Regardless of the type of kayak you paddle, edge control is the single most important skill to develop. Good edge control is what lets you hold your boat on a steady edge while ferrying, crossing eddy lines, side surfing, or while performing any advanced playboating move. We're about to look at the ultra clean, which is the most effective way for playboater to develop the fine edge control that is needed for any freestyle move.

The Ultra Clean is a 360 on flatwater that is accomplished without the use of a paddle stroke. This seemingly impossible task is done through a combination of body weight and edge transitions that alternately sink the bow and stern, allowing for the use of buoyancy energy. Buoyancy energy is the desire your boat has to resurface anytime it is underwater. This is what helps your kayak spin so effectively while stern squirting, or when performing a pivot turn. The key is understanding that when an end of your kayak is underwater, it will want to take the quickest route back to the surface. By establishing a boat tilt that offers a route to the surface in the direction that you wish to spin, the buoyancy energy of your boat will spin your kayak for you. You just need to provide the right edging, and encourage your kayak underwater by throwing your weight into each end. Let's look at this in more detail.

Getting the Ultra Clean started is tricky since there is no buoyancy energy to work with. You'll need to sink your stern and get things rolling using only aggressive body motions. Let's follow the case shown and consider slicing the right stern edge underwater to turn to the left. Starting from a still position you'll need to do three things at the same time to engage your stern: tilt your boat slightly to the right, snap your weight backward and onto your right hip, and turn your upper body aggressively into the turn to help pull your bow around and generate spin momentum. Even with the smallest boats, you can't expect to sink the stern very deeply. If you can get it an inch or two underwater to begin with, you're doing well.

"By tilting your boat into the other direction, you present your stern with an escape route in the direction of your spin."

As soon as your stern begins to slice underwater, you need to make a quick edge transition. This means pulling upward with your trailing knee (the right one in this case) while dropping your leading knee. By tilting your boat into the other direction, you present your stern with an escape route in the direction of your spin. Now, as your stern slices to the surface and your bow falls downward, you'll want to encourage the bow underwater by throwing your weight forward. As soon as your bow enters the water, you'll once again need to make a quick edge transition, which means pulling up your leading knee and dropping your trailing knee. Once you've presented your bow with its escape path, then you'll again help your stern underwater by throwing your weight back and turning your body aggressively to lead the way.

Using this seesaw action, you can generate an amazing amount of spin momentum without even using your paddle. Without even knowing it, you've entered the world of clean cartwheels!

Ken Whiting was the 1997/98 World Freestyle Champion. He has produced an award winning series of instructional kayaking books and videos, leads kayaking trips to Chile, and teaches at the Liquid Skills Kayak School. Check out www.playboat.com