Latest News

Go Fast on Water – Para Canoeing Talent Search

National Para Canoe coach Andrea Wood will be on hand to cast her eye over the young talent, hoping to find some fresh new paddlers to join the likes of Kara Kennedy, Brock Ingram, David Rolfe and Glenn Pyne in the senior team.

With the recent inception of Para Canoe as an Olympic sport, there is added motivation for talented athletes with a physical disability to take part with Para Canoe to be contested for the first time at 2016 Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Contact Canoe SA Development Coordinator Ian Heard to register your interest.
Ph: (08) 8240 3285
Mob: 0417 081 426
Email: canoesa1@canoesa.asn.au

2012 World University Championship

Pre-Conditions for Applications for Selection

To be considered for selection, all athletes must have fulfilled the following conditions by 30 March 2012. Those athletes who have met the below conditions may submit an expression of interest to Australian Canoeing prior to 30 March 2012.

• Be current members of Australian Canoeing
• Have demonstrated national and international level performances in the past 12 months in Sprint Canoeing.

Selection of an Australian Team

Following the receipt of expressions of interest a selection panel appointed by Australian Canoeing will nominate athletes to compete at the 2012 World University Championships based on current national rankings and international performances.

FISU Eligibility Requirements

Please note that to be eligible for selection, athletes must also meet the FISU eligibility criteria. It is the athlete’s responsibility to establish that he/ she meets all FISU and AUS eligibility requirements.

Those requirements can be summarised as follows:

• be an Australian Citizen;
• be at least 17 and less than 28 years of age on 1 January 2012; and be either:

• enrolled and currently studying a diploma or higher courses at a university, TAFE* (*conditions apply) or other tertiary institution (please note deferred students are not eligible for selection); or
• have graduated from a university in the year immediately prior to the event (ie: graduated after July 2011).

Athletes recommended for selection by Australian Canoeing, will need to complete and submit to AUS the FISU eligibility certificate. For more information please contact Adam Abbott, AUS High Performance Coordinator on email: adam.abbott@unisport.com.au or phone: (07) 3876 2610.

Event Details

The event will consist of a championship format of heats, semi-finals and finals in the following events:

Men
K1, K2, K4 - 200m, 500m, 1000m
C1, C2, C4 - 200m, 500m, 1000m

Women
K1, K2, K4 - 200m, 500m

To nominate you will need to complete the following forms

The Longest Beach Kayak Challenge on World Oceans Day.

 Cox's Bazar is known for the world's longest natural unbroken 125 km sandy beach situated in Bangladesh. The Longest Beach Kayak Challenge is the first individual or group challenge event of its kind in Bangladesh which will play a very significant role in raising funds for Climate Change adopting program in a sustainable way.

The Longest Beach Kayak Challenge is a Cox’s Bazar longest beach infused, world class kayaking event that will raise awareness for Climate Change. Sea Kayaking for Climate Change is one of the most exhilarating and conservational marine sports events on sea side of Cox’s Bazar longest beach, one of the most picturesque oceanfront sea kayak course in Bangladesh.

A lone kayaker, a marlin and one wild ride

Never again will Jeff Sheppeard have to talk about the one that got away. For almost 10 years, the game fisherman has spent his summers roaming the open ocean in a kayak, hoping to fulfil his boyhood dream of landing a giant marlin.

During that time, he's been dragged 10 kilometres along the coast by a bronze whaler shark and had his vessel ''lifted'' by a junior humpback whale.

But, by his own admission, ''nothing comes close'' to the magical moment that finally arrived last week when a 100-kilogram marlin snatched his bait.

Caught on camera ... a still from Jeff Sheppeard's video shows him finally fighting a marlin.

Perched on a four-metre piece of orange plastic seven kilometres out to sea, Mr Sheppeard spent the next 90 minutes engaged in an epic battle with one of the ocean's most voracious creatures. Every second of the amazing encounter - and all 23 of its aerial leaps - were captured on digital video.

''I went out with a mate on Australia Day but we ended up coming back after 35 kilometres without even a turn of the reel,'' he recounts. ''Then, two days later, I headed out by myself to Currarong. I paddled out about seven kilometres. I was only there for about 20 minutes before something took my bait. I didn't know what it was at that stage because over the past three or four years, I've caught 50, 60 sharks. Each time I was hoping it was a marlin, but I'm always disappointed.''

But as Mr Sheppeard's dramatic footage demonstrates, this was to be no ordinary day.

''About five or ten seconds later, it's jumped out to the right of my kayak. It's a marlin. I held on for grim life and squealed like a girl. It's jumped out again right in front of me … it's pulling me through the water … it jumped out of the water again and done about five [consecutive] aerials. I thought, 'I hope the camera's recording.' ''

Mr Sheppeard, a 40-year-old policeman from Gerringong on the south coast, stalks some of the ocean's largest creatures on a one-man kayak - for the sheer thrill of it.

As a young boy, he used to fish off rocks with his brother and watch with envy as big schools of fish moved past just out of reach of his lure. ''Growing up, I could never afford a boat,'' he said. ''Then, about 10 years ago, I bought a standard $1200 kayak. I modified it, put rod holders on the sides. The adventures started there.''

At first, Mr Sheppeard was ''spooked'' by the sight of hammerhead sharks torpedoing straight towards the bait trailing closely behind his kayak. With each trip, however, his confidence and experience grew. Today, he boasts his own website and an $8000 state-of-the-art fully sponsored ocean kayak. One of his struggles with a shark has attracted almost 250,000 hits on YouTube and he has recently released his first DVD.

But, with last week's leaping marlin show and with three cameras mounted on his kayak capturing every move, Mr Sheppeard said he had never filmed anything quite so dramatic or ''awe-inspiring''.

''When you've got a big marlin on like that … it's pulling you through the water at seven or eight kilometres an hour - and straight out to sea. Within an hour or so, I was already six kilometres away from where I'd started … so I'm halfway out to the continental shelf. It's like, where do you draw the line?''

After about 90 minutes, the footage shows an exhausted Mr Sheppeard attempting to bring the marlin alongside his vessel so he can take one last ''perfect'' overhead video frame and then set it free. The giant fish, however, had other plans.

''He's decided to take another jump about three metres from my kayak … and then he's snapped me off and the line's gone slack.''

Mr Sheppeard said the marlin then produced one last leap, as if to say goodbye. The struggle ends with Mr Sheppeard yelling: ''See ya later, buddy.''

He occasionally receives feedback from viewers who argue his hobby is cruel. But he defends the sport: ''People don't realise that most game fishermen are pretty respectful to the fish they catch. They let them go. They also tag them for Fisheries, for research, as I do with the sharks. I'd say nearly all the fish I hook are in good shape when they disappear off. You only have to look at the marlin I just hooked. He had more energy left than I did.''

With Mr Sheppeard having fulfilled his teenage dream of not only hooking but filming his marlin, is he now about to hang up his rod?

''Not just yet,'' he replied. Next is the ''dream trifecta'' - which comes with hooking individual black, striped and blue marlin. ''And besides,'' he said, ''if I told my wife there was nothing left to aim for, she'd never let me out there again.''

Miranda Hart goes sea kayaking in Turkey

I am typing this on a villa balcony, watching a glorious view of the sun setting on the Mediterranean coast of Turkey, having been on an overnight sea kayaking adventure. I feel very lucky to be able to write that sentence. I also feel a little surprised. First, Turkey has never really cropped up on my agenda, holiday-wise. Second, I went on a sea kayaking adventure. And, yes, you heard correctly for those who are equally (and slightly rudely) surprised. So, let me explain.

Last September, I wanted to find some dying summer sun in the hope that embracing the long, dark British days ahead would be more bearable. I had never been to Turkey, it was only a four-hour flight and would be guaranteed good weather. I was sold. And then I surprised myself by booking not only a villa for full sun-worshipping and resting, but also a two-day sea kayaking trip.

