Kayak Rolling Concepts

What is Directional Rolling?

Once upon a time it was called "rolling in a circle." The term directional rolling is an updated tag line, but it is still rolling in a circle; meaning setting up to roll in the direction you are falling.  Directional rolling is a skill that every boater should be...

The Bombproof Roll by Ken Kastorff

You want a bombproof roll? I hate to even admit this with Murphy’s evil law running around out there but the last time I legitimately swam out of a kayak was in 1975. Ya, Ya, I swam once throwing my paddle away doing enders and getting sucked up into a hydraulic that...

When a Bombproof Roll is not Bombproof

A whitewater kayaker's goal is to have a bomproof roll. To help reach with the goal of successfully rolling /  how to practice your roll / the technique behind rolling.. the Endless River Adventures Team and I have spent years writing articles about every aspect of...

Is a “Bombproof Roll” too Much to Ask for?

Is a “bombproof roll” too much to ask for? Doesn’t everyone, well—nearly everyone, eventually go for a swim? Which would mean to say that there is “no such thing” as a bomb-proof roll. We say not true. It is time to differentiate between the inevitability of having an...

The Recovery/Finish Position of the Roll

Of the four steps to the roll: set up, sweep, hip snap, recovery/finish, it is the recovery/finish position that too often gets overlooked by beginner paddlers, and written off as not necessary by experienced paddlers.   The recovery/finish step of the roll...

Where the C-to-C Roll Came From

The development of the C-to-C Roll as recounted by Ken Kastorff: In the early 1970’s I was participating in winter pool slalom events in Wisconsin. At that time teaching the roll was all one motion and it was hard to break down. One night I learned the C-1 roll so...

C-to-C Roll or Sweep Roll?

What Really Matters Is Technique. by Trevor Stewart The evolution of white water kayaks has rekindled the debate among kayak instructors over which type of roll to teach their students. Many instructors believe that it is more difficult teaching someone to roll one of...

Rolling (An Addendum) by Ken Kastorff

It has been a while since I have had time to sit down in front of the computer and put some thoughts on the screen.  Recently I had a chance to escape from the office and sneak onto the lake with a couple of guests that wanted to work on their kayak skills.  One of my...