British Champions

 

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.

 

 

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

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! 

Flea