Kevin Floyd could probably talk forever about Inuvialuit qayaqing.

That鈥檚 the impression he gives anyway, when his eyes light up and he starts describing the ways Inuvialuit qayaqs are built, how his people used to hunt birds and whales with them, the skills involved in rolling and staying quiet in the water.

鈥淩ight off the bat, our paddles are different,鈥� he said when asked what makes Inuvialuit qayaqs different from southern ones.

鈥淚t鈥檚 shaped a lot like a plane propeller. It was designed a long time ago to be optimum in the wild up here, in the water. It gives you lift when you鈥檙e in the water. It鈥檚 nice and quiet. And then our qayaqs, they鈥檙e skin on frame.鈥�

He pulled one out from storage in the Midnight Sun Complex鈥檚 pool.

Floyd went through every part of the qayaq, which is made from wood and then wrapped in a skin.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a lot like the 1950s flared fenders on cars,鈥� he said about the pointed-up ends. 鈥淚鈥檝e heard a lot of people say it鈥檚 a handle. It鈥檚 not comfortable to carry it like this any distance. I think it鈥檚 just for style and design.鈥�

Inuvialuit hunters would use the qayaqs to hunt ducks, geese and whales.

For ducks and geese, they used a tool that flung a three-pronged spear. Floyd hunts, but he mostly uses a shotgun.

Whales take a little more work.

鈥淵ou have to get up to it, make a good placement with your harpoon and then finish it off with a gun,鈥� said Floyd.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 if you鈥檙e doing it on your own or with another person. Traditionally, in the old days, there would be dozens and dozens of families all gathering out in the Delta. They would paddle out to sea and then corral the beluga whales into the shallows where they can鈥檛 maneuver, and then they would use a big lance to spear them.鈥�

Floyd hasn鈥檛 gone whale hunting himself, but he did build a qayaq for a young man who wanted to.

The slim shape, rounded hull and length of the qayaq mean it can be turned on a dime, which is exactly what鈥檚 necessary to pursue fast-moving belugas.

The Inuvik Qayaq Club held its annual general meeting last week. The group meets regularly to practise skills in the rec centre pool and then use them out in the water on day trips.

鈥淚 would like to potentially see an overnight trip,鈥� said Jennifer Lam, vice-chair of the organization, at the meeting.

More opportunities for members to build qayaqs and oars were also suggested going forward.

Anyone is welcome to drop by the club鈥檚 pool practice sessions from 5 鈥� 6 p.m. on Sundays.

Even people who have trepidations about being in the water, and especially rolling upside down in a qayaq in it, are encouraged to try it out.

Floyd said some people have come in with a huge ingrained fear and panic response to being upside down in the water, and they have since progressed to being able to hang under for 45 seconds before twisting themselves and their qayaq up.

鈥淭hey get up to about 45 seconds and then they just get bored and come up,鈥� he said. 鈥淪o it鈥檚 gone from someone who鈥檚 been terrified of being in the water to 鈥榊eah, I鈥檓 rocking it.鈥� You don鈥檛 have to be a swimmer.鈥�

The rolling skill is key to the tradition鈥檚 history.

鈥淚n the Inuit qayaqing culture, if you flip upside down and you can鈥檛 get back up, you鈥檙e not going to be a very good hunter,鈥� said Floyd.

Floyd and Lam will both be south this weekend at the Pacific Paddling Symposium in Victoria, BC.

They will be teaching traditional Inuvialuit qayaqing skills.

Anyone interested in the sport is encouraged to contact the Inuvik Qayaq Club on Facebook or drop in to one of the Sunday sessions.