You are obviously speaking to use in today's recreational kayaking environmet. They were not extreme for the conditions they were created for and varied tremendously from one part of Greenland to another. We who enjoy building these types of craft and paddle them are doing so for many reasons. Some to experience what a craft like that feels like to paddle and to try to understand why they designed them as they did. Some because it is a relatively cheap way to build a kayak. I will say that most of them have quirky paddling characteristics by today's standards because the main design criteria was for a stealth hunting boat. Mmost weather cock, some badly. They were never designed to carry anything below. They are a wet ride( but this is a water sport!!) There are many so called Greenland style kayaks that are modified from the original concept to be marketable in today's paddling environment. A Greenlander would characterize those as "qajariaq", meaning "like a kayak" but not really a true qajaq or hunter's craft.

: Dave,
: I think you nailed it with this point. Like vast majority of kayakers I kayak
: on 100% ice-free water and never thought of this.
: If there is a chance your boat hits something that is submerged or
: semi-submerged (ice) the bow shape make huge difference.

: Hitting ice chunk with a greenland bow may make the boat to ride on top.
: Hitting it with blunt bow may crush your bow/boat and throw you into the
: water.

: Just this factor alone explains why the Inuit shape the bow this way.

: Inspiration may come from most unlikely place (So Cal == You know your ice
: :-)

: PS. Still, for those of us who kayak where there is no ice I think the
: greenland bow may be too extreme.