In the Alcan Predictions topic, there was a bit of talk about the paddling style - kneeling versus sitting - of the Phillipines Youth crew.
Just have to make sure the phillipine crews follow the rules ...........no standing or kneeling ...they have to be seated at all times .
actually, i just read through all 12 pages of the Alcan Festival rules as listed on their website, and there is nothing about having to be seated during the race. i actually want to see their standing/kneeling technique.
Here's the Official IDBF Words on paddling style, by Mike Haslam of the IDBF, from a thread on the DB Forum (you'll have seen this already if you're on that e-mail list, but I thought it useful to post it here for DBWest folks who are not).
[email protected] wrote:
From
[email protected] Fri Jun 23 04:02:31 2006
X-Apparently-To:
[email protected]for <
[email protected]>; Fri, 23 Jun 2006 07:02:31 -0400 (EDT)
From:
[email protected] Hi Nathan,
Thank you for your copy email about paddling techniques. Your views are as valid as anyone else's and much of what you say is true. We know that technically the kneeling and/or standing position will put more forward power into the boat but that is not the issue behind the discussion.
The point is that for the reasons already discussed - safety, technical ease, comfort, standardization, the IDBF in consultation with its Members, decided that for IDBF Competitions that only the sitting position would be allowed. This decision was taken after the 1st World Championships (1995) where in fact crews did paddle in the different styles (sitting, kneeling, standing) and very little was proved, except that perhaps a not so good crew might go a little faster against a good crew, if they stood up during the race.
It was after that that the 'sitting position' was confirmed as the 'standardised' paddling position for IDBF events. What styles are used in other events is up to the organisation concerned and in this respect at ADBF Championships, for example, you can still see that some crews will change their paddling style during a race.
You know that all sports have their regulations about competition and equipment at World Championship level, which may vary from those used for competitions at other levels. IDBF is no different in that respect.
We have a standard design of dragon boat and paddle for IDBF events and a standard paddling style too - we want all ages and ability groups, able bodied and disabled to be able to compete equally. The sitting paddling style is one way of achieving this aim.
The 3 standardization factors (boat, paddle, paddling style) help to make sure that the races are as fair and as safe as possible for all crews taking part and that is the main objective of the IDBF Competition Regulations and Racing Rules. They are not compulsory for other competitions but of course the IDBF is always happy when the IDBF rules etc are adopted by other dragon boat organisations.
Thank you again for your contribution to this particular debate.
Best wishes,
Mike Haslam
IDBF Executive President
In a message dated 23/06/2006 04:19:36 GMT Standard Time, NathSalazar writes:
Good day to all dragonboaters from around the world....
I am currently coaching a local team here in Los Angeles CA, although my dragonboat experience came all the way from the Philippines when I used to join a tem that competes in most parts of Asia. I do not agree nor disagree with your opinions... I even enjoy reading your different views about the consideration of different techniques and styles of paddling. However, it has been in my curiosity for many years that, was there ever a time that the European Champions, the Canadian Champions and the Asian Champions have all raced in an event where kneeling down, standing up or sitting down stroke is never an issue??? In the US, standing up stroke is never allowed due to safety reasons, although I have been teaching my team the standing-row technique which I learned from back home. It is evident that the other local teams do not match against my boat's standing technique. unofficially, I think standing row is quite faster than the sitting down stroke, even proven at the World's race in Philadelphia by the Philippine Team, which apparently got a DQ. But to my curiosity, will there ever be an event that the IDBF will not consider rules of any technique be applied??? Maybe the Asians, Europeans, Canadians or even the world's most unknown country can say that we are the top team in the world.
maybe my curiosity has gone over my imagination, but it would be an event that will answer to that great big question of who is better.... In my humble opinion, anybody can claim we are number one... we are number one in the world, we are number one in Asia or everybody is just number one.
In the recent race in Vancouver, there are two types of boats that were used alternately.... the 6-16 and the gemini boats. If the issue is about boat safety and security, maybe we can have that same boat alternations in an event where standing is allowed in one boat and not in the other... it may sound weird but I do not see the reason why the Canadians will have to use two types of boats in a race.
Please do allow me to state my opinion.
Good luck to all your teams and more blessings to the dragonboat community all over the world.
Nathan Salazar
[email protected] So now we know why we sit!
Still, it might be fun to try comparing kneeling to siitting, some time in a few practice pieces, to see what - if any - is the difference in speed. I remember watching a video a while back of a race (in Hong Kong, I think it was), where there looked to be about 30 paddlers (no, they were NOT in a Gemini ...) , all kneeling - and the boat looked to be almost flying.
Then again .... it might move the CG of the boat higher when everyone is kneeling - which might not be the best thing to do, in a Gem??? Not unless you also want to try out your capsize recovery (and/or rescue) schema, that is!!
Dan
