<strong>WWTCC News</strong>: July 2008

Thursday, July 31, 2008

15 year ago a small boy paddled at Shepperton slalom canoe club for the last time, last night he returned! A little larger maybe and with less hair but yes Darr has finally taken the plunge and started slalom paddling again! And what a night to start up again! The water was low but the sun was burning! It didn’t take long before Darr was back in the swing! Summer paddling rocks!

(he's back!)

(The Lettmann Gun Show!where is the beach!)

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Old friend’s new, new initiative

It been …….. along time since we started playing on the Thames weirs! And we have always enjoyed them, and enjoyed promoting them to other paddlers around the world where ever we travel. Also as a company we are always keen to help and support likeminded groups and individuals. With all that said we are happy to announce that WWTCC and Thames Valley Freestyler’s will now be working closely together to promote paddling in the Thames valley, Gareth Harvey as you probably all know set up TVF in 2007. (below is taken from TVF)

Thames Valley Freestyler’s. The identity of the Kayaker’s in the Thames Valley has been lost for far too long, (since the end of Thames Weir Project). I decided in November 2006 that this had to end, so I started researching how and who was going to help me with the Technical side. In April 2007 the forum was born giving the Thames Valley Kayaker’s a place to communicate with their friends in a like minded relaxed way. I am extremely excited about the future, but more importantly am very happy to be part of such a friendly enthusiastic group of kayaker’s. This website and its identity is all about showing the personality of Thames Valley Kayaker’s, the success and image portrayed is completely down to its members.

Gareth has also set up the UK page on World Kayak.com . This is a kayaking web site dedicated to promoting the sport around the whole world! Keep checking for updates
(Pictures from TVF Gareth Harvey collection)

Friday, July 25, 2008

2nd For Now

We have just herd new from the Euro Freestyle championship in Spain! Jon Boy has not made it through to the next round :-(

But Mike paddling in his squirt boat is through to the knock out final tomorrow and is currently in second place. Well Done, Good Luck Bro!

(Training day down at Chertsey!)

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Master Of Water 2008….Very impressed!

This story all started when I received an E-mail from Sammy at Pyranha, The mail read something like “Hi Guys there is a competition in Sweden with a great party! Is anyone free to go?”

It took me precisely 3 seconds to decide yeah I’m up for that! And so a few weeks later I found myself sitting on a plane flying to Sweden, when on the plane I did think to my self really I should have organised myself better! I was on a plane to Sweden; I didn’t know where I was flying to! And when I arrived in Sweden I had now idea where I was going too! And also I had no idea who I was meeting, when I landed in the place which I had no idea where it was! But luckily for me the man I was set to meet was the Legend in his own life time James Venimore, James owns and runs Kajaktiv, Sweden’s largest kayak importer/distributor and has covered more miles in a kayak than maybe anyone else I’ve ever met before.

The reason for me being in Sweden was to compete in the Kajaktiv Master Of Water Contest 2008 (sponsored by Pyranha!) The basic idea behind this event is a lot like the old PeakUK challenge. There are 3 events, First a boater X , Second a Speeder race down a set course against the clock, and third a good old Freestyle blast! The rapid the event was held on is near the village of Dala-Floda and for this type event was perfect nothing to hard but a good length and plenty of different lines to pick and choose from. The Boater X was up first and was the event I was keen to do well in, unfortunately all the local seamed to have done a lot more training for the event than I had! I can honestly say I’ve never been so worn out, after a lot of pushing and jostling and a good dollop of English cheeky good luck I found myself in the 4 man final. Man it was tight right up to the point I capsized and couldn’t roll!!!!! Some big time carping ensued and finally I managed to get the burn the right way up and make it to the finish! In 4th. Hats off to Julian from France who won the race, Super fast! Next was the Speeder race. 4 Pyranha speeders had been race readied the day before by myself and James and one at a time they were raced at high speed down the course, the run only took 1-2 minuets but it was great fun and paddling the boats down a good class 3 rapid quite different than anything I had done before . In Sweden Multisport paddling is very popular and the good guys took the rapid apart totally have a look at the results to see where I came think it was 10th or maybe 7th not sure.

