Report: ClairePÂ
Pictures: Dom
On a fabulously sunny saturday, the magnificent 7 trundled up to an oddly named place somewhere in south Yorkshire. On arrival we were greeted by some slightly beamused, but welcoming faces, and proceded to spend half an hour showing why we deserve to be at uni by not being able to fill in entry forms.
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Dom’s Pics, Dom’s other Pics. Entries filed, there was time for most of us to have a practice run. It was at this time we realised about half the competition were 10 year olds who were half our height, and twice as good as we were! We also had a shock when we released the course actually had a drop!
Practice over, time for the real thing. The friendly faces weren’t so friendly looking when we messed up all their timings by sharing boats , then only have having 1 C2 for 2 teams who were running after each other and then having people running in the C2 when their time came to run K1. But we managed and after the first run our girls were all around mid table in ladies K1, Dom and Martin were separated by 1 second for first place in mens K1 and Gould & Porter were trailing Renvoize & Lloyd (!) for 1st in C2.
Lunch time bought on another practice run and removal of many unnecessary layers.
2nd run and all was to play for. We learnt from the 1st run and had mostly everyone in a boat when they should have been, helped by some nice people lending the boys a C2. This time around we mostly gave the poles less of a beating and really tried to attack the river in the sprints between poles.
Days running completed there was time for a rope lesson loading the trailer before prize giving. Martin, Dom and Lanky Phil were 1st 2nd and 3rd respectively in mens K1 and I was 1st in ladies K1, earning the 4 of us promotions to div 3. Kim won U23 ladies K1 and in the end Renvoize & Lloyd got the better of Gould and Porter to take the gold.
Swim count: 0!
Line of the day: Lloyd, “there’s a little kid over there with a boat that I really want to have a play with…the boat that is not the kid”
Very enjoyable day all around! Thanks again to Medic Dave for the organisation and to Dom for driving. Hopefully there’ll be more slalom fun in the very near future!
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