The Big Paddle is Back: Sunday 2nd October, River Exe, Exeter

The Big Paddle is back and it’s set to be even more fun than the last time!

For those of you who missed the 201o event at Symonds Yat, Big Paddle events are about getting on the water and having fun. Whether for the first time or as a seasoned paddler there is something for all.

The Big Five Tour is the focal point of the event, taking in a unique five-mile loop of river and canal starting and finishing at Exeter Quay. A series of guided trips and masterclasses will be available to accompany the tour and the event culminates in some exciting contests including the Cardboard Canoe Race.

Off the water the event village at the Piazza hosts displays and activities dedicated to all things paddling and is a great place to meet and learn about the sport.

Click the image above to buy your tickets now (£5)

See you on the water – We can’t wait!

The Big Paddle Team
More info: www.thebigpaddle.com 

Gower Madness Surf Competition

The forecast for the weekend wasn’t looking very good when we set off at lunch time Friday.  It was supposed to be very windy, big messy surf and raining.

After a couple of hours driving some very dark clouds appeared in front of us and as we got up towards Bristol it started raining.  At first it wasn’t very heavy but the showers were quite long and as we approached Swansea it started raining very hard.  After several missed turnings because of bad visibility we finally made it to Llangennith camp site at about 9:30 where we found some other kayakers that we knew had arrived earlier and gone out for a surf.  During the night it carried on raining and the wind didn’t drop, but thankfully it stopped raining at about 7-7:30am.

After breakfast we were told that the competition had been moved along the beach to Rhossili so we set off leaving the tent to be picked up when we’d finished.  When we got there the surf was just as bad as the forecast said it would be – pretty big, messy and blown out.  After the introductory speech we all got kitted up and carried our boats down the cliff path to the beach.  The path was very long and zigzagged down the cliff with several gates and lots of steps.

Finally, down on the beach, the first heat started and I was judging.   My first heat was the third of the day which was the men’s open long final.   It went straight to the final as only four of us entered.

Next was the junior short final which was very interesting.  I was using a new paddle for the first time which was a mistake.  It was the same as my old one just shorter so I thought it would be all right.

I wasn’t placing the blade in the water at the right angle so I didn’t turn when I wanted to.  I was getting used to it by the end of the heat but I still wasn’t comfortable with it.  I had to wait for the sets to come through to get any good rides and then sometimes they got dumpy so it was hard to find a good one, though I was able to practice my exit moves!

Next was the Junior long final.  It was getting bigger by then as the tide went out and it was a struggle to get out back.  When the sets came through I found it a bit too dumpy so I stayed inside and caught several smaller ones.

We finished at about 12:30 and had lunch and then we had the prize giving.  I came second in the Junior Long, third in the Junior Short and as expected fourth out of four in the Men’s Long.

Then we set off home  and thankfully it didn’t really rain which made the trip nicer.    JTG

Plattling freestyle worlds 2011

So after Pringles gold medal in Kayak Freestyle Worlds 2011 in Plattling it´s hard for me to come up with some great news…

Beeing more a creek boater I made my way from the Teva Mountain Games in Vail (Colorado) to the Teva Extreme Outdoor Games in Ivrea (Italy) and then to Plattling.

Working for the organizing team during the day I tried to get in some practice rides late in the evening or at night.

Though Prelims didn´t go very well for me I made the cut to quarterfinals placing 18th. In the Quarterfinals I had three good rides and improved my ranking to the 9th place, so I made the top ten and went into Semifinals the next morning.

After I started playboating only two years ago I am more than happy to end up on the 10th place in the world of freestyle kayaking!

Congratulations to Palms Katya Kulkova placing 7th and James “Pringle” Bebbington for his awesome 1st place becoming Kayak Freestyle World Champion 2011!

All pics by Michael Neumann and Johannes Schmidt – thanks!

Carnage at the Palm 8-Ball: Tryweryn Festival 2011

We’ve just got back from the Tryweryn Festival in North Wales. For now here are a few shots from the now legendary Palm 8-Ball Competition (boaterX, but with inflatable obstacles!)

