Lyon Playboating
Ladies Boating & Biking Weekend!
Paddling and MTB coaching from FlowFree & Campbell Coaching
20-21st August : Llangollen
We have noticed that a lot of women are paddling and getting out on their bikes too. So we thought, how about a female only weekend based around Llangollen where you can get some top paddling and MTB coaching tips from two very experienced coaches in their respective fields?
Lowri Davies an aspirant BCU Level 5 coach, former European Champion and owner of FlowFree and Ally Campbell CTC Skills and Jumps & Drops instructor and co owner of Campbell Coaching will join forces to deliver an unrivalled female specific paddling and MTB coaching course. They’ll help you to develop your skills and confidence both on the water and on your bike, but most importantly they’ll make sure you have lots of fun too! Female only courses provide a unique environment of supportive like-minded people as well as inspirational role-models for outdoorsy ladies.
The whole weekend of adventures and expert coaching costs just £195! If you want to join us for just part of the weekend, then get in touch.
Want to find out more info? Contact either company via their websites: FlowFree or Campbell Coaching
Fellas take note: this would make a great present for that special lady in your life!
Races, carnage and silly boats – what a great weekend!
TrywerynFest : a weekend of coaching clinics, free demo boats, trade stands and epicly hilarious events. Of course, we were there in force, with FlowFree coaches claiming several podium finishes and running coaching clinics but most importantly having a jolly old time!
Lowri does some playboat coaching at the newly improved Campsite Wave (aka Super Wave)
Fun times in the King of the Wave event
Saturday’s highlights definitely included the Big Dog Freeride event, where you had one minute to impress the judges by doing anything you liked on any part of the the river between the raft take-out and and NRA. Be careful when you say “anything goes” to a bunch of paddlers, you never know what you’ll get!
Big up to Pete Woods for some impressive head stands and somersaults with bells on from an inflatable “orca”. Gez’s seal-lauch into fingers was inspired and there were some funky moves pulled off by Tim Burne and local boys Vito and Beesley but I somehow beat them all to win the “new school” category. There was no competing with the boys in orcas for the “spirit of the games” awards though!!
Saturday also saw a cool new relay race, where teams of 3 had to choose one boat and one paddle that they would all use. The boats were lined up at the top of Ski Slope and there was a mass-start in middle car park, where the first racers from each team ran up to their boat, hurredly pulled on their deck and raced on down the river through Ski Slope, International Wave and Davies Bridge. At this point they had to make an eddy on river left, where racer 2 was waiting. As people piled into the same eddy, trying to get to their team mate, the first racer had to get out of the boat and pass it to racer 2 , who has to run with it to above Davies’ before launching in and racing down river to cafe wave. It was here that the final racers awaited. The field had spread but the small change-over eddies soon had everyone battling to try and be first down fingers and towards the finish banner at NRA. A last minute entry of Tim Burne, Dan Heyworth and Danny Young took the win.
Saturday evening we were treated to a first look at the footage from a recent China expedition which featured some local heros such as Tom McLay, Simon Tapley, Rob Litherland, “Crazy” Dave Thompson and James Shrimpton. We watched in awe as the guys tackled some of the biggest white water on the planet in cold and remote mountain regions. By the end of the video I think most people were either itching to get on an adventure of their own or glad that they only had to face the Tryweryn tomorrow! As custom would dictate, there were of course a few beverages in a local establishment afterwards.
Sunday morning came with a few weary heads, but also the event we’d all been waiting for after the epic hilarity of last year. The Palm 8-ball race is a boater-x with a difference. You race in heats of 4 with a couple of downstream gates to go around, but watch out! There are “blockers” in various places along the course, usually involving a big inflatable orca, so being in the lead isn’t always to your advantage!
Lowri getting smashed by an orca while in the lead
Another big impact in the same race!
