Ceufad Autumn 2018

ceufad CYLCHGRAWN CANW CYMRU JOURNAL OF CANOE WALES

Issue 136 September 2018 £2.50

kayak

Q&A HENRY CLARK FINNISH ADVENTURE 2018 EUROPEAN FREESTYLE CHAMPS LES GORGES GOURMANDE YOUNGUNS FREESTYLE

Location: Skomer Island Photo: Pete Catterall

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editorial

t’s coming to the end of what has been a pretty good summer in Wales. Although the rivers have been fairly dry there have been some great sea conditions, and I’ve been venturing further afield in my sea kayak. During the early heat wave I paddled round Ramsey and Skomer for the first time, and was left wondering why I had left it so long. The tides meant an early start, so most of the trip was quiet and tourist-boat free. We even managed to get to Skomer an hour before the ferry, and enjoyed an undisturbed walk around the island, dodging the thousands of puffins that call it home (one of my top wildlife encounters). The coastline is simply stunning and the perfect weather made it a trip to remember.

It also reminded me that Wales is a very special place, and there are adventures waiting on the rivers, coast and lakes. According to the news, this is the year of the staycation, with Wales seeing the biggest rise in holidaymaker numbers. And I can understand why, it sometimes feels like Wales is a best-kept secret, shared amongst a dedicated group of Cambrophiles. Whenever I tell people I live in Wales they usually roll their eyes and make some joke about the rain, which is fine by me. I’ll keep the rain … and the mountains, coast, rivers, lakes, wildlife, people, culture … everything that makes this such an amazing country. And I’ll try and keep it a secret too!

Vicky Barlow Editor Ceufad Ed Ceufad

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Ceufad is the official magazine of Canoe Wales. It is produced by members & the views expressed are not necessarily those of Canoe Wales or the magazine’s editor. Ceufad is free to members of Canoe Wales.

SUBSCRIPTIONS are available to non-members for £10 for 4 issues from Canoe Wales.

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CONTACT ceufad@canoe.wales – 01678 521199 Ceufad, Canoe Wales, Bala, Gwynedd LL23 7NU Ceufad is produced quarterly in March, June, September and December.

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Design & layout: Vicky Barlow www.victoriabarlow.co.uk

32 Welsh slalom report

14 Welsh International Canoe Polo Challenge

contents

20 Les Gourges Gourmande

26 European Freestyle Championships

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CANOE WALES NEWS

14 2018 CANOE POLO WORLD CHAMPS

Updates and info from Canoe Wales

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MAESTEG CANOE CLUB WINS GOLD

16 Q&A: HENRY CLARK

insport Gold award for Maesteg CC

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CANOE WALES – WATERWAYS & ENVIRONMENT UPDATE

20 LES GORGES GOURMANDE

Will the Welsh Government reform access?

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23RD WELSH INTERNATIONAL CANOE POLO CHALLENGE

Photos from Dragon Canoe Club’s annual event

9 REVIEW

Checking out the latest guidebooks

10 YOUNGUNS FREESTYLE & BOATERX

Younguns series finishes in style on the Tryweryn

12 THE RINGING OF THE GEESE

Meeting a World Champion OC tour of three classic French rivers

26 2018 EUROPEAN FREESTYLE CHAMPS

GB hunts for medals in Bratislava

28 FINNISH ADVENTURE

St David’s College canoe expedition

32 WELSH SLALOM REPORT

It’s been a busy summer for the Welsh athletes

34 TOP TIPS FOR THE WW KAYAKER

Chris Brain’s tips for a smooth day on the river

An ode to the geese ringing on Llangorse Lake

13 PHOTO COMPETITION

Welsh success in Canada

Winners of the Canoe Wales Photo Comp

Front cover: Paddler: Alex Ludlow Location: Younguns Freestyle event, Canolfan Tryweryn Photo: Howard ‘H’ Pimborough

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CANOE WALES 2018 CANOE WALES AWARDS Nominations are now open for the 2018 Canoe Wales Awards! The Canoe Wales Awards recognise the tremendous dedication and commitment of our members and those who support them.

This year’s award categories are: •

Coach of the year

•

Volunteer of the year

•

Paddler of the year

•

Club of the year

The board of directors will also present a special award in memory of the late Alan Baker: Alan Baker Outstanding Service Award.

Canoe Wales members can can submit written or video nominations for this year’s awards through www.canoewales.com. The application deadline is midnight on 21 September. The finalists will be announced on 5 October and the winners will be announced and the awards preseneted at the AGM on 13 October 2018.

For more details visit www.canoewales.com/canoe-wales-awards

2018 CANOE WALES MEMBERS MEET & AGM 13-14 October 2018 | Celtic Camping, St Davids, Pembrokeshire There’s tons of workshops to choose from plus our annual AGM, our Canoe Wales Awards Ceremony, information sessions, retailer and partner stands to visit, a prize giveaway and more! Make sure you book early to take advantage of early bird rates for event passes too.

• • • • • •

Paddle the Pembrokeshire coastline Attend club volunteer workshops Update your qualifications Try other paddlesport disciplines Meet the staff and directors Listen to amazing guest speakers

• • • •

Celebrate at the CW Awards Dinners Vote at the 2018 Canoe Wales AGM Check out stands and demo kit from Canoe Wales partners Win prizes in our special prize giveaway

And much more!

Book your event pass now to avoid missing out – places are limited on some workshops – www.canoewales.com/2018-members-meet

BRITISH CANOEING NEW PERSONAL PERFORMANCE AWARDS British Canoeing has recently announced the launch of the NEW Personal Performance Awards to encourage paddlers to develop their skills and safety on the water, in the craft and environment of their choice.

The Personal Performance Awards are designed for paddlers wanting to gain recognition of their learning and development, in the craft and environment they choose.

The process of completing the awards is based on learning and, as such, the ethos of ‘supporting the paddler’ is the main focus of all the awards, encouraging individuals in their personal development.

The new Personal Performance Awards include: • •

Paddle Awards: Three introductory awards – Start, Discover, Explore – that are designed for those new to paddlesport Discipline Specific Awards: 12 pathways comprising three awards which enables paddlers to choose the environment, craft and paddle sport discipline that is right for them

British Canoeing will roll out the awards by completing the following milestones: • • •

Autumn 2018: British Canoeing will launch the content of the awards Autumn 2018: British Canoeing Awarding Body will launch the Provider eLearning to support the delivery of the awards January 2019: Personal Performance Awards will be available throughout the UK

Further updates will be promoted via www.britishcanoeing.org.uk and their ‘Catch up with Coaching’ newsletter.

CANOE WALES – OUR TEAM Jen Browning – General Manager MEMBER SERVICES TEAM Paul Marshall – Coaching Manager (Consultant) Val Ephraim – Administrative Officer Ellen Roberts – Finance Officer Steve Rayner – Waterways and Environment Officer (Consultant)

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PERFORMANCE TEAM Jonathan Davies – Talent Pathway Officer (North) Serena Williams – Talent Pathway Officer (South) Dan Golder – Talent Pathway Officer (South) Gareth Bryant -–Talent Pathway Officer (West) Tom Power – Head Coach (Slalom) Dan Goddard – Performance Coach (Slalom) Kevin Bowerbank – Head Coach (Sprint)

DIRECTORS David Wakeling – Interim Chairperson Andy Booth – Finance Director Sonja Jones Lowri Davies Jet Moore Paul Robertson Eryl Richards Russell Scaplehorn

CANOE WALES MAESTEG CANOE CLUB WINS GOLD

Article: Gayle Penn

On the 12th July 2018, Maesteg Canoe Club was officially awarded the insport Gold award at a formal presentation at Bridgend Council. The club are the first canoe club in Wales, and first club in Bridgend to achieve the insport Club Gold standard from Disability Sport Wales.

Maesteg Canoe Club offers the chance for children and adults of all ages to learn to kayak and canoe in a safe and friendly environment. Maesteg Canoe Club is an inclusive canoeing club offering both outdoor and pool-based sessions for adults and children within an inclusive environment. The club are a very well established and reputable community-based club, delivering sessions for over 25 years. They have developed strong links with the local authority within a variety of initiatives and programmes, with disability and inclusion being a core focus. The club pride themselves on their inclusive family ethos, demonstrated within their progress towards the insport Club standards since 2014.

