Liverpool University Canoe Club

Hi guys,

There are still some spaces so sign up quick!

Final arrangements:

Meets at sheds/ halls 8am- please speak to me if you need picking up from halls.

 

You will need:

£5.75 entrance plus £2.50 if you are not a BCU (British Canoe Union) member.

£5-10 fuel money depending on how many people sign up.

Money for lunch (there will be a snack bar and hot food on sale) or a packed lunch.

Warm clothes- there will be a bit of waiting around between runs

A towel

                Either your own or from sheds:

Wetsuit / thermals + shorts

Cag

Buoyancy Aid

Helmet

If you have not paddled before please ask for help finding suitable gear in sheds- don’t struggle alone we’re happy to point you the right way!

A cheery disposition

Sweets for your driver (especially if you’re in my car)

 

(There will be changing rooms and showers on site)

 See you all at the pool tonight J

Claire x   

Hi guys!

This Sunday is the first slalom trip of the year… for those who don’t know slalom is awesome!  It involves paddling a short section of river trying to go between sets of poles, known as “gates”, along the way.  

Last year at Stafford and Stone

This weekends slalom is not very far away at Stone in Staffordshire and is fantastic for novices to both paddling in general and slalom.  It’s a very good opportunity to practice river skills and get better quickly, most of all its good fun to be had by all!

Likely plan is meet at sheds/halls around 8am and be back around 7ish the same day.  Will cost around £12-£15 and a packed lunch with lots of yummies is advisable.

Sign up quick…put a post on the forum speak to me at the pool on thursday.

Claire x

(Check out reports on previous trips to Stafford and Stone slalom: Fresher trip October 2007 and Winter slalom January 2008)

Join the forum discussion on this post - (15) Posts

Report: ClareP

Showing dedication of the most extreme kind, me (Claire), Kim, Medic Dave and Tamsin found ourselves at the sheds at the unbelievable hour of 7am. Soon we were racing towards Bradford, fingers crossed that the little fiesta would make it with 4 boats, 4 people and all their kit aboard, it did…just about.

After the first practice run, we knew this was a totally different ball game to Oughtibrigde two weeks ago. This water was actually moving for a start! Not only that, but due to the recent rain (thank the river gods!) this water was actually moving pretty fast and the course included a whole two sections of white water. Adding to the difficulty the river was twice as wide, with gates virtually next to each other but on opposite banks. This was going to be a true test of our skills.

After another practice run, and a long look at gate 3 (down a small drop, break out, paddle up the eddy and around the pole to brake back in) it was time for our first runs proper. We all managed pretty well with no real worrying moments. Unlike some other competitors, one was claimed breaking in after gate 3 and took and swim, another tried to do c1 with no deck on and sank very quickly after gate 5. At the lunch break Medic Dave, Kim and Tamsin were 1st, 2nd and 3rd in ladies K1 div 4, while I was 5th in ladies K1 div 3.

After another practice run and a laugh at the wave hopper challenge practice it time to do battle a second time. I was first to go and had a run in with gate 3, which nearly claimed me but for saving myself with a stylish wave of my paddle, during which I managed to go back through the gate, so incurring a 50sec penalty. Tamsin was up next, and had a fantastic run, touching only 2 poles and scoring a much faster time that of her first run. Next was Kim who also had a quick run, but unfortunately also had issues with the now infamous gate 3, being turned before going through and despite her valiant efforts on a 2nd attempt couldn’t quite make it. Medic Dave was the final representative, with a solid and speedy run down, teeth gritted, determined not to touch any pole.

At the end of the day Tamsin finished 2nd, and won promotion to div 3, closely followed by Kim in 3rd and Laura in 4th, and I ended up 6th in div 3. We had a great, chilled out day, with some fun and challenging paddling. Roll on the next competition!

Report: ClaireP 

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.

 

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!