Massive thanks to Bleddyn and all the guys at NWWC, and to all the coaches (especially Andy Turton and Lowri Davies) for working so hard over the weekend to make the festival a success.

It’s definetely one for the diary, we’ll let you know when next years’ dates are decided.

Join us at the Tryweryn Festival this weekend.

Fancy going paddling at the weekend?

Some where with warm water perhaps? And guaranteed whitewater? And sun?

Well, why not come join us in North Wales for the Tryweryn Festival 2011? If it’s anything like last year’s it’s set to be a cracker.

Why should I go?

• Try the full Dagger Europe whitewater range. On real whitewater. For free.
• Get some coaching from top coaching providers including Palm’s Lowri Davies. Whether you want to gain confidence on grade 3/4, perfect your playboating, or simply fancy a guided trip of the scenic lower Tryweryn, these guys will be able to help you out. Sign up when you arrive.
• Race in the PALM 8-BALL! This is full contact paddling. Think head-to-head boaterX mixed with Robot Wars. The aim? Get to the bottom of the section first and avoid being taken out by one of many inflatable kayakers in your path…. (Exact time to be confirmed although probably Saturday afternoon)
• Leave your car at the takeout and take advantage of free shuttles throughout the weekend. Leaving you with more time on the water! Ace.
• Outfit your boat. Do you struggle getting the fit of your Dagger kayak just right? Come see us and we’ll help you pad it out to perfection!
• Discover Palm’s 2011 range. We’ll have experts on hand to talk you through the range and our design process.
• Bring your bike and take part in the multisport challenge.

Sounds good! How much is it?

Tickets are £25 and on sale now! Call the centre on 01678 521 083 or pop in to reception to book. Please advise of any dietary requirments at time of booking.
As with last year there will be shuttles from the lower river, camping at Bala Mill on Friday and Saturday night, evening entertainment and meals provided on Friday and Saturday night.

Where can I find out more information?

More info on Tryweryn Website

Facebook Event Page

I’m convinced, now show me some shots of last year’s 8-Ball Carnage!

I thought you’d never ask. Here you go.

This all sounds a bit advanced to me, is there anywhere I can go to try paddling for the first time?

Don’t forget, we’re also in the East Midlands this weekend at the Midsummer Great Escape in Belvoir Castle. The perfect opportunity to get on the water for the first time…

Team Palm race for life to help beat cancer

Team Palm completed the Race for Life yesterday in aid of Cancer Research UK.

Congratulations to Sam, Rowie, Penny, Julie, Anne, Kate, Jo, Emily and Jane from Palm HQ who braved the rain and wind on the beach at Weston Super Mare to run 5K to raise money for Cancer Research UK’s life-saving work.

Here’s some shots of the team in action!

Fancy getting involved?
Race for Life events are fantastic fun for women of all ages and fitness levels. Enter your local 5k or 10k Race for Life and raise money for 
Cancer Research UK’s life-saving work.
Find your nearest Race for Life on the Cancer Research UK website.

Come and Try Canoeing at the Midsummer Great Escape! Belvoir Castle (17–19 June 2011)

We’re off to Belvoir Castle in the midlands this weekend to take canoeing to the masses! We want to get as many people on the water as possible and will have all the boats, equipment and expert coaches you need. If you haven’t tried canoeing before, now’s a fantastic chance to try something new! Your ‘come and try it’ session can be booked at the show and full details will be in the showguide which you will receive on arrival.

Other than the chance to try the fastest growing watersport in the UK, The Great Escape offers you:

• Over 180 exhibitors selling everything from luxury British, European and American motorhomes and caravans as well as vast selection of accessories to compliment your camping experience.
• Two open air concerts.
• A full daytime activity programme including circus workshops, activity workshops, pub quizzes, bingo, balloon modelling workshops, magic shows and much more!
• Authentic French food with freshly baked bread, french tarts, croissants, chesses, cold sausages, olives and more…
• Great daytime music programme
• Bring your fishing rods with you and take the opportunity to get some great fishing in. Visit www.ajsfisheries.co.uk and book your fishing spot for the weekend.
• And there’s more ….. Belvoir Castle have offered campers a discounted offer to visit the castle on the Sunday too…

Our Come & Try it event in Nottingham

We’ll see you there!

