Summer on the Thames. Part two

Not all paddling on the Thames is recreational during the summer. The whitewater crowd are still out and about.

 From the Tuesday night squirt boat sessions at Chertsey weir run by the guys from WWTCC, to the Boulters Youth Freestyle event and slalom competitions, its all happening.

 Its been a while since any of us from Palm did slalom but inspired by the recent, and spectacular, European Championships we decided to get the race boats out and give it a go at the  Shepperton Canoe Club division Three and Four race.

 The event was entry level , which basically means you can rock up in any old tub and get your race head on. With summer river levels prevailing there wasn’t much flow to tackle, but none-the-less the organisers had set a devious course that got you working hard throughout.

 It was a fun event and you’ve got to hand it to the BCU, the development of paddlesport at youth level is inclusive and encompassing. At Shepperton the majority of the paddlers were under sixteen and many from clubs from inner city areas – nice one.

 So take a look at the calendar, get some inspiration , get out and go racing.