The elbow roll is one of the most difficult maneuvers Maligiaq performs. 
The solid lines represent his starting position for a roll to the right. The phantom lines indicate his finishing position. The curved arrow is the path his elbow follows in relation to the kayak. To prepare for rolling, he puts the palm of his left hand flat against the nape of his neck and twists his torso so that he faces to the right. He points his left elbow forward and holds it near the foredeck when he is ready to roll. He holds his right hand against the right side of the kayak.

Maligiaq leans low and to the right to capsize. He lets the momentum of capsizing bring his body just past the fully capsized point, and starts a recovery before the momentum of capsizing is lost. He then quickly straightens his torso as it untwists to bring his elbow outboard, away from the deck and backward toward the aft deck. He thrusts his right hand to the right as a counterbalance to lead the recovery. He completes the roll with his left elbow still against the nape of his neck as he lies on the afterdeck with his right arm thrust to the right. The speed that is required to complete this roll and the sudden untwisting of his torso while bending backward creates a risk of injury. On one occasion, Maligiaq pulled a muscle in his side while practicing this roll.