In the lead-up to my holiday, if the conversation couldn't naturally get on to holidays, I would find myself saying, "Ask me where I am going on holiday, please."

"Oh, where are you going on holiday, Miranda?"

"Gosh, what a spontaneous question. I am going to the Turkish coast, if you please, where I will partake of a two-day sea kayaking adventure."

The response would either be: "Oh, it is absolutely beautiful, totally underrated" (a little frustrating, because they had been to Turkey first, but also pleasing, because my holiday choice had been affirmed) or, "Oooh, that's exotic – I have never been there" – just the response I craved, so I could retort, "Well, I am exotic, I need an exotic location and I think you'll find I am quite an adventurous person with adventurous exotic needs."

Now, I can confide in you – although you may well have noticed – that I am definitely not exotic and, although I am naturally adventurous and a traveller at heart, the fearful practical side will often take over. (Well, there are planes that might crash, injuries and illnesses that might be sustained, difficult languages and people one might need to negotiate.) But I am bored with the fears. So I was Turkey-bound and sticking to a recent new philosophy in my life, which is simply, "Get out of your comfort zone every day." It doesn't have to be big, expensive things; it could be just walking a different route to the tube or attempting a new recipe. In my case, this was on a slightly larger scale, but who knew where it might lead – the 2012 canoe team, perhaps?

As we landed, the sun was beginning to set and by the time we'd made the two-hour transfer to the villa it was dark, which meant the next morning was filled with childish excitement as we pulled back the curtains to reveal the view. We found ourselves looking over a rugged, mountainous terrain, the kind that lets you know you are away from home, with the green of the trees interspersed with dry, sandy, bald spots. Just by looking at them, you can tell how hot it gets and know you are in a more remote, untouched part of the world.

Our villa looked straight out to sea (I suppose a 150m walk away – oh yes, we had a private beach area), so clear that even from the terrace you could make out rocks under the water. We couldn't wait to dive in. Like true Brits, we were braced for the breathlessness of cold water that the sea usually brings, but here it was deliciously warm.

On the first day, my "something new" was a traditional hammam, or Turkish bath. Lying on a hot marble slab while someone washes you is never going to take off in Britain due to the sheer embarrassment potential, but in Turkey I succumbed fully and,encased in bubbles, turned tomy friend and said, "Oooh, heaven – like a blanket of love." Could I have been any more camp?

A five-minute walk from the villa was a hotel where we were able to book for dinner and just tip up for breakfast or lunch if we were feeling lazy – if you prefer hotels to villas, I recommend going down this route. The managers informed us that there was a fish night, barbecue night and music night that week – would we care to join them? The unadventurous Miranda balked at the thought, imagining having to "make friends" at a long trestle table, clap awkwardly and belly dance. But what "something new" was I going to try today? So I booked a table for fish night.

My philosophy blessed me. It was individual tables on the beach front, there was no belly dancing and you chose which fresh, local fish you would like barbecued. That plus the warm evening air, the lapping of the sea and, to make it all the more nauseating as you read this on a cold January morning, I saw the best shooting star I have ever seen.

All right, I thought the next morning, I've conquered a stranger washing me and a "fish night", but tomorrow it's sea kayaking – help! But it turned out to be the holiday highlight, and as I write I wish I was back on the high seas.

'I couldn’t think about any of the worries that might face me back home; I simply had to focus on paddling, steering, maintaining balance, the new sounds and sights.' Photograph: Charla Jones for the Guardian

We were collected from the villa and driven to pick up the kayaks at a village an hour away, from where we were to paddle for three hours to a cove for lunch. Miss Negative thought of the sunstroke, the sore upper arms, the capsizing, the strain on the weak lower back, the fitting in the kayak (which did prove a little embarrassing while they searched for one to suit a very tall person). But the minute I launched on to that mirror-like sea and heard the ripples of the water as I ploughed steadily on, I felt exhilarated. It was a bit of a tough kayak to the first cove, as we were against the wind and it got choppy as we turned out of the harbour, but it was so worth it. If nothing else, for the overnight stay at an island accessible only by small boats and yachts. We climbed to the top of a 4th-century BC castle ruin to watch the sun set over the mountains, with the sea on one side and green valleys on the other. The pansiyon we stayed in was basic but delightful – its colourful throws, low tables, hammocks and candles took me back to my backpacking days. I felt the freedom and joy of being 20 again, and celebrated with two favourite passions of my youth – a beer and a cigarette.

The next morning, back in the kayak, I realised that, however tired one feels, one of the best ways to de-stress is to be distracted in action and purpose. I couldn't think about any of the worries that might face me back home; I simply had to focus on paddling, steering, maintaining balance, the new sounds and sights. And when I returned to the villa, I thought I had been away for weeks, not just a couple of days. Always the first sign of a good break.

I never usually say I will come back to a place, mainly because I feel I would rather explore new areas on this wonderful planet of ours, but Turkey, you have got me. I will be coming back. I will try something new with you next time – perhaps mountain biking – and I know you will reward me.

Canoeist Don Starkell Dies

Don Starkell, who claimed to have paddled more miles than any person in history, died of cancer Saturday at his home in Winnipeg, Manitoba, the Winnipeg Free Press reports. He was 79.

The famously stubborn canoeist is best known for paddling 12,000 miles with his son Dana, from their home near Winnipeg to the mouth of the Amazon. The 1980 open canoe journey earned the Starkells a place in the Guinness Book of World Records. It was but one episode in a life of canoeing and kayaking that, according to Starkell’s meticulous journals, spanned nearly 75,000 miles.

In addition to the Amazon expedition, Starkell took part in the 1967 trans-Canada Centennial paddle and in the 1991 and 1992 paddling seasons, he attempted to kayak the Northwest Passage. Trapped in pack ice and slipping in and out of consciousness, the then 59-year-old Starkell accepted a helicopter rescue just 36 miles from the finish.

“I was going to die, but I would not let my mind accept it,” Starkell told C&K Editor-at-Large Conor Mihell in 2010, while recovering from a house fire that nearly claimed his life. Mihell’s Unfiltered feature, which ran in the August, 2010 Canoe & Kayak, is published below. 

UNFILTERED: Don Starkell, Expedition Paddler

In the spring of 1980, Don Starkell and sons Dana and Jeff portaged their 21-foot canoe down the street from their home in Winnipeg, Manitoba, to the banks of the Red River and set off for South America. They were arrested, shot at, kidnapped by pirates and nearly starved. But two years later, Don and Dana finished the 12,000-mile epic (Jeff bowed out after one too many near-misses) and took their place in the Guinness Book of World Records for the longest canoe trip of all time.

Despite this grand achievement, Starkell’s life has been a struggle for self-esteem and survival. Canoeing gave him an escape from the revolving door of a foster care childhood. For two decades, beginning in the 1950s, he was one of Canada’s top sprint and marathon canoe racers. In 1992, his two-year attempt to kayak the Northwest Passage ended in a helicopter rescue only 36 miles from his destination. Starkell, 77, has meticulously documented his 75,000 paddling miles in spiral-bound ledgers-more distance, he claims, than anyone else in the world.

In March an errant spark from his wood stove led to another close call. “I woke up and there was a bonfire in my front room,” says Starkell, who stubbornly stood toe-to-toe with the flames and nearly died from the burns he received. “God, I tell you, this burning has been like going to hell and back,” he said, after recuperating in a Winnipeg hospital for a month. “But I’m feeling better every day, and if I can get myself healed up, I’ll be back on the water.”  — Conor Mihell

I’ve been psychoanalyzing myself for the past 15 or 20 years. I have a thing where if people say, ‘You can’t do that,’ right away I respond, ‘How do you know without trying?’

