Mitchell P2 Blade

I like the wood paddles. They are durable and have the just right amount of flex. Although I like aspects of all of many current composite paddles, wood has a small amount of flex and I have some ideas of my own. Early this spring, P2 and Peter Mitchell collaborated to create the Mitchell P2 blade.

The flex of wood, it is not enough to rob power, merely enough to keep my joints from having to take the brunt of force when paddling. I would like to keep paddling for a long time. Thus, flex is good.

I have tried Mitchell blades before. They are tough and offer the small flex advantage of wood. Mitchell’s blade shape is just too large for training on artificial whitewater, though. My biceps would develop tendonitis issues during regular training.

Since my then I have used Galasport, GPower and have even tried Bracasport blades. True, wood is not as light as the foam core composite blades. However, research conducted at the Chula Vista Olympic Training Center with the sprint team revealed this difference in weight has not impact on turnover and stroke rate. As a result, there really is no compelling reason why not to use wood.

Still, the blade Peter Mitchell typically builds was just too large for our use. In addition to my past tendonitis issues, Catie also wanted something more suited to women’s canoe (C1W).  We had an idea of what we wanted. It was something different, so we gave Peter Mitchell a call.

Peter was very receptive to the idea. Using an old paddle as the starting point for discussion, he understood our vision and went to work. Not long there after, two gorgeous new paddles arrived for Catie and I. Features we wanted included an offset power face, smaller blade, and a blade shape to maximize catch. Peter used his carbon over wood construction to build our vision and added a touch of his own, a much higher density aluminum tip.

Mitchell P2 Profile

Many of the paddles we use for racing utilize a power face slightly offset from the center of the paddle shaft. This creates a very positive sensation of where the most efficient pull is achieved with the paddle. The paddle naturally wants to swing to the most efficient orientation for the pull being applied. We definitely wanted to include this feature.

Compared to the earlier Mitchell racing design, the smaller blade has not produced the difficulties previously experienced. Catie and I have been using these paddles for a couple of months now with no difficulties. My arms feel great and Catie really likes the paddle as well.

Front of Mitchell P2

In addition to a smaller size, this blade is a significantly different shape. There is not as much face higher up the blade, but plenty of surface lower on the blade. This puts surface area where it matters, down low for the catch, but tapers higher up the blade to not make the blade face too large.

Peter has seen our old paddles. The paddle tips are all well rounded and shorter than when they started. The concrete in Charlotte is hard on paddle tips. It wears them down really fast. This is where Peter added a welcome touch of his own, a much higher density aluminum tip.

After using these prototype blades for a couple of months now, we are very pleased with them. The offset power face, blade shape and high density tip all combine for an outstanding blade. Peter perfectly crafted our vision into a great paddle. Soon we will be distributing them right here through Performance Paddlesport!

The first three runs had been a very close race between the top Canadians. It came down to the last run. Any of the top five or six Canadian men’s kayaks could win the weekend if they won the last run. The winner of the last run would be going to London to represent Canada in the 2012 Olympic Games. A lot was riding on the last run.

In 2011 Michael Taylor had earned a slot on the Canadian B team. He was on the second national team. This meant he received very little coaching or support in comparison to the top three kayaks. Michael moved into my downstairs room for a little over a month last fall before going home for the holidays. Following the holidays he went to Australia to train before returning to my downstairs room two months ago to train.

During this spring training, Michael, his sister Kathleen, Ali McGee and Tyler Hinton all lived at my house and trained together. It was impressive how well they worked together as a training group. They took turns taking video of each other. Following workouts they would get together and do group video review. Every week they had what they called a, “family meeting,” to discuss their training and put together a plan for the following week. They took turns cooking, one of them cooking every night. They had a very good thing going.

When I moved to Charlotte a little over six years ago now, the annual migrations began. Every year the Canadians came down, lived where ever they could and trained here in Charlotte during the spring. John Hastings was among these athletes who I have come to know fairly well through these annual migrations. During this time John has earned a huge amount of my respect. He trains harder than almost anybody in this sport I have met. John is a true athlete. John has also been doing this for a very, very long time. During this time John steadily narrowed the margin on a perennial fixture at the top of Canadian slalom, David Ford. Looking at how John was paddling leading into this selection race, he was looking very, very good. He was ready to perform at the top of his game.

It came down to the last run of the two days of racing. Whoever won the last run would go to the Olympic Games in London and represent Canada. It was not just a two man race. Depending on the placing, it was very possible for it to be any one of the top five Canadian men’s kayaks. When it was over, 11 hundredths of a second separated John and Michael. Michael Taylor won the race. John got a very close second.

Michael Taylor earning the honor to represent Canada in the Olympic Games, this is an amazing accomplishment. This however, was not the only impressive event in this sporting event. Equally impressive was how John responded. Upon hearing the results, John stated he had no regrets. He had put down his best run ever in Charlotte. Michael simply had put down a better run.

At the end of the Canadian Olympic Selection, Michael Taylor and John Hastings both earned a tremendous level of my respect. Both have worked extremely hard and raced even harder. They both wanted the opportunity so bad they could taste it. At the end of the competition, Michael was the underdog who did it. He earned the honor nobody, including himself, really thought was entirely possible. John found himself less than a second behind and not going to London. Upon hearing the results, John displayed quite possibly the best example of sportsmanship I have ever known of. Michael and John, you both have earned a huge degree of my respect. Nice work gentlemen.

Aside from the fabulous gear, the Alabama Cup Racing Association put on one of the best races I have been to in a very long time.  There were close to 50 racers with many more spectators crowding the sandy river banks just stopping in to say hi and enjoy the day.  The course was set for everyone racing to succeed – which they did!  Right down to the woman I met in the start gate who said this was her first race and she had only been paddling for a single year!  At the end of the day everyone had a great time grabbing dinner together and sitting around the camp fire swapping stories.  At one point, one of the organizers found me to pointedly ask if I was having fun.  Although I responded positively he told me to find him if at any point I was not.  “Racing is supposed to be fun,” he told me with a grin.

Many thanks to the Alabama Cup Racing Association for our first and favorite first race of the season!

We are lucky. We live in Charlotte, ice merely is an occasional occurrence and it rains frequently in the hills close to town. There is a downside to Charlotte as well. When the whitewater center is not operating, we are stuck with little more than flatwater training unless we head north to Dickerson, east to the Nantahala or south to Atlanta.

The climate most definitely is not too bad here in the Queen City of Charlotte, NC. Ice on gear is not the norm and snow is rare. This is rather conducive for training. This does not mean January and February are mild. Mornings in the 20′s are common for those of us who have to work during they day. Pogies, for the first 15 minutes or so on the water, make the trip more often than not.

When we get luck and it rains there is a lifetime of paddling to be had in less than four hours. Wilson’s Creek is only about a hour and a half north of Charlotte and the Wautaga is just over three. It does not take much rain to bring these up and they are both, as my Arkansas buddies like to say, “a HOOT!”