Emily Evans Chairperson of Maesteg Canoe Club said, “The committee were thrilled to be announced as the first water based outdoor club to receive insport Gold, we want to give thanks to the members of our club and their families for supporting us each week. Maesteg Canoe Club is firmly on the map.”

The insport Club programme is part of the broader insport project, which aims to support the physical activity, sport, and leisure sectors delivering inclusively of disabled people. As with the other insport programmes, when the club get involved with insport Club they will be assigned a Case Officer, who will support them through the journey. The programme consists of 4 incremental standards (Ribbon, Bronze, Silver and Gold), against which a series of aims have been identified. At Gold standard only, a group of representatives of the club will be invited in to present their journey so far to an independent panel (which will include DSW, Sport Wales and other individuals involved with sport). The club demonstrate the support for each aim by uploading relevant documents and information to a bespoke portal, and the content of the presentation then serves to illustrate the extent to which philosophies of inclusion have been embedded throughout the organisation, the difference that working towards inclusion has made to them, and to let those involved with sport nationally know what great ideas and practices they have around inclusion.

Michelle Daltry Partnership Manager for DSW said “Congratulations to Maesteg Canoe Club on becoming the first club in Bridgend, and first canoe club in Wales, to achieve insport Club Gold. This mark is a recognition of the huge impact that the club make not only on the lives of disabled people through sport, but also to the wider community in Bridgend. Disability Sport Wales would like to thank you for your continued motivation and enthusiasm to ensure that the club grows and develops in a truly inclusive manner”.

Councillor Dhanisha Patel, Cabinet Member for Wellbeing and Future Generations said, “I’d like to offer huge congratulations to Maesteg Canoe Club. This award recognises the motivation, commitment and enthusiasm of the club and its members towards changing the lives of disabled people through the power of sport. Maesteg Canoe Club prides itself on an inclusive family ethos, and this has been demonstrated within every aspect of their delivery and representation. They have exceeded the insport standards and have set an outstanding example for inclusive sport within Bridgend County Borough.” Andrew Thomas, Group Manager for Sports and Physical Activity, added: “This fantastic achievement is made all the more impressive when you consider that there have only been nine gold awards presented in Wales, and Maesteg is the first canoeing club to receive one.”

Gayle Penn, Canoe Wales Regional Development Officer said “It was fantastic to listen to Emily and Dan share the journey that Maesteg Canoe Club have been on since they were established. The range of adapted activities they provide means they truly cater for everyone and shows what is possible if a club has the drive and desire to be inclusive. The Gold insport standard is richly deserved and all the participants and volunteers should be proud of what they’ve achieved. Congratulations and a huge thanks to all involved.”

The club have an up to date Facebook page and the club website is easy to use, holds all essential information, and has clear pathways to follow for further information if required. They meet from 7pm every Wednesday at Maesteg Swimming Pool where anyone over the age of 6 can join in. The coaches can cater the session for the individual needs of the participants, so whether you are new to the sport or an experienced paddler, need one to one support or specialist equipment this is all provided. For further information visit the club website, www.maestegcanoeclub.org For further information on the insport Club programme contact your local Disability Sport Wales Officer, http://www. disabilitysportwales.com/local-authorities/

WELSH SURF AGM The Welsh Surf Kayak AGM will be held on Saturday 15th September 2018 at the Duke of Edinburgh pub at Newgale, Pembs. This will coincide and run along the Welsh Open Surf Competition to be held at Whitesands beach.

Should the competition be rescheduled then so will the AGM.

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WATERWAYS & ENVIRONMENT UPDATE

WILL THE WELSH GOVERNMENT REFORM ACCESS TO WATERS? “Now is not the right time for substantive reform” says Minister for Environment, Hannah Blythyn In June, the Welsh Government at last published a summary of the responses to last year’s consultation on “Sustainable Management of Natural Resources”. Unsurprisingly, “there were strong but differing views on how best to reform access legislation” and “access to water… received considerable attention” – so the Government has put it in the “too difficult” pile for the time being (while Brexit is, of course, occupying much of their attention).

The full report and Ministerial statement are available at: https://gov.wales/about/cabinet/ cabinetstatements/2018/smnrsummaryresponses/?lang=en).

Although this is disappointing, the Head of Landscapes and Outdoor Recreation, John Watkins, has indicated that the Welsh Government does still wish to pursue long-term its proposals to improve access to Wales’ inland waters for recreation – and a ‘proper’ Government response and timetable is expected in November.

British Canoeing follows Wales’ lead In the meantime, British Canoeing will launch in September a new Access & Environment Charter and campaign, asking the Westminster Government to legislate to confirm fair, shared, sustainable open access to water in England. Canoe Wales fully supports this campaign, which is sure to have impact on this side of the border too.

What now?

While we’re waiting wait for the Welsh Government’s full response, we will continue to look for opportunities to highlight the difficulties and promote the importance of fairer legislation for recreational access to inland waters. For example: •

we will continue to work closely with British Canoeing as they develop their new campaign;

•

instead of pursuing fruitless ‘access arrangements’ with anglers, we will focus instead on encouraging responsible, shared use and promoting the access that we do have;

•

we have been invited to lead a discussion on access at the winter meeting of the Welsh Assembly’s Cross Party Group on Waterways;

•

Radio 4’s PM programme included us in a short piece on 22 August about the ongoing conflict on the River Wye, highlighting the urgent need for clear legislation;

•

our Waterways & Environment volunteers are starting to pick up one or two local access issues, but…

•

…we want to link better with our Clubs so that they can support us in reporting, addressing and promoting local access issues as they arise; and

•

we are seeking to have more paddlers represented on Local Access Forums throughout Wales, so that we can influence Local Authorities directly.

If anyone in your club has a particular interest in access, please let me know who they are, so I can start to build up a picture of potential volunteers to help the cause across Wales!

In the meantime, get out there and GO PADDLING!!!

Steve Rayner, Canoe Wales Waterways & Environment Officer, waterways@canoewales.com

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23 WELSH INTERNATIONAL RD

CANOE POLO CHALLENGE In August Dragon Canoe Club hosted the 23rd Welsh International Canoe Polo Challenge on Cwm Hedd Lakes, Newport. This annual event attracts teams from all over the country and this year was no exception.

Photos: Rob Lloyd

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REVIEWS

BEST CANOE TRIPS IN THE SOUTH OF FRANCE This is a hugely welcome second edition of Pete Knowles’ guide to the best canoe rivers in the South of France. Owners of the first edition may notice a change to the title, the original was ‘White Water Massif Central’, and that’s not the only change. This book looks vastly different, with a great layout that makes it easy-to-use and reader-friendly. The grade, distance, level, water quality and temperature are included, along with scenery, interest and how busy the river can be. The latter being particularly useful as some of these rivers can be very popular in the height of the summer.

There are also colour maps alongside detailed river descriptions, which have been written and reviewed by local experts. Speaking of experts, Fluffy features in this edition too, although looking maybe a little more faded (too much time in the sun on the river!).

Eleven rivers are included which have been selected on a basic criteria of being above grade 1 with sufficient water in the peak summer months. And each river has been broken down into the relevant sections.

As well as the river info, there’s plenty of other useful content, including safety, trip planning and river selection. Plus stacks of great photos that will make you want to grab your kit and book a ferry! Overall this is a very successful upgrade of the first edition and well worth adding to your guidebook collection.

BEST CANOE TRIPS IN THE SOUTH OF FRANCE by Peter Knowles ISBN: 978-0-9957513-3-0 Available from www.wordery.com Price: £19.95

SCOTTISH WHITE WATER 3RD EDITION

SCOTTISH WHITE WATER

The third and long awaited installment of Scottish White Water is hot off the press. Since the first edition in the early 2000’s the Scottish WW guide has grown and now covers over 300 river sections across Scotland including 86 new sections since the second edition. This guide has it all 861 256 from Scotland’s old classics such01479 as the Etive, Spean and Roy, to some of the hidden creeks in the www.glenmorelodge.org.uk remotest parts of the highlands.

The Scottish Canoe Association have brought together numerous paddlers, photographers and editors to collate all that Scotland has to offer the white water paddler.

SCOTTISH WHITE WATER – 3rd Edition This edition is full colour, and includes maps of theThe more popular river sections. Detailed river SCA Guidebook descriptions with key access information will get you to the put-ins and take-outs. Each river section also has ‘quick reference’ icons, which help you to quickly see the grade and style of river, • Completely revised 3rd edition The Scottish Canoe Association Guide to as well as a handy ‘gauge’ icon which shows the levels the river runs at.the white water rivers of Scotland.