The great thing about 8-ball is that there is a massive random element to it. You never know what’s gonna happen! In the end our own Dave Hollins took the win in the open and Lynsey Evans took the ladies, pipping me to it in the final eddy after a great neck and neck race. Fran was victim to dirty blocker tactics when her deck was pulled, though apparently I’d been the original target… shame I was too speedy for them 😉
The silliness and carnage was not over yet though! It was soon time for the King of the Wave. Choice of craft was tactical: choose a manoeuvrable little playboat or go for a big boat that will wipe out the opposition? I went for the Dagger Green, deciding that the comedy value was well worth the lack of manoeuvrability. Dave Hollins went for an orca, there was a Speeder and a Fusion, all sorts of creek boats and a plethora of playboats.
Myself and Dave managed to get a couple of classic moments where we wiped everyone else off the wave, but in the end it was the Fusion that won out with Tim Burne at the helm.
All that was left to do now was claim our tea and medals – quite literally.
TrywerynFest is a fantastic weekend of fun and frolics – whether you wish to compete in the events or not, there is loads going on from demos to coaching and a river to paddle for free. But the carnage is definitely worth watching!! Make sure you come along next year, it’s not to be missed. So see you there, I’ll most likely be the one under an orca…
All photos with thanks to Sam Beesley, Alex MacGregor and Palm Equipment.
Get Your Club Playing @ Tandridge
For a while now we have been running a “Get Your Club Playing” scheme, the idea of which is to enthuse clubs about playboating and show how basic playboating can be introduced at any flatwater session. We provide inspirational demonstrations by GB Team paddlers, expert coaches and a load of demo playboats. This is a little write-up of one such session we ran for Tandridge Canoe Club at Thames Young Marinas.
After introducing our coaches and helpers for the day, our GB Team paddlers put on an inspirational display of flatwater acrobatics to get everyone fired up and to show what freestyle is all about.
We then split into groups depending on experience and ability. The beginner group was all about the first experiences of playboating. Trying lots of boats, playing with edging, enders, tailies, lean-cleans, rolls and some even got on to double pumps!
The more experienced group worked on double pumps, flatwater cartwheels, bow stalls, loops and flatwater pistol flips with Bren Orton and Matty Nicholas. Video feedback was used to breakdown some of the more advanced moves and track progression.
At the end of the session paddlers of all abilities not only had a big smile on their face, but had plenty of skills to work on with a clear idea of how to progress towards their next goal – whether that was consistent tailies or learning the flatwater McNasty.
The following day the more experienced paddlers had a follow-up session on Hurley Weir, where we again split into groups depending on ability and worked on anything from catching the wave and front-surfing up to blunt-to-pistol flip combos!
If you’re thinking that this looks like fun, why not organise a session for your club? Details here.
Hula dancing makes you a better playboater?
Last weekend I went across to North Ireland’s Tollymore centre for the CANI Paddlefest – which turned out to be an excellent weekend that got people boating, trying new things and provided inspiration for paddlers of all disciplines, ages and abilities.
I kicked off proceedings on Friday with a photo slideshow of the expedition to Georgia I led last August. I hoped to inspire paddlers to get out on adventures of their own, or visit Georgia… or both. There certainly seemed to be plenty of “bar chat” of future Georgia trips or other potential destinations that evening, so I guess I managed that!
Throughout Saturday and Sunday there were a range of courses and workshops that participants could sign up to. I was running an expedition river skills workshop and armed with a hand drawn river map, I headed out with 6 lovely paddlers for a day on the Blackwater Weirs. Despite low water this proved to be an excellent coaching venue for working on group dynamics, lateral momentum and key strokes for drops and stoppers.
Sunday was a little slower off the mark and with a shorter session we were only able to venture as far as a tidal spot, which provided enough flow to work on efficient ferrying and driving across boily eddylines. Once the tide became slack, we returned to where iCanoe had a bunch of demo boats on offer – allowing us to give people an intro to playboating or work on their double pump while others practiced their rolls or just tried out different boats. We also discovered that lean-cleaning uses the exact same motions as hula dancing… so dig out your hula hoop!
More photos and comments from the weekend can be found on our facebook page.
