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On Screwing Around and the Test by Jim Snyder

“SCREWING AROUND" is an advanced squirt maneuver where a bow screw (past vertical squirt) is followed directly by a stern screw many times over.  It is essentially past vertical cartwheeling.  At the risk of unintended puns I'd like to mention a few helpful hints to enhance your abilities in this endeavor.

Most Screwing Around breaks down when the boat gets too far past vertical and the rider's body becomes so entrenched in the surrounding water that the move permanently loses its amplitude and ends soon (i.e. you really can't screw around if you become too committed). To counter this it is helpful to focus on your "stations".  A station is when one end of the boat or another is directly under you. To clean through your station properly you need to be squared up over the end of the boat as it hits its nadir- if just for a microsecond.  Your shoulders should be square to the long axis of the boat and this is the exact moment to be removing your "old" stroke and reaching for the next stroke.  You can continually reestablish control over the situation by simply cueing up your balance at these regular intervals.

As you reach for your next stroke, remember the idea is to slide the blade and reach as far as possible before using up the stroke. This is to make sure it doesn't play out too early and become too involved in the water.   Body position is key to making the move smooth and, by focusing on sliding your paddle, you are grooming your body position. This is why I prefer Whirlygigs to Screwing Around.  Whirlygigs are Screwing Around using "Powerface Smashes" to sink your bow. Instead of using a backstroke to smash the bow down you invert your wrist and use the powerface of the stroking blade. This helps enhance your body position for the next station and allows a much more dynamic exit into the next screw.  The blade becomes much easier to rip from the water when used this way.  I also concentrate on carefully using my abs to hit the exact angle of verticality when I am throwing my bow up- keeping my eyes open throughout to reassure my angle is correct. And when I smash the bow down I concentrate on getting my body well under the rising stern- so it gets to the station position early and cleanly.  I also pay attention to the intricate handling of the center of buoyancy of the descending end of the boat as it relates to the center of mass of my body.  The strokes actually shape the lifting of the mass over the buoyancy of each end. You want this action to be smooth and sure and efficient. Using too much energy to hit each end makes the boat bob and the strokes become too involved and become hard to extract. So-  stay aloof and proper and you can probably screw around as long as you please!

“The TEST” is an excellent flatwater routine you can use to test your cartwheeling abilities. It is simple but not easy. You start with two "low" ends of a cartwheel, and then hit two head-high ends, followed by two "high" ends, and two perfectly vertical ends. These are followed by two to four past vertical ends (Whirlygigs or Washouts) can be used for a limited time here. Then you wind the move up by re-hitting two perfectly vertical ends, two high ends, two head high ends, and lastly, two low ends.  It should take 35-40 seconds and have no extra strokes, braces, or stalls.  Give it a try to see if you pass! Chances are you may learn ways to perfect your station form. At the very least you will get good and wet and tired. And that's worthwhile!

Screwing Around and the TEST are ways of checking your ab control and the tweakedness of your boat and outfitting. Done correctly it is clean, paced, and not tiring.  If you find yourself lumping around slow your pace and be disciplined about your verticallity. If it is still difficult...  it may be time for a custom chopped boat and you should talk to Paul as soon as possible. Study hard and good luck!

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