Emergency Stop (Slalom)

Paddlers use reverse strokes to stop quickly in case of an emergency. This is an important skill for Community Coaches to teach paddlers from the beginning.

To perform an emergency stop, coaches should instruct paddlers to follow these steps:

• Keep both hands just above the level of the cockpit.
• Alternate strokes on each side:
  • Immerse just over half the blade.
  • Push quickly with the back of the blade from the thighs to the knees.

The paddler should stop quickly and maintain the original direction of their craft. This is important because it will reduce the potential for paddlers to crash into each other when attempting to avoid a collision.