Greenland Paddles

I have always loved water sports but it was something about kayaking that surpassed my other water interests of boating, fishing, and swimming.  I still love riding my Harley Motorcycle, but the comparison is like apple and oranges.  When riding a motorcycle a person listens to the roar of engines.  When kayaking you listen to the whistling of the wind through the trees or the waves crashing over your bow.  My vocabulary is not large enough to mention all the adjectives that describe the way people feel about kayaking.  Words like serenity, calmness, and peacefulness come to mind yet kayaking can also raise your adrenaline, is very challenging, and provides a sense of adventure.

Whatever kayaking means to you, as with any other sport, the kayak you choose is a reflection of you.  After you determine what kind of paddling you want to do, your kayak reflects your style and image.  Also, your accessories say a lot about you.  When I began to look at the Greenland paddles available, none of them allowed me to reflect a sense of uniqueness or the style that I wanted.  With 99.9% of the Euro Paddles out there, if you have seen one of them you have seen them all.   Greenland Paddles are not as “off the shelf” as a Euro Paddle, but most of them offer a variety of beautiful wood colors or patterns but not much more.  In making my own paddle, I followed the best of the design of a traditional Greenland Paddle, not needing to reinvent the wheel of a tool that has proven itself for over 4,000 years.  Yet I dressed it up, giving it a design that is unique and that definitely stands out in a crowd.   

I knew what I had created would get some attention when I attended various paddle Meet-Ups or symposiums. However, I was not prepared for the overwhelmingly positive response and the requests from many to make one for them.  After over a year of resistance and turning everyone away who requested one of my paddles, I’ve given it some consideration and have decided to turn my hobby into a part-time business. 

Every Authentic-CM paddle is hand crafted with hours of care and passion for the love of the sport reflected in every cut.  Every paddle is unique, not manufactured in a factory with a template that looks like every other Greenland Paddle on the waterway.  It takes days to customize each paddle that although is a very functional tool, is also a piece of art in motion. 

Why a Greenland Paddle?  As with most people, I started with an off the shelf heavy cheap Euro-blade Paddle.  I quickly learned the difference in choosing the right tool for the right job.  I injured my shoulder some time ago. Maybe it was the many years of weight lifting, swimming on a swim team, or just the everyday lifting that is the source of my pain.  I am not sure of how I injured my shoulder but I do know that when I use a Euro-blade Paddle my shoulder hurts after less than 10 minutes of use.  At a West Coast Michigan Kayaker's Association symposium several years ago (a great symposium by the way), I tried a Greenland Paddle for the very first time and I never gave it back.  Using a Euro-blade Paddle for me was like trying to run with a 50lb bag of rocks tied to my hip. The stroke of a Greenland Paddle is made with a low pull along the gunnels of the kayak.  This stroke is a lot less taxing with very little need to raise your shoulder over a 90 degree angle.  If you have never used a Greenland Paddle, then you are like a child that has never tasted ice cream (you don't know what you are missing).  For those of you who already use them, you know how great they are. Thanks for coming to my website and once you purchase an Authentic-CM Paddle, you will treasure it for a lifetime for it is truly an art in motion.

Since I might be in the shop and unable to hear the phone, please email with any questions.
michael@greenlandpaddle.info
or leave me a message on my phone at (708) 752-3556