SPEEDSTROKE GYM AT DEEP COVE OUTDOORS

I’ve been using the Speedstroke since Bob and Kim first assembled it at the new DCO last December. I’m now a big fan and I thought I’d share my experience and thoughts so far. If you’ve never heard of the Speedstroke and have no idea of what it is, then it’s the kayaking equivalent of those Concept II rowing machines you’ll have seen in the gym.

The seat is fixed in place, and instead of a small handle you have a paddle shaft. A clever arrangement of ropes and pulleys gives you the same motion and feel as paddling in a kayak (albeit a very, very stable kayak - see later).

The first location - over the office at the end of the shop - was far from ideal as it was baking hot before you even picked up the paddle! It is currently located on the main floor of Deep Cove Outdoors at the cooler end of the shop. We have added a 4’ x 6’ mirror on the wall which helps for technique awareness.

So why was I interested in using the Speedstroke? Three reasons:
1. I want to improve my stroke. I want an efficient and consistent stroke that gives me more power out of each stroke than I’m currently getting. I want a stroke that, combined with the appropriate level of fitness, will see me through a strong Round Bowen race in June. I started working on my stroke last season while I was guiding and playing in a variety of boats (Sirocco, Gulfstream, surf skis, Nomad, Looksha Elite, Epic 18x - I like variety!) and it seemed to get better. It certainly felt like I got better but it’s a difficult thing to judge. I’ve read the books, I’ve watched the DVD’s, I’ve talked to Bob, and I now have a better understanding of stroke mechanics. Using the machine in front of the mirror allows me to see if I’m applying the technique correctly.
2. I’m always up for a good workout! I really enjoy my sessions on the rowing machine at the gym and thought if this could give me as good a workout and throw in a bit of stroke improvement at the same time then I’d be on a winner.
3. I’m starting my prep for a couple of races this year: Tour de Indian Arm (May), Round Bowen (June), and some of the Tuesday Night Races in The Cove. The Speedstroke allows me to do some paddling-specific training whatever the weather’s doing.

So has it worked? Has my stroke improved?
Absolutely. I can see that now. Technically it’s definitely improved; I’m getting more rotation, my power output is staying constant throughout each session. I’m now working less on the style and more on the power.

Is it a good workout?
It’s an awesome workout! At the moment I’ll do one long session of an hour, and a shorter session of thirty minutes with more resistance. I’m starting to do some interval sessions, and I’m aiming for a two-hour session soon. The real-time information allows me to monitor my power output of each stroke. If the output drops I bring it back up. Consistency.

How does it compare to being in a boat?
I went for a paddle after I’d been using the machine for a couple of weeks and I can’t deny I got a bit of a shock. As I dropped back in the seat and pushed away from the beach I almost tipped the boat. I’d forgotten how tippy a kayak can be! It only took a few minutes though and I was away, and feeling the new improved stroke. A couple of weeks after that I took the Epic 18x up to Granite Falls and recorded my best time so far, so it seems to be having a positive effect.

If you want to improve your stroke or just want a different workout that will directly benefit your paddling, I definitely recommend having a go on this machine. We’re currently talking with Burnaby Canoe and Kayak Club as they’re interested in running stroke improvement sessions at DCO. They came in to see the Speedstroke and they’re very excited about the possibilities that it provides.

To encourage other people to give the Speedstroke a go we’re offering a few enticements:
A new rental structure.
Now you can get a ½ hour session for $7 (inc. tax). A one hour session costs $12 (inc. tax). Call the shop, see if the machine is available, come over and train.

More flexible hours
Can’t get here before our closing time of 6:00 pm to train? Too shy to sweat in front of the shoppers or our staff? We’ll be open until 8:30 pm for Speedstroke training. No shoppers, just paddlers. You have to pre-book and pre-pay for these sessions. If you ask nicely we may even open early in the morning.

Stroke Improvement Clinic
Spend an hour on the Speedstroke being coached by Bob Putnam. He’ll give you all the instruction, feedback, and tools you need to improve. Whether you want to improve your racing or your touring, this clinic will definitely yield results!

Information and feedback
We’ve linked the Speedstroke to a computer to provide realtime information:

• Distance
• Stroke number
• Stroke rate
• Stroke length
• Heart rate (only with a compatible HRM)
• Speed
• Watts
• Avg Watts
• Drag
• Graphic Power curves

We can start a session with a specific distance or time as the target and the above information will be recorded on a stroke by stroke basis. Each session is recorded and a history is built up that can be used for reference and comparison. You can even have the information emailed to you in an Excel spreadsheet.

Motivation on tap
Somebody has to be there to open/close the building. That same person (i.e me) will be available for you to call on during your session. I will happily supply motivation, helping you to stay at your target pace, monitoring your stroke, power output, speed, calling out your intervals, whatever....it’s up to you. I’ll also make myself scarce and read a book if you’d prefer to be left alone. Just be aware that if you do ask for my input I won’t accept whining about a hard day at work, under the weather...... I’m not a coach and you’re not paying coaching fees, I’m just the best training partner you’ll ever get for free.

Here is a video clip of Dion Maxwell, former US National Sprint Kayak Team member doing a 200 meter interval.