• 318 river runs This third edition has been completely • 86 new entries in this edition revised and updated. It is a comprehensive This edition also features lots of inspirational photos that give a flavor ofthe white thewater rivers.

Flicking guide to rivers, playspots • Full colour throughout and artificial white water courses of Scotland. through the pages looking at some of the great pictures makes you want to load your boat and • Improved maps The guide is illustrated with photos and maps, and the new format makes it even easier to find the information you need. head to Scotland! proceeds from the sale of this book will Learn, develop or qualify with Scotland’s National Outdoor Training Centre, Another great guidebook from the team at Pesda Press and a creditThe the SCA goto towards protecting and and enhancingnumerous the located in the heart of Cairngorms National Park. Our goal is to inspire rivers that we all enjoy. adventure by teaching beginners, coaching intermediate/ advanced and contributors to this book! delivering training and assessment courses for leaders and instructors.

SCOTTISH WHITE WATER 3RD EDITION by SCA ISBN: 978-1-906095-60-4 Available from www.pesdapress.com Price: £19.99

SCOTTISH WHITE WATER 3rd Edition

• Com

• 318

• 86

• Ful

• Imp

ISBN 9781906095604

9 781906 095604

Published by Pesda Press

qualifications

white water kayaking

open canoeing

Stand up paddle boarding

on behalf of the SCA

sea kayaking

Pesda Press

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YOUNGUNS FREES T

he latest stop off was at Canolfan Tryweryn, The National Whitewater Centre near Bala, a whole weekend of fun, starting with freestyle coaching and a BoaterX race on Saturday, then culminating in the main event, a freestyle competition on Sunday.

For the uninitiated, the Younguns Freestyle tour is a series of events aimed at encouraging paddlers and their parents to participate in the sport of freestyle kayaking in a fun, friendly and safe environment. The tour visits many varied kayaking sites across the country making it accessible to paddlers of all abilities, whether you’re a novice kayaker or a seasoned competitor. The whole ethos of the events is about encouraging participation and features coached sessions followed by a scored competition.

Many of the current crop of GB Freestyle Team athletes give up their time to coach at these events, and companies such as Jackson kayaks support the events by offering a fleet

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of demo boats at many of the events.

The number of young paddlers participating in this event clearly demonstrates the growing appeal of freestyle, and the skill levels on show from these young paddlers bodes well for the future of the discipline. Developing the skills of the freestyle stars of the future, is part of the GB Freestyle 4 year plan (check out the GB Freestyle website for more information on this).

Saturday morning was an opportunity for exploring the river and practicing in the plethora of playspots on the Afon Tryweryn.

The youngsters were split into groups of similar abilities and assigned a coach for the day. Much fun was had and there were boofs and rock splats aplenty!

After lunch came the serious matter of BoaterX on a short stretch of river from below cafĂŠ wave to Chapel Falls. After numerous head to head races to establish

STYLE & BOATERX Words: Justin Bunn

the running order, the finals race produced BoaterX results: girls: Charlie Aldred, U14 boys: Toby & Joel, U16: Alex, Simon, Asha, U18 boys: Charlie Bill, Alex Walters, U12 boys: Oliver Bunn.

It was tremendous to see so many of the parents taking up the opportunity to paddle at the event, and so on the Saturday evening a group of them took a leisurely paddle of the whole river down to Bala Mill, whilst many of the Younguns opted for a water pistol fight to cool off, and BBQ in the evening.

Sunday was the main event and took place on the Top Hole above the Chipper and was hotly contested. The spectators gathered in the glorious sunshine and were treated to impressive displays of freestyle kayaking with some seriously impressive routines and combinations on show. There were over 20 competitors across many age ranges. At the end of the comp, in the girls Charlie Aldred took a narrow victory over Brogan Swart,

Photos: Howard ‘H’ Pimborough & Justin Bunn

Charlie Bill won the U18 boys category, U16 boys Asha narrowly beating Iestyn Davies.

The biggest category was the U14 boys with Joel Crampton taking the win.

With fun being the main purpose of these events, there were a few spot prizes too, awards for a broken paddle, an impressive rescue off the Chipper, and even a Rock Bonus! The Younguns tour is kindly supported by a number of great people, including Palm, NRS, Immersion Research, Jackson Kayaks, Pyranha Kayaks, Surfplugs, GB Freestyle, and Peak UK, without whose support these events would not happen.

To encourage even greater participation this year paddlers will be given FREE entry if they bring a friend who enters, and has never paddled at a Younguns event previously! They too will even get FREE entry.

Next event is at Boulters Lock on 15th September – see you there!

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Every year Aberfan Canoeists assist Monmouthshire Ornithologists in capture and ringing of Canada Geese at Llangorse Lake.

This event takes place June/July when the geese have their annual moult. As the birds lose their flight feathers, this prevents them from flying off making the task of capturing the geese possible.

This years ringing took place on Sunday 24 June and the following poem was written by one of the club members.

THE RINGING OF THE GEESE The sun was hot, the sky was blue.

And so, we set off in our family canoe.

We joined the parade of colours of green and red, yellow and blue and purple too.

We were a band of canoeists embarking in Canadians, Sea Lions and Kayaks, many a canoe.

Across the water, we paddled strong.

To where the geese waited, but not for long.

We ushered and guided the geese across this graceful lake.

Yet there were times when they took their chances and found windows of escape.

We shared the water with speed boats and sail boats, and with the odd paddle board too.

All of which presented many obstacles to shoo.

After some time we reached the shore.

Where ornithologists awaited the geese and canoeists galore.

As soon as the geese were grounded at the bright orange fence.

Our job here was done. And so, let the goose ringing commence.

Nikita Griffiths

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CANOE WALES

photo competition Earlier this year Canoe Wales launched their Photo Competition.

Here are the winners and some of our favourites!

=1st

=1st

Roger Chandler Sept 2016, a day off with super conditions with Barry Shaw Penrhyn Mawr, Anglesey

3rd

Serena Bethan Williams Early starts for the flatwater paddlers, whilst the rest of Cardiff is sleeping we get to see the sun rise over Cardiff!

David Evans Tranquility Llyn Geirionydd

Jessica Elliott TVP’s new kit arrives - just a bit TOO chilly to try them out!

Llandysul Paddler’s Lake

Serena Bethan Williams Sunset session with the sprint paddlers Barry Docks

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Photo courtesy of ICF/Dezso Vekassy

Photo courtesy of ICF/Dezso Vekassy

Photo courtesy of Canoe Wales/British Canoeing

Photo courtesy of ICF/Dezso Vekassy

Photo courtesy of ICF/Dezso Vekassy

Photo courtesy of ICF/Dezso Vekassy

Photo courte

Photo courtesy of ICF/

Photo courtesy of Photo courtesy of ICF/Dezso Vekassy

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Photo courtesy of Canoe Wales/British Canoeing

esy of Canoe Wales Polo/Canw Cymru Polo

/Dezso Vekassy

f Canoe Wales Polo/Canw Cymru Polo

Words: Canoe Wales & British Canoeing Photos: As credited

2018

CANOE POLO WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

In July this year Great Britain sent 4 teams to Welland in Canada for the 2018 Canoe Polo World Championships. GB have always fielded strong teams at international competitions, and this year was no exception. The GB U21 men’s team were the current World and European Champions, and favourites to retain their title. Both the Senior Women and the U21 Women had taken 4th at the recent European Championships, and were definite medal contenders. The Senior Men were looking to reach their potential to improve at their 8th place at the Euros. It was all to play for when the competition got underway.

U21 WOMEN

SENIOR MEN

U21 MEN

The team made a strong start with two wins in the first round, placing them second in their group. In the second round group they didn’t get off to the best of starts, losing 6-1 to Italy, who had topped their first round group earlier in the competition.

Unfortunately, despite a strong performance they didn’t qualify for the semi-finals, finishing 7th overall.