The Midsummer Great Escape

Location: Stand #97, Belvoir Castle, Grantham, Leicestershire. NG32 1PE
Dates: 17 – 19 June 2011

More information:
Midsummer Great Escape
Desperate Measures (The Canoe Shop)

Teva Mountain Games Vail, Colorado – Step 1: Steep Creek Championships

After arriving Monday night in the amazing little town 2445 m above sea level in the middle of Colorados Eagle County I had two awesome days getting ready for the steep creek competition at Homestake even higher up in the mountains. Having my first practice runs down the tricky steep section I quickly got an idea what it means to race in that altitude. Having nice practice runs I felt best prepared for the Steep Creek Championships on Thursday. My first run was pretty sweet till I entered the last pool, there I got turned around and went backwards over the last drop. Lucky me was able to roll and finish the first run at forth place. So the top five lady were supposed to do a second run – both counted. It was Adriene Levknecht (USA) in the lead with an incredible advance of seven seconds to the next placed Martina Wegman from the Netherlands and Nikki Kelly out of New Zealand. Trying to catch a place on the podium in the finals I didn´t really find into the race again and ended up forth. Adriene took home the 2000 dollars price money followed by Nikki and Martina. Lou Urwin from New Zealand was the only lady who did better in the second run than in the first but finally ended up fifth. Congrats to Adriene for her absolute superior time which would have placed her under the top 15 of the mens.

The first run of the mens class was dominated by Mike Dawson (NZL) beating the time of second placed Honza Lasko by three seconds followed by Jakub Nemec in third position, both from the Czech Republic.The mens kept fighting hard in the finals and the spectators got to see sweet lines as well as good carnage down the last drop “leap of faith”. In the end the top three didn´t give any chance to the following crowd and there was a almost unbelievable finish were both Honza and Mike ended up with exactly the same time after two runs. So they shared the first place at the podium and split the price money – Jakub stayed in third position and sent off Michele Ramazza (Italy) and Sam Sutton (NZL) to the places four and five.

Team Palm paddler James”Pringle” Bebbington had a hard time in the strong mens competitors field and ended up 31th.

Having a fun day out there yesterday, got to see smooth lines, hard crashes and carnage I´m excited about todays Freestyle competition in the heart of Vail.

Big turn out for Royal visitor

We are part way through our first Canoe Village event of the year and word of our success  has spread, as yesterday we were visited by Royalty!

Arriving in style - our royal visitor

Whilst being shown around, the Countess of Wessex made a bee-line for the Canoe Village stand to see why it is one of the most popular features at the show and how the collabiration between manufacturers and govening bodies is helping to grow participation in the sport and enjoyment of the outdoors.

Meeting our on water organiser - Rob from Globe 360

She was amazed to learn how  we’d broken records for the fifth year runnning by getting over six hundred, mostly new, participants on the water on the first day alone , although a shoulder injury prevented her from taking to the water herself.  She also took time to look over the different types of boats taking a particularl shine to the Wilderness Tapon 120 Angler and of course the show stopping Mad River Duck Hunter.

The Tarpon 120 proved popular

The event continues today and tomorrow and the Canoe Village will then be moving onto the South of England Show next week and the the CLA Game Fair in July.

Que's forming for another record day?

And more on the water than ever before!

Team Palm at Valsesia River Festival

With the new range of whitewater gear arriving this spring we were keen to get all the team together and go for a boat.

Gene17′s Valesesia River Festival in Italy seemed like the perfect opportunity. After a long night’s drive on Wednesday night we arrived to the perfect combo of sun, great coffee and absolutely outstanding whitewater! Valsesia is a true whitewater paddlers’ paradise and if you haven’t been yet you’ve got to put it on the list.

We’ll post a full report when we get back but stay tuned for Finn Burrows’ video rundown coming later tonight.

In the meantime, check out these shots from this afternoon’s Egua Freeride Session!

Many, many more pics on the Palm Facebook page.

Massive thanks to Simon Westgarth and Gene17 for putting on a top notch event and everyone who’s come along. We’re looking forward to the party later!