Canoeing with the Sexist

This summer, I decided to volunteer for an outdoor rec. program that works with special populations (youth-at-risk, folks with cognitive and physical disabilities, etc.). Yesterday was volunteer canoe training. I've done a fair bit of canoeing (two summers teaching in the Boundary Waters, and I was looking forward to the training so I could understand more about adaptive canoeing and just so I could get out on the water (I haven't been out since last year's short trip to the BWCA).

We get to the reservoir, and after a few minutes of instruction, we group up (3 to a canoe) to practice. I asked the folks in my group (a woman and a man) if they wanted to paddle stern. No takers, so I volunteered. After two seconds on the water, it was clear that uptight man paddling in the middle of the canoe wanted to be in the stern. Let me just point out here that there is no real need for a paddler in the middle of a canoe. They don't really add anything to the process (except, perhaps, for a bit of speed). All one needs is a paddler in the bow for balance and forward power and a paddler in the stern to steer. So, the man (who because of a brief conversation on the shore knew that I'd paddled before) immediately started steering--from the center of the canoe! Duh--it doesn't even make sense in terms of the physics of the craft to steer from the center. And he was doing wild, agressive steering. It takes very little motion (unless you're paddling in windy conditions or rapids) to steer a canoe. So, I tell the guy to stop steering. But he doesn't. And I tell him again. No luck. He tells me, "You can't do it." Uh, yeah, I can if you would stop being a sexist ass. He tells me, "You're in charge, you've got to tell us what to do." (I guess he was expecting me to yell, "Hard right, hard left."--no agressive paddling was needed on the sleepy reservoir). I don't need you to do anything, I hollered back--just paddle forward. Apparently the man was not capable of doing such a thing--he kept doing D-strokes and prys and other wild flappings. I don't think he ever stopped to consider that the canoe might not have been going along smoothly because he was counter-acting my steering. I really, really wanted to wack him in the head with my paddle. I've been fuming about it since yesterday. Nothing pisses me off like a man who thinks a woman can't accomplish physical work.