Zero Skis - The Verdict is Out

Zero Skis – The Verdict is Out – Classic skiers love Zero skis

Well, after a couple of years of people being unsure about the usefulness of Zero skis for classic skiing, and after testing the skis myself and talking to many customers, I am confident that Zero skis are here to stay and are a must have for every serious skier. This is especially true for the Vancouver area where we enjoy a very temperate climate. I truly believe they will help re-vitalize classic skiing on the Wet Coast. Here in the Vancouver area, there are tons of skate skiers because people can’t be bothered with grip waxing and fish scale skis are too slow. Go visit the interior where it is easy to wax and you will see more classic skiers.

I have sold about 12 pairs this past winter and after checking in with the skiers half way through the season they all love their zeros. They provide more on-snow skiing time in those hard-to-wax conditions.

What is a Zero Ski?

Well, contrary to what the name suggest these skis are good in variety of snow conditions and not just zero temperatures. The zero ski has a rubberized material in the grip zone that lends itself to having a fuzzy structure. Now, when I say fuzzy I know you are thinking of fuzzy dice but, this fuzz, is barely noticeable and provides grip during the kick phase. Technically it’s called a “raised texture” and nothing like fishscales.

Back-in-the-day, ski wax technicians would use sandpaper to create “hairies” in the grip zone by aggressively sanding the ski base with coarse sand paper. This would help the ski grip in conditions when most waxes or klisters refused to work. The problem is that soft race bases can only handle so much of this and they can be ruined. Zero skis were widely used at the Canadian Nationals in 2008 and the 2010 Olympics at Callaghan Valley as conditions were warm.

Here in the Vancouver area where we often see -1, 0 degrees or warmer temperatures, zero skis are an excellent option as your main classic ski. The zero ski quickly becomes your “go to” classic ski. When we are busy driving to and from the ski trails, on-snow training time becomes precious. Zero skis will help you maximize your skiing and training time by having to spend less time in the wax hut. There is nothing more frustrating than spending 15 minutes waxing your skis then hitting the trails to find you are slipping or snow is clumping onto the base.

How do they ski?

I find they ski like a nicely waxed pair of classic skis, great glide and enough grip to get the job done. The grip with a Zero ski is a “real world” grip and not the brainless grip that you get from a fish scale ski, where you run the risk of getting lazy and sloppy in your technique. Like with a nicely waxed pair classic skis you still need to be utilizing good weight shift to make the ski work. This is good for developing skiers and young racers who are racing with waxable classic skis where the grip can be variable. As for the glide there is no “brrrrr” noise like a fish scale and that means less friction and better glide.

What’s working against them?

The Name! The term “Zero Skis” sounds very specific. It makes people think that the ski is only good for a specific temperature range. It indicates that these skis will only be good in temperature range around 0 degrees, but nothing can be further from the truth. Zero skis are proving to have great application in a wide range of conditions.

How do I maintain the ski?

As with any waxing question, ask 10 different people and you’ll get 10 different answers. Well, I have spoken to 100 people, many of whom are industry experts and here is what I know.

Obviously glide wax the tip and tail like any classic or skate ski.

The grip area can be prepared with 80 – 100 grit sand paper. Scuff up this area with a circular motion. National team wax techs are using 1 or 2 passes with a random orbital power sander. After you have prepared the grip area you can spray it with a silicone spray, or Swix makes specific Zero spray. This prevents the grip zone from icing up. After this you are good to go, and the grip area will work for several ski sessions. I have at least half a dozen 1 – 2 hour ski sessions since I last sanded my base.

Won’t the grip zone wear out from all that sanding?

First, you don’t need to sand the base every time you ski. Second, you are not really sanding off a layer of base, you are really fluffing up the fuzz. Very little grip material is removed. Third, the grip material is more durable that the glide base so they wear evenly.

While recently attending the Western Canadian Champs in Kelowna I met a coach from Methow Valley in Washington who regularly uses hard wax for grip on his zero skis in colder condition. He treats them like regular waxable classics in cold conditions and doesn’t apply wax in warm conditions. He also felt that a finer 120 grit sand paper actually gave him better grip than a course 80 grit sand paper. (Note of caution: remember the "ask 10 people" rule) I have yet to test his theory.

Check out this base preparation video by Fischer .

Which companies make Zeros

Most skis manufacturers now produce Zeros. Originally they were only available in the top of the line models, which meant they were really expensive. But this year many manufacturers are producing Zero skis in a variety of models at different price points.

To my knowledge Madshus has been on the leading edge of the technology. This year Madshus offers their “Classic IntelliGrip” zero base on 3 different skis in their line up. Rossignol has a good ski which they call the “Rubber” skis (bad marketing) and of course Fischer has a great Zero ski. What I like about the Madshus product is that they offer 2 flexes for every length at the $390 Terrasonic price point and 3 – 4 flexes at every length for their top of the line Nanosonic Zero, $695. Fischer will be offering the Zero in their CR $350 model and their second tier RCS $595 with a soft and medium flex per size.

Aside from getting information about Zero skis from industry experts, the information I really value is the positive feedback from my customers. It has all been positive, and believe me, if my customers didn’t like the Zero skis I would be hearing about it!

BTW Deep Cove Outdoors will be receiving a batch of Madshus Terrasonic Zero Skis. We have purchased 2009 models with old graphic but the same ski as 2010. Great Savings!

If you have any feedback on your Zero skis, please post a comment.