SkillSet – High Brace Lean Turn

Winter 2007

This is an article from WaveLength Magazine, available in print in North America and globally on the web.
To download a pdf copy of the magazine click here: > DOWNLOAD

by Alex Matthews

It’s fun to show off a little sometimes, and the high brace lean turn is one of the flashiest ways to turn a kayak, but this stroke truly comes into its own when used for manoeuvring in or out of eddies created by strong currents.

As its name implies, the high brace lean turn combines a high brace (see WaveLength Fall 2006) with edging to create a powerful turning stroke. You’ll be using the high brace for support on the inside of the turn, and tilting your kayak in the same direction, just the way that you would angle a motorcycle into a corner.

The high brace lean turn requires some forward momentum, so start with good forward speed. Initiate your turn by first doing a forward sweep on the opposite side. Next, plant your high brace out to the side of your kayak, just behind your hip. The key to this stroke is to maintain a climbing angle on this supporting blade throughout the turn. This climbing angle will allow you to get steady support from your blade and help turn your kayak as your boat travels forward. You’ll need to cock your wrists back in order to open the blade’s power face to the oncoming water and keep it skimming across the surface. To protect your shoulders through the high brace turn, keep your arms in relatively close to your body and your top hand low—in what is sometimes called the “nose pick” position.

To really get your kayak turning, you’ll need to edge the boat. As you plant your blade for the turn, tilt your kayak into the corner and roll it up on edge. If turning to the right, think in terms of rolling onto your right butt cheek and lifting your left knee while keeping your head over the kayak and lightly hanging on your high brace for support. Tilting the kayak on edge will greatly increase the turning power of the stroke, and typically, the more you edge your kayak, the more it will turn.

As a final note, remember that the support you get from your brace comes from its forward motion relative to the water. What this means is that as you slow down through the turn, you’ll get less support from the brace, so you’ll need to level off your kayak as you scrub speed and come to a stop. Once the turn is complete, and you’ve leveled out your boat, a great way to finish the high brace lean turn is to smoothly slice your support blade forward to your toes, and seamlessly feather it into a powerful forward stroke. The combination of these two strokes feels great, and serves to get your boat moving forward again after the turn.