The only reason I ever got into canoeing was my second foster home. It was on a creek that flooded in the spring and they had a canoe. That canoe gave me the first freedom in my life. I was just like Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer.

I know what I was doing in every year. In 1951 I was in my first canoe race and we were going against the Manitoba champions. We ended up whumping them. I never thought anything of it and next year those same guys we beat went to the Olympics.

They had the Canadian Centennial canoe race from Rocky Mountain House to Montreal in 1967. It was over 3,200 miles and I had to quit my 17-year job to do it. My attitude has always been when something good comes you better take advantage of it.

In 1970 my wife took off on me. I can’t look back in my past and see anything that I can be proud of with my parents or grandparents. It was a horrible mess. And I never wanted to do that to my kids.

Right away it came to me. I would take them on a long canoe trip. Dana had always wanted to walk to the Amazon and I told him, ‘How about we canoe from Winnipeg to the Amazon?’ He looked at a globe and the distance didn’t look that far, it was only two of his hands. Dana and Jeff were 8 and 9 years old when we decided on this. Ten years later we would do it.

During those 10 years I did a good job on those guys. I was tough on them and made them struggle. And then the time came to do it and we took off and that’s the story.

Everyday I think about that trip.

My last year up north I was 59 years old. In one stretch I dragged my kayak overland for 525 miles in 26 days. I averaged almost 20 miles a day. No one has done that kind of pace in Arctic or Antarctic history.

There’s no overstatement in [my] book Paddle to the Arctic. Everything is understated, believe me. It was six times worse. I got stuck in my kayak for 26 hours in slush ice. I couldn’t get to shore. I fell through the ice three times up to my armpits trying. Then I sat in and out of consciousness.

I was going to die, but I would not let my mind accept it.

That was the first time in my life that I’d given 100 percent and I failed. But there isn’t one thing that I could’ve done that would’ve made me successful.

One of my biggest achievements as far as I’m concerned is my lifetime paddling miles. Have you ever heard of that guy Kruger who claims all those miles? I don’t like saying this because it’s not in my nature but he’s so full of bullshit it’s not even funny. That’s my sour grapes on Verlen Kruger.

My miles are so much beyond his that I’m not even worried about it. I’ve been keeping my records since 1948 when I was 15 years old and right now I’m just under 75,000 miles.

Last year was the worst year I’ve done in 15 years. It was a cold summer in Winnipeg and I paddled only 1,500 miles.

It’s crazy, you know. I’ve paddled three times around the world. If someone wants to beat that, I don’t give a damn.

This article first appeared in the August 2010 issue of Canoe & Kayak magazine.

Eales motivates Olympic Aspirants

As Athlete Liaison Officer, Eales will “act as a mentor by providing information to athletes about ALO’s found effective and useful during competition which will help athletes to maintain focus and maximise performance, promote fellowship within the team, and assist to maximise athletes’ positive Olympic experiences.”

After meeting the athletes last year, Eales returned today to reintroduce himself and get to know the team a little better, speaking to the Olympic aspirants about team work, faith, and about his story on the field and related it back to kayak.

Sunshine Coast paddler Alyce Burnett said, “I think the thing I got most out of today was to always have faith in yourself, your team mates, support staff and coaches. Really trusting the people that are around you and doing all the little things right so once you get to the start line you have no regrets.”

SASI star Hannah Davis is looking to working alongside the Rugby legend, who has some great experiences he will be able to share with the team.

“Having a non-bias opinion from outside the sport will be great, he is someone we will be able to bounce ideas off, he has been part of some great successes and overcome misfortunes in the past and hopefully we will be able to benefit from those experiences.”

Eight senior women are currently in the middle of a 10 day training camp under the guidance of Head Coach Martin Marinov, assistant coach Ben Hutchings, and SSSM staff Dave Aitken and Nic Bullock, with the camp focusing on team boat combinations, with particular emphasis on current K4 crews and trying new K2 combinations.

“It’s been quite intense, everyone has really stepped up which is great”, said Davis.

The senior women will commence the battle for Olympic selection when the Oceania Championships commence from 1-4 March at Sydney International Regatta Centre, NSW.

Slalom: Play now!

Apply now for a Local Sporting Champions Grant

 If yes, then you or your team could be eligible for a Local Sporting Champions grant to help meet costs such as uniforms, travel, accommodation and equipment.

Grants of $500 per individual and $3,000 per team are available for young people participating in a nominated National Sporting Organisation-endorsed state or national sporting championships or a School Sport Australia national championship.

This program is an Australian Government initiative managed by the Australian Sports Commission and supports 8,000 young people each year.

The grants are designed to help athletes, coaches and officials achieve their sporting goals and are distributed across all 150 federal electorates of the national parliament.

Applications are open, so apply now!

Applications must be submitted prior to the commencement of the nominated championships.

For further information, including application forms and eligibility criteria, go to: http://www.ausport.gov.au/champions

National medals for all in Tasmania

“As their coach I was particularly delighted with the fact that each paddler won a national medal and they did that all on the first day of competition. From then on it was all a bonus,” coach Anita Roche said.

Twelve students competed on the Forth River near Devonport with competitors from as far afield Western Australia and there was also a large New Zealand contingent.

The paddlers Phillip Koch, Jake Perram, Geordie and Tristan Yule, Lydia Toms, Kyle Williams, Andrew Moulder, James Mannow, Kaspar and Kristian Fiebig, Jordan Hallett and Alicia Ieroianni had a team goal that all would win at least one medal throughout the Championships.

At the end of the first day of racing that goal was achieved by all members of the team.

Great Lakes College came third school overall in the points score and was once again first placed public school in the nation.

Phillip Koch was announced runner up Champion Senior Boy while the boys also gained runner up Champion Boys Team behind the much larger school of Ivanhoe Grammar.

Phillip Koch paddled outstandingly gaining six medals from the six events he entered. He achieved gold medals in both the Downriver and Slalom C1 Teams with Lydia Toms and Jake Perram. Lydia and Phillip also gained gold in the Mixed C2 slalom event.

The other gold medal was won by the C2 Downriver C2 team of Geordie Yule, Andrew Moulder, Kyle Williams, Jordan Hallett, James Mannow and Kaspar Fiebig.

Entries Open for Oceania Champs and Olympic Team Selection Trials

You must to be a financial member of Australian Canoeing to enter this competition. To enter you will also need your Australian Canoeing username and password. (forgot your username? Click here) (Forgot your password? Click here)

You can view a list of entries and event information for the Oceania Championships here and the Olympic Trials here

Are you a Coach?

The Entry system allows you to log in and submit your team boats (as long as you are an Financial AC member)

Paddle NSW member?  

PaddleNSW currently use a separate membership database to AC and so you will need to contact Australian Canoeing (using the form below or email sam.lyons@canoe.org.au) with your PNSW number so that we can transfer your membership details across. You will then receive your Australian Canoeing Member Number and Password.

International Competitor?

Complete the form below or email sam.lyons@canoe.org.au to organise entry.

Enquiry Form

Junior and U23 Slalom World Championships, Wausau USA 11 - 15 July 2012

The tour will be a focused trip aimed at preparing the team for the best possible performance outcomes at the Worlds. There will be a separate Team Manager and Head Coach for Juniors and U23. The U23 team coach will be an NCE coach.

As this is an Australian team for a Junior/U23 Worlds there will be elements of the tour where the teams will collaborate and operate as a unit. The training program and event preparation will be targeted to the needs and the level of the athletes selected in each age group. The tour would arrive in time for a full recovery from travel and to take advantage of all the 5 days training on the course prior to the competition. The Official tour will be short and focused on the Worlds. Individuals may extend their trip on there own initiative after the official tour.