Last up and with more lactic build up in my musicals then ever before was the Freestyle the hole was a bit on the shallow side and not that powerful, but you seamed to be able to stick most moves init. I was actually getting some really good rides, good entry move into few ends into clean ends, blunt left right, front loop back loop. But then in my scored runs I remembered why I leave freestyle to JB and Pringle. I was pretty poor! The Rev was great though. Really happy with that little boat.

At the end of the event I think I finished somewhere around the top, But kayaking was the real winner!!!!!!! No no, the event is really good. All the people at Kajaktiv are super positive and the event ran like clock work, next years event is looking to be even bigger and better so keep an eye on there web site or ours! And if you need a hand getting out there give us a bell and I’m sure we can help!
Oh I’ve forgot to say about the festival that is running as the comp is on too! Basically it’s very different to anything you have at a UK comp but it’s so much more and fits the atmosphere so well. Your have to go out and sample it for yourselves. Plus a few last things: Sweden really not that pricey! Take away the air fair and to be fair that was less than it would take me to drive to Devon. It dose not cost a lot to live I spent less there over a weekend than I would in the UK. And finally if you want a really good destination to paddle some good rivers nice class 3-4 nothing to full on give Kajaktiv a bell they do some really good courses and there very cheap I would say. Oh and lets not forget the Hot Tub!

Pictures By: James Venimore

Look at Kajaktiv web here!

Results from comp here!

Thursday, July 17, 2008

Time off!

Well I’m off now for a couple of days. The very nice people at Pyranha are sending me to Sweden. Hard life! To compete in the mater of water contest. If anyone is going are see you on the water! Back soon…………….. Buy.

Friday, July 11, 2008

Pirates of the Navax Point “The curse of the orange Aurora”

A day’s sea paddling that’s what the doctor ordered! It was raining like a deemed however and all the rivers were in spate but we must focus. After a long and lets be honest boring drive down to Steve’s house I was welcomed by a hearty storey from Steve about a quick run down the Tavey he had just down in the highest water he had ever seen! I laid down that night thinking should we convert back to river running or should we stay true to our word and go sea paddling? I was woken up in the morning by Erin Steve’s young daughter singing away, the rain had stopped falling and the river were now only high and not in spate so we decided to ditch the freshwater and find some saltier water!

(Steve in the new Nookie naughty school boy short!)

(going in!)

(Looking back!)

Having a quick look at the bible (south West Sea Kayaking) we decided to paddle a bit of route 34 around Godrevy Island. As we were getting ready Mr Jeff Allen turned up, He had a lot more stuff than me and Steve put together, we don’t panic! The wind was also quite gusty so to start with we had good old surf, boy did we scare some surfers. A Lettmann Eski tearing down a wave is quite a sight! We had a good paddle along the cost going around headlands and going into caves, until eventually we thought we should turn around and come back, really should have worked out the tide and wind better!!!! In the end we made it back to dry land. We had seen seals loads of birds and some fish. Its official sea paddling is really quite good fun and I think we will have to do it again!

(Is that Blue Steel or Magnum!)

Cheers Steve for a great day, the loan of the kit and boat and the tomato plant! We both made it back safe and well.

Monday, July 07, 2008

The Boys are back!

Greenland 08, Ali, Mike, Si and Graham are back, with lots of tall tails to tell. Some of the river were good some King huge! Check out the FatCat site for more info.

FatCat Web...

Chertsey”ism”

With all the Slalom of the past few weeks my playboating has started to suffer! And with Chertsey’s left corner working so well in a squirt boat I haven’t paddled a float boat for months! The last few days that’s all changed, Chertsey lives, and from a float boat prospective is in prime condition at the moment.