So do you go skiing (like Larsen) and have swimming training while winter season (like I do)? Or you dont have to, cuz you can paddle all year long and dont tave time for that!?

We ski like Larsen and swim like you! Cross training is great and we're always looking for new sports to challenge us during the off season. We enjoy skiing, swimming, biking, soccer, hockey, basketball, kayak polo, squash, and calvinball just to name a few.

Do you think its possible to cross the finish line faster if you made a jet pack of coke and mentos and strapped it to your canoe?

We can't see why it wouldn't. Worth a try for sure. (By trained professionals, don't try it yourself...)

Which one is the best Nelo, Plastex or Hody?


This is a complicated question, and the answer depends on what boat you're looking at and your own personal paddling style. In most people's opinions, Nelo's C1 is now a superior boat, winning 5 of 6 medals at the Olympics. Gab and Andrew however have had difficulty in mastering it's awesomeness, but we'll give them some time. Plastex C2's have been the cat's meow for a long while now, and they still produce a good quality product from time to time, but it looks like Nelo is making a charge there as well, and I wouldn't be surprised if they have a superior product within a couple years.
One thing I think we all can agree on is that Nelo is by far the best boat company over all. They consistently make a better quality boat, with any paint job you want, and their customer service is awesome.
As for Hody, well Gab, Aruss and Mark all used them as Juveniles, and so have a special soft spot for them, but we haven't really seen them on the market too much these days.

Watching Gab and Andrew in the Olympics, I am impressed by your ability to keep the C-2 running smoothly (i.e. not bouncing up and down) while delivering a great amount of power onto the blade. Any tips for how to keep the boat from rocking too much?

Thanks for the great question. Keeping the boat nice and smooth often translates with better boat speed overall. Obviously, first and foremost practice makes perfect, here are some things to think about are:

-in crew boats keep things as synchronized as possible between teammates, and make sure to catch at the start of your stroke together and try and sync the exit as well
-try and use long leg motion... however, driving the front foot towards the water can sometimes lead to a bouncy motion
-make sure in your set-up in the boat that you are comfortable when the boat is moving, often small adjustments to the front or back can help reduce a small bounce in your stroke
-if the water is rough or washy, remember to keep the power and weight on the blade, transferring weight into the boat is very counter-productive


National team coach and Olympic medallist Tamas Buday Sr. also offers these words of wisdom:

-"One should not focus on himself, but focus on the boat as a whole, it is a team effort and you must paddle as a team. Always concentrate on driving the boat forward together."


Hopefully some of these tips will be helpful. A lot of team boat paddling comes down to feeling though, and minor adjustments might be all you need. Best of luck in your next practice, don't try to apply too many things at once, focus on something that is working and go from there.