Well it’s all over. For the last few weeks we have been getting ready for the Australian Canoe & Sup Marathon Championships and now it's behind us. So I have been pretty busy helping out with the champs as well as trying to do the most kilometres on a SUP to keep on top of the world, meticulously keeping my house clean and making sure our dog, Leena gets lots of walks and attention whilst Jenny is away visiting her mum in England. So with the championships, which I had 7 races, and helping to pack up the infrastructure, I didn't have much time to put together a newsletter last week. 

So the Canoe & SUP Marathon Championships went off extremely well. With Doug Hodson at the helm we were guarantee it would. It’s just amazing how many people were involved in the event, from erecting portage ramps (which was a big job) and volunteering over the 4 day championship. I was extra impressed with several individuals who really got stuck in and did a lot of work. And of course we really wouldn't have had the ramps without the hard work and materials from Gary and Ron Clarke. So well done all you volunteers.

It was all brought together, which was a massive task, by Doug Hodson. With the help of the WA Marathon Committee members, who all had special duties, Paddle WA, and all the volunteers it all came together and I think everyone went home pretty pleased.

I won 4 bronze medals (2 kayak, 2 SUP) and 2 silver medals (1 kayak, 1 SUP).
 

For all Results - age groups, portage and non portage - male and female - ICF and non ICF - go here:-

Paddle Australia

https://www.webscorer.com/paddleaustralia

Don't forget to Register for the John Sims Race this Sunday, April 27th.

Registrations enter here:-

https://www.webscorer.com/register?raceid=380122

The Australian Canoe & SUP Championships 

Ascot Kayak Club - Perth, WA

Due to not being allowed to leave the turn buoys in the river overnight, one of my jobs were putting them out every morning before competition started. 

The Championships started off with a SUP 11.5km race and a non-championship singles race on Thursday afternoon.

SUP Long Course Results

https://www.webscorer.com/racedetails?raceid=385913&did=510839

Non Championships Kayak/Ski Race Results

https://www.webscorer.com/racedetails?raceid=385909&did=510815

Short Course 3.6 kms

So the big guns started racing on the Friday as they and all other paddlers competed in the short course event (3.6kms).

They are off. 
Paddling downstream from the jetty and around Ron Courtney Island before turning and paddling back upstream to do a portage. There were 3 laps and 2 portages for paddlers from 18 to 65 years old. No portaging for paddlers over 65 years old. Each lap was 1.2 kms.

Josh won the open short course.

Short Course ICF Open Results

https://www.webscorer.com/racedetails?raceid=385994&did=511085

Marathon Race 

Each lap is 3.5kms with a short 1 km lap at the end.

29kms for Men's Open

8 laps & 7 portages

Start at jetty heading upstream.

Josh and Casey in a tangle.

Photo Anne Harris.

Josh takes the lead and wins the race and the Australian Championships.

Marathon Race

25.50 kms for women.

7 laps & 6 portages.

Rebecca Mann. Australia's number 1 for several years.

Rebecca blows away her competition.

Rebecca Mann and Josh Kippin both won three events respectively over the weekend including ICF K1 Singles Open, Short Course ICF K1 Singles Open and the ICF K2 Open Doubles. 

They have been unbeatable in Australia for several years.

To The Start Line

Was it a fair start?

What I and many competitors noticed were the unfair starts because paddlers were brought up to the start line on an angle rather than in a straight line.

For some unknow reason paddlers were brought up to the start line on an angle so the nearest paddlers to the jetty had an advantage. When the paddlers near to the jetty got close or reached the start line all paddlers were told to stop which meant the paddlers on the far side didn't reach the start line and were several metres away because of the angled approach. So it meant that all paddlers on the far side were disadvantaged. See photo above.

As all racing paddlers know getting a good start is paramount - the race can be won or lost on the start line.

I was concerned with the fact that the unfair starts were happening, although the starts with only a few paddlers on were much fairer. 

So after a group of races had been sent off I approached Paddle Australia's Chairman of the Marathon Technical Committee who was on the jetty at the time. I asked him why the races were started on an angle.

His reply was - I’m the starter/official, go and read the rules, and walked away.

I know he might have had a lot on his mind, but I thought that was pretty rude of him to walk away without an explanation. 

Considering I was on the organising committee, I had done lots of work to make the champs a success, I had taken part in several Australian Championships, 3 World Masters Championships and have won Master Marathon Paddler of the Year twice, been through an Marathon Officials Course and been around and helped paddling for 50 years, I thought I deserved a better reply than he gave. I still don't know though if I was asking too much!

Even after pointing the angled start line out to him, it never got any better in the races that followed. As this was an Australian Championship and not a Mickey Mouse race I expected a fairer start. 

Start Rules:-

10.3.1.a - Stationary Start • The position of the boats at the start is such that the bows of the competing boats are on the starting line(s). The boats must be stationary. The boats may be held at the stern or blocked at the front by an automatic start system; • Wherever possible all boats in a class should line up at the starting line and use the stationary start. Where this is impossible or impracticable owing to lack of space, or water or weather conditions, the following alternative simultaneous starting procedures may be employed.

10.4.1 - The following procedures will then apply for the respective starts: 10.4.1.a - Stationary start and Grid start • The Starter must ensure all boats are stationary on the starting line or grid line; • When the Starter is satisfied the line(s) are stationary they will give the start signal as described in the event information; • If an athlete commences paddling before the start signal he/she has made a false start; • An athlete who attempts to start before any instruction is deemed to have made an unfair start; ICF Canoe Marathon Competition Rules 2025 42 of 64 • An athlete who attempts an unfair start will be warned; • A second warning for the same athlete will result in the imposition of a 30 seconds time penalty; • A third warning for the same athlete will result in the athlete's disqualification from the event; • A disqualified athlete must leave the water immediately.

