Been there, done all that�don�t think I have missed much of the Mason stuff.
So - you're saying he did it all with trick photography then? He didn't negotiate those rapids from a station just behind the yoke? Why didn't he position himself on the stern seat? Ignorance?
The stern seat is in the narrowest part of the boat there is room to sit. If you don't balance the boat with some weight in the other end, you give up a lot of the boats inherent stability. If you do counterbalance for trim, all you mass is near the ends - which prevents the boat from responsive turning and from riding dry and easy over large waves. And it puts you in a position of poor leverage for a brace (you know that term?). You can get away with all that (with weight in the opposite end) if you only need to go straight or make wide turns - and yes, it is easier to make the boat go straight. But if you're doing it with the bow riding high and dry as in that first photo - you are giving up speed, stability, and directional control....for no good reason other than a lack of knowledge and/or practice.
