Can you tie a bow tie?
He’s in a traditional cedar-canvas canoe, about the heaviest construction around, and less stiff than Kevlar or carbon fiber. Maybe the rules require it, like wooden bats in major league, maybe it fits in with the gentlemanly aesthetic, maybe it actually works best.
Hull design would be more important. A short canoe with no keel and plenty of rocker is the easiest to manoeuvre. For most flatwater paddling a slightly flexible paddle is preferred, but that may not be the case for this sport.
I can do the strokes he uses well enough to handle a canoe in tight quarters, but with nowhere near the precision and elegance he brings to it.