Provisional official tour dates are July 2 - 18 and the estimated contribution will be advised shortly.  

Any questions in the meantime please contact Mike Druce or Natasha Welsh on 4729 4256.

High Brace, Low Brace, No Brace.....

 The "No Brace" is simply my way of describing the technique of not responding to acceleration or directional drift with a defensive stroke. It is a bit like learning not to hit the brakes when your car loses grip and starts to slide on a wet or icy road. As in the car analogy, sudden deceleration tends to make the impending loss of control into an inevitability.

The first step in developing a good No Brace is to to sit on the shore before your next paddle in following seas and challenge yourself not to drag the blade behind you in a trailing brace to hold your line. Instead, when you feel a wave lift you and the boat starts to slide, just keep paddling, try to take off very square to the steepest part of the wave and only use sweeps, edges and forward strokes. When your experience tells you to hunker down with a trailing brace or rudder ignore it and put in a big sweep on the other side, instead of being defensive, focus on staying in control by maintaining drive!

The ''No Brace'' could also be described as the "body brace" in that you can brace against the heeling force of a wave with your hips or even hips and knees and simply maintain a good stroke. Remember to be patient, despite the car analogy above, course corrections take time in any boat, and you may have to wait a second or two for the edge to bite or the sweep to take effect.

An interesting technique in developing a good No Brace is to paddle abeam to trains of short steep, closely spaced overtopping waves on a windy day in an area of short fetch like a wide bay, see if you can paddle a perpendicular course without using the paddle as a crutch, use only sweep and forward power strokes while you do all the bracing with your hips and knees. Your cadence will need to change so you can meet the oncoming crests with a good strong catch and some of your strokes will have to be carefully placed over the high side gunwale, and timed so as not to trip you up, but the emphasis on bracing without having to stop paddling is a valuable skill to acquire.

When your "no brace" is working well you will get those extra couple of valuable strokes in at the take off point in a running sea instead of putting on the brakes. Even when rudder strokes become unavoidable you need to keep them crisp and decisive, feel for a blade angle that moves the stern without hauling on the brakes and creating excess drag. An effective stern rudder looks and feels very different to a heavy trailing brace and in a running sea will often get you back on line in the time it takes to make one forward stroke.

The less you use the stern rudder, the less you need it and linking rides by building up speed from consecutive waves will get easier. As a novice sea paddler I can remember being a lot busier than my more experienced mentors especially in following seas and then I learnt the "No Brace"; real life proof that "less is more".

2012 Australian Canoe Slalom NZ Junior Development Tour

Fifteen (five girls, 10 boys) athletes have been selected from within the National Talent Squad to take part in the Development Tour to New Zealand from 30 March - 12th April this year.

Up to 3 additional athletes may be selected to tour, following the completion of the Junior World Championships team selection at the Australian Open on 12 February 2012.

For information on the tour and information on selection please follow the links below. 

International field contests PVC Race

17 year old AIS/NSWIS scholarship holder Jessica Fox showed she is right on track for next month’s Australian Open dominating the women’s K1 event, producing a blistering clean second run of 108.66, to finish 3.67 seconds clear of 2011 women’s K1 World Champion Corinna Kuhnle of Austria. Set to battle Fox for the single women’s Olympic berth, Sarah Grant and Kate Lawrence finished third and fourth respectively, 3.97 and 4.03 seconds off Fox’s winning time.

French champion Fabian Lefevre, who finished third behind Slovakia’s Peter Kauzer at last year‘s World Champs in Bratislava won the men’s K1 event in 98.63 from German Sebastian Schubert. NCE paddler Lucien Delfour was the pick of the Aussies in third after producing two quick clean runs in an impressive performance by the 23 year old, to finish 1.06 seconds off Lefevre’s winning time, while nothing separated the two men vying for the men’s K1 spot in London with Will Forsythe edging Warwick Draper by 0.15 seconds after finishing fourth and fifth respectively.

Last year’s C1 World Champs Bronze medallist Matej Benus took out the C1 event from current World Champion Denis Gargaud Chanut and Germany’s Jan Benzien. In the absence of Kynan Maley and Robin Jeffery, Paddle NSW canoeist Matthew Gabb was the best of the Australian’s finishing in fifth, while Stuart McIntosh (6th) and Christian Fabris (8th) also secured top ten finishes.

The women’s C1 was won by Victorian Leanne Guinea in 1:32.37, 1.23 seconds clear of Penrith Valley Canoe paddler Allison Burrows and Germany’s Lena Stoecklin.

 

GP2 day 3 Wrap up - NSWIS paddlers dominate

Lachlan Tame continued his excellent weekend adding the men’s K1 200m title to his K2 and K1 500m victories on Saturday with a nail biting victory of Southside paddler Nick Dawe, finishing just 0.18 seconds clear of the 23 year old after finishing in 37.21, 2008 Beijing Olympian Tony Schumacher finished third 0.87 seconds off the winning time.

After being pipped to the post in the men’s K1 200m final despite setting a new PB, Dawe teamed up with Manly Warringah paddler Sam Speer to win the men’s K2 200m final in 34.68. The New South Wales pair raced a solid race to finish 0.30 seconds clear of West Lakes duo Jeremy Petho and Callum Dunn, with fellow West Lakes paddler Lawrence Fletcher combining with Bayswater’s Todd Brewer to finish third. 

In a tough women’s field with only Alana Nicholls bypassing the event this weekend, Brigden-Jones won the hotly contested women’s K1 200m final, with just 0.79 seconds separating the top five. The 23 year old finished in 41.58, 0.55 seconds clear of South Australia’s Hannah Davis, with Queensland’s Rachel Lovell 0.07 seconds further adrift in third.

QAS pair Hailey McGinty and Alyce Burnett continued their press for Olympic selection come March with yet another dominant display in a K2, following on from their K2 500 victory, taking out the K2 200 final in 38.20, 0.72 seconds clear of Hannah Davis and Naomi Flood, with Rachel Lovell and Lyndsie Fogarty combining for third.

Patterson Lakes paddler Trevor Murray took out the gruelling men’s K1 5000m event, while Tasmania’s Jodie Templar won the women’s K1 5000m final.

In the junior events, Charlie Copeland and Bill Bain continued their dominance in the U18 men’s K2 events adding the K2 200 title to their K2 1000 and K2 500 events won the previous days, narrowly crossing line ahead of Sydney Northern Beaches paddlers Ben McLean and Fraser McTavish in 37.76, with Patterson Lakes duo Jarrad Campbell and Kieran Carson finishing third.

In the absence of Copeland who finished 5th in the open K1 200m final, Bain took out the men’s U18 K1 200m in 37.97, 0.26 seconds clear of Germany’s Max Lemke and Sydney Northern Beaches Ben McLean. 16 year old Derwent paddler Seb Spinks showed he has an exciting future finishing 5th, just 0.77 seconds off Bain’s winning time.

17 year old Bayswater paddler Shannon Reynolds took out the women’s U18 K1 200 final, 0.68 seconds clear of Bendigo’s Rebecca Mann, with West Lakes’ Madison Davies finishing third.

Reynolds and Mann then combined to dominate the U18 K2 200 final, 2.34 seconds clear of Jacqueline Green and Mackenzie Labine Romain, with West Lakes duo Madeleine Hurst and Nathalie Walkington finishing third.

The U16 K1 200m finals were won by Sydney Northern Beaches young guns Isaac Lawrence and Tanielle Basson.

 

ICF Signs Partnership Agreement with Polaritas-Ltd

The ICF and Polaritas-Ltd will work together in a joint initiative to promote and support the development of Canoeing.

ICF Secretary General Simon Toulson said, "The ICF is thrilled to undertake this formal agreement with Polaritas. They are now an ICF Official partner and this shows the commitment they have to our sport. Polaritas are a valuable partner for the sport of canoeing and their support to the ICF is much appreciated."

