Greenland Games – Weekend Pass

There are no course pre-requisites for this weekend.   It is aimed all all of those who have an interest in traditional Greenland kayaking and associated culture.  It is a weekend of fun, workshops and learning. Your course fee of £25 includes dinner on Saturday evening and attendance for Saturday and Sunday.  It does not include lunches or accommodation. Two additional options are available:

• If you require lunch on both Saturday and Sunday, plus B&B on Saturday night, there will be a cost of £42.50 in addition to the Greenland weekend cost.
• If you require lunch on both Saturday and Sunday, plus B&B on Friday and Saturday night, there will be a cost of £71 in addition to the £25 Greenland weekend cost.

If you wish to book either of these options, please call the centre (028 4372 2158)  after you have booked your place on the weekend. Bring a sense of humour and enthusiasm!

For 100s of years, the Inuit people of Greenland paddled to survive, to hunt and to travel.  As a result, their kayaks, paddles, harpoons and other kit were all developed to a high standard and for a specific purpose.  Kayaks were hard chined, long and narrow.  They had to be easy to roll. Their unique Greenland paddles are narrow and diamond-shaped in cross-section, and one of their properties was the ability to paddle in almost complete silence. Rolling was a vital survival skill in icy arctic waters, so a large variety of different rolls were practiced, enabling a kayaker to roll up one handed or with the paddle well out of its proper place, even if its owner was injured or tangled with fishing line. During the long Arctic winters, the Inuit stayed fit and practiced techniques by competing in various rope exercises and gymnastics. Their unique paddling style has spread across the world and is enthusiastically practiced by people in many countries.  For one weekend Tollymore will become home to a range of coaching clinics, demo's and competitions. This weekend has become an annual fixture on the NI paddling calendar when it was run by Elaine 'Shooter' Alexander at the Share Centre.  Unfortunately Share are unable to run the event this year and we are keen to see it continue and develop. This weekend is a get together for those with an interest in all things 'Greenland kayaking'!   It will be a great place for folk to share ideas, learn new skills and polish existing techniques.  The weekend is a day of coaching and trying out new ideas, plus a game of fun competition The weekend commences on Saturday morning.  Saturday will include a range of workshops which will include:

• Introduction to rolling
• Greenland rope games
• Harpoon throwing
• Greenland rolling techniques
• Paddle making
• Greenland paddles and paddling technique
• Lots more besides......

For those who choose to arrive on Friday evening, the rolling pool and Greenland ropes will be available to use. Sunday will consist of a range of traditional competitions, such as harpoon throwing, rolling and kayak racing. A range of DVDs will be shown on both Friday and Saturday evening. An overall 2019 Greenland Games Champion will be declared and will include results from the Rope Gymnastics (Sat eve), Sprint and Long Distance Races, Harpoon throwing and Rolling (all on Sunday)   Tollymore has a range of more 'traditional' (i.e. hard-chine) sea kayaks, such as those from Tahe Marine, Pete Spence and Valley.  Folks will have an opportunity to try these kayaks and feel how they differ from more familiar round chine sea kayaks.

The course is for anyone who has an interest in learning about traditional Greenland kayaking and its associated culture.

• Pool Skills 1
• Pool Skills 3

Bring your personal kayaking kit - buoyancy aid, wetsuit / drysuit, cag etc. If you have a Greenland paddle or any associated traditional kit (Greenland paddle, throwing / rolling stick, harpoon) please bring it along. If you have a nose clip, bring it!  Remember, you may be in the water a lot, so prepare well!   Tollymore has additional wetsuits that can be used (and excellent drying rooms where you can dry your kit on Saturday evening) Tollymore and other visiting paddlers will have a range of resources for you to peruse, such as books and DVDs.  

Your course fee includes attendance at all workshops on Saturday and Sunday and dinner on Saturday evening. Two additional packages are available:

• If you require lunch on both Saturday and Sunday, plus B&B on Saturday night, there will be a cost of £42.50 in addition to the Greenland weekend cost.
• If you require lunch on both Saturday and Sunday, plus B&B on Friday and Saturday night, there will be a cost of £71 in addition to the £25 Greenland weekend cost.

If you wish to book either of these options, please call the centre (028 4372 2158)  after you have booked your place on the weekend. If you are interested in alternative accommodation, there are plenty of options locally. Tory Bush Cottages and Millar's Close both offer self catering accommodation, Meelmore Lodge has a campsite and range of accommodation, Tollyrose B&B is the closest b&b to the centre and The Burrendale and Slieve Donard hotels are within 10 minutes drive. Newcastle Visitor Information Centre will have additional accommodation options.

USEFUL LINKS - click on the title to go to the page Qajaq USA - an excellent resource for Greenland Kayaking and other information. Kayak hunting in Greenland in 1959 - an interesting article by Ken Taylor CNC Kayaks - an excellent resource, including free plans, for building a hard chine plywood sea kayak. Traditional Kayaks - Harvey Golden's excellent online resource for those interested in the development of Greenland kayaks. Rope Gymnastics Demo - Dubside demos some of rope gymnastics This is the Roll - a chapter from This is the Roll 2, looking at hand rolling