Looking to retain their World Championship title the U21 Men were full of confidence having won the European Championships in 2017 and the Flanders Cup back in June. They cruised through the group stage, progressing into the second round and onto the semi finals with ease, where they demonstrated why they were the reigning World Champions with a 9-3 victory over Poland. As with the Senior Women Germany stood between them and a gold medal. The final started off as tight fixture showing the class of the two sides that were cancelling each other out, and went into the break at 0-0. The second half saw both teams come out for the win, and Alex Lowthorpe broke the deadlock before the opposition equalised shortly after. Two goals from Jack Playford, the second just under two minutes before the end gave Great Britain some breathing space and the World Championships in sight. A last second consolation goal from Germany wasn’t enough as Britain lifted the title following a 3-2 win.

SENIOR WOMEN With a 17-0 victory over Australia, the team had a great opening to the Championships. They went on to win all 3 group games, easing into the top half of the second round and ultimately qualifying for the semi-finals, where Italy stood between them a place in the finals. Goals from Virginia Coyles and Bethan Littlewood gave the British side a comfortable 2-0 lead going into the break.

Italy didn’t give up without a fight, and halved the deficit with just over two minutes remaining.

Britain kept their cool however, and in the dying seconds, Bethan Dean’s late goal confirmed a spot in the final putting the game beyond Italy’s reach.

Germany were always going to be tough opponents and goals either side of half time gave the opposition a strong 2-0 lead. Bethan Littlewood gave Britain hope, but the side couldn’t get that all-important second goal, with Germany going down the other end and sealing their gold with a third goal. Britain came away with a well deserved silver.

The U21 women headed into the competition as ones to watch having finished agonisingly close to the podium in fourth place at last years’ European Championships. After a dramatic victory over France and a defeat to Germany the British side progressed through to the top half of the draw in third place, going on to secure a spot in the semi finals with a tie against Germany. Despite losing to them in the first round the Brits put in a stellar performance the game was an extremely tight one.

However, a 4-3 defeat meant the women’s side had to settle for the 3rd/4th place play-off. Again, a narrow 3-2 defeat to New Zealand meant that they finished the competition in a brilliant fourth place.

WELSH SUCCESS! Welsh athlete Henry Clark (Bridgend CC) brings home a gold medal as part of the U21 men’s team.

Welsh athletes Bethan Littlewood and Louise Saxon (both Bridgend CC) have silver medals as part of the senior women’s team. Katie Howe (Aberfan CC) was part of the U21 women’s team who came fourth.

Welsh referees Zoe Anthony and Elan Winter refereed throughout the tournament.

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q&a

HENRY CLARK World Championships 2018

Henry Clark started playing canoe polo in 2013 at Bridgend Canoe Club. In 2017 he was selected for the GB U21 canoe polo squad to play at the European Championships in France. The team were the current World Champions, so expectations were high and the pressure was on. Not that it showed, they stormed through the competition, winning all their matches and taking gold. With a European title under his belt, this summer Henry travelled with the team to Canada for the World Championships. His place on the team had been cemented, and he was part of the starting 5 in every game. They lost one match on their way to the final, ultimately beating Germany to take gold and retain their World Championship title.

Two major international titles at 19 years old, pretty impressive, especially as that’s alongside studying full-time for a Masters in Civil Engineering at Swansea University. Fortunately Henry found time between training sessions and lectures for a quick chat with Ceufad ‌

World Championships 2018

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What got you into canoeing and canoe polo?

Seeing people doing slalom on the river in Bridgend!

After watching them I joined Bridgend Canoe Club’s waiting list and became a member of the club about 18 months later, in October 2012. I got into polo as this was the focus of the club, and I preferred taking part in a team sport as I had previously played rugby and water polo.

Sounds like you have a bit of a competitive streak?

Did you try any other competitive paddlesports?

I did take part in some slalom competitions, going from Div 4 to Div 1 over the course of about 2 years. I did this while still playing canoe polo. I then stopped to focus on canoe polo and attend GB Development weekends.

Is that how you progressed on to the GB team?

I took part in the GB Development squads and played for GB Development from 2015 onwards. Then began training with the GB squads around Oct 2016, and got selected for the GB U21 team around June 2017 to play at the European Championships.

Being selected – that must have been pretty special?

Receiving the phone call from Dave Edwards (U21 men’s coach) to tell me I had been selected to play in the European Championships in 2017 … I honestly think it’s one of my sporting highlights!

Winning the two international titles in 18 months must have been pretty good too?

Yes! However, although winning the European Championships last year was a massive high, winning the World Championships this year meant much more to me personally. Last year, I was new to the team and played more of a supporting role, whereas this year I was part of the starting 5 in every game so had a much bigger role to play.

That’s a lot of games – how did you stay focused over the course of the World Champs (5 days)?

The higher the level of tournament, the less games you can expect to play per day. For example in ECA (European Canoe Association) cup tournaments you can play up to 5 games a day whereas in the World and European Championships you can play up to 3 a day but sometimes as little as 1. When playing 5 games a day, it’s easier to stay focused and it’s more a matter of managing the fatigue that comes with playing so many games. When there’s only 2 games, with a large gap in between (like this year’s World Championships) it’s not so much staying focused for the whole time that’s difficult but being able to switch off in between games and then build back up into the focused mindset. Our coach Dave Edwards has a big part to play in this but so do all the players. Prior to every game we had a set warm-up which would take us from our relaxed state to the controlled aggression required to compete at this level.

GB Development U19A – Irish Youth International 2017

Canoe polo must be physically very demanding – what training do you do?

The type of training varies slightly throughout the year, partly due to weather conditions and time of the year. For instance I do more fitness paddling and less ball work throughout the winter. Also having other paddlers within the club who are, or have been, a part of GB squads ensures I am able to train at a high level.

On average: 2-3 boat-based fitness sessions per week, 2-3 ball sessions per week (indoors during winter) and 2-3 gym-based sessions per week. This is in addition to any competitions and GB training weekends (these take place for approximately 8 months of the year).

That’s a fair amount of training. What motivates you to do a training session when it’s cold, wet and dark outside?

I don’t actually take the conditions into account.

Training is such a part of my routine I do it without thinking. Also I know that the rest of the team is doing the same. Alongside that I’m lucky that I have likeminded people I can train with.

World Championships 2018

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And the worst?

Is that there can be conflicts of opinions and views in relation to the best strategies to use during a game. However, any issues are quickly resolved and it doesn’t affect how we get on off the pitch.

Sounds like canoe polo is a pretty challenging sport, both on and off the pitch! What makes it so enjoyable?

Initially it was because it was something I’d never tried before, which meant it was challenging to play and to learn the rules.

Now it’s the enjoyment of working together with people of a similar age who are equally committed to training and success. Putting everything you’ve got into something to achieve the best you can and get maximum enjoyment from.

World Championships 2018 And how do you manage to balance training and competing with studying full-time?

I think it’s been easier this year as it’s the first year of my course. I also have support from the uni and so can use the gym which is a short walk from my accommodation. My university has also been very supportive of sporting success and have recognised the time and effort I put into my sport, and have made arrangements to allow me to compete with GB when there were clashes with my course.

I am a very focused sort of person and make sure I utilise my time to the full. I chose Swansea Uni so that I could carry on training with my team. I also know the area well enough to be able to make use of outdoor training venues I’ve used previously.

And what are the challenges?

Definitely the lack of exposure and recognition for the sport. Constantly have to explain to people what the sport is and how it’s played. The difficulties of playing a sport that has such a lack of funding for the up and coming athletes and the sport in general.

Other sportspersons are getting high levels of funding because they play a recognised sport, despite not competing at a level anywhere near the level myself and the rest of squad are playing at. The people myself and other players have introduced to the sport are always fascinated and comment on how fast and engaging it is to watch. They often comment on the fact that it would be great to be able to watch it on TV. In this day and age with the number of TV channels and the variety of fringe sports that are shown it should be possible to watch the major championships thereby promoting the sport and participation and engagement within it.

You obviously enjoy training and competing as part of a team – what are the best aspects?

The best is that the teams I am in at the moment are made up of paddlers of a similar age to myself, meaning that we play a similarly fast-paced style of game. Also, as much as we take our training and playing seriously, we also have good fun and get on well off the pitch.

Bridgend Sharks – National Champs 2017

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Stafford and Stone slalom 2014

Bala slalom training camp

Unfortunately that is too true. Are there other countries that give the sport and their players more recognition and support, and is there anything that GB can take from this?

I’m not sure if other countries give more recognition but the European nations seem to have a better set up. Clubs seem to get better funding for facilities.

