A few years ago someone forwarded me a video of Oscar giving a surfski clinic at a race in Mauritius. (See Resources section below for the full video). My friend said: “Hey Boyan, check this out. Oscar is speaking about setting the paddle angle at zero. What do you think?” I didn’t know what to think. I hadn’t spoken with Oscar for a while. Our paths had separated when he moved to Nelo and I was still working with Epic Kayaks. There was an obvious tension between the two competing brands and life kind of drifted us apart. Before all that, I had worked closely with Oscar for nearly a decade and I could clearly remember how, when asked, he always proudly announced his paddle feather angle: “I paddle at 75 degree left!” I was intrigued about his change of heart and decided to listen to the presentation. Oscar was making some … valid points: It is easier to brace at zero The stroke is more symmetrical at zero You get some additional downwind push by the wind at zero angle