10.4.1.c - Rolling start • The boats should bunch up well before the start line and drift towards the Starter; • The Starter must ensure the line is as straight as possible and that no athlete will obtain any undue advantage as a result of the start; • When the Starter is satisfied, they should let the line drift to the start line and then give the start signal as described in the event information; • If an athlete commences paddling before the start signal he/she has made a false start; • An immediate time penalty of 30 seconds must be imposed upon the athlete making a false start.

What Goes Up Must Come Down

The two portage ramps had to be dismantled.

It took an army of people to put up and take down the ramps.

The get-out pontoon was much harder to paddle than a SUP.

The Australian Canoe & SUP Championships - Perth

Doug Hodson.

Early in the week of April 8^th, Garvey Park, Ascot was transformed into a venue for something big, fenced compound with facilities, flags and banners everywhere, buoys all over the river and new food and drink pop-ups.

Soon after, trailers full of kayaks came rolling in from all round the country. It was time to remake old acquaintances and get the war stories under way, plenty of interstate trash talk as well. 

By Thursday morning, all had arrived and visiting paddlers thundered up and down the portage ramps as they familiarized with the course.

Official event opening was 11.00. Kevin Fitzgerald, a local Whadjuk elder welcomed to our country and Robert Rossi, the mayor, did similar for the City of Belmont.

Doug Hodson.

Photo Tony Bond.

It was time for racing to start. Thursday afternoon had just two: SUP Marathon and Non-Champ Two-Lap. There was a good contingent of SUPs of all age groups, plenty of medal opportunities. The sight of the Non-Champ Two-Lap paddlers proudly displaying their medals in the setting sun showed us all why we were there and how much fun was coming up.

Bring on Friday, intensity day, short course, three laps and two portages. If you blinked you missed it but it wasn’t like that for the paddlers. We had a welcome break, late morning for the ferry and a change of pace at the end of the day for the mixed doubles which, as expected was conducted in a more festive spirit.

Onto the Big Dance, Saturday, marathon singles. These paddlers were competing for places on the Australian team at the Worlds in September [in Hungary]. Australian Women’s Marathon Paddler of the year Beck Mann maintained her magnificent record and the Men’s equivalent Josh Kippin had a good pack with him who he dropped after his second last portage to complete his 27km a good distance ahead. Good luck to both of them in Hungary, they will do us proud as they have done for a few years now. 

Visiting New South Wales paddlers Daniela Angela Torre and Brett Greenwood featured on the podium and maintained their respective records as world class Masters Marathon paddlers.

The younger age groupings saw Nicci Vesely and Lily Farrell prevail for the women and Orlando Fonseca [with an uncharacteristic smile on the podium !] for the men. Great work, also from masters Lucinda Remilton of South Australia and Dave Berglund and John Wilkie. WA’s Gergely Balasj Nagy [Aussies call him “Gary” 😀] stands a good chance of representing Autralia in his native Hungary in September in his canoe. Genevieve Stanely entered in a canoe and got a medal, go to be in it to win it. How about Griffin Angelatos in the U16 para ? Paddling with only one leg and not having been in the sport six months even. Welcome Griffin ! Kurtis McGrath watch out !

That was Saturday, a long day finished off with a big non-portage jamboree [105 paddlers] and straight into medals which continued after the sun went down and the mozzies came up !!

Day #4, Sunday Doubles, organisers had the end of the tunnel in sight !. Yet another day for some to go for National selection and others to crank it round the river looking for wash-rides and, maybe, medals. 

Last year’s organisers each paddled and got medals: Cathy Venning with Lucinda Remilton and Marc Brehin with Dale Thomson. They both deserved some fun after a great event at Victor Harbour in 2024. Brett Greenwood teamed up with WA’s masters gun, Kelby Murray for a gold. Youth champions were Isabella Cen and Ellie Neervoort a WA/Vic mix. Open women saw Beck Mann taking WA’s Gen Stanley for a paddle, she was right up for it as always. Could this be a partnership in Hungary ? Second in the women, also going for selection, was Bronwyn Martin and Lilly Farrell.

Sunday was broken up with SUP Technical which saw them paddle an obstacle course in front of plenty of noisy spectators in front of the club, good fun ! Well done to Tashka Goswell and Darren Pratt for taking out women and men in that and thanks for coming to Daojia Ng, from Singapore, our only international paddler.

Finished the four days off with non-portage and “senior” doubles topped by Ray Smith and Joe Wilson in the 80+ ! Hope we’re all doing that when we are in our 80s. Margi Bohm, next year’s organizer, paddled with Sue O’Rourke, one of our visiting Chief Course Umpires [thanks Sue]. Reall well done to our U10 and U12, Louis Vartesi/William Lane and Daphne Bradley/Jack Corrin, the future of Australian paddling.

That was it, medals and thank yous as evening fell on Derbal Yerrigan [Swan River]. Huge thanks to our army of volunteers. They did a superb job of keeping it all on track. Particular thanks to our organizing team who had been working on the event for months.

Another year of successes for many, fantastic experiences for all, old friendships rekindled, new ones made. Here’s to doing it all over again in Canberra ACT on 9-4-26 !

This note is to everybody in the photo below and to Richard Molek, Martin Watson, Sue O’Rourke & Ray Smith who were not there.

Louise Greenwood, Anita Haarmann, Peter Martin, Bob Turner, Derek Cross, & Terry Bolland.

Veronica Haarmann, Doug Hodson, Leanne Hampson & Warren Southwell.
Thanks to you in particular for the work you put in in the lead up to the event and during it.

John Sims Race 2025

Ramon Challenge 2025