our kayak is positioned in the bulk of the flow, there is actually very little need to turn it because the water is flowing exactly in the same direction that we want to paddle (ie we want to stay in the bulk flow) You can also plan ahead to utilise various currents, eddy lines, boils, buffer waves or wind to turn your kayak. (eg the buffer waves off a bluff will straighten your kayak) 2/ Rail steering. (Bilge Steering) Leaning (railing, tilting) the kayak over to one side using hips. Lift left hip to turn left; and lift right hip to turn right. [Figure # 7] Bilge steering creates a long way and a short cut for water flow as it divides around each side of the hull. In other words, bilge steering creates a “foil”. This means that the flow around the long way will have a tendency to be less dense than the flow on the short cut. The hull moves sideways to equalise the pressure difference, thus turning. Because a kayak hull is long and carefully designed for laminar flow, bilge steering is much more efficient when compared to rudder steering. Rudder steering adds friction to turn. [see Figure #7] Skinny (tippy) kayaks bilge steer very easily. Wider hulls are less responsive to bilge steering, but still turn with a bilge steer, and this will be helped heaps by simultaneously doing a sweep stroke as described by [Figure #8]. 3/ Sweep strokes. [Figure # 8] Incorporated into your normal paddling cadence. Simply make your paddle stroke on one side longer, stronger and wider. No need to double stroke, simply insert a sweep stroke instead of a normal stroke. Anticipate the need to turn and insert a sweep stroke early on, thus making it much more effective and easier to do. Sweep strokes are most effective used early. Anticipate a turn and initiate or correct before the kayak gets its momentum into a turn. Sweep strokes are much more efficient than a rudder and are best done in conjunction with bilge steering. 4/ Rudders Rudders are inefficient and best used for: fine tuning the turn at the last minute to avoid a tree strainer a last-minute emergency change to avoid a surprise Combine these 4 methods A fast paddler will usually combine some or all of these 4 methods above, starting with: #1 Planning ahead and progressively adding #2 Rail-turns, # 3 Sweep strokes, and finally #4 Rudder as needed to progressively produce a tighter and quicker turn. The conflict when cutting into and out of an eddy: Where there is a conflict between rail-steering and “farting at the fast water” is in [Figures 3 and 4] above. In these 2 cases, rail-steering would theoretically help make a quicker turn, but it risks catching the edge and capsizing. “Farting at the fast water” is the safest and always trumps, or takes priority, because the water coming from the side will very strongly grab the rail or edge and capsize the kayak. An expert kayaker can sometimes rail-steer for [Figures 3 and 4] but only when there is very little side current (eg a weak eddy). But the gains to be made are so negligible that it is always best to be conservative and fart at the fast water. Be assertive! Most beginners are too conservative and need to commit more to: lifting their rail higher out of grasp of the water intersecting from the side. It’s very helpful and comforting to use a support stroke (low brace) on the opposite side. Good forward speed when crossing an eddyline helps heaps with kayak stability, and the efficacy of the low brace support stroke. (like water-skis, they both need speed to be stable) But safety always trumps rail steering. If you have fast water coming from the side: Fart at the fast water! Summary so far: As you become more confident as a multisport river racer: you will learn to rail steer more and rudder steer less you’ll learn to anticipate early when to use a sweep stroke to help a turn you will be able to judge from closely observing the incoming fast water from one side or the other how aggressively you’ll need to fart at the fast water and whether a low brace support stroke is needed or not, or whether railing is enough and you can keep powering forward with full power. You’ll develop strong core muscles and good proprioception by using your rail often. Here are a some more hydrodynamic situations to consider: Waves with wind Boils Bluff rapids Dangerous strainers A. Waves and wind Kayaks will turn easily when they’re on the top of a wave. It’s like a “see-saw”. By picking the timing, use a strong, wide paddle stroke when the crest of the wave is under your cockpit, and then the kayak will spin super easily! [Figure # 9] By contrast, it will be impossible to turn a kayak when you’re in a trough with the bow and the stern buried in a wave each. [Figure # 9] You’ll find this wave turning technique useful when: You’re on a lake or estuary running with the waves and wind; or when the