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Halifax Canoe Club |
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Competition NEW!
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Canoe Slalom
If you hit a gate (with your body, paddle or boat) you get a 2 second penalty. However you can also get a 50 second penalty by either completely missing out a gate, going through a gate in the wrong direction, or if you don't get part of your boat and all your head through the gate. Penalties are added to your time, so the aim is to 'fast & clean'. At a race you get two runs on the course, with your best result counting. As a beginners you start racing in Division 4, racing on easy water with lots of opportunity to practice before you race. As you improve and gain promotion to a higher division, the water and the courses get harder. At races there are several classes:
Most people start off in a kayak, but have a go at C1 or C2 when they get more confident.
Where can I try it? We run Division 2, 3 & 4 events at the Club during the year and provide slalom coaching sessions. Anyone who has mastered the basics of paddling (i.e. going forward and turning) can give it a go - it not unusually for children as young as 8 to race. In addition to our own Division 4 (beginners) event in June there are many other division 4 events within easy reach of the Club including at Oughtibridge (Sheffield), Bradford & Bingley, Marple (Stockport), and West Tanfield (near Ripon). These are spread through the season which runs from March to October. These are usually 'Double' events so there is a race on Saturday and a separate race on Sunday. Non Paddlers can also get involved as judges and officials at events - you soon pick up the rules and it gives you something to do while family and friends are racing. For details of how and where to get involved in slalom click here What do I need? When you are starting out you can use any boat, but once you start to progress you will probably want to start using a slalom boat. The club has some of the these that you can borrow. Eventually if you compete regularly you will probably want to get your own slalom boat, lightweight paddle etc.
How do I progress? At division 4 races 1 in 5 people get promoted. So if there are five people racing in a class (i.e. K1M) the winner gets promoted, but if there are 20 people racing the first four people get promoted. If you do get promoted, you then race in division 3, here you get your own bib number (start number) for the season, and your position in each race is converted to points. Your end of season ranking is based on your best three results (best three points scores) of the season in division 3, or if you do really well and get enough points you will be promoted to division 2. There are 5 divisions - 4, 3, 2, 1, and Premier. For more information:
For further information on getting into competition speak to Les Ford ( 01484 854099 or email back to competition page
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What's Involved?
You have to race down the river, negotiating a
series of gates as you go. The are two types of gates - Down stream gate (green
& white) which you have to go through heading downstream and Up
streams (red & white) which you have to paddle through heading upstream.
Why do it? 
At division 4 juniors can race on the Clubs BCU
membership, adults need to either be a BCU member or pay a small fee for taster
membership. This covers your insurance for the race. If you get promoted to
division 3 you need to get your own BCU membership.