Greenland Kayaks

Very small boys learn kayaking in the cold, cold waters of Greenland. Look carefully at this photo.
You can see that the small kayak has floats on the sides —- sort of like training wheels for a kayak.

Qajaq is the Greenlandic spelling of Kayak.
Kayaking is very important to the people of Greenland.
It’s even the name of a beer!

Kayaks in a stone carving along a cliff in the town of Qaqortoq, alongside the carvings of faces and whales.

Manuvering a kayak — this guy was amazing. Note that traditional kayak paddles are long and thin.

In the small town of Nanortalik we saw a demonstration of kayak techniques, including a variety of ways to turn the kayak upside down or sideways and then right it. The modern kayakers, including this one, wear neoprene suits rather than the traditional treated skins!

Our fellow-passengers watching the kayak demonstration. Blue parkas for all of us were included
with our trip, in order to be sure we all stayed warm and dry!

Kayakers near the museum in Nuuk.

All the Greenland museums that we visited included quite a lot of material about kayaks, as the Greenlanders are responsible for much of the development of kayak technology. Kayaks were used by men, mainly for hunting seals and walrus, while larger boats (as in the illustration) were for larger groups of men, women, and children. Only by hunting could the Greenlanders obtain the meat, skins, and oil required for survival.

A traditional kayak had a wood frame covered by treated animal skins, and was custom-fit to the leg length and the waist-size of its owner. As one guide said: You can't steal a kayak! 

The hunters' clothing was made from animal skins treated to be waterproof and warm. The kayaker would paddle through incredible, cold waves to harpoon a seal and drag it or carry it on the back of the kayak to bring home meat and valuable hides. 

Every kayak trip required dangerous and daring actions, essential in the very challenging Arctic environment. It's hard to imagine the life of the traditional Greenlanders, living in near-darkness for several months a year with constant dangers from the cold and from lack of food. The fact that these Inuit and pre-Inuit peoples could have constantly inhabited Greenland for 4,000 years is really remarkable.

Blog post and photos © 2022 mae sander