Some club sides in Europe have better facilities than we’ve got at the National Centre for British Canoe Polo at Holme Pierrepont. Making this venue more spectator-friendly would also be advantageous.

I think that trying to raise the profile by getting canoe polo in the media and on TV would have a huge impact as raising awareness would lead to increased participation, and as a result more money would be coming into the sport.

CPS sponsoring the ICF Canoe Polo Championships is a great start to improving the funding of canoe polo. Their creation of the first professional league is helping raise the profile. I feel that something similar within the UK would make a huge difference.

You mentioned the role that canoe clubs play within the sport – Bridgend is your club team and has produced its fair share of GB squad paddlers. What makes them such a successful canoe club?

Bridgend CC has lots of paddlers (myself and the other GB paddlers included) who are willing to coach the young paddlers when they join the club. We have a good structure in place for differing stages. The young paddlers are encouraged to take part in youth

Ironbridge Slalom 2015 competitions from early on and are well supported by those younger paddlers who are more experienced.

Also, when I started there were already people playing for GB, and one family in particular was instrumental in introducing myself and other paddlers to the GB Development Academy. As a result we have 4 young paddlers who are currently involved in GB Development / squads.

Any advice to these aspiring polo players?

1. To make use of the expertise that exists, for instance by attending the Development Squad.

2. Don’t be afraid to ask for advice from experienced players.

3. Time spent in your boat is never wasted (even the time I spent competing in slaloms, despite ultimately choosing canoe polo!).

Good advice! What does the future hold for you?

I hope to complete my years with the U21’s and at some point progress into playing for the GB men’s team.

Good luck with the your future competitions and thanks for taking the time to chat with Ceufad!

European Championships 2017

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LES GORGES GOURMAND This year, the boys went to France. A nine-day trip, six days paddling, three rivers and three gorges. Here is a taste of a fantastic tour of three French rivers.

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Article:Pete Robinson

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We had spent some time over the winter reading Fluffy’s gorge. Once we’d got on the river the beauty of the guide to the Massif Central and studying some of the limestone cliffs was immediately on show. The water was excellent blogs on Song of the Paddle, so thought a clear and we enjoyed the intermittent small rapids. change from our usual Scottish trips was in order. We The Ardeche is a popular river and, amazingly, the initially planned to pick out the best sections of the local economy is based largely on canoeing tourism. This Ardeche and Tarn, but in the event, we also added means plenty of opportunities for ice cream stops on the parts of the Allier. There were three of us in the party, side of the river.

Smudger, Apache George and myself, so we were able The cliffs towered above us, and the shapes and to travel in one car with a trailer colours were stunning. One cliff expertly modified by Smudger was even adorned with an insect The Ardeche is a popular river and, using previously undisclosed nest (wasps?) that was about 1 woodworking expertise. In the amazingly, the local economy is based foot in diameter. bottom of the trailer was a bike After about 12.5 miles largely on canoeing tourism. This to help with shuttles if needed. we arrived at the bivouac means plenty of opportunities for ice de Gournier, approximately We took the relatively cheap option of a Dover/Calais ferry cream stops on the side of the river. halfway down the gorge. This so we could enjoy the evening was an interesting site within sun setting over England. The ferry timing gave us the the oak woodlands but was slightly marred by a plague opportunity to put in a few hours of travel through of caterpillars (the dreaded oak processionary moth) France before finding a municipal campsite for a break. and a group of noisy French teenagers (the dreaded plonqueurs). There were also feral goats that took a The Ardeche fancy to George’s legs.

After a long drive through France we set up camp in St We had been told that the water level was high for Martin de l’Ardeche and drove the car up to our start the time of year because of substantial rain the previous point in Vallon Pont d’Arc the following morning. On week (this was also true for the Tarn and Allier). As a route we called in to the tourist office to book ourselves result, some of the rapids described in the guide were a night in one of the bivouac sites part way down the barely noticeable while others produced some pleasant

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The Tarn wave trains. The biggest difficulty came from a persistent Our time on the Ardeche had shown us that the sections but unpredictable wind that made steering tricky, in Fluffy’s guide were a little shorter than we were used occasionally even blowing you back upstream. to for a day’s paddle, so we made some changes to our The wildlife in the gorge was wonderful. The first initial plans. The first day on the Tarn therefore included thing we noticed was a loud chirruping coming from the two sections, starting at St Enimie and ending above the banks that Smudger and I assumed to be bird chicks, but Pas de Souci. which George correctly identified as frogs. They were The water was even clearer than on the Ardeche but sitting in the shallow water near the banks and making came with a slightly fishy smell Donald Duck noises at each other! in some areas. The wildlife was There were many attractive beetles, again abundant – we had the spiders and lizards, and terrific birds The flavour of this gorge was same frogs but there seemed that I was unable to photograph. distinctly different; less wild and to be more dragonflies and the We identified numerous kites, dramatic but with its beauty presence of vultures overhead occasional peregrines, and we enhanced by buildings perched on concentrated the mind! think we spotted eagles (there The flavour of this gorge was are Bonelli’s eagles nesting in the the rocks. distinctly different; less wild and gorge). dramatic but with its beauty enhanced by buildings All too soon, after another 10.5 miles, we had reached perched on the rocks. There were opportunities to the bottom of the gorge. explore wonderful old villages in search of a beer for We had not managed to arrange a lift back to the start George and an ice cream for others. We bought food to collect the car, but George and I felt it would be good from the local boulangeries for lunches and prepared training for Smudger to cycle the 37km (with +300m of sandwiches en route. climb) in 30C heat … while George and I had a swim and We ended the day where the local bateliers where rested. winching out their boats, a few miles below La Malene.

The following day involved a trip down some On this occasion Smudger had managed to arrange limestone caves to look at some spectacular stalactites a lift back to the start with one of the canoe hire and stalagmites, followed by a drive over to the Tarn.

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companies, so while he made the trip George and I It was immediately apparent that we were on a walked down the road past the Cirque des Baumes to look different type of river. Now the gorge was basalt, not down on the rockfall at the Pas de Souci (non-navigable). limestone, it was a smaller river and the water had a Smudger arrived back with the car minus much of one brown tint. wing mirror – apparently knocked off by a speeding 4x4 Having rarely touched a rock for several days, we going the other way. were now unable to avoid them, despite the fact that The second day on the Tarn involved two more sections the river was supposed to be fairly full. All efforts were from the guide, starting at les Vignes and finishing at directed to finding a route with fewest boulders and Riviere sur Tarn, a little above La least boat scratches. After a Cresse.

Having rarely touched a rock for several short distance I decided that There were numerous signs cooling was required and warning canoeists not to use the days, we were now unable to avoid them, that my boat would descend glissiere above the start, and more comfortably upside despite the fact that the river was once we’d negotiated this we supposed to be fairly full. All efforts were down. George undertook a enjoyed some nice little rapids similar philosophy on several on this section, with nothing too directed to finding a route with fewest occasions but, annoyingly, challenging.

Smudger didn’t. The picture boulders and least boat scratches.

After 12.5 miles we’d reached of me with my legs in the our journey’s end, and while Smudger set off on his air emptying my dry trousers remains discretely on shuttle bicycle George and I ordered beer and ice cream Smudger’s camera. and settled down to discuss our next river, the Allier.

Unfortunately one incident resulted in George hitting his side on a boulder. The pain worsened over the next The Allier couple of days and I think he had probably fractured a The first section we aimed for is described in the guide rib. It was difficult, but we did try not to make him laugh. as ‘the Jewel in the Crown’, with 40 rapids in 18km. We The river slowed eventually, and the rock formations camped at a lovely site in Alleyras and drove to the start were again dramatic. Birdlife now included several pairs at Chapeauroux. of common sandpipers and the ubiquitous herons.

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After 12.5 miles we were happy to relax back at the We took the traditional celebratory team photo campsite, as we planned to catch a train back to the start before visiting the bar for George’s medicinal beer. Then for the car shuttle. However, there turned out to be a we were back on the road for a grade 3+ drive around French train driver’s strike, so no train arrived! the Paris peripherique, up to Calais and across to the After pondering the options over a beer, Smudger white cliffs in the sunshine. and I decided we would have to walk up to collect the car while George rested his rib (we had intelligently left It was a wonderful trip which will last in the memory. the bike in the car boot at the start). Perhaps taking pity We covered a lot in a short space of time and it was on the stupidity of the English, interesting to compare and the charming French campsite contrast the three rivers. I This was a lovely section with some owner offered to give Smudger a found the Ardeche the most lift back to his car and so we were pleasant rapids, again requiring some dramatic and wild, but I doubt relieved of this ordeal. In return if that would be true in the careful manoeuvring. The glissiere for this kindness, please make use above Langeac had a hefty swamping school holiday season – June of the Alleyras campsite if you are seems a good choice and we stopper and sharp edge so we decided were blessed with perfect ever in the area – it is cheap and excellent. weather. With the exception of to give it a miss.