waves and the wind are on your rear quarter. The kayak will invariably broach in the trough between 2 waves and try to round up into the wind. So, you’ll need to wait until you’re sitting on top of the crest to do a strong sweep stroke to pivot the boat back on course. You’re in a rapid with a wave train but you need to move slightly to the side of the wave train. (obviously, scanning and planning ahead would prevent this in the first place) [Figure # 10] A wave-train is a series of static waves down the middle of a rapid. The wave-train is where the water is fastest, theoretically a good place to position your kayak, but it is often slower because the kayak is violently “see-sawing” and the waves crests crash into the kayaker’s chest. The best race-line is just beside the wave train 50cms to the side of the crests where the water is flatter, the flow is just about as fast, but the kayak won’t see-saw. To re-position your kayak out of the middle of the wave-train, wait until you’re on top of a crest and then do a sweep stoke to change the kayak direction. Take care to do just a moderate direction change, otherwise your bow will catch the eddy beside the wave-train, and you’ll spin sharply upstream. Once you’re 50 cms beside the wave-train, be ready to quickly rail-steer and sweep-stroke your kayak straight back in line with the current. Wave trains B. Boils – using your rail [Figure #11] Boils occur in deep, fast rivers. They can be a little intimidating to beginners, but once you figure out the dynamics, they’re actually fun! When racing it’s best not to avoid them, just cut through them. As a summary, the boil will shunt the bow sideways, which is totally fine so long as you plan ahead and anticipate logically that it will do this, but the boil will very soon automatically correct this change of direction so long as you relax, rail, don’t move your rudder, and keep your speed up. [Figure # 11]. As your kayak bow intersects a boil, keep your speed up, simply lift the rail to “fart at the fast water”, keep paddling, or do a low brace support stroke if you’re not as stable as you’d like to feel. The trick is; once you’ve cut into the boil, keep watching the water ahead to anticipate which side the next “relative fast water” will come from. You’ll need to swap and lift the other rail, because the boil will have shunted your bow sideways and as your bow exits the boil back into the body of the river, the new water is the body of the river effectively coming in from the opposite side to the boil to straighten it up! The nett effect of passing through a boil is that the boil has simply shifted the boat sideways, but you’ll still be in the fastest part of the river. It’s fastest to NOT use your rudder and it’s actually unnecessary, simply rail the kayak as described above to prevent the boil catching your rail and go with allowing the boil to temporarily turn you and then back again. Rail-steering as described, actually helps turn the kayak in a useful direction, to counter what the boil does. Initially a beginner will be comforted by using a support stroke (on the opposite side to the incoming fast water) to help the “farting” action, but with practice you’ll learn that you can safely apply full paddle power whilst railing, using the power stroke for support, and that this full speed ahead will aid stability. As you get better at it, you’ll feel a smooth carving motion with your hips as you change from one rail to the other, your kayak describing a rolling, mild “S” move. C. Bluff rapids Most paddlers fear bluff rapids, but once you understand which rail to lift and when, you won’t need to change your pants! They will become tactically fun, and will be your secret weapon to gaining heaps of time and race places over less confident paddlers. [Figure # 12] The keys to mastering bluff rapids are: Planning well ahead Positioning your kayak wide to start with so it’s not a tight turn Knowing when to drift sideways a little Understanding which rail to lift if you meet the buffer wave intersection with the fast water Avoiding the eddy at the bottom. Plan well ahead, looking for the fastest, deepest water. If you position yourself in the fastest water there’s less work to do in steering and railing, it’s actually much easier than any chicken route (and chicken routes usually have “sniper-rocks” that will damage your boat) Start wide of the centre line so you don’t need to do any tight turns. [see figure # 12] Position your kayak a little bit sideways so you’re drifting sideways toward the bluff and buffer wave… at any point you can put the power on, and totally miss the buffer wave. Lift the rail facing the incoming fast water (the upstream rail in this case) as you continue paddling. Adjust your speed so that you power straight through the “sweet spot”. If by chance you drift