Can you Canoe?

Unknown charger styling while stunned surfer looks on in awe.

A wave canoeist was reportedly seen turning and going left at an undisclosed wave in ireland today. According to eye witness reports he managed to get his whole wave riding craft at a sidaeways angle. “It completely blew my mind”, frothed  one stunned surfer who wishes to remain unnamed,  “he somehow managed to dig his whole paddle into the water while at the same time sliding out the tail of the canoe. I mean he nearly made it round the section for christsakes. This has completely changed my approach to wave-riding. I learnt more in the half hour watching this guy than I have in twenty years of surfing. To see something so functional while at the same time so beautiful really made my question my choice of equipment”.

The wave canoe is, as we all know, the oldest form of wave riding beating those puny hawaiians by millenia. Peruvians were tearing up the longest lefts in the world since B.C. and showing the world what could be done on a wave and a paddle. In fact most moves and aerials in modern surfing can be linked to canoes. So remember next time you see an analist canoeist at your spot show some respect, they have been there before you!

Peruvian caballito de totora ( transalated literally it means "arse sliders" )

However, its not just stylish turns and floaters that form the repetoire of a modern wave canoeists approach. There is also a core group of hellmen in canoes leading the way and setting the standards of what is possible to tow-in to at slabs such as Rileys these days. Smith reckons they charge deeper and harder than “just about anyone I’ve ever seen on a wave”.

So, take this as a word of advice: next time you are dropping in on some bum-surfer and pulling a straight hander, and generally getting in everybodies way out there, he could have been able to have turned and set his rail canoe and gone sideways. Well at least for a bit anyways..