Today’s podcast guest is good friend and fellow Great Lakes paddler Erik Borgnes. Many of you may recognize Erik as the guy who has dominated the Chattajack 32 race for the past several years. He has also contributed several great blog posts to the surfski universe including boat reviews, technique analysis, experiments in dieting, and a treasure trove of information on ERG training, which is our focus topic in this podcast discussion.

It is always a great pleasure chatting with Erik and I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that without Erik this entire podcast would not exist. Erik penned the first article I stumbled across back in 2005 that inspired me to figure out for myself just what surfski paddling was all about.

Below are some of the key tops we covered in this podcast and further down are several links to different material Erik has published on the internet:

• The various ERG trainers he has used over the years


• The modifications that he’s done to his ERG to make it most closely resemble his stroke on the water


• How Erik retro-fit his ERG with a carbon paddle shaft from ZRE


• Tips and tricks to avoid boredom on the ERG


• How to determine your marathon race pace and build a training program based on it


• The benefit of short intervals that are generally more sustainable on an ERG


• How to think about paddle techinque on the ERG in a way that can actually improve your on the water technique


• Transitioning back onto the water

Below is a list of various resources on the web that Erik has produced:

• Link to the Yahoo Kayak ERG Group Moderated By Erik


• Chattajack Training Plan


• Tips and Tricks I gleaned from the Yahoo Group into a Blog Post


• Detailed review of the Kayak Pro Speedstroke ERG


• How Erik introduced me to Surfski


• Less is More  interview with Erik on Surfski News


• Avoiding the bonk with training strategies and diet (note: Oscar Chalupsky has long consulted with Erik in matters relating to diet and endurance performance)