sideways into the buffer wave, it’s totally fine so long as you keep lifting your rail, “farting at the fast water” coming at you from the rapid above. The buffer wave below you is benign, having lost its force and energy when it met the bluff rocks. The buffer wave can look intimidating, but it’s actually helpful in keeping you away from the bluff rocks like a pillow. The fast water coming at the side of your kayak from the rapid above you has the power to catch your rail, unless you lift it high. The ideal line is to avoid the buffer wave totally, positioning your kayak halfway between the buffer wave and the eddy on the opposite side at the bottom of the rapid. It’s sometimes called the “sweet spot” because you’ll feel a sweet burst of acceleration here! [Figure #12] Caveat, caution, good to know: Very rarely (1%) the bluff might be undercut, and you’ll be able to predict/see this as you plan your approach, by the absence of a buffer wave. An undercut is very dangerous because you could get forced under water, but it’s very easy to see and avoid it if you position your kayak on an angle, [Figure # 12] which enables you to power away from danger. It’s exactly the same dynamics and kayakers’ route for tree strainers or solitary rocks that can occasionally be found along a bluff face. D. Tree strainer danger! [Figure # 13] Scanning and planning ahead is never more important than for dangers such as trees. If in doubt, get out. If you can’t see around the strainer or are unsure about your ability, get out well above it so you can inspect or portage. If it’s safe to paddle: safety is much more important than speed, so this is one case to use your rudder as much as needed, but if you plan ahead you should only need to use your rudder a little, (and besides it’s good to know you have a buffer of “rudder safety” up your sleeve) Plan your route well ahead, and conservatively, keeping as far away from the tree as you can in case the current is stronger than you thought. Ease up a little on your effort so you have some acceleration available if needed to get out of trouble. Angle your kayak in the direction of escape [see Figure #13] so that you’re drifting slightly sideways, but ready to accelerate away if needed. You can safely use a bilge steer to turn more away from the trees because this is also “farting at the fast water” Training ideas for perfecting rail-steering are; Turn tight circles around buoys and moored boats. Rail the kayak as far as you dare, wetting your spraydeck a little more each time. You will find that the boat is quite stable on its rail if you relax. Borrow a DRR without a rudder, it’s fun and its superb skill practice. Do a regular training sessions without your rudder: Pick a calm, windless day. Lift your rudder out of the water and keep it there using Duct-tape. It will be frustrating at first and you’ll need to use a lot of sweep strokes until you get used to anticipating the kayak turning. Then you’ll be more able to rail-steer it earlier and more effectively. This also a useful skill to learn for the inevitable, sometime in the future when your rudder cable breaks! Do railing drills where you lift one rail as high as you dare, and paddle for 20 strokes or more until your core muscles start to ache. Either paddle in circles or use the rudder to keep straight. This drill has multiple benefits of strengthening your core, enhancing your proprioception (balancing skills) and it enhances your confidence in your stability by kinaesthetically demonstrating the “edge of stability” of your kayak. Summary for multisport kayak river racing: Knowing how to use the rail (edge) of your kayak is the most fundamental multisport kayak skill; Life-saving if you’re caught on a strainer hazard. As a beginner it’s the difference between staying upright and capsizing. “Fart at the fast water” For advanced racing, rail-steering is faster and can be the difference between 1st and 2nd place. Turning your kayak costs valuable energy that could be better used for forward propulsion. Rudders are the least efficient to turn, but are a necessary evil, use the rudder tactfully and sparingly First, plan your route well in advance to minimise turning, and to maximise use of hydraulic features of the river, (such as fast current). When a change of direction is required, rail-steer, then sweep stroke and lastly the rudder to fine tune. With experience you will learn to rail-steer more and rudder-steer less With practice you’ll learn to anticipate early when to use a sweep stroke to help a turn As you become more confident in moving water, you will be able to judge from closely observing the incoming fast water from one side or the other how aggressively you’ll need to fart at the fast water and whether a low brace support stroke is needed or not, or whether railing is enough and