Some people have asked why I didn’t go for selections this year - this was a hard decision for me, but once I’d made it the easiest one in the world!
As selections got near I noticed more and more how people were getting stressed about the whole business, I did some thinking and reminded myself that I started paddling for fun – so stuck to that decision, this year is all about the fun – then lets see what the future will hold!
So what’ll I be doing?
Well for starters, I’ve got a big trip to Canada – I’m spending three weeks in the summer at the Ottawa Kayak School, I’m really looking forward to this – never been to Canada, never flown on my own and the chance to paddle some of the best whitewater with great paddlers!
I’m also going to keep getting coaching in the UK, I do the Youngburners programme with Kayakojack, this year I’m going to taking the level one coaching course – unfortunately I’m still a year too young to get the qualification, but good to get the practice in! I’m also going to go for the new three star Freestyle award (to go with the Whitewater one I already have) – which will help me with my Duke of Edinburgh’s award!
And, I’m lucky enough to get coaching with fellow Palm paddler Lowri Davies of FlowFree coaching, I get a lot out of paddling with Lowri (she took me to the alps last year) and it’s great paddling with another female.
Just because I won’t be at competitions, I’ll still be out there - paddling in Wales, Hurley and hopefully soon, the new HPP. I’ve also started to do some more river running (recently I tried the Ogwen for the first time which I loved) – and that’s something I want to work on through the summer – if there’s any water!
Take care – and see you on the water
Tasha
x
Fellow Palm-paddler, Lowri Davies, and myself recently secured our places on the GB team to compete at the World Championships at Thun, Switzerland in August 09.
Me. Photo: Cam Sans
The selection event for the GB team was held at Hurley weir on the Thames on an unusually sunny ‘classic’ 3-gates. The wave was green and unretentive but the steep shoulders potentially allowed for some big air moves – for those who were willing to take the risk of a premature flush.
Whilst most were flushing after just a couple of moves Lowri proved that it was possible to stay on the wave for the full 45 seconds and she did so in several of her rides ticking off the moves to give her 3rd place on the ladies’ team, just behind Emily Wall.
Lowri, Photo: Chris Jones
I had relatively shorter rides, flushing off the playboaters-left radial several times, but scored enough points with air blunts and back stabs to give me 1st place and a ticket to my 6th World Championships and a 12th year competing for Great Britain!
Photos: Cam Sans
In the men’s event it was local boy Doug Cooper who did not appear to be worried about flushing as he landed some huge clean blunts, pan ams and big aerial clean back blunts. He took 1st spot on the men’s team ahead of team-regulars Jon Best, Alan Ward and Richard Chrimes with relative newcomer Sam Anderson taking the 5th spot. Full results of all categories can be found on www.ukfreestyle.com
Flea
Here’s a few photos (thanks to Claire, Gus, Jim and Jen (and me) for the photos) from my recent trip to the Nile:
I go all the way to Africa only to find everyone has got the same outfit as me!
It was tow on levels at Nile Special - low but still good fun and big air!
Front surf air!
JC uses the 'Harry Potter' tow-on technique.
Back stabbing on Nile Special
Low water levels meant club wave was running in the morning - a really fun wave but it was usually really busy. I timed my trip with just about every other European freestyle paddler!
Total Gunga rapid is no longer there:( (due to the dam work) and has been replaced by this kickflip/wave-wheel rapid. Its not quite the same!
Bujagali falls - look, no boat!
Silverback - looks a whole lot bigger from down there!
Silverback - spot the paddler no.1 (still upright - just)
Silverback - spot the paddler no.2
You can't go to Uganda without taking the obligatory 'boda photo'...
....and a sunset photo
The latest news on the dam is that the river should remain unchanged until April 2010 – so lots more opportunities to get out there and paddle!
Looking forward to getting back out there already!
Flea
A couple of weeks ago I caught up with the women’s sports magazine editor Danielle Sellwood to talk about women in kayaking. The article is featured in this months Sportsister magazine:
www.sportsister.com/?p=5901
Check it out!
Last weekend it was Hurley Classic and, as it was my first year, I was really looking forward to it. The day started with a fairly cold Sunday morning and a long trek down a muddy hill, thankfully without falling over, to get the the wave. When we got to the wave it was a strange looking 3 gates – thanks to a high pool level, which came up to 4 for the competition.