George needed to rest his rib some of the rocky sections on the next day but was happy to do the car shuttle while the Allier, the water was interesting but not challenging Smudger and I did another section – Prades to Langeac.

– less challenging than some of the Scottish rivers we There were magnificent basalt cliffs at the start and at have previously visited. The wildlife was fabulous. several points on route.

The French were almost universally friendly and This was a lovely section with some pleasant rapids, helpful, and the southern campsites were great. Most again requiring some careful manoeuvring. The glissiere importantly though, I was lucky to go on the trip with above Langeac had a hefty swamping stopper and sharp two great blokes who provided excellent company and edge so we decided to give it a miss. Then we arrived in entertainment, so many thanks to them. I recommend Langeac, after just 9.5 miles – a short day. the trip, it is worth the effort.

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EUROPEAN

Gold – Ottilie Robinson Shaw (GB)

2018

FREESTYLE CHAMPIONSHIPS

In a new development the European Freestyle Championships were held alongside the European Slalom Junior and U23 Championships (p33) in Bratislava – two Euro Champs for the price of one!

TEAM GB Great Britain has a great track record in freestyle, with numerous (and multiple) European and World Champions. This year 16 athletes headed out to the Euros, including CW Director (and former Euro Champ) Lowri Davies and current Junior World Champion Ottilie Robinson Shaw. The feature was tricky, with the athletes making the most of the practice time to dial in. It looked like it was going to be a tough (and close) competition.

SEMI FINALS The athletes put in great performances with half the team making it through to the top 10 and qualifying for the semi finals. With only the top 5 going through to the finals the pressure was really on. Not so much for Ottilie Robinson Shaw and Abi Goddard, who had both both qualified for the K1 women’s junior on day 1 of the Championships!

In the K1 men’s junior all three Brits - Matthew Stephenson, Harry Price and Alex Ludlow – booked their place in the final with some fine performances.

In the two runs, with the best score counting, Harry Price posted 666.67 in his first run to secure a final place. Matthew Stephenson posted 613.33 in run 1 and improved with 690 in run 2 to qualify in second place.

Alex Ludlow made it a clean sweep for the British team with 491.67 in his first run to qualify comfortably in the top five.

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Words: Ceufad / British Canoeing Photos: Nina Jelenc/European Canoe Association In the K1 women’s senior Islay Crosbie continued her fine form to qualify in third place after posting 503.33 in her second run.

However, it was not to be for Lowri Davies and Emma Witherford, who finished in sixth and seventh place, just outside the top five.

FINALS In the K1 women, after posting 546 points in the second run, Islay Crosbie was in the bronze medal position and look set for a place on the podium. But in the final run Germany’s Anne Huebner posted 760 points to take the gold medal and push Islay into fourth place.

In the K1 men’s junior Matthew Stephenson scored 746.67 to just miss out on a medal position, finishing fourth overall. Alex Ludlow took fifth place, recording his best score of 346.67 in the second run. It was down to Harry Price to win a medal, posting scores of 740 and 770 points in the second and third runs to secure the bronze medal.

Could Ottilie Robinson Shaw retain her K1 women’s junior World Championship title and bring home the gold or would it be down to fellow Brit Abi Goddard to take the top spot? Abi put in a strong performance with a score of 126 points, which put her in overall fifth place. Ottilie continued to dominate the K1 women’s junior event, posting a score of 496, over 200 points clear of Isabelle Voelkel from Germany, to take gold and secure the title.

Congratulations to all the athletes!

Bronze – Harry Price (GB)

Sam Wilson (GB)

Bronze – Tom Dolle (FRA)

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finnish adventure St. David’s College Year 10 Canoe Expedition, June 2018, Finland

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often write these articles sitting on a train, being delivered from whichever wild place I happen to have been visiting with a group, back to bustling airports and home. It is often quite a surreal experience, having been tending camp fires and supervising various expedition activities out in the wilderness just a few hours earlier. It is also a very satisfying experience, and one that resonates with most groups who go through the same expedition, as nobody on the busy platforms or trains, as they go about their business, has any idea what we have been up to. They may guess a little given we are all lugging great big dry-bags around on our backs, but they don’t know, as we know, what the group have achieved together during their expedition week.

Article: Aled Edwards

the Kolovesi National Park to start our canoe journey.

Our first two days saw the group explore the Kolovesi National Park, travelling first south, then north taking in the west side of the park. Motor boats are not permitted into this area, and so it truly felt like we had left the busy world behind, leaving just us, our canoes and the endless walls of silver birch and pine trees lining the lake shores. Camping is only permitted in set places in the national parks, and so we made use of these sites as we explored the area, enjoying the fact that we had use of firepits, wood stores and composting toilets before venturing out into Joutenvesi, the lake system connecting Kolovesi and Linnansaari National Parks.

Leaving these relative luxuries behind, we ventured

“It truly felt like we had left the busy world behind, leaving just us, our canoes and the endless walls of silver birch and pine trees lining the lake shores.”

This year’s canoe expedition group are on their way back from canoeing just short of 90km, exploring the Kolovesi, Joutenvesi and Linnansaari lake systems in Eastern Finland, all of which make up part of the enormous Saimaa lake system.

Back in Wales, prior to this trip, the group had undergone eight days of training and a practice expedition on the River Severn to make sure they were prepared for the trip. After checking kit, and packing dry-bags, it was time to travel by plane, train and bus to Oravi, and then onwards to Kirkkoranta in

into Joutenvesi amidst the rumble of thunder and an ominous building of clouds on the horizon. The clouds continued to build, and it felt as though we were trying to outrun the developing storm as we hopped from island to island looking for a suitable spot site on which to spend the night.

Just as we found a good spot, and with the group hurriedly pitching tents the wind shifted and increased violently in force, accompanied by heavy rain, sending everyone scampering for the shelter of the tarpaulins strung between trees. We sat out the

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storm counting the seconds between flashes and bangs, sipping on warm cup-a-soups.

The following day we continued south through Joutenvesi, finding another perfect camp spot for all of our tents, plus some space to spare for a tarp sauna, a must do while out in the Finnish woods!

Leaving Joutenvesi, we entered Linnansaari to spend our last night in the wild, complete with the ‘luxuries’ afforded to us by a national park camp spot. The lake was mirror calm as we paddled across the vast lake on our way to Hirvisaari, our island camp, creating

across this area of Finland. There was a different view around every corner, and while trees and water made up the main theme, the varying shapes and profiles of islands and clouds made it exciting to see what was round each turn.

There is also a wide range of wildlife in the area (with the canoe outfitter in Oravi telling us that bears had been sighted in the area, although we didn’t see any trace of them!). We saw evidence that elk has passed over some of the islands on which we were camped, and spotted plenty of beaver droppings, and

“The lake was mirror calm as we paddled across the vast lake on our way to Hirvisaari, our island camp, creating the impression that we were paddling across the sky amongst reflected clouds.” the impression that we were paddling across the sky amongst reflected clouds.

Of course, the last day’s paddling was going to be hard on the arms. After five days of canoeing, there were some weary looks around the group as we departed our last island home. The lake seemed to sense this, and took delight I’m sure in sending us a headwind to make our final day a little more challenging!

The journey we took was full of contrasts. Huge skies and vast open lakes, to small channels and inlets between the labyrinth of islands that are scattered

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even the real thing one evening, swimming calmly across the lake off our camp. We also saw an osprey, and an un-confirmed sighting of an eagle, although it was quite a long way off! Our evenings were usually serenaded by birdsong, along with the sound of the wind in the trees, with the only downside being the constant presence of persistent and vicious mosquitoes.

It was certainly another very successful Year 10 canoe expedition, challenging, yet hugely rewarding for the pupils in the group. Each day was started with a quote for the day, to set the scene and give the group

something to mull over while paddling. Here is the quote from the last day, which I think is quite fitting“Even with the irritations of being bug bitten and dirtier than I’d like, it’s wonderful to be here. Things are flowing together much better now and I’m loving it.”

