A technique traditionally used by the Greenlandic Inuit community to hunt has become the newest kayaking craze in Sweden.
With an increasing number of Swedish kayakers keen to show off their rolling skills, the Greenland Roll is a discipline on a roll across the country.
Originating in Greenland, rolling in a kayak was an essential method to survive as Inuit hunters plunged into the freezing cold waters to hunt for sea mammals.
As time has gone on, the Greenland Roll has become a competitive sport with the country staging the annual Greenland National Kayaking Championships.
Other nations including Denmark, Norway, United States, Canada and Japan have caught the rolling fever.
Now Sweden cannot get enough of the Greenland Roll.
Such is the popularity and rise of the sport in Sweden, the country hosted its first National Championships in Greenland Roll in 2023.
It has become an official discipline under the Swedish Canoe Federation and a committee is being set up to develop the future of the sport and run competitions.
“I am part of the biggest kayaking club in Sweden, and we have been rolling for the past seven years,” said Karin Åmossa, Vice President of the Swedish Canoe Federation who is one of the driving forces behind the rolling fever.
“I was dreaming about holding a National Championships, but I didn’t think it would be possible but then we started to put in place competition rules, translating them from Danish to Swedish.”
Participation in Greenland Roll is continuing to increase with the inaugural National Championships in Stockholm attracting 22 competitors before this year’s edition in Gothenburg featured more than 30 paddlers.
“We are leading the world outside Greenland right now when it comes to the Greenland Roll,” said Åmossa.
“A lot of people are rolling, and more and more are doing it.
“People often come to me stating that the National Championships led to more people in the clubs training in rolling.”
Rolling hit the global stage this year when it featured as part of the kayak cross competition which made its Olympic debut in Paris.
At a designated section of the course, known as the “roll zone”, paddlers are required to complete a 360-degree flip before continuing the race.
The discipline of Greenland Roll is a lot more technical with paddlers marked on 34 different rolls.
Using a Greenland style kayak with a wooden frame and nylon skin and a Greenland paddle, competitors have 30 minutes to complete their routine.
“You get points for every roll and the harder the roll the higher points,” said Åmossa.
“The Greenland standard roll is worth two points and then there is a straight jacket roll where you tuck your hands under your armpits and just use your body to roll.
“That’s 11 points which is the hardest roll on the list.
“You also get points for every metre you paddle upside down.”
Greenland Roll is one of 12 disciplines managed by the Swedish Canoe Federation.
Dag Johansson, the federation’s Secretary General, said Greenland Roll was part of the organisation’s long-term vision.
“We are very enthusiastic about the new committee and the new discipline,” said Johansson.
“When we talk about our core values, I think we better fulfill our vision with this Greenland Roll initiative.
“Now we can see more people in our federation that haven’t been a part of our family until now.
“From a federation perspective, it is nice when we walk the talk.
“We want to get more people in our community.
“We know that there are a lot of people kayaking in Sweden and most of them are not members of our kayak and canoe clubs so we want to change that with many different tools and maybe this is one of them.”
The Swedish Canoe Federation is looking for people to apply to join its Greenland Roll Committee with the aim of developing the discipline.
“So far, we have had seven people say they are interested in joining the new committee,” added Åmossa.
“There is a lot of love and pioneering spirit for Greenland Roll.
“I really hope we can continue to grow.
“I would like us to get more young people into the sport because they are the future.”
If you are interested in joining the Swedish Canoe Federation's Greenland Roll Committee, click here.
Pictures by Helena Thorslund, Romain Bruneau and Ulf Esenbrant
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