• Ascot Juniors
• Who's Out There
• Sprint Regatta
• World Marathon Champs - Gary Nagy C1
• 25 Years To The Day - 
• the end of a 8 month kayak, backpack and cycle around the USA
• Birds Along The Way
• Stingray Kayak for sale
• Coming Events
• Bevan Dashwood
• IOP Downwind Race
• Moore River Race
• The Cut Run

Ascot Kayak Club juniors having a good time in slalom kayaks.

Whos Out There

There is nothing like keeping out of the sun.

Andrew Crothers coaching Ben Sainsbury

Sprint Regatta - Bayswater

The K2 and K4 sprint regatta took place on Saturday. Although there were slightly less paddlers than last year it still went well.

Along with 500 metres sprints there was a 6 km race from Bayswater headquarters to Ron Courtney Island and back.  

The K4 6 km race is away.

The two top teams at the half way mark.

The younger teams are not too far behind.

Water pours from the rear bulkhead.

Gary had a good start and for two laps he was up with the leaders.

6 laps, 5 portages, 1 small lap

As they go for their second lap Gary is in a good position.

After the second lap and first portage Gary is still in contention.

Unbeknown to Gary the hole in the rear compartment hadn't been fixed properly so water was entering the compartment and making the canoe heavier the longer he paddled. By the end of the race the rear compartment was virtually full.

Gary starts losing a bit of ground probably due to his canoe getting heavier. 

The first three hit the portage.

Gary runs through the portage and doesn't need a replacement drink at that moment.

Andrea, Gary's wife mixing with the top coaches and getting ready to give Gary some fluid.

They battle against the wind.

Oopps

Drinks change over. 

Ivan Lawler, the commentator praised Andrea for the slick bottle change over. 

Gary crossing the line in 9th position.

It didn't appear to have been repaired properly. 
Gary had two races and both races he had a leaking canoe.

It costs $600.00 to rent a canoe. 

Gary talking to his old training mate who came 2nd.

Andrea & Garry with Coran & Stephan.

Results here:

Memosoft Spotfokus | ICF-CANOE-MARATHON-WORLD-CHAMPIONSHIPS-2023

25 Years To The Day

The finish of a solo 8 Month Cycle, Kayak and Backpack Around the USA.

On the West Coast Pacific Highway 

For the last 8 months I had been paddling, backpacking and cycling 16,000 kms around the USA. 
I was now on my last few days of that amazing journey. 

I had walked, kayaked and cycled to many national parks seeing some amazing scenery.

The route taken.

I cycled passed the Big Sur Point Lighthouse on a road that was regarded as one of the most beautiful coastline roads in the US. Big Sur was something special. The road moved inland a little and unfortunately I lost the view of the coast for a while. I started climbing, passing a campsite before arriving at the Big Sur Village. I had coffee, bread and cheese and had a second coffee that was free. I talked to a man who had a beard, but no moustache. He told me about the great walks around the area. He then asked if I wanted to smoke a reefer around a campfire. I thanked him but declined, saying I have never smoked in my life.

I moved on, continuing my journey up the steep hill and at the top I was pleased to find a shop. I continued to follow the coast, up and down over bridges being repaired and with views of the ocean which was littered with seaweed. By the time darkness was upon me I had arrived at Plaskett campsite which had beautiful green grass to camp on. It was only $5.00  a lot cheaper than most of the US campsites that I had to pay the same as a large RV. Nearby campers Lynn and Arno invited me for after-dinner chat and wine.

The Big Sur coastline.

Tuesday 27th October 1998

25 Years to the Day

I left the camp by 8.00am and cycled through Gorda, a nice tidy village and followed a twisty hilly road where three deer ran across my path, mum, dad and junior. It was downhill to a river where I noticed three cyclists behind. On the uphill run Bruce, Richard and Garry caught me up on their super light titanium bikes. Bruce’s bike cost $5000 and Richard’s bike was $4000. They travelled light with only a back pannier as they were cycling from motel to motel on their way to San Diego in the south. I kept up with them and talked as we passed a beach with hundreds of sea lions.

