More paddle making

As some may already know, part of the winter activities here is paddle making :). When it's snowing and dark outside, we gather in my old church and carve paddles. This time 13 people from clubs in the Oslo area came over 2 evenings to make the paddle of their choice.

Some have never used a Greenland paddle before. Some had tried one, liked it, and wanted to make one. Some had already made 4-5 paddles, but wanted an extra one. Perhaps slightly different in style, perhaps different length, width or color?

We saw all smiles an happy faces at the end. During class, there had been various frustrations, but once the last sanding was done, all the sorrows were forgotten. Happy paddling everyone!

Last couple of days, I've been working with tests of my new paddle oil treatment. It's a bit lighter in color than the linseed oil I'm always using, and I like it. It will become a standard for the future paddle production.

This picture already seems like an eternity ago. It was taken last week during my test ride of the new racing baidarka. Landscape and light has changed since then, as it is all grey and covered with snow now.