CONCEPTS-

Squirt boating is a, more or less, dynamic, athletic art form; lending itself to creativity and exertion.  It has an inherent discipline which has a powerful incentive- a good ride. Energy efficiency is the basis of good form.   To attain cubic ability, the mentality must proceed the reality. You  must be curious about what lies beyond the envelope of your ability and you must have an appetite for it.  Then the challenge is to mount a strategic, centered attempt.  An initial energy is established and then coached through a move.  This energy is focused in the leading edge of the boat.  What we do with our balance and paddle adds or detracts from the integrity of that energy.  The energy is there to use, lose, or confuse.  The thing to keep in mind is that the learning curve is endless and so we must enjoy the learning process itself.  With these as givens I've come up with some observations about one’s participation in this sport.

STRATEGIES-

The strategy of squirt boating has two formats, what and where. Squirt moves can be done almost anywhere and so this is a huge subject undergoing constant change. You could divide the "Wheres" into familiar or unfamiliar arenas and attach levels of caution to each but I prefer to consider each attempt as a new learning experience that could kill me. So I try to stay on my toes. For squirt boating,ie using deep three-dimensional features of the current, it helps to have a cubic view of the river. The thing to realize is that the current, and your participation with it, is more a function of shape than of power. You must fit the shapes of the water features to find the path of least resistance. I see the river as a central core of current molded into a certain path.  It is buffed into shape by pillows on rocks- every rock.  This means every rock on the bottom of the river adds to the shape of the pillow structures there. Think of it as layers of resistance built infinitely towards the rivers core. The rivers core tends to splay dendridiclly to feed these pillows but without losing its main trunk of energy. A quality squirt move will align itself with these layers of energy/resistance and actually display their existence. In other words, the style has to fit right if it's going to look good. The "Whats" generally include new or established moves. As a person tries to assemble a move, I see them as passing through three learning stages. The first stage can be thought of as one of  OCUS. A person will be enticed into a move by remembering an aspect of the charc but without being real clear on the particulars. As they try to assemble the move they will run into "bumpy parts" of the move- usually just before the exit brace.  The way to correction is through the entrance charc, but first the person must make a critical leap of commitment to initially grasp the feelings and positioning of the move. Once the path of energy and braces has been established it's easier to go back and clean up the tricky parts. After you have initially broke through to the exit brace of a move, I recommend you try a learning series of low energy attempts to feel out the move and find the points where you can regain control.  This is usually at "stations" where the volume of the boat is trapped directly below you and you can free your stick and stretch into the next section of the move. The volume of the boat is trapped directly below you and you can free your stick and stretch into the next section of the move. The volume of the boat is trapped directly below you and you can free your stick and stretch into the next section of the move. The volume of the boat is trapped directly below you and you can free your stick and stretch into the next section of the move. The volume of the boat is trapped directly below you and you can free your stick and stretch into the nthe volume of the boat is marked by FLUIDITY.  At this point most people feel they have mastered the move, but they have one persistent problem- their fellow boaters.  The little charc bumps our buddies inadvertently give us are just enough to skew our charcs and keep us from attaining a good energy flow into the move.  The way to deal with this predicament is by doing what I call "defending the staging area".  The staging area is the last place you

can comfortably set a good charc into a move.  You can defend the area by talking to intruders and explaining your space, pushing boats away with your hand, or simply extending the pointy ends of your equipment towards the intruder and leaving the ones on them to deal with it. Once the staging area has been successfully defended, and the way is clear into the move, go for it with a clear conscience and a clean charc and enjoy. This stage is a hang up for many people because they can't get over the "fellow charcist problem".  The way to deal with it is to keep in mind that your participation with these people has an effect on them.  Mold the effect to your liking but try to keep in mind what kind of vibe you appreciate from a crew- some flavor of solid but fun. If you want people to respect your space, simply respect theirs while insisting on the quality of your charc.  It is also key to remember that your move is really an effect on the others of your trip, not just an effect on your boat, paddle, and the river. The observer of a move can, and will, affect its outcome just by being part of the arena.

The third learning stage is, of course, what I would consider a peak learning level.  It is the move in full force use in a timely bid for fun.  It is noticeably different from a practice move because it is unpremeditated and uninhibited.  It's hard to describe but it can be thought of as DYNAMIC. You can tell you're there when the river seems to fit the ride and visa versa.  It is actual working fun and I refer to it as “SERENDIPITIOUS BEHAVIOR". It's kinda like being lucky and good at the same time.  There are two things to keep in mind at this stage. The first is that any move is a series of feelings- you feel your way in to secure your way out. There is a flow of energy related to the move and its efficiency is a matter of discipline.  Bad form degrades your energy, good form restores it. The second thing to bear in mind is that this is a learning stage. You are learning the shape of the river. Your boat has become a creative exploring tool.

THE DISCIPLINE-

The bottom line is that you are a wing of specific density with a set of abs as a transmission and a set of arms as grabber/tweakers.  Efficiency demands that you maintain minimal turbulent flow across your deck. This is maintained through a minimal angle of attack of the wing. You will have a specific initial energy to sink a specific volume to a specific depth.  Success is dependent on your bid for verticality being backed by your efficiency in harvesting energy.  Maintaining clean basic form allows energy to feed through the move easier which allows for more control at critical junctures. It becomes a matter of cleaning your stations for the tougher moves. For mystery moves it's a science of wings into slabs and underwater orientation. I actually think a lot of squirt development is dependent on abdominal muscle development.  You have to grow tuned abs- the science of "Abdology".  You also need to develop skills to hunt the path of least resistance for any move- be lazy, but alert. Things can be low key but high energy- high control but on the fringe of your abilities.

CONCLUSIONS-

We are talking about access to fun and high performance. A way of peaking one’s abilities.  A peaked paddler will have a unique style as per their body type and mentality. Enjoy your uniqueness but realize that clean form is marked by a feeling of carried over, molded energy- handled energy.  Let the boat do the bulk of the work and use your muscles to guide the energy stored in the leading edge of the boat.  Remember a move is a series of feelings and squirt boating is a way of feeling a river.  In a squirt boat you are deeply involved in hydrodynamics- to such a degree that you should probably be committed.  It's cool to be at one with the currents- but only if it's the right currents.  Develop the power of your charc by respecting the shape of the river, the shape of the move, and the shape of the crew.  You must focus all of your energy in the leading edge and use the boat as a tool. You must dominate the boat while submitting to the river. You must tune to the shape of the river while persistently focusing the boat’s energy. Tough moves require unbending intent.  And all the while remember to RIDE THE BOAT. Exploit it.  Point it around with audacity.  Enjoy it.