Polaritias has been involved in canoeing for many years, providing ICF competitions with starting systems and field of play expertise for the Olympic Games, World Championships and many Continental Championships.

Polaritas CEO József Grand expressed his intention to support canoeing with his company’s achievement in sport technology. He said, "We are keen on developing technical solutions which make racing more enjoyable and give equal chances to all competitors, and furthermore makes the racing fascinating to the spectators. Our aim is to challenge the sport of Canoeing and to make it even more interesting."

This partnership agreement is in line with the ICF Manufacturer Programme and it formalises many years of cooperation between the ICF and Polaritas-Ltd.

About Polaritas-GM Ltd:

Polaritas-GM Ltd is a Hungarian enterprise founded in 1984 by highly qualified professionals. The company’s core-business is research and development on water, chemical and explosion-hazardous industrial environments. Polaritas' mature products define the firm as a leading global specialist in Sports Technology. To learn more about Polaritas visit: http://www.polaritas-ltd.hu/.

The International Canoe Federation (ICF) is the world governing body responsible for administering the sport of Canoeing, which includes both canoeing and kayaking. The ICF governs seven disciplines, two of which are Olympic sports (Canoe Sprint and Canoe Slalom). The competition categories of these two disciplines include Men’s Kayak, Men’s Canoe, Women’s Kayak and Women’s Canoe. The ICF has 157 member associations and is headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland. Its current President is José Perurena López.

Borrows takes win at NZ Open

The New Zealand Open was the first ICF Ranking race and marked the start of the domestic slalom season in scenic Mangahao over the weekend.

Borrows joined fellow Aussie Rosalyn Lawrence in successfully clinching the final in the mens and womens Canoe Classes on Sunday.

Borrows took the win ahead of rising talent Argentinian Sebastian Rossi and local paddlers Shaun Travers and Shaun Higgins.

Lawrence finished 6th in the womens kayak final which was won by international talent Karolina Galuskova from the Czech Republic ahead of Luuka Jones and Ella Nicholas.

A strong international field lined up for the Men's kayak including Michael Kurt of Switzerland who took the win over Frenchman Fabien Doerfler and Canadian John Hastings.

Local stars, Mike Dawson and Luuka Jones, who qualified the New Zealands men's and womens K1 spot finished 7th and 2nd respectively.

Canoeing the entire Congo river… and living to tell the tale

King Congo … Phil poling his way through the vast Bangweulu swamp.

I was alone in the middle of deepest, darkest Congo. Worse still, I was being chased by eight angry tribesmen in two dugout canoes – and they were gaining on me.

"Mazungu … Mazunguuu!" came the screams from behind. "Give us money!" They were all standing up and paddling like men possessed. The nearest guy had a huge machete at his waist. I had been paddling as though my life depended on it. As though? It did depend on it! The fear was rapidly growing within me, demanding an answer to the primeval question: fight or flight?

The word mazungu, white man, was being screamed and repeated along both banks. It was disconcerting, to say the least. I felt like a wolf that had inadvertently strolled into a farming community and was being hunted down. I had to go faster. But now, after paddling my heart out to the point of near exhaustion, I turned around and saw the nearest dugout canoe was less than 20m away. So close that I could see the whites of the men's eyes and their teeth bared in a contorted, hate-filled travesty of a smile. What was it going to be: roll over and expose my soft underbelly, or put up a fight? It was the venom in the next cry of "Mazungu" that made me decide. I grabbed my machete …

 

Thanks to winning a travelling fellowship and grant from the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust, I was on my way to making the first source to sea descent of the Congo river through the war-torn Democratic Republic of the Congo. From the true source in north-east Zambia, the Congo river is just short of 3,000 miles long and the eighth longest river in the world, with a flow rate and drainage area second only to the Amazon. It flows through savannah, swamp and dense tropical rainforest, crossing the equator twice before finally draining into the Atlantic.

The Congo has suffered horribly throughout its history, and due to generations of foreign exploitation, political instability, corruption and civil war, not to mention a prevalence of crocodiles, hippos, waterfalls and huge rapids, the river seems to have been given a wide berth. But if you're looking for a true adventure travel destination, then look no further – the Congo has it all!

Henry Morton Stanley was the first European to explore the middle and lower Congo river, in 1877. He started from Zanzibar on the Indian Ocean, and the entire journey took him 999 days. Of the original 356 men on his expedition, only 114 made it to the end. The last remaining European besides Stanley drowned on the final set of rapids, prompting Stanley to write: "I am weary, oh so weary, of this constant tale of woes and death."

I found the proud people of the Congo to be an absolute inspiration; I believe we could all learn a great deal from their courage and resilience in the face of adversity. It has to be said however, that I also encountered my fair share of hostility too, and I don't think I've ever come as close to a nervous breakdown as I did during the five months it took me to reach the Atlantic. Collapsing unconscious from malaria didn't help.

With local help I found a tiny spring at the base of a banyan tree in the highlands of Zambia. This was the source of the most powerful river inAfrica. With my five-metre Canadian canoe strapped to the back of a land cruiser, I eventually found a spot wide enough to start my trip. The upper Chambeshi was a beautiful little stream: crystal clear waters, an abundance of birdlife and lovely little rapids to keep me on my toes. The main risks were either being torn to shreds by the razor sharp thorns that seemed to come from all directions, or getting the canoe pinned against a rock or on one of the many fallen trees crossing the river. A few day's later, however, crocodiles became another consideration.

The environment had now changed, and the way became narrow and dark, with gnarled overhanging trees blotting out the sunlight. As I registering this change in mood, and my mind brought up similarities with the everglades, there was a frenetic thrashing noise to my right. Two four-metre crocodiles came crashing through the undergrowth and launched themselves off a raised bank. They were so close I remember noticing the membrane close on the nearest one's eyes. They belly-flopped onto the water with a tremendous splash and disappeared directly under my canoe, causing me to wobble in more ways than one.

Bangweulu swamp covers an area approximately the size of Derbyshire, and in 1991 was designated as a wetland of international importance. One of its biggest attractions is the lofty shoebill stork, which feeds on baby crocodiles amongst other things. At night, in the absence of firm ground, my technique would be to paddle as hard as I could and ram myself into the thickest area of reeds I could find. I'd then try to somehow drag and push my way further through, until I was securely wedged in with little risk of capsizing. I figured that since I was surrounded by tightly packed reeds, I'd have to be pretty unlucky to get a surprise visit from anything big enough to fit my head in its mouth. On more than one occasion I was awoken in the middle of the night by crashing, splashing sounds, but after a while I got used to it. Crashing, splashing sounds are one thing – something horrible ripping your leg off is quite another.

Weeks later, after negotiating the waterfalls and numerous rapids of the Luapula river, I was confronted by a wall of jungle and the river disappeared into it in a myriad of channels. In I went, and it felt like a different world. I could hear a permanent rumbling of rapids somewhere off in the distance, and tried to keep to the left hand side so as not to get sucked into a potential waterfall. I also didn't want to lose my bearings in the middle.

Every now and then the rapids would increase in size and I'd try to backtrack and find the easiest route. I ducked under one vine only to disturb a crocodile slithering off a rock.

Another time a huge snake swam right up to my canoe, reared up out of the water and I had to fend it off with my paddle. The canopy at this point was all-enveloping with hardly any visible sky, only the occasional beam of light piercing the foliage above.

At Stanley Falls close to Kisangani, Wagenia fisherman skilfully uses his scoop net

By far the most remote section of the Congo was the Luvua river, the outlet of Lake Mweru. Peppered with waterfalls and rapids, the entrance was guarded by abandoned T-62 tanks, littering the hillside by Pweto. This was the last town for 300 miles.

