Читать книгу Paddles Up!. Dragon Boat Racing in Canada онлайн

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The feet need to be positioned firmly on the foot hold, called a rib, in front of the paddlers and underneath the seat in front of them. In the dragon boat, there is a double rib in front of each paddler.

ssss1: Hip and Leg.

ssss1: Heels on Rib.

Depending on the height of the paddler, the first rib or the one ahead of it will be used. It is important that paddlers position their feet so that they can push firmly with the feet at the beginning, or top, of each stroke. The push with the feet works in conjunction with the pull phase of the stroke to propel the boat forward and create power and boat speed (see ssss1).

Note:

Remember:

Holding the Paddle

There are three parts to the paddle: the top of the paddle that is often shaped like a “T” and, therefore, called the T-grip; the shaft or middle part of the paddle; and the blade of the paddle, of which the bottom, wider portion goes in the water.

The top hand holds the T-grip with a comfortable grip (see ssss1). There is no need to hold it too tightly or the paddler may get hand cramps. The bottom hand grips the shaft of the paddle a half of a fist, approximately one inch, above the blade portion of the paddle. The bottom hand should not be directly on top of the blade as there must be space between the top of the blade and the bottom hand (see ssss1). The most effective point to create force with a paddle is at the direct midpoint as measured from the paddle tip to the top of the T-grip. Marking this point with a piece of tape can help, particularly for beginners. Tape can also be used to prevent the bottom hand slipping or sliding up the shaft of the paddle. Some people who are concerned about this movement wear gloves but most world-level paddlers believe that gloves restrict the ability to “feel” the water and only wear gloves in very cold water conditions.