Greenland's Gift

It's no longer much of a secret that Greenland style kayaking - or perhaps I should say qajaqquni - is taking the world by storm. Almost anywhere one goes these days to meet up with fellow paddlers, one sees Greenland "skinny stick" paddles and even a few home-built 'skin-on-frame' kayaks. There is a reason for this recent diaspora of Greenland qajaq culture and much of the reason can be seen and heard in Dubside's latest video: Modern Greenland Kayaking.

This is the latest product coming out of the collaboration of Tom Sharp and Dubside. I was lucky enough to wrangle a copy out of Dubside's hands when we were both in Toronto last month. It should be available now through his web site and I can highly recommend adding it to your collection. The DVD takes the viewer through the re-birth and transformation of Greenland's qajaq culture as it moved from a hunting implement to a national sport. Well documented are all the varied aspects of the sport from the qajait themselves, to the rope gymnastics, the rolling and the racing. From there the video moves to the United States where a number of early pioneers like Cindy Cole and John Heath brought the rich and varied qajaq culture home to people in North America and now it's busy spreading around the world.

So get out there and buy this video! Then get involved in one of the most fascinating parts of the kayaking world, one that goes directly to the heart and spirit of its beginnings - and future.