Tea Tent and Boats
I was the only junior girl there and one of only four women, so I was though to the superfinal just by turning up! They had divided al the paddlers up in to around 8 heats. I was in the 5th heat which gave me plenty of time to walk back up and down the hill several times and cheer everyone else on.
The heat runs were ‘jam sessions’ with around 8 paddlers on the water and going on the wave with no set time. There were 15 minutes for each jam session so everyone got time to perform as many tricks as they could. Unfortunately I didn’t do that well in the heats, only scoring a flat spin, but I still was through to the final against the three senior women.
By the time it was the final for the women (we were on second to last) it was cold. I couldn’t feel my hands waiting for my runs and, judging by the looks on everyones faces, they weren’t too warm either. I had better runs this time. They haven’t put the scores up yet but I think I scored at least two enders and a flat spin both sides.
Getting a good run certainly made me forget the cold water, off the water I was actually pretty toasty in thermals and dry kit, unlike some boys who tried to man it up in shorts and stood around shivering!
As for the results; I came first in the junior women’s (and last as well!). I was also entered in the senior ladies and came 2nd to current European and British champion Flea.
Flea making it look easy
Massive well done to everyone who took part and thanks to all the organisers for organising such a great event.
I’m taking a couple of weeks off paddling now, until after Christmas when I’ll be at the freestyle get together Palm team paddler Lowri has organised for the 27th at Llangollen.
Have a great holiday and see you on the water
tasha
x
Palm Equipment/Dagger Europe have been major sponsors of the Youth Freestyle series over the last couple of years and have provided a huge number of prizes at each event. The final of the 2008 series was recently held in some unexpected, but more than welcome, October sunshine at Holme Pierrepont. It was unfortunate that the original event was postponed due to a flooded course as there were well over 100 entrants due to enter and not all could re-arrange to the new date. However, a good turnout of 75+ youngsters took to the course for a morning of coaching and an afternoon of competition.
Thankfully there were a number of features to use on the course allowing a variety of coaching to take place for all abilities – from those who were learning to tail-squirt and perfect their roll, to those who were working on space godzillas and figuring out which moves to put into their competition rides.
The competition in the afternoon was held on the Muncher and the Inlet gate (one ride on each). For the less confident paddlers and novices there was one ride on the eddyline at the bottom of the course and one on the Inlet gate which had been turned down especially to allow for easy exit off the wave. The crowd-pleasing moves here were big pop-outs which scored extra points if combined with a paddle-throwing manouevre – especially if followed by a swim! As always it was great to see the enthusiasm of all the competitors supporting and cheering each other on.
The crowds started gathering for the biggest event of the day: the parent/child competition. The organisers cruelly cranked the Inlet gate right up so it was extremely tricky to get out of. Not to be outdone by the youngsters, the paddling parents all put on a brave face though and side-surfs, powerflips and swims were greeted with big cheers from the spectators.
A brave Dad!
Big cheers from the crowd!
Showing how it’s done: one of the ‘sons’ looping
As this was the final event of the series those that took the top 3 positions over the whole series all went home with a nice glass trophy for the mantlepiece! Full results can be found on www.youth.ukfreestyle.com
Ed stands on tiptoes so he doesn't look shorter than me:)
Fellow Palm paddler Ed Smith and I became the 2008 Freestyle British Champions at Holme Pierrepont last weekend. Despite the low turnout due to other events and several paddlers already on their winter travels the competition was tough and we were up against the locals in my favourite HPP spot: the ‘Muncher’.
I was defending my title, and the heats showed that Jenny Chrimes and Claire O’Hara were the ones to beat. A knockout final format (as we were using current ECA, rather than the provisional ICF rules) meant that everything was to play for. Although as always, and especially given my high-scoring first ride, I would have much preferred a ‘best of 3’ final. I was hoping to repeat the clean cartwheels and super-clean spins of the first round; instead my rides gradually got worse, but thankfully so did everyone else’s – and I took the lead in each round. The final round was close between Jenny Chrimes and myself: a repeat from last year but I just came out ahead to take the Championship Title for the second year running.
Going for cleans
Attempt at a victory loop.
With the fickle nature of a knockout final the win for the men could also have been taken by anyone and the lead changed on each of the first 3 rounds. Local paddler Jon Best had a surprise exit in 5th place after winning the prelims. Ed had convincingly won the semis with the highest score of the competition but he only just scraped through to stay in the finals in round 2. He started to throw down the big moves again though with air loops and McNasties
Ed McNastying
and won the next 2 rounds ahead of Alan Ward and Sam Anderson, giving him the British Championship title, a union jack bib and, most importantly, a little Smurf trophy!