 

The day before I set off, I was approached by a leathery-faced South African bush pilot who, in his thick Afrikaans accent, told me: "Do you know there's still armed Mai Mai rebels in there man? I'm telling you if they catch you, they'll kill you, and it wont be a quick death." He continued: "A year ago two Belgian missionaries were captured, tortured, and had their testicles cut off and eaten. Their heads were then cut off and put on spikes outside their village."

I have to admit to briefly entertaining the idea of giving up, but quickly dismissed it and headed off before I changed my mind.

The Luvua landscape was unique. Golden coloured grass covered the surrounding hills, dotted with occasional abandoned huts built from volcanic-like rock. Large trees seemed to be covered by giant sheets of white silk blowing in the wind – in fact they were gargantuan house-sized spider webs. On one occasion while trying to sneak around a nasty rapid, I inadvertently brushed against one and was instantly covered in a million spiders – crawling in my mouth, my ears, up my nose. If I hadn't been such a rugged adventurer, I'd have screamed like a little girl; or at least, if a fisherman hadn't been sitting on a rock watching me.

Further downstream, soaring ochre coloured cliffs rose up thousands of feet from both sides, with stunted twisted trees clinging precariously to their sides. Everything was as dry as a bone; only by the river's edge was there greenery. The odd thunderous chasm from hell required a portage.

Congo river fisherman at Lukolela village, lower Congo

The Lualaba forms the middle and lower Congo River, and though I often experienced tremendous hospitality from the indigenous poverty stricken fishermen, unsavoury characters also became more commonplace. Trying to sneak past the town of Kabalo in the early morning mist, I was forced ashore at gunpoint by a couple of armed soldiers in a dugout canoe. I was greeted on the bank by what I can only describe as a mob of corrupt officials, and subjected to a rather aggressive search, taken away for questioning, arrested, and put into a jail full of prostitutes. My crime was for physically preventing the immigration official from leaving his office, as he had put my passport in his pocket and told me I wouldn't get it back unless I gave him $100. I eventually managed to resolve the situation. The next night, by way of contrast, I spent with a couple of delightful old fishermen on an island in the river.

The town of Kongolo was a perfect example of how former president Mobutu's criminal reign had caused the country's infrastructure to collapse. He squandered the country's wealth for his own personal gain, and the country's limited infrastructure collapsed. The shore was littered with the rusting, decaying hulks of giant river barges. A large tree growing out of one of the holds served as an example as to how long they had been there.

Further inland I discovered a roofless warehouse with three perfectly intact, albeit rusted, old-fashioned steam engines, abandoned to the elements.

In Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad described the lower Congo: "Like travelling back to the earliest beginnings of the world, when vegetation rioted on the earth and the big trees were kings. The air was warm, thick, heavy, sluggish. There was no joy in the brilliance of sunshine. On silvery banks hippos and alligators sunned themselves side by side. The broadening waters flow through a mob of wooded islands; you lost your way on the river as you would in a desert … this stillness of life did not in the least resemble a peace. It was the stillness of an implacable force brooding over an inscrutable intention. It looked at you with a vengeful aspect."

One stretch of the lower Congo River was known locally as "the abattoir", due to its past history of cannibalism and its current reputation for criminal activity. Because of this, I decided to hire four brothers as bodyguards. I met them whilst sheltering from a rainstorm in their tiny village miles from anywhere, and straight away I knew I could trust them. Armed with a shotgun and with my canoe lashed to their giant dugout, we paddled and floated for five days and nights on the river. Common questions from locals included: "Why haven't you cut his throat yet?" and "If you don't want to do it, tell us where your camping and we'll come and do it for you … We'll share his money."

Without a doubt, meeting the brothers – Valatay, Leonardo, Maurice and John – was one of the highlights of my trip. As desperately poor as they were, they were shining examples of how to retain your dignity and honour in the face of adversity. If my scrapes with the criminal element ever caused my faith in humanity to waver … these guys definitely restored it.

I left the brothers in Mbandaka, and three stone lighter after a life-changing five months, I eventually arrived at the Atlantic Ocean. My last night on the river was spent with delightful people in a desperately poor village in the coastal mangrove swamps. As a token thank you to the fishermen of the Congo, I gave my canoe as a gift to the village chief. He was chuffed to bits … as was I to have finally achieved my goal.

Way to go

Travel advice and trips

The Foreign Office (fco.gov.uk) advises against all travel to specific regions of the Democratic Republic of Congo and all but essential travel to the rest of the country. However, Umubano Tours (umubanotours.com) offers several trips in the DRC, including hiking up Nyiragongo volcano and gorilla watching. Uganda-based Gorilla Safaris (gorilla-safaris.co.ug) offers similar trips. In the neighbouring Republic of Congo, Zambezi Safari and Travel Co (zambezi.com) offer a luxury adventure package to two new camps, Lango and Ngaga, including boat trips on the Lekoli and Mambili rivers, international and internal flights and full-board at the two camps from £4,750pp for six nights.

Further information on Phil's trip

Phil Harwood's book, Canoeing the Congo, and his documentary of his five-month journey, Mazungu, which he filmed himself, are available at canoeingthecongo.com

The left-field contenders

 With only six months to the opening ceremony, national selectors are considering the claims of famed and unknown competitors to fill a team expected to number almost 500.

While internationally renowned athletes such as reigning Olympic pole vault champion Steve Hooker, world champion hurdler Sally Pearson and Tour de France champion Cadel Evans will don the green and gold in London, they will be flanked by an army of ambitious tyros.

And some of them are in with a shout to continue Australia's golden Games tradition of making the transition from anonymity to international stardom.

Ryan Gregson, Jessica Fox, Brittany Broben, Rohan Dennis and Kaarle McCulloch are just a some of possible medal contenders who remain larrgely unknown outside their own sports, where some are already world champions.And then there are those who have savoured the ultimate Games glory and, after either injury or retirement, are back in the mix for another tilt - athletes such as beach volleyballer Natalie Cook and rower Drew Ginn.

Track and field's Gregson was only 20 when he set a new 1500m national record in his first season of open competition. High hopes are held not just for London but Rio de Janeiro in 2016.

A steady improver over the past three seasons, Gregson made a quantum leap in Monte Carlo last year when he improved his personal best over 1500m by than four seconds.

In the process, he beat former world champion and Olympic medallist Bernard Lagat and broke Simon Doyle's 19-year-old Australian and Oceania mark.

Ditto for cycling's Dennis, 21. As the lastest product of the seemingly bottomless South Australian cycling talent pool, Dennis already has impressive credentials.

He was part of the Cyclones' world championship 4000m team pursuit quartet in the Netherlands last year and has carried on the form this year with two national titles and fifth in the Tour Down Under.

McCulloch, 24, is best known as Athens gold medallist Anna Meares' lieutenant in the team sprint, but she is also an oustanding sprinter in her own right.

She boasts dazzling speed and impressive mental hardness.

Fox, 17, shapes as one of Australia's most intriguing medal chances in slalom canoeing.

The Marseille-born teenager's parents form the most impeccable pedigree - her father Richard won five world titles for Great Britain, while her mother Myriam snared an Olympic bronze medal and two world titles for France.

Fox has aready displayed tremendous promise, winning a swag of junior world titles while also claiming a bronze at senior level - as a 15-year-old.

There is similar excitement over Queensland's Broben after she last year rocketed into Olympic calculations by winning the US Diving Grand Prix in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Then only 15, the Gold Coast student downed China's Olympic champion Chen Ruolin in the 10 metre platform to snaffle the gold.

At the opposite end of the age spectrum, Cook is chasing history - and a place on a record fifth Olympic team.

Cook, 36, has already won Olympic gold (Sydney) and bronze (Atlanta) with subsequent appearances at Athens (fourth) in 2004 and Beijing four years ago.

