Each of Gabriela’s personal paddles has its own characteristics and she selects what’s appropriate for the paddling at hand, always carrying one stick on the deck.
The one that started it all…
Carved in 2008, this general purpose paddle has, down the line, been followed by others with more specialised performance.
This meant that it became the paddle of choice for the rough jobs. Or should that be called abuse? It hit uncounted rocks, got stuck in that slot at Surge Narrows more than once (we’re still surprised that it has survived that!) and actually fell off the roof rack at one point. Oops, sorry!
Despite its scars it’s still going strong and is paddled once in a while.
The favorite Touring Paddle
This is Gabriela’s go-to paddle for her camping trips. Its light weight helps to paddle it for those long periods of time. However, its thin blades make it unsuitable for surf landings or rock gardening – that would be the time to reach for another stick in the quiver.
The Touring Blade is awaiting its refinishing this winter, well deserved after hundreds of nautical miles of traveling.
The Storm Paddle
While playing the first time with the sliding stroke, Gabriela realised that it would be beneficial for learning if this highly technical stroke would be the only choice to paddle.
She made this paddle with
the same blades as her Touring Paddle, combined with a loom length of two fists width. It has proven to be a wonderful practising tool and is paddled for the pure joy of using the sliding stroke.
The Powerplay Prototype (aka The Club)
Rough water paddling is a game on its own, and a lot of fun. However, it requires the right tools. Gabriela felt that, with her first paddle, she couldn’t get the most power out of her strokes in surf.
It was only natural that she then built the first Powerplay paddle: shorter overall, longer loom, adjusted blade shape, maple tips with 8 ounce fiberglass reinforcement… This paddle stays unoiled and the wood fibers are just sanded smooth once or twice a year.
La Tempete
When making her second and improved Storm Paddle, Gabriela couldn’t help playing with different aspects of paddle building, including the naming: tempete is the French word for storm.
This paddle has had a former life as a plank of a picnic table – hence the filled holes on each blade. It has a fatter and stiffer blade than her original Storm Paddle for an even more efficient stroke. The shoulders are also softer and the loom is less than a hand width. A very powerful tool in windy conditions!
The new kid on the block (Powerplay)
We strongly believe in customized paddle sizing. The paddle should fit the paddlers body size and the kayak’s width.
Gabriela has built herself a play boat! So it’s also been time for a new Powerplay paddle that not only fits the Petrel’s beam but also matches its beauty.
The core of this paddle is Western Red Cedar, the accents Yellow Cedar and the tips Yew wood.
(Picture of the paddle to follow.)