The Brown Claw
Printed From: ProfessorPaddle.com
Category: General
Forum Name: Whitewater Forum
Forum Discription: Open Discussion Forum. Whitewater related subjects only
URL: http://www.professorpaddle.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=13635
Printed Date: 18 Apr 2024 at 10:58pm
Topic: The Brown Claw
Posted By: James
Subject: The Brown Claw
Date Posted: 17 Dec 2013 at 12:44pm
|
Because it deserves a thread of it's own. Dipsh*tz or Demsh*tz? |
Replies:
Posted By: wwaddict
Date Posted: 17 Dec 2013 at 1:49pm
|
Why don't we just expand the conversation to include:
Snowboarding. Do you think it's cool/classy/classless/retarded to grab your board when you get some air? isn't it just adding a little something once you can finally fly through the air and then actually land on your board instead of your ass?
Back to kayaking. Why doesn't the "rim grab" generate such controversy and criticism. Or maybe spinning your paddle while you're surfing a wave. Essentially the same thing. which is adding another element when you're in the middle of carrying out another move. It's a combination. Most sports credit you for being able to carry out a succession or combination of two moves.
I've seen Fish throw up some "devil horns" mid drop, usually met by some pretty positive feedback.
I think it's pretty funny. And the guys who are thowing it out there are usually way better than me. Maybe I'm just jealous... (me personally, you all can read what you want into it)
Haha
let the rants begin. please entertain me
maybe I'll get my opinion changed if someone can offer a legitament argument against it.
Ok i'm back to work
-joe
|
Posted By: megspk
Date Posted: 17 Dec 2013 at 2:29pm
I am a fan of the fist pump...especially mid swim!  ------------- “A strong person and a waterfall always channel their own path.” -Unknown |
Posted By: jP
Date Posted: 17 Dec 2013 at 5:46pm
|
When you express yourself whilr boating, (twirling paddles, faux edge grab, rock spins whatever) all that sh*t is fair game and is as traditional as the earliest freestyle move. Twirling, or spinning paddles can even be cited as being some of the very original freestyle moves.
Even throwing a Brown Claw can require some proficiency if you are throwing it mid boof on something big. That seems to be the root origin of this trendy gesticulation that is currently all the rage. It just gets trite quick like all other superficial trends and fads in society once you see people hanging out around Tube Leavenworth doing it. Starts to be less and less genuine and cheapened by its poularity and subsequent over useage. To each their own, but personally I think its silly at this point. It doesn't bug me to see its original authors throw it, so much as all the posers and copycats out there on their quest to be seen as hip and all that Shallow End of The River sh*t. I admit that I love to scoff at the Brown Claw. "Shove that Brown Claw up Your Ass Till It Bleeds." Its not that I want to say it to any individual, or, umm, kettle, shall we say, so much as it is my overwhelming, burning desire to simply say it in general. "Shove that Brown Claw Up Your Ass Till It Bleeds." --ahhh-- It just feels so good to say. Its one of those generational things, too. I mean, when I was young I could at times be a punk ass too, and I enjoyed it more than I should have, but like a lot of guilty pleasures its hard to regret. But at that time I also understood the perspective of the Old Guarde who were more traditional. The thing is, when we were young boys trying to be men there was fewer of us (in the whitewater community). There was no internet, facebook, uploaded pictures/video, ect. So there was almost no Hype on any comparative, significant level. Now I'm specifcly refering to the late 80's to mid 90's, which woulda been my "Young Dumb and Full of Cum" phase. The media hype wasn't there, and I wasn't too bad that way anyway. Now its so manufactured and pretentious that it just becomes a tired, contrived parody of itself. Like all those Gopro videos everyone has to be putting out. The speed up drive/hike to the put in footage, for example...stop copying each other I can't watch any more!!! 