The Queenslander is now bidding to become the first Australian female to win selection for the fifth time.

Ginn, 37, is again in the Olympic equation after venturing into cycling, where he won an Oceania title.

The Victorian, a gold medallist in Atlanta ('96), Athens ('04) and Beijing ('08) won an eight world championship medal in the coxless fours in Bied last year.

Along with long jumpers Mitchell Watt and Fabrice Lapierre, Pearson, Hooker, canoeists Rosalyn Lawrence, Ken Wallace and Naomi Flood, Ginn shapes as a leading hope in six months.

While cyclists Evans, Jack Bobridge, Richie Porte, Luke Durbridge, Cameron Meyer, Shane Perkins and Matt Goss will get plenty of attention, gymnasts Lauren Mitchell and Prashanth Sellathurai will also vie for glory.

As usual, our swimmers are expected to deliver the bulk of the medals through champions such as James Magnussen, but there is a number of smokeys who could emerge including Melissa Gorman and Emma McKeon.

High hopes are also held for BMX duo Caroline Buchanan and Sam Willoughby as well boxer Daniel Hooper, kayaker Murray Stewart, shooter Lauryn Mark, archer Ryan Tyack and equestrian's Edwina Tops-Alexander.

AUSTRALIAN MEDAL PREDICTION: 35

THE WILDCARDS

Ryan Gregson, 1500 runner

Jessica Fox, slalom canoe

Brittany Broben, diving

Rohan Dennis, cycling

Kaarle McCulloch, cycling

Naomi Flood, canoeist

Rosalyn Lawrence, canoeist

Ken Wallace, canoeist

Melissa Gorman, swimming,

Emma McKeon, swimming

Caroline Buchanan, BMX

Sam Willoughby, BMX

Daniel Hooper, boxing

Murray Stewart, kayaking

Lauryn Mark, shooting

Ryan Tyack, archery

Edwina Tops-Alexander, equestrian

Lauren Mitchell, gymnastics

Prashanth Sellathurai, gymnastics

Mitchell Watt, long jump

Fabrice Lapierre, long jump

Jack Bobridege, cycling

CHASING MORE GOLD ...

Natalie Cook, beach volleyball

Drew Ginn, rowing

Grand Prix 2 wrap up – Day 2

QAS paddler Hailey McGinty was the standout athlete at today’s Grand Prix 2 event at Lake Wendouree in Ballarat, Victoria combining with fellow Sunshine Coast paddler Alyce Burnett to take out the women’s K2 500m final in 1:43.68, and drew praise from National Performance Director Richard Fox.

“It was an encouraging display by the girls, who along the women’s K4 crew and Naomi Flood (WK1 500 winner) raced some decent times, showing their on track for (Olympic) trials.”

The Sunshine Coast duo finished 0.51 seconds clear of fellow Queenslander’s Lyndsie Fogarty and Rachel Lovell, with South Australia’s Hannah Davis and Manly’s Naomi Flood finishing third.

In a highly competitive and exciting women’s K1 500m final, nothing separated Flood and McGinty, with Flood edging home by a mere 0.37 seconds after setting a quick time of 1:52.30. Davis finished in third position a further two seconds adrift.

In the men’s events Tasmanian Canoe Club paddler Sam Norton built on yesterday’s impressive win in the men’s K1 1000m final, teaming up with fellow Surf ski paddler Lachlan Tame to win the men’s K2 500m final in impressive fashion. 

“I have had a fairly good couple of days, there was a bit of a dilemma for me coming here because I
have had a major race this year, so to come away with a couple of results is good”, said Norton.

Norton is just one of many talented young Tasmanians who are making the transition from surf ski to sprint canoe racing.

“We’ve had a pretty strong surf ski squad for a number of years now and gradually we starting to get people to cross over and do a bit of this as well (canoe sprint), and people are starting to realise that it’s fun and it helps your ski paddling as well.”

Taking the same path as Norton and recently crossing over to the sport, Tame went on to take out the men’s K1 500m final in 1:42.27, 1.89 seconds clear of Sunshine Coast young gun Bill Bain, with South Australia’s Callum Dunn a further 1.28 seconds adrift in third.

Tomorrow will see Tame compete in his pet event, the men’s K1 200 and K2 200m events, where he will team up with 2008 Beijing Olympian Tony Schumacher and will be looking at building on his impressive showing at NSW Sprint championships earlier this month (when he finished 8th in the men’s K1 200m A Final) as he continues his preparation for Olympic trials in March.

“I’m pretty happy with my progress towards the Olympic trials, I was only 0.8 second behind Joel (Simpson) at the last race which is massive for me because last year I was not well off the pace, but I wasn’t there and with so many things to improve on likes technique and starts hopefully I can get close.”

The U18 men’s and women’s K1 500 finals were won by Max Lemke and Bayswater paddler Shannon Reynolds respectively, while Sunshine Coast duo Bill Bain and Charlie Copeland continued their recent fine form adding today’s U18 K2 500 win to their K2 1000 victory yesterday.

National Performance Director Richard Fox wanted to thank the support generated by local media in what has been the first major canoe/kayak competition hosted at the venue for more than 20 years.

“The local media support has been great, WIN television was out here this morning, and The Courier’s coverage has been not only great for the sport, and the venue and region.”

Tomorrow promises to be another exciting day of racing, with the men’s K1 200m heats to kick off proceedings from 8:00am local EST, where you will see the likes of Tame and Norton go head to head with recently turned 18 year old Charlie Copeland who celebrated his birthday on Australia Day and will be looking for a late Birthday gift as he sets about winning his first ever K1 200 open final tomorrow.


 

Grand Prix 2 underway - Lake Wendouree, Victoria

Day one of this year’s GP2 event at Lake Wendouree, Victoria has commenced with plenty of exciting racing on the Ballarat course this morning which featured the men’s and women’s K1 1000 finals.

Illawarra paddler Maddison Prior took out the women’s K1 1000m final in a close affair from Patterson Lakes athlete Catherine McArthur. Prior recorded at time of 4:19.99, to finish 0.72 seconds clear of McArthur, with fellow South Australian Ivana Kanytur finishing third.

The men’s K1 1000 final was dominated by Tasmanian U23 athlete Sam Norton who finished more than three seconds clear of Sunshine Coast young gun and 2011 ICF Junior Marathon World champion Bill Bain, with Holdfast Bay’s Luke Haniford finishing a further second adrift in third. The B final was won by West Lakes paddler Nicholas Bulmer, who raced superbly from lane 1.

Bain continued his solid form shortly after, combining with fellow Sunshine Coast athlete Charlie Copeland to take out the men’s U18 K2 1000 final in 3:31.88, 2.37 seconds clear of West Lakes pair Max Lamke and Sean Charles DeDai, with Sydney Northern Beaches duo Ben McLean and Fraser McTavish pipped for second, just 0.27 seconds adrift of the West lakes crew.

This afternoon will see the 1000m team boat finals raced, while kicking off proceedings tomorrow from 8am with be the men’s K1 500m heats.

The live result feed is down at the moment, so for the latest result updates join the TEAM AUS Facebook page, by clicking the link below.

Slalom Olympic Nomination Criteria available

Please note the AOC have now extended the nomination dates to the 5th February.

In order to be officially recognised as a member of the Shadow Team athletes need to sign the Consent to Shadow Team Membership Form and return it to Lauren Fitzsimons via (fax/email/post) before COB 5th February.

Fax - (02) 4729 4257
Email: lauren.fitzsimons@ausport.gov.au
Post: AIS Canoeing, PO Box 4246, Penrith NSW 2750

Follow the link below to download the critera.