Daphne Hall, Missinaibi Group Journal TRIP LOGISTICS Flights: FInnair, Manchester – Helsinki Trains: Helsinki – Savonlinna (www.vr.fi) Canoe outfitters: Saimaa Holidays (organised through www.naturetravels.co.uk) For more information about St. David’s College, or our outdoor education programme here at the school, please visit www.stdavidscollege.co.uk or www. facebook.com/stdavidsoutdoor

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SLALOM INTERNATIONAL SUMMER TOUR Words: Emma Power Photos: as credited

Summer 2018 saw 10 members from the Welsh Performance Slalom Squad travel to Europe to participate in the ICF world ranking Danube Cup. The event held in Slovakia and Austria gave athletes the opportunity to compete against many talented and experienced paddlers from around the world.

The squad enjoyed paddling the infamous course in Bratislava for the first leg of the competition. Head Slalom Coach, Thomas Power remarks this is his favourite course to paddle and was eager for the squad to experience it. “It is one of the most famous international slalom sites in the world; having held many major international events in the past two years. It’s a great site to take the young athletes to, in order to gain experience of an international field.”

The first weekend of competition was successful for many with paddlers Etienne Chappell (K1M), Emily Davies (C1W), Lili Bryant (K1W), Gabi Ridge (K1W) and Will Coney (C1M) progressing to the semi-finals. Chappell impressed many by putting down the second fastest time of the day; however, a dubious 50 second penalty meant he missed out on a spot in the finals. Continuing onto the finals after a solid semi-final run, Megan Hammer-Evans (K1W) achieved a very respectable 8th place amongst many well-known names within her category.

After a week at the Bratislava course, the squad travelled to Vienna for the second part of the Danube Cup. Having paddled many rivers in Austria, Performance Coach, Andy Kettlewell welcomed a visit to Vienna’s Watersports Arena and praised the athletes’ efforts Lili Bryant descending “Niagra” in Bratislava Photo: Andy Kettlewell

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adapting to the new venue. “The squad coped very well with high temperatures in Vienna and adapted to the reasonably new course; with some similarities to the course in Cardiff providing some familiarity.”

After 2 training sessions, the weekend of competition arrived and again there was a challenging field of competitors.

Will Coney (C1M) started the day off well putting in a solid run to progress to semi-finals with Emily Davies (C1W), Lili Bryant (K1W), Gabi Ridge (K1W), Megan Hammer-Evans (K1W) and Etienne Chappell (K1M) following suit. Catrin Schroder (K1W) and Caz Lavis (K1M) also secured themselves a place in the semifinals following improved second runs.

With the high level of competition on the day, Jessica Rayner (K1W) and Finlay Yates-Jones (K1M) unfortunately missed out on a spot. Semi-finals were strong with a few costly mistakes resulting in half the remaining squad missing out on places in the final. Coney and Davies ensured a place in their category finals and Megan Hammer-Evans and Gabi Ridge also put down runs to secure their places in the final 10.

The finals saw our paddlers put down runs with results to be proud of with the level of competition high in each field. Coney finished in respectable 7th place and Davies in 6th place in the C1 category. The K1W category produced pleasing results with Hammer-Evans William Coney training on Prague Photo: Megan Hammer-Evans

Squad photo at the new Vienna Watersports Arena Photo: Rosie Davies

Etienne Chappell tackling “Pinball” in Bratislava Photo: Emma Power securing 5th place and Ridge narrowly missing out on the podium finishing in 4th place.

Following Vienna, the squad travelled to Prague for training sessions in preparation for one final weekend of competition. With half the squad, travelling back to Bratislava for the Junior European Championships (p33), it was up to the remaining for 5 athletes to compete in the ICF World Ranking Race. There were many big names in attendance including Olympic silver medallist Lukka Jones (K1W & C1W), Olympic bronze medallist Jiri Priskavec (K1M) and Olympic silver medallist Matej Benus (C1M). Despite their best efforts, Jessica Rayner (K1W), Finlay Yates-Jones (K1M) and Caz Lavis (K1M) did not progress from the heats. Emily Davies (C1W) and William Coney (C1M) advanced to semi-finals however due to the high quality of paddlers in their field and putting down good runs on the day it was unfortunately not enough to secure places in the final.

After an intensive and productive few weeks in Europe, the Welsh Performance Slalom Squad have developed their paddling well and have experienced many great opportunities. We certainly look forward to seeing them develop and progress in the future.

Photo: Clare Yates

CANOE SLALOM JUNIOR AND U23 EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS Words: Tom Power Photos: Nina Jelenc / European Canoe Association

In August the GB Slalom Junior and U23 team headed to Slovakia, for the European Championships. There were lots of new athletes in the team, including quite a few from Wales.

Tom Power reports on Welsh success at the European Championships.

Lili Bryant was called up as a late reserve, only arriving 2 days before the race, and put down a clean run gaining her eleventh in qualification and progressing to the semis, where she finished in sixteenth. She was also a part of the junior team with Nikita Setchell and Lois Leaver, which came third in the K1 team event.

Gabi Ridge came nineteenth in qualification, with a strong performance in the semis coming fifth and reaching the final, where she also came fifth, her best international result. She was also a part of the team with Megan Hamer-Evans, another Welsh paddler and Sophie Olgivie which won a silver in the U23 K1W teams.

Megan Hamer-Evans qualified fifteenth having set the fastest time on second runs. In the semis she set a time fast enough to qualify but unfortunately had too many time penalties, finishing eighteenth.

Etienne Chappell qualified in twelfth place. In the semis he finished sixth qualifying into the final.

In the final he put down a quick clean run which got him fourth position narrowly missing out on third by 0.1s.

Tom Abbott qualified in second position reaching the semis, where again he put down a fast time finishing third, qualifying into the finals. In the finals he put down a solid run until the last gate where he was awarded a 50 second penalty costing third position, meaning he finished in ninth.

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TOP TIPS for the Photo: Oli Kershaw

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WHITE WATER KAYAKER Simple things that can make your day on the river much smoother.

Article: Chris Brain

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STAY HYDRATED, BE WELL FED, KEEP TOPPED UP ON ENERGY AND WEAR SUNCREAM Our priority when we are on the water should be keeping ourselves safe, this means that a little bit of personal care will go a long way during our time on the river. If we are not well hydrated we can see a sharp decline in physical and mental performance, and if we think about how critical our decision-making is in this challenging environment, then a dehydrated paddler can easily make simple mistakes. To perform your best, make sure you have been eating well before you paddle, but also keep topped up by carrying some food or snacks with you while you are on the water. I like to keep an energy bar in my PFD, as it is easy to eat in the eddy rather than getting out of my boat to get it out of my drybag.

In many locations that we choose to paddle in we are also at risk from the sun’s harmful rays. Many paddlers put suncream on before they paddle, but only a few seem to keep adding more to their skin as the day progresses. I like to keep a sunstick or mini bottle of suncream with me when the sun is shining so that I can reapply my suncream throughout the day.

RUB SAND ON HANDS AND PADDLE SHAFT TO GET RID OF SUNCREAM Of course, using suncream is important, but the issue we have as paddlers is that when we get it on our hands it can make our paddles feel very slippery and we don’t want to lose our grip mid-rapid! Once you’ve applied your suncream grab a handful of sand or grit from the river and rub it around the palm of your hands and they will be back to normal in no time. If my paddle shaft still feels slippery I sometimes do the same with my paddle shaft too.

CHECK YOUR BUNG It’s not uncommon to see paddlers on the water without their drainbung done up. This could easily lead to a boat full of water, or even swim if you are paddling through a big rapid. Before you set off from the bank, turn around and have a quick check to make sure your bung is done up.

CHECK YOUR DECK For kayakers our spraydeck is part of our safety gear, if our deck comes off at the wrong time then it could potentially be very dangerous. Take an extra moment to check all around your deck before you push off.

Remember to squeeze the rand/bungee right into the cockpit rim to give the best seal and to help make sure it won’t come off if it gets loaded with water.

Keep hydrate and well fed.

IS YOUR DECK IMPLOSION PROOF? Finding a spraydeck to match your kayak might not be as simple as it sounds, it needs to be the right size, grip the cockpit rim well and shouldn’t come off if it takes a large amount of pressure from the water.