Flavor Flav said "Don't Believe The Hype", but then he became a parody of himself 
I mean, throw the brown claw if ya want, I actually enjoy ripping on those who do. Personally when I get the rock I throw the boof. Maybe that's just as cheesy but as far as I know I pretty much invented it, so at least its original. Plus, anyone can boof a small rock on a class II run, so its all inclusive and isn't "gnar specific" like the brown claw implies. Fist pumps are pretty genuine and organic. I guess if you are genuinely stoked ain't no harm in branding your gestures. I like the Devil Horns because it can mean "Rock On" or "Hail Satan". Its entirely up to the recipient, because I intend it to be interpretted as "Rock On", but have no control over someone else's reaction. So maybe the same can be argued for the Claw as well. Whatever the case, smooth paddling itself never goes out of style. Being alert and johnny on the spot when your buddies flip or swim, never goes out of style. Lending a hand to other groups you encounter on the river, whether helping with rescues, or taking a whole crew that may be in over their head on a given run, never goes out of style. Those are just some of the gestures I'd like to see passed on by more boaters. ------------- 🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋 |
Posted By: JayB
Date Posted: 17 Dec 2013 at 7:22pm
|
I made it my mission to discredit the brown claw by throwing it whilst running class III wave-trains, two foot ledges and stuff. Very fun - particularly when there are actual members of the Demsh*tz crew present. Given the fact that the high end of my paddling is the low-end of what those guys run, I could probably discredit equally well by throwing it in the hardest drops that I hit, but that'd risk making it seem like I'm under the delusion that I am running something hard enough to warrant dropping the claw for real, so I save it for the aforementioned one-footers. Having said that, I have nothing against those guys, and am super-impressed by the stuff that they run - but once tossing the brown claw became the trend-du-jour I couldn't help myself.... ------------- -Jay |
Posted By: BrianP
Date Posted: 17 Dec 2013 at 8:26pm
| Throwing brown claws is how Blair practices his roll. If you hold up a perpetual brown claw, you start flipping at every eddy line and every rock you bump thus providing lots of roll practice. |
Posted By: Sam_Graftton
Date Posted: 17 Dec 2013 at 8:51pm
| The fist pump is a move that never goes out of style. Nothing feels better than a good fist pump at the bottom of a big drop |
Posted By: tiziak
Date Posted: 17 Dec 2013 at 10:06pm
|
What about going full metal? ------------- If you don't know where you are going, any road will get you there. Daniel Patrinellis 360.434.4616 |
Posted By: Sam_Graftton
Date Posted: 17 Dec 2013 at 10:35pm
| Full metal? Ohh like what Dave M. does? |
Posted By: FLUID
Date Posted: 18 Dec 2013 at 5:45am
|
fist pump all the way ! its powerful and you can throw it big or kinda soft in personal stoke or one to your bro silently saying we are the sh*t and having a really good time out here !!
I'm NOT down with the brown claw. As much as I love boating with the bomb flow crew and think EG is one of the best stylie rippers out there but that was that crews throw. it was their gang sign and slogan of the times... I've kayaked with them and if I would have thrown a brown claw I would have felt like a posser because I wasnt there with them in the glory of that inside sign. But if EG or Norquist sent a claw my way I might respond with a low fist pump to show my mutual stoke to be on the water with them but in my style.
There is something universal about the fist pump but the claw is SO original that you can only be a poser by throwing it... be original
|
Posted By: Dale
Date Posted: 18 Dec 2013 at 6:18am
|
I believe I may have captured the first whitewater brown claw on video. Watch for it... http://youtu.be/SFAbAW_6IFo
The brown claw has been around in the nonwhitewater world at least since the '70's, as my sidekick in highschool adopted it as his "wave". Most people probably thought he was just having a bad cramp or was autistic, but he thought it was cool. I believe his Marine Sargent broke him of the habit temporarily, but old habits die hard. Not sure how it made the jump to whitewater. I didn't understand it in the '70's and I don't understand it now. I also don't understand how anyone could give enough of a crap about it to seriously give someone else some crap about it. The rail grab was more comical, in part because when poorly executed, it tended to serve up some carnage. note: I never get tired of seeing Rick swim. I created several versions of it(by special requests) and have loaned the clips out to Rick's other friends so they can edit in a swim every time they get some video of Rick in a boat. It should be noted that when he flips in the video, he actually rolls up, but that gets edited out, doesn't it. :-) |
Posted By: AaronS
Date Posted: 18 Dec 2013 at 12:01pm
|
I think it comes down to the difference between making a statement and expressing genuine excitement. If you're trying to emphasize what a badass you are for having done whatever it is that you just did, then you irritate the crap out of me (who cares?).