My trophy
Flea
FlowFree is North Wales based coaching and guiding company set up by Palm paddler Lowri Davies and her brother Jon Davies. The company offers everything from freestyle coaching and steep creeking courses to ladies only sessions and core skills development. They specialise in bespoke courses, run to suit the individuals enrolled, including one-to-one coaching which have recieved excellent reviews. To find out more about what FlowFree could offer you, check out their website: www.flowfree.co.uk
This year was my first time at Wet West Paddlefest and after hearing a lot about it, I was excited to find myself in the country with nothing clashing in the diary. I was also pretty keen to try out the Mamba 8.0 creek spec on something that would test it properly! So we packed up and headed north – camping out at the Falls of Falloch.
Hucking off the Falls of Falloch before breakfast – Photo: Tom Laws
Tom Laws on the Falls of Falloch – Photo: Lowri Davies
Chris Georgiou going for an alternative line on FoF – Photo: Lowri Davies
Not a bad christening for the three new boats, fresh from Dagger’s HQ! Happy that we were now awake, we headed to Glen Etive to find a sea of multi-coloured plastic enjoying good levels on the Etive and tribs. A run down the Etive and a blast down the ever hilarious Allt a’ Chaorainn and another run of the Etive with the rest of Team Palm/Dagger seemed to be a good way to start what would be a great weekend…
Tom Laws on Crack Dawn on the Etive – Photo: Lowri Davies
Chris Georgiou on a chunky Right Angle – Photo: Lowri Davies
The Green Machine almost reaches the bottom of Right Angle before it’s left the top! – Photo: Lowri Davies
After catching up with friend from far and wide at the Ice Factor centre on Friday night, we settled down for the night: 3 people, 2 thermarests and 1 van. Saturday’s organised release was on the river Garry – but fancying ourselves some more rock slidey fun, we headed to another of the Etive’s tribs – the Allt Mheuran. This trib involves a much more arduous walk-in but with a fun team and enough water, it was definitely worth the effort!
Team runs with High Fives – Photo: George Mortimer
Chris Georgiou on the final drop of the last crazy-fast chute – Photo: Lowri Davies
After paddling down it every which way, it only seemed right to try it on our bums, in trains and surfing down it. We also tried to see how many people we could fit on a Nomad – videos of these silly antics will no doubt end up online somewhere soon!
Photo: George Mortimer
Tom Laws, Tim Ripper, Chris Georgiou & myself – Photo: George Mortimer
Awesome fun – like being 10 years old again!
Saturday night was party night – with a mixed uptake of the Superhero themed fancy dress. My favourites were Flash Gordon, Borat, Banzer dressed as Ed Smith, Ed Smith dressed as a thunderbird and the couliflowers (for sheer randomness). Oh and who can forget Mad Andy dressed as a gorilla?! The party suffered a little from a small venue which closed quite early, but it was good to see everyone. Quote of the evening: “Go spoon yourself, Spoon Girl!”.
Sunday hosted the much anticipated Morriston release – well at least it did once they remembered to switch it on! As ever with organised events like this, there was plenty of carnage to entertain the crowds as hung over paddlers took to the water, not always with the skills to meet the lines. Luckily no-one was badly hurt. It was the first time I’ve had the opportunity to paddle it and really enjoyed it – some really sweet lines and fun little drops.
All that was left at the end of all that, was the long drive home with the two PK monkeys.
Tom and Chris prepare for the long trip home…
My photos from the trip can be seen here.
Generally I liked the Mamba. It is forgiving and seems to be a good shape for the female form. I chose the 8.0 as it is more comparable with my current river runner (Medium Burn) and I prefer my big boat to be big enough to carry plenty of kit, but when I paddled it I definitely thought the 7.5 to be big enough for a person of my size for general UK river running.
Happy Paddling, Lowri
As the WCA’s Freestyle Development Officer I am putting on a series of development weekends across Wales with demo freestyle boats, free coaching and a fun competition. If you or someone you know in Wales is wanting to get into freestyle, then there’s never been a better time to try it. We’re also looking for budding rodeo stars to make up a squad which will compete at freestyle events nationwide. Check out the flyer below:
If you need any more info, just drop me an email.
See you on the water… oh and spread the word!
Lowri