At San Simeon Point, Bruce treated me to lunch at a café. We sat outdoors and talked, ate a Caesar salad, bread and a coffee. Finishing our meal we cycled on to Cambria, a very clean, colourful, quaint tourist town where there were lots of new and old-looking buildings. Once out of town the guys left me, but I caught them up at the town of Harmony, but they soon passed me again. Still following the coast, which was on my right and the Santa Lucia Range on my left, I met them yet again in Cayucus. This time we said our goodbyes, for the last time.

I moved on to Morrow Bay which had several state parks and a huge round rock, well more of a small round mountain sticking up in the bay. It was getting cold as I passed Morrow State Park and met another cyclist from Oregon who said he was cycling south and trying to get away from the rain in Oregon. I moved beyond San Luis Obispo and about 10 miles later the ride became a coastal ride again. This time, the sun was shining and the sea glowing and looking ever so inviting.

I moved on to Pismo Beach where I camped at the state campsite. After dinner I walked into town, rang Rusty, a guy I had met on the John Muir Trail, and bought an ice cream, a beer and a packet of crisps. I walked home feeling bloated.

Wednesday 28th October

I woke up to fog and heavy dew so the tent was ringing wet. Birds were lively in the dense trees nearby. I left Pismo Beach passing several RV parks and hit the country road and moved through farmland that grew lettuce and vegetables. I felt at home and reminded me of my early days on a farm. There were tractors shaping rows and then flattening the tops for sowing. I followed Highway 1 up a steep hill passing gum trees and getting a brilliant view of the farmland fields and the sand dunes towards the coast.

There was little traffic on a downhill run onto a plain full of farmland. Several workers were cutting lettuce and using elevators to load them into boxes, but further along other cutters were throwing the lettuces straight into boxes.

Tractors were ploughing, discing and levelling the fields. Closer to the road a forklift tractor was taking four pallets of vegetables off a truck at one time. It looked as though the pallets would fall, but fortunately they didn’t. There was a hive of activity with machinery throughout the fields as well as manual workers syphoning water from channels with irrigation pipes to water the crop.

I cycled through Guadalupe, a Spanish looking town with a small supermarket and soon after it got hillier with the surrounding fields growing green beans. Later the vegetable fields made way for cattle and then suddenly the fields turned dry. It was even drier nearer the coast where a large area of dunes, the Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes, stood boldly nearby. Apparently the dunes were popular with filmmakers, having used them as a setting for a number of films.

After Lompoc I had a good push from the strong wind and found some decent hills. Cycling down one I attained 76 kilometres an hour which was fun, but I must admit I was just hoping that the bike would stay together.

When I reached the coast I could see oil rigs out in the bay. I passed Refugio Beach camp and it looked nice among the Pines, but I continued on to later find a beautiful row of big gum trees that reminded me of Australia. I soon arrived at Goleta and stopped at a cycle shop where the owner gave me a cycle route map and the location of a hostel in Santa Barbara. By the time I reached the hostel, it was dark.

Thursday 29th October – My wedding anniversary

I woke a few times in the night so I didn’t sleep too well, probably because I wasn’t used to a bed and a pillow. At 8.00am I walked the main street in search of a hairdresser. There were lots of coffee shops open, but it seemed that most other shops didn’t open till 10.00am or 11.00am. Fortunately though, the hairdresser opened at 9.00am. It was a lovely main street, clean and colourful with nice buildings too. There was even a man steam-cleaning the pavements.

I had an 85¢ ice cream before going into the hairdresser. I was in the chair within minutes and the hairdresser washed my hair before she cut it. She also trimmed my beard and did a very good job. I felt a whole heap better and I’m sure I looked a heap better! It cost $20.00 with the tip. That was the fourth time I’d had my haircut whilst on this trip and this time would be the last before I headed home.

Returning to the Banana Bungalow, the hostel where I stayed, I packed and was away to Stern Pier in no time. Once there, I had the pleasure of seeing some dolphins frolicking. I was also meeting a guy called Rusty whom I had met on the John Muir Trail. So I sat on a bench and waited for him. The only trouble was I was having some difficulty in remembering what he looked like as we had only met once and for a short time. A man sitting close by looked similar, but it wasn’t Rusty.

