Jeff Martin knows a thing or two about paddling.
Whether it is a canoe or a kayak, the 41-year-old from Corner Brook knows how to handle things on the water.
Nothing further illustrates the point more than seeing Martin deftly navigate his canoe around the Tippings Pond in Massey Drive last week.
He and passenger Raphael Soucy are leading a group of local high school students through part of their Duke of Edinburgh medal program.
It is how I’d imagine director Edgar Wright felt watching the car stunts in his flick, "Baby Driver," with its quick starts, stops and improbable control of a 2006 Subaru WRX.
In the opening couple of minutes Baby, the driver, eludes law enforcement using some slick driving in what might be the finest chase scene set to film since Steve McQueen ripped through the streets of San Francisco in a 1968 Ford Mustang GT in "Bullitt."
Martin and Soucy might not be piloting a heavy piece of American muscle, but they might as well be.
Martin sits in the bow and Soucy in the stern as they careen through the water with the intent of guiding their canoe softly alongside the small dock.
Watching from the same dock, I thought there was no way their speed would allow them to pull it off.
I was wrong.
They drew closer to the dock, but a quick set of strokes and an abrupt bank allowed them to accomplish their goal.
Even when he isn’t on the water, Martin’s knowledge of the craft is impeccable. As the students move through learning to dock their canoes, Martin assesses their procedures and offers split-second suggestions on how they can better move through the drill.
That involves shouting out strokes like the pry and the draw, while offering subtle tips on their technique.
It make sense Martin would be a fit for instructing. Teaching new students the craft and watching them grow an appreciation for it is one of the reasons Martin has been teaching for 15 years
Martin is also the newly christened president for Paddle Canada. It is an organization tasked with promoting the sport of paddling no matter the craft. That includes attempting to get youth involved early and often.
To date, the group has upwards of 2,300 instructors across the country and more than 10,000 participants.
Martin’s goal for the group is simple. Make sure there is a uniform teaching mechanism across Canada to ensure the skills you’re being taught in Newfoundland are the same in British Columbia.
“I just love the ability and the versatility to visit new places,” Martin said of why he loves paddling. “I started as a teenager with friends … it grabbed me right away.”
There is not very much of this province he hasn’t seen through paddling. Trips have included some time spent floating along the majestic and fearsome southern coast of Newfoundland, among other areas. He has also canoed the Churchill River in Labrador.
This summer, he plans on heading up the heritage rivers in the province, mainly the Main River.
If you’re looking for some Martin suggests some of the interior rivers like the Big George River, Southwest brook and the Upper Humber.
Coincidentally, part of the Upper Humber is where Martin and Soucy will take the Duke of Edinburgh group when they attempt moving water as a part of an excursion.
I haven’t paddled since I was a kid attending Burry Heights camp on the Avalon Peninsula. I remember enjoying it then, but I never made another attempt for decades.
That changed Sunday when I made an unsuccessful attempt at canoeing that day on Tippings Pond.
In recent years, for reasons I’m unsure of, I’ve been nervous getting into a water craft or anywhere else I may lose my balance. My best guess is a bout of anxiety is gnawing at me when I attempt to do certain things.
Either way, it didn’t go smoothly once climbing aboard the vessel.
Maybe I’ll give it another go one of these days.