If, however, you are genuinely stoked about the experience you just had, it shows in your reaction and I'm likely to get drawn into your excitement. I don't whoop and holler a lot, though. My silly grin at the bottom of a drop is my "claw" I guess. It's the same thing in professional sports. I can't stand professional sports because there is so little pure excitement. It's all about the endzone dance or the angry face after a dunk. Why can't you just be excited about the thrill of the thing and not try to make everyone believe that you're the only one who's ever done that before? It's one of the reasons I don't watch sports anymore. So, what is it that the Demsh*tz boys are doing? Promoting or celebrating. I guess it's up to me to decide for myself. I think EG looks uncomfortable when he's promoting or posturing in the videos, but he's absolutely joyful at the bottom of a drop throwing up the claw or the devil horns. That's genuine. I like that. ------------- If you're not prepared to be wrong you'll never come up with anything new. |
Posted By: jalmquist
Date Posted: 18 Dec 2013 at 12:35pm
| The fist pump is especially effective when done in a certain orientation. |
Posted By: commander fun
Date Posted: 18 Dec 2013 at 12:40pm
|
nice one, dale
------------- |
Posted By: James
Date Posted: 18 Dec 2013 at 3:56pm
|
Originally posted by jalmquist The fist pump is especially effective when done in a certain orientation.  |
Posted By: SOPBOATER
Date Posted: 21 Dec 2013 at 6:51pm
| brown claw and church, both the essence of stupidity and all that loath in this world. if it were legal i would shoot all those doing said self masturbatory gestures with a shotgun loaded with rock salt. sad what's happened to kayaking. I'm embarrassed to be a part of it anymore. anyone need some cheap creek boats let me know. |
Posted By: Sam_Graftton
Date Posted: 21 Dec 2013 at 7:29pm
|
Originally posted by SOPBOATER
brown claw and church, both the essence of stupidity and all that loath in this world. if it were legal i would shoot all those doing said self masturbatory gestures with a shotgun loaded with rock salt. sad what's happened to kayaking. I'm embarrassed to be a part of it anymore. anyone need some cheap creek boats let me know. Rock salt? Seems a little over the top to me... Is this because you can't handle the fact that most of the up and comers in whitewater Kayaking act like thugs? Because I'm totally with you on the thug thing, if your getting free gear or paid to Kayak you need to represent yourself in a professional manner. I do however think that for the most part all the Kayakers throwing brown claws are good people it's just a trend nothing worth getting upset about. Most of them will grow out of it eventually. |
Posted By: SOPBOATER
Date Posted: 21 Dec 2013 at 8:07pm
| i was being extreme. jah bless |
Posted By: NightbeastNW
Date Posted: 23 Dec 2013 at 4:47pm
|
Ok, so the Brown claw has been deemed "uncool"... How about a good jerk off motion? (followed by spitting of course) That seems like a good one to me! I feel like it would really catch on!  Locs Only |
Posted By: Fenix747
Date Posted: 24 Dec 2013 at 2:33pm
|
Originally posted by NightbeastNW
Locs Only Dans got it, all about being LOnly ------------- "Full Face" Andy |
Posted By: SOPBOATER
Date Posted: 28 Dec 2013 at 6:51pm
| it's not about being local or alone. i just remember when boaters were explorers and alpnists not some mall Walkers with a flat billed hat, a trust fund, and a vernacular that makes ebonics sound like the queens English. |
Posted By: tiziak
Date Posted: 28 Dec 2013 at 8:58pm
|
Damn! I'm on team flatbill and I like to talk about how stoked I am.
I guess my trust-fund check got lost in the mail? ------------- If you don't know where you are going, any road will get you there. Daniel Patrinellis 360.434.4616 |
Posted By: AaronS
Date Posted: 28 Dec 2013 at 9:05pm
|
Originally posted by tiziak Damn! I'm on team flatbill and I like to talk about how stoked I am. I guess my trust-fund check got lost in the mail? ------------- If you're not prepared to be wrong you'll never come up with anything new. |
Posted By: SOPBOATER
Date Posted: 28 Dec 2013 at 9:44pm
| you better bend that bill dan. besides you work for a living and i understand you. |
Posted By: NightbeastNW
Date Posted: 28 Dec 2013 at 9:52pm
| I'm with Dan! Straight bill team, hell I'll even leave the sticker on! |
Posted By: JayB
Date Posted: 28 May 2014 at 11:42am
Brown Claw! Rawr!
Sorry - had to do it when I saw how the photo turned out.... ------------- -Jay |
Posted By: swimswim
Date Posted: 28 May 2014 at 2:42pm
| Looks like proof that the brown claw is a natural, instinctive expression and possibly universal, like the smile |