Tips for coaching women
Sportscoach UK have just released a bunch of “fact sheets” about coaching female athletes and developing female coaches. They are of course in reference to all sports, but there’s plenty that can be applied to paddling. If you are interested in improving your coaching of female paddlers then check them out. And if you only read one, make it the Myth Buster: anyone recognise this?
Female athletes lack confidence
Low confidence is often more pronounced in female athletes. Women tend not to give themselves enough credit and are likely to put good performances and success down to luck rather than talent and hard work. Women’s confidence levels are also influenced far more by the opinions of those around them.
Female athletes might reflect their concerns both verbally and through their body language. Coaches can use this as an indicator that their athletes need ‘a boost’ and some words of encouragement to help build their confidence.
We do a lot of coaching with female paddlers and know how true each of the busted myths can be. Don’t be fooled though – not all women are the same and all coaching should be individualised! These fact sheets just provide food for thought on how best to structure and approach the coaching of females.
We are lucky enough to have some of the World’s best female paddlers and coaches. Sadly top female coaches are quite rare in sports, but even more so in a male dominated sport such as kayaking. We have found that a mixed staff team allows our coaches to learn a lot from each other’s coaching styles and tactics to become better at coaching paddlers of all ages, genders and backgrounds.
Low numbers of women coaching in the highest echelons of sport inevitably means fewer role models for up-and-coming female coaches.
We hope that our female coaches provide good, strong role models for female paddlers and coaches alike. If you’re a coach who wants advice on coaching women more effectively or a female coach who would like advice on progressing with your coaching, please feel free to get in touch.
Our next female-only course is on March 26th. For more info click here.
CANI Paddlefest
The Canoe Association of Northern Ireland run an annual Paddlefest at Tollymore, near Belfast. The theme of this year’s paddlefest is expedition paddling and I’ve been asked to go over and give a talk about my most recent expedition to Georgia. Over the weekend I will also be delivering some of the expedition themed workshops and coaching sessions on offer.
It looks set to be a great weekend, so if you fancy checking it out – see www.cani.org.uk for more details.
The Ugandan Outpost
It was -10 degrees in the UK when Jamie from Kayak the Nile called to ask if I’d come out to Uganda to run his company for a couple of months. Warm water, big waves and sunshine everyday… I could hardly say no!
On the water my work time is split between coaching anything from beginners up to advanced playboating or guiding experienced paddlers down the river to show them the lines. There’s never 2 days the same: we have people from all over the world with completely different backgrounds and experiences.
Part of my job is also to mentor our less experienced coaches and help to develop the skills of local paddlers. Off the water I manage the business, take bookings, arrange airport shuttles and much more! It sounds hectic but luckily I still get plenty of time to paddle for myself… after work sunset Silverback runs or a one-night mini-break down at the Hairy Lemon for some freestyle time. Life here is good.
Going back to work…
Below is a short video from a very fun session at Club Wave with great friends.
We have an important time coming up here. In the next month we have general elections and the closure of Silverback (see previous post for details). It’s going to be interesting and memorable – of that I am sure!
The sun sets on Silverback. A bitter-sweet sight.
A new perspective
Over the weekend we were joined by two groups from Baldock Canoe Club. One group headed to Pont Cyfyng and Swallow Falls to work on their technique in a challenging and steep environment with David Fairweather. The other group joined myself and Patrick Clissold for a session on the Dee at Llangollen. Despite the heavy frost enthusiasm levels were high and we barely stopped for a breather all day, making the most of the short daylight hours.
Working on ferry gliding at Mile End Mill
A round of applause for a rapid well run.
I have just taken delivery of a GoPro HD, and as soon as I get my computer updated to cope with the work-load of editing the footage I will add a video of the day. The GoPro is a great tool for capturing the action, and should prove a useful coaching tool.
UPDATE!!
I have now cracked the computer conundrum (more coal shovelled into the fire, hamster in the wheel given fresh water etc), here is a short video from the weekend.
