Ive used strips to make a paddle simmilarly to your technique from making your backrest. I layed the strips diagonally to make a chevron pattern. looks pretty good.

> A friend gave me a piece of "bendable plywood." It's 3/8"
> and made of two plys. The reason it is bendable is because each ply has
> the grain going the same way. The plys are seperated by a paper like
> materal in the center. I used a piece to make a nice seat back to replace
> the plastic/nylon seat back of my Pigmy. I bent it to the shape I wanted
> then glassed and epoxied it. It finished nice and haaavae used it for
> several years. I then used the wooden seat back as a form to lay up cedar
> strips (vertical)around it. The seat back was cover with masking tape, the
> strips were glued together, and then glassd and epoxed into position. The
> strip seat back now matches my strip North Star. I thought you guys that
> are making fiber glass paddle ends might find a use for "bendable
> plywood" in making forms for your paddles. This material can be
> special ordered from a good lumber yard.