The Australian Wild Water Championships are this
weekend and the Avon Descent the following weekend so there is a lot of white water paddling going on.
SATURDAY, 6 AUGUST Classic Races Location: Posselts Ford, Toodyay
SUNDAY, 7 AUGUST Sprint Races Location: Walyunga National Park
DAY 1 remains unchanged and will continue as planned - Posselts Ford to Razorback 2
.
DAY 2 has changed locations! - Now Walyunga slalom section
There are a few paddlers from
the east who will give our local lads a run for their money.
Scrutineering - Today Friday from
4pm
Please ensure you attend scrutineering and information tomorrow afternoon from 4pm at Ascot Kayak Club, Fauntleroy Avenue Ascot.
While we will be
checking competitors pfd and helmet for compliance as well, we will also need to inspect your boat and ensure that all kayaks do have grab handles and flotation bags (air bags) installed both front and rear of the canoe/kayak.
The WWC1/WWK1 boats will also be weighed to ensure
the ICF minimum weights are met.
Ros Lawrence
It was a quiet on the river Monday tonight. Apart from Richard Lowther and the young slalom paddlers the river at Ascot was deserted. The weather was certainly beautiful and brisk, a little stormy, a little windy, a bit wet, but it was extremely refreshing.
Ros Lawrence, the new Paddle Australia Performance Pathways Lead for Canoe Slalom, was on the water with the junior slalom paddlers at Ascot. She has been here for a few days on the white water and the flatwater looking, coaching and advising on slalom paddling.
Former World Champion Ros Lawrence is the new Paddle Australia Performance Pathways Lead for Canoe Slalom.
Ros is a highly respected
paddler, having won an array of medals during her competitive career which spanned almost 15 years, from 2005 to 2019.
Her career as a high performance athlete has given her a deep understanding of the pathways to podium journey and specific elements of athlete development in Canoe Slalom.
National Performance Director Kim Crane said Ros’ appointment is exciting and she looks forward to her joining the High Performance leadership team.
“To stay ahead in the competitive industry that is High Performance Sport you must ensure you have the right people in the right roles,” Crane said.
The first-hand experience and knowledge that Ros has as an athlete helps her understand the challenges and opportunities that our athletes face make her a perfect fit for this position,” Crane said.
“She’s been coaching, instructing and guiding kayaking and canoeing for twenty
years, including school and club groups, the National Development Squad, the ICF Talent Identification Program and individual athletes up to Senior level.
“I look forward to welcoming Ros to the High Performance team, and working closely with her as we look to develop Australia’s Canoe Slalom pathways ahead of the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games, and beyond,” she
said.
Having come through the pathway herself as an athlete, Lawrence said she’s looking forward to the opportunity to work with the next generation of canoe slalom paddlers.
“I’m very happy and excited to be working with our slalom community right across
Australia,” Lawrence said.
“There’s a great group of paddlers already in the pathway and a wonderful team of dedicated volunteers and staff.
“Thank you to Paddle Australia for giving me the opportunity to share my love of whitewater and work towards a
bright future for the sport,” she said.
Ros commenced her role on 20 June 2022, working out of the National Centre of Excellence in Penrith.
Tuesday night the weather was even worse.The section we use for our Tuesday night race was wild with big surfing waves because of the very strong westerly winds. I was surfing going to Sandy Beach but having a trailing rudder the waves were that big my rudder kept coming out of the water and I was being thrown sideways.
I met Phil Langley who had more sense and was walking his dog. Then I met Richard and Kate who were paddling in a more friendly part of the
river but Peter Tomczac was the only paddler on the river that I saw to go a long distance. Bevan had to go for a paddle in his slalom kayak because the slalom poles wouldn't stay still. It was good practise being out there though and very invigorating.
I also heard that Canning River cancelled their Tuesday race!
Waves and wind at the slalom poles.
I met Richard and Kate on a calmer part of the river. Kate was trying her new Alchemist Kayak out.
Sharon, Kylie and Kate on a calmer day.
Kate in her new Alchemist.
WA Paddler Ben Sainsbury Para Canoe World Champion
Para canoe rising star Ben Sainsbury has got Australia off to a winning start at the ICF Canoe Sprint and Paracanoe World Championships in Canada, overnight winning gold in the VL1 200.
The 21-year-old
who hails from Western Australia, made his international debut this year and has delivered an impressive performance in the para canoe to be crowned the World Champion.
“The nerves were crazy on the start line, I could feel the butterflies in my throat, but I knew we’d put the work in and I can’t thank my coaches enough. To come away with the win, I couldn’t be happier,” Sainsbury
said.
“There’s always that little voice in the back of your head that warns you not to expect too much on your first time.”
Sainsbury had previously tried wheelchair basketball and made the Australian U23 team, but then was enticed by Western Australian canoe coaches to give paracanoe a go.
It was a big decision to change sports for a teenager living in the Australian bush, facing a one
hour commute every day just to get to a training venue.
“I fell in love with it from day one, I ended up leaving basketball to come to this, and I think it’s a great result,” he said.
“Training twice a day, and sometimes three, it’s a fair bit of driving and my fuel bill is nice and expensive. But events like this make it all worth it.”
An elated Sainsbury admitted he wouldn’t be standing on top of the podium had it not been for the
huge support team behind him.
“Thanks to the WA Institute of Sport, without their help I would be nowhere.
“And of course thanks to the Australian team, my head coach Shaun [Caven] and assistant coach Anna [Wood] and all the staff behind the Para program.
“Then to my family and friends back home… I’m overwhelmed by the support,” he said.
Paracanoe Head Coach Shaun Caven “He did fantastic! What an achievement from a couple of years ago when he literally couldn’t even balance a boat to now being a World Champion.
“It’s a really great story and we are very proud of him,” he said.
Paddle Australia’s General Manager Performance Sprint and Paracanoe, David Foureur, was thrilled with how the Australian team delivered on day one of the ICF Canoe Sprint and Paracanoe World Championships.
“No doubt Ben’s win in the VL1 was the highlight which capped off an amazing first day of the 2022 World Championships for our team,” said Foureur.
“Already our athletes have progressed directly to a few A Finals and many of our other boats
paddled to expectations. We will be looking forward to the upcoming semi finals.
“I don’t think we could have asked for a better start to our World Championships campaign, there is a positive vibe among our group and the Australian team is really buzzing,” he said.
Racing will continue on Lake Banook from August 4-7, in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia.
The Canoe Sprint & Paracanoe World Championships are streamed
live on Planet Canoe YouTube.
Posselts To Walyunga National Park
Hunter, John, Geraint, Isabel, Sharon, Kate, Mel and
me.
The trip from Posselts Ford to Walyunga was certainly an adventure. It's amazing how it differs depending on the water level. Some of the rapids were demanding whereas some
of the dangerous ones at 0.7 were much easier. Many of the routes down the rapids are different from paddling them at lower water levels.
Although we got out and checked Syds most of
us paddled the usual main drop. The big stopper at the Messy Middle could be avoided by keeping well to the left but if you are not on the ball a capsize could easily happen here. There was still a few other surprises along this section.
The Chicken Chute at Syds was running but it is still a difficult rapid to paddle and probably more dangerous than the main drop because of the chance of being wrapped around the trees.
It was 2 metres on the Walyunga Gauge.
Super Chute was going off yesterday. It was certainly a lot messier than usual. I think there may be a few capsizes here this weekend. I hope I'm not one.
The Washing Machine and all of Emus was pumping.
It was a little wet and cold but always worth a trip. Bald Hill in the distance.