Wildwater Team Announced

World Championships Team

Men's K1 (Fastest 3 Classic Paddlers and Fastest Sprint Paddler):

Stewart Bennett
Matthew French
Matt Dalziel
Robert McIntyre

Women's K1

Kristy Packham
Jessica Fox*

Women's C1

Ros Lawrence

World Cup Team

Men's K1

Stewart Bennett
Robert McIntyre
Alex McIntyre
Tom Mounteny
Glenn Singleton
Peter Lockett

Women's K1

Kristy Packham

Women's C1

Ros Lawrence

Note:

Under clause Section 5.9 of the Selection Policy the Selection Panel will make “Additional opportunities to gain selection… where the full quota of boats has not been qualified in any class.”

This means that athletes who did not meet the Selection Criteria in Women's K1, Men's C1 and Women's C1 will have additional opportunities made available to them to make the World Championship and World Cup Teams.

The percentages for Selection were revised on the recommendation of the Selection Panel to 111% for K1M and 123% for K1W

* Jessica Fox is selected under the extenuating circumstances clause of the Selection Policy

Junior Development Team

The team details for this will be advised shortly

Sprint Team Selection Policies and NEDP Selection Guidelines Released

Senior, Team 22, Junior and Olympic Hopes policies are linked below.

In order to be considered for selection you must complete the online nomination form which can be found here. Nominations close 17th February.

The National Elite Development Program (NEDP) Selection Guidelines also available via the link below.

The Olympic Team Nomination Criteria will be released shortly pending AOC approval.

Grand Prix 2 kicks off this Friday

The scene is set for an exciting three days of flatwater action, with the woman set to share the limelight this weekend with Holdfast Bay paddler Hannah Davis and NSWIS duo Naomi Flood and Jo Brigden-Jones joining Queensland athletes Hailey McGinty, Alyce Burnett, Lyndsie Fogarty and Bernadette Wallace, to challenge for line honours on the water, and push their case for Olympic selection come March.

Events will be raced over three days with the 1000m events to be contested on Friday, the 500m events on Saturday and the 200m sprints on Sunday, with the long distance events split over the weekend.

Sunshine Coast paddler Alyce Burnett will be looking to build on her impressive performances at Queensland Sprint Championships when racing gets underway on Friday with the women’s K1 1000m heats from 8:00am local Eastern Standard time.

In the absence of 2011 K1 500 and K1 200 World Cup medallist Alana Nicholls, QAS paddler Rachel Lovell will be looking to hold her mantle as the countries next best K1 200 paddler following victory at last week’s QLD Championships and second place finish behind Nicholls at NSW Sprint Champs, but will face stiff competition from Davis and the ever improving Brigden-Jones.

With the senior AIS men deciding to bypass the event, 17 year old Sunshine Coast young gun Bill Bain looks set to contend for line honours in the men’s K1 events, after impressing at Paddle NSW Sprint Championships two weeks ago reaching two K1 Open A finals amongst a highly competitive field. Bain will compete against a host of the nation’s best U23 athletes for victory including Sam Norton, Luke Haniford and Nick Dawe.

Fellow Australian U18 speedster Charlie Copeland will be looking to win his first men’s Open event, when he takes on the likes of Bain, Dawe, Tony Schumacher and Lachlan Tame in the men’s K1 200m heats on Sunday.

The women’s team boat events look set to go down to the wire with Davis and Flood, McGinty and Burnett, and Lovell and Fogarty set to battle out in the K2 500 and K2 200 events, while McGinty, Burnett, Flood and Wallace will challenge Brigden-Jones, Lovell, Davis and Fogarty in the K4 500m which looks set to go down to the wire.

Lake Wendouree, Victoria
Lake Wendouree is a venue enriched with tradition, having hosted the canoeing events at the 1956 Olympics and GP2 will be the first major event the venue has hosted for 25 years.

Located approximately 90 minutes from Melbourne, Lake Wendouree is an artificially created and maintained lake, and the name ‘Wendouree’ comes from a local aboriginal word ‘wendaaree’ which means go away, a story which was told by William Cross Yuille when he asked a local indigenous woman what the name of the swamp was, that was her reply.

 

Aspiring Olympians hit Lake Wendouree

The 26 athletes are hoping big things lie ahead for them and are using the camp to improve their team skills and prepare for the second leg of the Grand Prix series which starts on Friday.

National Elite Development manager David Foureur, who competed on Lake Wendouree in the 1985 national sprint titles said learning team skills was crucial to future success.

He explained that while it is easy for paddlers to practise by themselves it is difficult to get opportunities to meet other paddlers and practise for team races.

He said the camp would become even more important now since the announcement that there would be under-23 world championships every year from 2013.

17-year-olds Charlie Copeland and Shannon Reynolds are two of the athletes and both were excited about what they could learn from the camp.

Copeland performed well at the Junior World Championships in Germany in July last year and is now ranked 13th in the world.

He said the camp would help him improve as he aims to win an open age final at the Nationals in March.

“I’m just really focused on getting faster,” he said.

“I also want to build on my team boat skills and a make a few more friends because when you don’t have a partner (to compete with) you can jump in a boat with them.”

While Copeland has set the ambitious goal of making it to the 2016 Rio Olympic games, Reynolds said she had decided not to put a time frame on her Olympic debut.

Reynolds, who dominated the under-18 girls category at the first Grand Prix at Champion Lakes in Western Australia, said she was just focussed on the camp, this weekend’s regatta and the Nationals in March.

“I’m just looking forward to training hard with all the girls and learning more about team boat skills,” she said.

Six coaches will oversee the camp.

Victorian Canoe Polo Invitational

Event Information:

Canoeists arrive for elite training camp on Lake Wendouree

The National Elite Development Program’s three-day sprint camp will see the young athletes practice their craft ahead of the January 27-29 Grand Prix on Lake Wendouree.

They will spend up to three hours on the water during two sessions each day while the rest of their time will be divided between goal-setting, education and motivational classes.

On-water sessions will mostly involve the K4 canoe sprint kayaking class.

NEDP Victorian coach Peter Gargiulo is running the Australian Canoeing-organised event and said it would not only give the athletes the chance to prepare for the Grand Prix but also assist them in competing at the highest level.

“The focus of the program is obviously for Olympics,” he said.

“Now we’re not talking the next ones (London), perhaps not even the ones in Rio (2016) but certainly 2020 and beyond these kids, they’re all aged 16, 17 and 18, so they’re still quite young and they’re still in their early phases of development, some of them have only been paddling for a year-and-a-half, but through our state development programs we’re really trying to escalate these kids and get them some good skills.”

Australian Canoeing’s first sprint camp finished at the Gold Coast on Sunday and Gargiulo said the athletes enjoyed being part of the NEDP.

“They love it; kids love being associated with anything like that with the title, and it gives them all a little prestige basically,” he said.

“The kids are here because they love paddling, they’re not being forced to do it, they’re enthusiasm is natural and they’re excited.”

Marathon Selection Nomination and Policy

The Marathon Team will be going to the 2012 World Championships in Rome.

If you would like to be considered for selection you will need to nominate using the link below.

Nominations close 3 April 2012.

Enter now for the 2012 Slalom Nationals

Follow the link below to enter the 2012 Australian Slalom Championships, January 3-5.

You can either enter all events for $90 or one event only (eg Mens C1, no teams) for $40.

Check out the Slalom Wiki, Ranking and Events sites to keep yourself updated with slalom in Australia ...

The Australian Canoeing Slalom Technical Committee (Canoe Slalom Australia) has a brilliant wiki, designed to keep you up to date with all things slalom in Australia ... To check out the CSAus wiki, click here - don't forget to bookmark the site! ...

There is also the ranking website which is a comprehensive listing of where you are currently ranked.

For the latest Event news check out slalom.canoe.org.au for start lists results and more.