LOCALadk Magazine

63 Summer 2016 LOCALadk Magazine LOCALadk They increased blade to shaft offset, for a blade forward de- sign. Thus gives a more powerful catch and more verticality through the power phase. Mat t t hink s: The catch phase of the forward stroke of this paddle is just one of the things that sets it apart from others. The feeling when you place the paddle in the water is uniquely solid but does not take away from the paddler's ability to move it through the water quickly. Proper forward stroke technique would call a paddler's attention to reach forward, planting the blade near the toes. While racing, this technique is critical. The shaft offset of the Odachi makes achieving that goal easier and re- wards paddlers with already strong catch-phase technique with an extra boost! The blade forward design also lets the paddler trust that he/she will be getting a good catch every time, allowing him or her to focus on more important things like nailing their line. I can tell you, the last thing I want to be thinking about as I approach the "The tubs," the most difficult of all of the rapids on the King Of New York's Raquette Race course is the catch-phase of my forward stroke. Later this summer, competitive whitewater paddlers from all over the Eastern United States and Canada will gather in the northwest corner of the Adirondack Park to kick-off the annual King Of New York whitewater race series. Events are held on the Raquette and Beaver Rivers over Labor Day weekend and finish on the Moose River later in the fall. Overall male and female winners are crowned as King (note: female category winner is also known as king, no gender discrimination here). These types of events known as "creek races" where kayakers challenge themselves to paddle down difficult white- water as fast as possible have become increasingly popular in every part of the United States and other countries. While boats specifically designed for this type of racing have been around for quite some time, racing-specific paddles have only shown up in the hands of elite racers and these products have not been easily available to the majority of the general public. Last fall the undisputed powerhouse of paddle manufacturing in the United States, Werner, released the Odachi. It is a racing specific paddle that meets both the performance and quality standards demanded by whitewater racers and is now readily available to the general public. I began using this paddle for racing and longer river running pursuits this spring. It has a unique feel and highly desir- able characteristics for anyone looking to move in a forward direction fast while paddling their whitewater kayak. Please read on for my personal reactions to what Werner says about this new paddle. They designed the blade face to have greater dihedral (The parallel ridge down the center of the blade.) This is to stabilize more powerful, racing, forward strokes. Mat t t hink s: Often times towards the end of a race course I find myself fa- tigued and struggling to grip my paddle tight enough in order says: says: ODACHI Review Eric Adsit

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