And since kayaks and paddles (and harpoons) were built as a set specifically for an individual, we will never know how they functioned for that individual. Must have been cool for Ken Taylor to have Emanuele build him a kayak.

I love this scene from Palo's wedding (starting at around :30)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqKlxVwz4QI because it shows a kind of matter-of-factness about the job of paddling that modern kayakers don't have. Most modern kayakers are too precious about it. Besides the two-thumbed gloves and the closeup of the short sliding stroke, I love it when the guy just brutally forces his kayak around the iceberg at around 1:40. Most modern kayakers would never throw their legs with an extended paddle like that. They'd do a dainty and proper cross-bow rudder with the paddle properly way forward and the upper hand to the forehead, just like ACA and BCU say. But why in the world would you stop paddling if paddling were your job?

It's also worth noting that at the first appearance of the kayak there is ZERO bow wave from the kayak- which would make it quieter. the bow of my Night Heron is quite noisy- but it might also be paddling technique, the way they rock side-to-side when they paddle- or that might just be an extension of a crunch stroke. I really don't know much about east Greenland paddling.

m