What’s in YOUR first aid kit?
A couple of weeks ago myself, Jon and Tom attended a first aid course for outdoor professionals to refresh ourselves on those vital skills. I thought I’d take this opportunity to discuss what I choose to have in my first aid kit on the river, and why. What you choose to take with you is a personal decision, but one worth considering.
What do I put it in?
I use a Lifesystems Compact First Aid kit pack. I find it a good size and fairly water resistant.
I put this inside a 10 litre drybag with a few extra things (I will come on to them later). I have clearly marked the dry bag as FIRST AID, so other people can quickly identify it in an emergency. You may want to purchase a sticker to put on your dry bag / peli case.
Inside the red pack…
If you open the pack shown above, you will immediately see 2 pairs of non-latex gloves. When an incident has taken place it is all too easy to rush in to try and help. Make sure you protect yourself and others from cross-contamination – WEAR GLOVES. Putting them here means you cannot forget!
So what else?
- A range of hypo-allergenic plasters
- Some stretchy sticky fabric tape (hypo-allergenic)
- Micro-pore tape
- 3 sizes of sterile dressings / bandages
- A range of sizes of adhesive dressings
- 2 tubes of sterile water
- Face mask
- 6 alcohol free antiseptic wipes
- Triangular bandage
- Ducktape
- Scissors
I keep everything in little sealable plastic bags, just to give extra protection against getting wet:
I keep the ducktape on a bit of old broken pen. This allows me to store a good amount in a compact yet easy to dispense format.
Also in the dry bag…
I carry some waterproof paper, with a small IKEA pencil tucked in the coils so I can note down any details such as the casualty’s name, what happened, what treatment has been given, vital stats etc. Along with this I carry a little prompt card, cos even the most well trained can find themselves forgetting everything at the sight of a loved one in dire medical trouble. You can use these to record on, but I find that in our environment a waterproof pad is much easier. Pencils can withstand being wet, pens to write on laminated card don’t tend to like it.
Savlon spray is a great antiseptic that also handily dries wounds – very handy in wet environments. And Compeed is fab for blisters / rubbing – the Savlon spray can be used first to dry out the area. these are not essentials, but pretty useful I think.
I also carry a “Blizzard Vest”, which is a like a big corrugated, hooded foil jumper that you can stick over anyone getting cold. It’s vacuum packed, and if you have to use it you can send it back to be re-packed!
If someone is injured they get cold really fast, especially outdoors. However, don’t forget that the rest of the group might be getting cold too. This is why I have another dry bag…
The other drybag…
I carry a separate dry bag for what I would call “group kit”. In there I have a group shelter, some emergency foods and spare clothing. The reason I have this separate is because there are some places I don’t feel it is necessary to carry these things, like at managed sites such as Canolfan Tryweryn. At these sites I would still usually carry a first aid kit though, just in case.
The call for help…
I cannot recommend strongly enough that every group take a mobile phone with them on the water. Put it in an aquapac and carry it on your person.
Yes, there isn’t always signal in the remote and mountainous regions we go to, but it’s usually nearer than the nearest payphone or house. And those things will be there whether or not you are carrying a phone – so why not? If you don’t want to be disturbed, just turn it off. If you are worried about damaging your expensive smart phone, buy a £10 handset and put a pay-as-you-go sim in it – just make sure to check the battery before you leave!
Conclusion
White water kayaking is an adventure sport – one which involves an element of risk and many risks of the elements. Hopefully anyone who goes paddling regularly can see that if something were to go wrong, you are likely to be a little way from help. In my opinion, all paddlers should attend a good first aid course at least once every 3 years. Rescue Emergency Care courses are good because they are not restrained by HSE First Aid at Work and are designed for people who will be operating in the outdoor environment. There is quite a difference between the potential seriousness of a broken leg in an office carpark and one beside a steep-banked river in Scotland in the middle of winter, for instance.
I hope you never need to use first aid; but if you do I hope you are equipped and trained appropriately. I’m sure your friends and family would hope the same.