For paddlers with a bit less experience, having a deck that is easy to get off might be reassuring, but if you are on more serious water a spraydeck coming off mid-rapid could lead to a swim. When you are buying your spraydeck make sure you test out the fit on your boat first. Push down on the centre of the deck with your hand/foot to make sure that it won’t come off, if it starts to peel off at the sides when you push down, it isn’t a good fit. As a general rule rand decks are more implosion proof but bungee decks can be easier to get on and are generally a little bit dryer. Regardless of what you choose, the fit is most important.

KEEP YOUR THROWBAG CLOSE TO HAND

Sand in the hand.

Sand on the paddle.

The last few times that I have had to throw my throwbag haven’t been in a pre-planned bank-based safety rescue, but in a situation where I had to jump out of my boat and get my line out quickly. If you were called into action, how fast would you be able to get to your rope? When I’m paddling my kayak, I like to keep my bag right in front of me so that once I’ve popped my deck it’s the first thing I can grab.

Check your deck.

Throwbag close to hand.

Check your bung.

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Check for deck implosion.

CHECK THE FITTINGS IN YOUR BOAT REGULARLY We put our canoes, kayaks and other paddling craft through some serious stress.

Big landings, hitting rocks and even the vibrations from having a boat on a vehicle can lead to internal fittings working loose.

Take a few minutes periodically to give your boat a little tune up and to make sure that everything in your boat is as it should be and that all the bolts are tight. I have personally been halfway down a rapid when my seat decided to become detached from the side of the boat! Let’s just say that the experience wasn’t very pleasant and could have easily been avoided with a bit of maintenance and TLC.

USE AIRBAGS! Airbags will make your boat easier to rescue, less likely to get pinned and will help reduce damage when it is floating downstream as it will be floating higher in the water rather than getting submerged in whitewater. Most modern creek boats have room in front of the footrest for a pair of smaller bow airbags. Topping these up with air can be a challenge if you put the pipe behind the footrest so consider routing it down the side of your footrest adjustment bar with either a bit of bungee or zip ties.

USE A FOOTBLOCK Make sure that you stick some foam onto your footrest in the front of your boat.

Virtually all boats will either come with some foam glued in or will supply it so you can custom fit it to your boat. This footblock will serve as a shock absorber if you impact on a rock, but also helps to ensure that your feet can’t go behind the footrest, so make sure that it fills all of the space and doesn’t have any gaps for your feet to slide past

Full footrest.

NEVER BE APART FROM YOUR KEYS AND PHONE This one is pretty simple, if I have my phone I can call for help and if I have my keys I can drive my vehicle. I know several paddlers who have had mishaps with keys floating away from them in their boats downstream because they store them in their kayak/ canoe. Get a decent waterproof pouch and keep them on you, either tied into your cag/PFD, in a pocket (or around your neck) underneath your cag/drysuit.

Kayak maintenance.

BE READY WITH YOUR SLING Your sling/tape is one of the bits of kit that you might need to get out in a hurry. Keep it nice and neat by storing it coiled and ready with a karabiner already attached. If you coil it, it will also mean that should you wish to throw the end to someone to either grab or clip that it will deploy very easily too.

Use airbags.

USE GOOD SHOES Think about all the jobs that you might need your shoes to do… paddling, swimming, running, climbing, even driving. Most of the time we are also walking over wet rock, muddy banking and on uneven terrain, this means that we should choose footwear that is up to the task. Try and choose a shoe with a good grippy sole, decent foot protection and support, and ultimately something that you can actually fit in your boat and paddle in. Many paddlers choose to wear approach shoes or fell running shoes as they often meet all of the requirements that we need on the water. Remember our footwear is part of our safety kit, little wetsuit pumps won’t cut it when you are portaging round a rapid on tricky uneven ground.

Bow airbag pipe.

Keys and phone.

Decent footwear.

Sling storage.

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Knife.

UPGRADE YOUR KNIFE Any paddler who carries a rope should be carrying a knife. Make sure that your knife is rust free and opens easily, a bit of WD40 or lube will help it last much longer than if it stays wet in your PFD all the time. On many knives, you can add an extra bit of tape to the thumb hole which can act as a bite tab to help open it should you have cold hands.

You can also add a piece of cord at the end to make it easier to get out of your PFD in a hurry, simply reach for the cord and pull it out.

ATTACH BAGS WITH PROPER KARABINERS If you are carrying kit in drybags in your boat, attach them with the same type of karabiners that you are carrying in your PFD. If you attach your bags with accessory type karabiners or a karabiner that you wouldn’t want to use in a rescue then it will be no use to you should you come to need it in an emergency.

Dress for a rescue.

DRESS FOR A RESCUE Are you dressed to be rescue ready? What would happen if you had to stand in cold water to help a paddler who was stuck in a kayak/canoe for a prolonged period of time?

Are you ready to potentially take a swim?

Even in a hot climate the water temperature can be very cold, in particular if we are paddling rivers that come from snow melt.

WEAR EARPLUGS Anyone who paddles is at huge risk of “surfers ear” and we can reduce the risk of developing long-term hearing loss by using earplugs. Earplugs quite literally come in all shapes and sizes and it is very easy to have them custom made too, it shouldn’t be too hard to find something that is comfy and won’t fall out if you go underwater.

Remember “surfers ear” isn’t to do with your age, it’s about the amount of time that you spend in/under the water, if you are on the water regularly you certainly are at risk.

CHRIS BRAIN

Drybag and karabiner.

Chris has been kayaking, canoeing and coaching for the last 15 years and runs his own business Chris Brain Coaching, delivering paddlesport coaching, safety and rescue courses and REC First aid training.

Chris would like to thank Pyranha kayaks, Palm Equipment, VE Paddles and Go Kayaking for their continued support chris@chrisbraincoaching.com www.chrisbraincoaching.com

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Wear earplugs.

Live for White Water?

Coaching at NWWC 2018/19 Courses BC WHITE WATER SAFETY & RESCUE 20/21 October 2018 23/24 February 2019 27/28 April 2019 29/30 June 2019 24/25 Aug 2019 26/27 Oct 2019

£160 pp £160 pp £160 pp £160 pp £160 pp £160 pp

BC ADVANCED WHITE WATER SAFETY & RESCUE

27/28 April 2019

£160 pp

RESCUE 3 – WHITEWATER RESCUE TECHNICIAN PRO May 2019, specific dates TBC

£290 pp

RESCUE 3 – ADVANCED WHITEWATER RESCUE TECHNICIAN May 2019, specific dates TBC

£390 pp

OUTDOOR-SPECIFIC FIRST AID AT WORK (24HR) 1–4 April

£220 pp

BC RIVER RAFT GUIDE TRAINING 7–9 September 2018 1–3 March 2019 3–5 May 2019 5–7 July 2019 6–8 September 2019

£185 pp £185 pp £185 pp £185 pp £185 pp

If you can’t see a suitable date then give us a call.

OTHER COURSES

We run other courses in both Kayak and Canoe, including Moderate and Advanced Water Leader Training and Assessment. We also offer White Water and Advanced White Water Coach Training and Assessment.

PRIVATE COACHING COURSES

If you’ve got something in mind which you’d like to learn or you’d like a day’s guiding on the river, we can organise a day for you, whether on the Tryweryn or further afield.

Please contact us to discuss your requirements.

1 to 1 coaching: 1 coach to 2 participants: 1 coach to 3 participants: 1 coach to 4 participants:

£180 per person, per day £90 per person, per day £70 per person, per day £60 per person, per day

Typhoon Multisport 4 Drysuits available for hire on all our courses only £25 per course.

Booking office: 01678 521083 Email: info@nationalwhitewatercentre.co.uk Website: www.nationalwhitewatercentre.co.uk/courses

2018 CANOE WALES MEMBERS MEET & AGM 13–14 October 2018 Celtic Camping, St Davids, Pembrokeshire

• • • • • •

Paddle the Pembrokeshire coastline Attend club volunteer workshops Update your qualifications Try other paddlesport disciplines Meet the staff and directors Listen to amazing guest speakers

• Celebrate at the CW Awards Dinners • Vote at the 2018 Canoe Wales AGM • Check out stands and demo kit from Canoe Wales partners • Win prizes in our special prize giveaway

Book your event pass now to avoid missing out Places are limited on some workshops www.canoewales.com/2018-members-meet