you can keep powering forward with full power. You’ll develop strong core muscles and good proprioception by using your rail often. Typical Waimakariri Rapids A brief history of the NZ phenomenon of multisport kayaking. The first multisport athletes in the early 1980’s used basic white-water kayaks such as the Tiger, Olymp etc. Then much faster, imported Down River Racer (DRR) kayaks emerged such as the Delphin and Vision series in the mid 80’s. DRR’s do not have rudders, they steer only by the kayaker planning ahead, rail-steering (bilge-steering), sweep strokes and utilising the features of the river to turn their kayak. In the mid to late 80’s Grahame Sisson departed from ICF regulations, pioneering longer, sleeker kayaks with rudders. Kayak design evolved rapidly to suit NZ rivers with multiple kayak designs and manufacturers. I recall long and exciting discussions about fast hull designs. I was the freshly graduated engineering theorist, bubbling with what I thought were clever ideas, that were never conceived in the entire history of boat design. Grahame Sisson patiently listened and then calmly explained that he’d already tried these ideas and hundreds of others too. Gyro, has an intelligence and experience in hull design that we often mistake as eccentricity. Put simply, for a kayak hull to be fast, it must slip through the water with as little disruption to the water as possible because disruption costs energy. (Without getting carried away in Hydrodynamic-speak, kayak hull design for maximum speed is reasonably complex as one needs to optimise factors such as resistance due to skin friction, eddy making and wave making which end up compromised by the practical requirements of metacentric height, manoeuvrability, comfort and transportability.) Hulls are narrow and sleek so as to promote smooth flow as the water flows from bow to stern with nil or little flow separation. A rudder disrupting this smooth flow presents massive drag. It has always been a challenge for beginner multisport athletes to get competent in kayaking and even more of a challenge to learn the skills to master rivers and white water. When compared with running and biking which most people learn to do as children, kayaking is typically a relatively unfamiliar sport. Ever since the beginning of multisport in the 80’s, there has been robust debate over the best way to teach, manage, and regulate the “grade 2 kayaking certificate” as a pre-requisite for entering multisport races with moving water. In addition, beginner kayakers usually have a difficult decision when purchasing their first kayak to get the right balance between stability and speed. www.sissonkayaks.co.nz https://www.sporty.co.nz/asset/downloadasset?id=687fab5d-09a1-4bfa-aec9-7c110f01b9ff Steve Gurney Brief intro. Steve started kayaking in the University of Canterbury Canoe Club in 1982 with white water, slalom and canoe polo. In the 1980’s Multisport racing began in NZ where Steve began river racing in DRR’s such as the Delphin and Vision. He has many kayak river race wins under his belt, but to summarise those he’s most proud of, he won the Cameron Descent in Malaysia (2-day, class 4 white water) paddling a Wavehopper DRR, and was the South Island DRR champion in1986. As a sponsored athlete he worked with Sisson kayaks assisting Graham as he pioneered the design of specific multisport Kayaks for the NZ multisport phenomenon. He won 9 Coast to Coast races, of course using the Sisson Evolution kayak with which he assisted in the design. Steve has a Mechanical Engineering degree and aims to apply that knowledge to improve sports equipment design. Steve offers coaching for those who are serious about improving their racing results. Email steve@stevegurney.co.nz to advance your racing.

I LOVE speaking at awards ceremonies, because they’re all about recognising excellence, it’s about people making a difference, and about courageous people operating that the edge of their comfort zones. Life truly begins at the edge of our comfort zone. The Connexis Excellence awards evening was a supreme example of how these events should be. People sharing their insights, rubbing shoulders with high achieving business teams, rewarding the highest achievers and working to keep building champion teams into the future! It was a real pleasure to present at the event, and to work with the wonderful team at Season Event Design in creating a fun and memorable evening.

Steve Gurney Interview - 2C Solar Light Cap from 2clight on Vimeo.

Steve Gurney - How Do You See It? from Rattle Ya Dags on Vimeo. Steve Gurney has won the gruelling New Zealand Coast-to Coast race nine times. This unequalled achievement is even more remarkable when you consider this super-athlete nearly died, doing what he loves and what he does best, competing in multi-sport events.