The beach had been graded and the white sand was looking inviting. People were walking along the pier and around the small boat harbour which was about a mile away. It was quite a beautiful scene, very touristy, but clean and inviting. It was probably my number one town so far. There were many good cycle ways, clean streets and attractive buildings.

Rusty arrived late in his old van. We went to a coffee shop and sat outside and talked for 2 ½ hours. It was great to relax. Rusty was a chiropractor, but he only worked just enough to pay the bills.

It was sunny and about 12.30pm when I made a move and cycled to the harbour and then made my way out of town. I passed palm trees, lots of flash motels and cycled through a trendy village, which even had a dog parlour. 

I had to ride on and off the freeway which followed the coast. Several oil rigs were out in the ocean and beyond them in the far distance were the Santa Cruz and Rosa Islands. I followed a road next to the ocean and passed a long line of RVs that were parked up and camped along the coast. It was an eye opener to see so many RVs camped beside the road seemingly without any authorities to bother them. I found a bike path again and an older guy caught up to me just before I entered Ventura. I asked him the way to the Outdoor Clothes Manufacturer and shop, Patagonia as I was keen to check it out. Luckily for me, it just happened to be a mile and a half away so I decided to call in.

After I left the shop I cycled along the coast through several tourist areas, a marine park and a boat harbour before finding the McGrath campground which only cost me $3.00. I was always happy when I found a cheap campsite and didn’t have to pay the same rate as one of the big recreational vehicles. Apparently the campgrounds along the Pacific coastline accommodate people on bicycles unlike other parts of the US. Apart from there being a lot of light aircraft flying overhead, it was a cloudless sky, with a near full moon and no wind. I rang Jenny to remind her that it was our anniversary. She hadn’t forgotten.

Friday 30th October

Condensation was heavy inside the tent, so much so, that it was dripping, but soon dried when the sun came out. I rang Jenny and she was getting nervous as I was soon due home and she didn’t know how she would cope or how long it would take her to get used to me being around again. When I returned from my one year cycling, walking and kayaking around Australia, Jenny had become quite independent and took a long time to adjust to me being back home.

I eventually left at 8.20am working my way between vegetable fields. I arrived at Point Hueneme opposite the St Cruz Channel Isles and thought I’d call in at Wendy’s for a baked potato, but disappointingly it wasn’t open. I came to a beach and jetty where it looked as if every surfer was driving a new four wheel drive vehicle. Here I talked to an Afro American on a bicycle, curiously I hadn’t seen that many Afro Americans riding bicycles.

I left town and passed more vegetable fields before getting back onto highway 1 and passing Mugu Point, a popular site for viewing birds, marine mammals, and wildflowers. Between the park and the naval base, Mugu Lagoon provides one of the largest coastal wetlands in Southern California.

As I followed the coast I chatted to a passing cyclist who told me the location of a hostel. Two more cyclists came along and we started talking. They knew from my accent that I wasn’t from around there and when I told them what I had done they were impressed with my journey and invited me to stop at a coffee shop, so they could treat me to coffee and cake. 

When the guys left me I went grocery shopping before moving off along the busy coastal road. It was hot, especially on the up hills. The beaches were quite special, but there was hardly a soul on them. I arrived at the famous location of Malibu where there were some stunning houses and many snazzy cars. 

The wealthy city of Malibu stretches 21 miles (34 kms) along the Pacific coastline. It is a beachfront community famous for its beautiful sandy beaches, and the home of countless movie stars.  Compared with some places in Australia it didn’t seem that special. It had a highway running right through it, and the coastline crowded with houses! Maybe I had just seen too much beauty in the last eight months that I was now getting a little critical.

Surfers had taken to the water just before Santa Monica. As the high-rise buildings started to appear, I found a cycleway and as I rode along it I realised that the end of my journey was very close. After eight months of travelling around the American countryside, seeing so many beautiful and amazing sights, I was actually feeling quite sad to be going home. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to go home, but it did mean my wandering spirit was no longer going to wander. My life on the road was going to change into a life at home.

The beach was now full of volleyball courts. Typical California, the path was full of skaters, some good, some shaky. I followed the beachfront of Santa Monica and got off the busy cycleway and headed into town at the fairground. Santa Monica turned out to be a real city. I was surprised as I thought it would only be a little town. 

