Day 17- The Schooling Starts, it's Rough.

    Today was a rough day. No one ever says how hard it is to learn new moves. I have never had a freestyle move elude me as much as the Helix, a 360 degree rotation that is inverted and aerial. I learn fast, I learned the McNasty in 15 minutes, I learned how to Pan-Am just by doing it, there has never been a move that I couldn’t visualize. 

    I can’t wrap my head around the Helix. I don’t like struggling in a kayak. I have always been good at everything in a kayak. Another big problem that I have, I am really, really, bad at asking for help. Instead, I just get frustrated and irritated at the way I am kayaking and then the wave session goes all down hill from there. 

    Today, after getting beat down multiple times in Club Wave (even though most of the session it was Flight Club, when Club Wave is too high), my confidence was not skyrocketing. I do visualization of the Helix on land, I do the physical movements of the Helix while in my kayaking gear, I do flat water renditions of the Helix. My first four rides on Nile Special consisted of about six aerial window shades. Even the locals were cringing at my attempts at the Helix. 

    I stopped trying Helixes, for today at least, I need to come back to them and work on what I am doing wrong. I came to this camp to learn one move, the Helix, and I am going to do it. Tomorrow is a new day. I will always live in the present and not dwell on my past experiences.