I was recently contacted by a camp director in Miami, Florida who is adding log rolling to his summer day camp.  (http://swimgym.net/camp/aquaticcamp.php ): he is looking for experienced instructors. This is a small but important step in the development of youth log rolling. Imagine kids in Miami, with its year-round warm climate, getting hooked on log rolling!

I have long expressed my belief that the future of log rolling is in the aquatic sports sector and not in the lumberjack sports sector.  While the roots and history of the sport is in the forests of North America, the future is in swimming pools around the world; YMCAs, City Park and Recreation Centers, and Jewish Community Centers are all pursuing log rolling classes for their aquatics programs.  I believe this is the tip of the iceberg.  The reasons that log rolling will continue to grow nationally and internationally are:

1. It's inexpensive:  program equipment (logs) and athlete equipment (shoes) are cheap.
   
2. It's fun to do; put a log in the water with kids, it's like bees to honey.
3. It's easy to teach: there's a front step, a back step, and the important "transition" between the two! Even  non-log rollers can teach beginners.
4. It's safe: no head injuries, spinal cord injuries, or knee "blow-outs". (In fact it's been proven to be good rehab for ACL reconstructions.
5. It's generates new income for aquatic and recreation program.
6. It's easy to produce events compared with many other sports. Have you ever organized a ski race or mountain bike race? Yikes, talk about work.
7. Television loves log rolling because its thrilling, has strong ratings,  and is easy to produce: athletes stay in one place.
8. It has all the pros of boxing: excitement, aggression, suspense; without the cons: violence and injury. Sports writers could have a heyday with this sport once they learn more about it.
   

 

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