Bren Orton – The dream ride, Part 1

 

Competition, it’s a strange beast – it has the potential to allow you to perform at a higher level and achieve you’re “dream ride” or perform far worse than you normally would. All the while magnifying you’re emotions to a state where sometimes it’s hard to breathe before you’re rides. According to a couple of people, competition gets easier with time…. Personally I disagree; it becomes less and less about achieving and far more about not failing.

I became severely bogged down with this mentality of not failing over the past few years. To the point of throwing up before competition rides, not wanting my family to come and watch me and struggling to sleep the nights leading up to the event. Winning the European championships released me from this mindset, I’ve proved I’m a good boater and now I feel free to do my own thing and paddle the way I want to. My paddling has increased dramatically since winning the euros and I’m happy with what I’ve achieved, but far from content.

My name has been thrown around by a fair few people as a contender to be world champion this year, which is flattering but to be completely honest it has no effect on me, Being World Champion would be an amazing experience and it would be a great way to repay my sponsors, friends and family for their support over the past few years but measuring myself against other people is not what I’m about. I would much rather be remembered as the guy that came along and threw down the best ride ever seen in a competition, as opposed to being the guy that beat everyone else.

This is the beginning of my journey towards “The dream ride”. To performing the highest scoring, most fluid competition ride possible.

See you on the water,

Bren