Shaking off sleep from Saturday’s ever-successful South West canoe show, the team were on site early on Sunday to set up the Exe Big paddle.
It didn’t take long for the Piazza to take on the appearance of a festival site, with tents, bunting and boats all creating a mass of colour ready for paddlers to arrive….. Which they did, right on the dot at 9am.
First up were the tours, fully booked out months in advance, the groups were keen to get out and learn about the nature and history of the Exe and adjacent shipping canal. We were fantastically lucky to have staff from the RSPB, Devon Wildlife Trust and an ex head of the Archaeology society as our guides so those lucky enough to secure a place came back a few hours later full of enthusiasm for what they’d learnt and seen on the five mile loop.
Meanwhile on the Piazza, the sunshine brought a great mix of participants, including passers-by keen to have a go at kayaking and canoeing for the first time. Our seasoned team from Bristol based canoe lifesaving club, Globe 360, were constantly busy and had to add boats to the pool of demos available as more and more people got out on the water.
Helping entice folk into giving it a go were the popular Canoe England ergo machines. Racing over a 100m sprint, young and old gave it their all through the day trying to better a time set by development racer Michael Sims and to get a top ranking on the Top Gear style leader board. Predictably no-one beat Michael’s time, but that’s what you’d hope with a national level athlete and it didn’t stop lucky winners getting their prizes!
The CKUK Magazine Throwbag Challenge also drew a crowd each time someone stepped up to throw the rope bag into a boat, gradually getting further away each time they threw. The winners managed an impressive 20-metre throw with pinpoint accuracy to win a year’s magazine subscription, although technique advice from the sidelines seemed as abundant as those trying!
As the afternoon came around so did preparations for the finale of the day: The cardboard canoe race. Starting quietly with boat building by Palm and AS Watersports’ staff, the ‘workshop’ area soon became a teaming mass of people cutting, folding and taping card into weird a wacky shapes.
As building finished, a parade of boats (if you can call some of them that) let head judge Ben Hedden from Haven Banks Activity centre scrutinize designs, before giving the entrants the go ahead to proceed. By now the banks were lined with spectators and, amidst the expected carnage, boats set off to try and get around a marker buoy.
Success was not widespread with some who’d put creativity in front of water tightness literally falling at the first splash. However the crowd began to roar as the first ‘floaters’ made it around the buoy and back on the home straight. At best many made one lap, including an ingenious catamaran design from the local deaf school, but as cheers continued a junior and senior race winner soon became obvious, as they were the only ones still afloat. Congratulations to Sea Hare and Back-to-Front, winners of the first ever Exe Cardboard Canoe Race!
Tea and medals swiftly followed and the tiring task of packing it all away began.
It was a great event, fulfilling the aims of the Big Paddle by showcasing the sport to new participants and widening the scope for those who already take part, all in aid of charitable causes, which for the Exe event were Devon Hospice care and the Canoe Foundation.
Events such as this are only possible with the dedication and help from volunteers. So to AS Watersports, Canoe England, Haven Banks, Exeter Canoe Club, Globe 360, CKUK the Palm team, and all of you who attended – a Big Paddle thanks.
Look out for the full report in the December issue of Canoe Kayak UK Magazine. Until then, we hope you enjoy these shots. Massive thanks to Daniel Bewsey for capturing the event for us. For the whole gallery see Dan’s Big Paddle Flickr Album.
More information about the Big Paddle events: www.thebigpaddle.com
Hi all,
Two days to go until the Big Paddle event in Exeter on Sunday! The weather’s looking amazing, the river tours are filling up and we’re loading the van with cardboard for the cardboard canoe race!
So if you’re around in the South West of the UK this weekend and fancy a paddle, why not come along and join us on Sunday? Here are some images from last year’s Big Paddle at Symonds Yat to tempt you.
More information and last minute tickets: www.thebigpaddle.com
WHAT’S ON?
Guided Tours
Guided Tours. Not sure of the route but don’t want to resort to the map? Then why not join one of our free guided tours.
An experienced guide will lead you round the Big Five paddle, making sure you don’t get lost along the way!
10.00am Nature Tour
10.15am History Tour
10.30am Guided Tour
10.45am Nature Tour
11.00am History Tour
11.15am Guided Tour
Nature Tours
Although just outside the city, the Exe Big Paddle route offers some wonderful opportunities for sightings, including Otters, kingfishers a wide variety of ducks, wading birds, dippers, wagtails and more! Accompanied by a local expert groups of ten will head out to see what can be found.
Guided nature tours will run in two sessions. The first starts at 10.00am and the second at 10.45am. Places will be on a first come first served basis. Please register online. Booking will also be available on the day if spaces are still available. Participants will need to provide their own equipment.
Local History Tours
Like the natural habitat, the Big Paddle Route is historic and local experts will be on hand to guide groups of up to ten along the route highlighting points of interest and the stories and facts that go with them.
Guided history tours will run in two sessions. 10.15am and 11.00am. Places will be on a first come first served basis. Please register online. Booking will also be available on the day if spaces are still available. Participants will need to provide their own equipment.
Booking onto tours
Please indicate if you’d like to join one of our guided tours when you buy your tickets.
Cardboard Canoe Race
The grand finale of the Exe Big Paddle will be the Cardboard canoe race. The race will take place in the Quay outside the Piazza at 3:30 pm, but all participants must arrive for registration and craft inspection at 3:00 pm. Entrants into the race should be 16 or over, and helmets and PFDs must be worn. Staff will be on hand with materials should you wish to ‘build’ on the day. There are prizes for best boat design, best-dressed boat (including paddlers), and of course race winners! The Cardboard Canoe Race will be governed by a ‘gentleman’s agreement’.
Come and try it
Whether its for the first time, or just to do something a little
easier, we are hosting ever popular ‘Come and try it’ sessions
throughout the day.
Our team of instructors from Globe 360 are experts at getting you on
and off the water in a fun, safe and relaxed environment. Over the
years they have been responsible for thousands of paddlers first ‘have-
a-go’ experience and can proudly boast that many have become hooked
afterwards.
Sessions will be hosted on the canal side and will run from 9.30am to
3pm on a rolling basis, with water time between 10 and 20 minutes.
It’s not limited to one session either.
You don’t need to bring anything, apart from a smile; although there
is a possibility you could get a little damp, so a change of clothes
may be worthwhile. Non-swimmers are fine.
You will need to fill out a registration form and under 18′s will need
a parent or guardian present to sign for them. Minimum age is 5.
So what are you waiting for – get on and have a go!
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
