Slalom News (Mar2010)

Registered Company No 2612775

Woooo - the season has started!

My bib is hanging up to dry after a fun course on the Graveyard at the Tryweryn, so the season is underway (see pictures). Ok you may not share my view that racing on the Graveyard is fun, but in the next few weeks everyone should have had the chance to get their season underway. Upcoming races within easy reach . . .

- Sun 14th March - Stone Div 3/4 slalom - coaching available. Entries until 10.30 for a 11.30 start. If you are planning to go to this please can you let me know so I can co-ordinate boats

- Sat & Sun 20th & 21st March - Sowerby Bridge Div 2/3 Double - entry is virtually compulsory for those in Div 2 &3!

- Sat & Sun 17th & 18th April - Oughtibridge Div 3/4 - sorry can’t coach (at the Tryweryn)

- Sat & Sun 24th & 25th April - Matlock Div 2/3 - coaching available. It’s a busy event so get your entry in.

- Sat & Sun 15th & 16th May - Wagon Lane (Bingley) Div 3/4 - coaching available.

For the full calendar go to www.canoeslalom.co.uk

Not sent for your bib yet?? Get it sorted now - you should have had a form with your yearbook. Speak to Les or Sarah if you need help

River Clean Up and Course Building Sat 13th March (10am start).

As ever we are having the usual river clean up before the slalom and then putting the course up for the following weekend. Please come and lend a hand if you can - once the course is up you can practice!!

Sowerby Bridge Slalom 20 & 21 March

As well as racing, as ever we need your help throughout the weekend to make this event a success. Please contact Vicky Bradford to offer your help ( 07855 367 043 or email

Wednesday night slalom training

Training is still on running on a Wednesday night for all that want it - although if we have lots of paddlers, priority for coaching will be for those racing regularly. If you’ve not been over the winter you’re already behind the rest as it’s not just frostbite you’ve missed out on - as well as working on technique, we’ve been dabbling with sports psychology too!! Of course the week before our slalom we’ll be working hard on the course to capitalise on home advantage.

Matlock training day

On Sat 27th Feb, five of us headed down to Matlock for a training session. Why go there? We’ll firstly Matlock is a Div 2/3 slalom coming up in 6 or 7 weeks time, so it’s a good idea to go and get used to the water. Also paddling at different venues is a good way to improve skills, as you need to do different moves and adapt skills - so simply it’s good for your paddling! The water was higher than I’d have liked, but everyone got stuck in and a had a fun productive day.

Look out for other training trips to other sites in the coming months (including some washburn trips!) Also an advanced date for diaries is the Yorkshire region slalom training at Grandtully (Scotland) from 23 - 27th August.

The ‘Clean Run Chart’ is back!!

Yes the season has started, so the clean run chart is back again - the idea is to get as many as you can by the end of the season. And sneakily I notched one up this afternoon, so you are all playing catch up! Sarah says I can’t count my first run - I never hit a gate, just missed a couple - doh!)

Start Slalom (Yes, I know you already have)

Our first Start Slalom Course is up and running (after the 1st week was ‘frozen off’) with a group of 5 people having a go at slalom. Hopefully all will be coming to Stone on 14th March to start their racing career.

A second course will be starting on 27th April in the run up to the slalom at Bingley on 15th & 16th May.

That’s all for now - see you at the river!

Les

01484 854099 07786 525912 lesford@ntlworld.com

Slalom News - March 2010