After finding a hotel my ride and my trip around the USA was over.

Santa Monica, LA.

What a beach.

It was time to head home after 8 months on the road.

Birds Along The Way

Juvenile Black-fronted Dotterels

*****************************

Several ducklings are hiding underneath mum.

Stingray Kayak 

Carbon Construction

Only used 3 times. Virtually new.

Owner selling due to medical reasons

The Stingray kayak is all about getting out on the water with the minimal fuss. 

Light, stable , excellent tracking and good speed for a 4 metre kayak.

Carbon construction

Length 4 metres    Width 65 cm     Cockpit size 46 x 107 cm. 

$1800.00

Call Carmelita on 0406023368

Dive into the Action: Join the 2023 ICF Canoe Ocean Racing World Championships in Perth, WA

Get ready to make a splash in 2023, as the exciting 2023 ICF Canoe Ocean Racing World Championships are coming to Perth, Western Australia, from November 30th to December 3rd. This is not just a competition for elite paddlers; it's a golden opportunity for all Aussies, from recreational paddlers to seasoned racers, to experience a world championship on home soil.

The beauty of the 2023 ICF Canoe Ocean Racing World Championships is that it's for everyone. Whether you're a casual paddler or a dedicated racer, this event is designed to bring out the paddler in you. Even if you've had a few years off or wouldn’t describe yourself as a passionate racer, this is your chance to dive headfirst into a spectacular adventure amongst likeminded friends from across the world.

Participating in a world championship at home is a rare and exhilarating experience. Competing on familiar waters with friends and family cheering you on from the shore is an unbeatable feeling. The support of your fellow Aussies can provide that extra motivation to power through and what an incredible opportunity to be a part of what could be one of the biggest Aussie teams in World Champs History!

Don't miss out on this incredible opportunity. Register for the 2023 ICF Canoe Ocean Racing World Championships by visiting the official event website. Regardless of your skill level, this is your chance to be a part of something extraordinary.

The 2023 ICF Canoe Ocean Racing World Championships is more than just a competition; it's a celebration of the thrill of paddling. Join your fellow paddling enthusiasts in making this championship an unforgettable experience. Grab your paddle, get in the game, and let's ride the waves of success together!

To register for the event and get more information, visit the official event website. Less than 50 days to go! See you in Perth for an adventure on the water!

Bevan Dashwood Dash 2023
Sun Oct 29th

This race is organised by and is a fund raiser for Slalom. All race classes encouraged to enter [great course for K1s]
Race Day Schedule:

Registration: 7:30am – 8:15am

Briefing: 8.30am

Race Starts: 9.00am

Bevan Dashwood Dash, Sun 29th Oct

https://www.webscorer.com/register?raceid=332375

MARATHON #2: THE MOORE RIVER RACE

 & MIXED DOUBLES OPEN CHAMPIONSHIPS

5th November 2023

SUMMARY: The race runs upstream [and back] from the mouth of the Moore River at Guilderton, approximately 1hr north of Perth. The main focus for this event is the Paddle WA Marathon Mixed Doubles Championships. 

The Moore River marathon takes place in parallel. 
COURSE DESCRIPTION Distance: Long: 12.5 km. Short: Approximately 7 km.  Guppy

HAZARDS: This course can be very shallow [under-slung rudders are at risk] The turn around the top island is narrow with low trees and submerged logs There is a risk of some boat traffic.
NOTES: Championship classes will have medals awarded on the day. 

The Moore River Foreshore is a DOG FREE AREA.

Parking is ticketed [one has to pay] 

TOILETS AND PLAYGROUNDS: Close to Car Park and Start

The Mandurah Cut Run 

Saturday, November 11, 2023

The 12.5km course is well known to paddlers, being a fast downwind race that starts at the Dawesville Cut, follows the coast north to Halls Head and finishes at Doddis Beach in front of MSKC.

10:00 - 12:00        Registration

12:00                    Safety briefing

13:48                    First wave starts

14:00                    Final wave starts

To all our sponsors and in particular the City of Mandurah, we thank you for your support and encouragement - we couldn’t have this event without you. 

Go here to enrol:

The Mandurah Cut Run 2023 | Event registration | Webscorer