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I can't believe how well some our our training group are
paddling, in fact it is quite annoying really because they
are getting so fast they have started leaving me behind, and
that is painful! How can I sleep at night when they are getting
so much better, and I'm not.
I have nearly run out of excuses. Being over 60 years old
used to be a good one, but some of them are now over 60 as
well, so I certainly need to invent a few more better excuses.
It just goes to show though, that our training sessions and
our encouragement is working. I'm thinking probably working
too well!
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Canoeing Down Under K1 Giveaway
At the Canoeing Down Under 10km Championships
14 year old Chris Bond's name was drawn out of the hat. The
new kayak went to a good home. Chris is already faster than
me (that's not hard I hear you saying). He is an up and coming
paddler from Ascot Kayak Club who is going to do very well
in the future. He won the junior class in the race.
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Retail business is a funny thing. We have been busier since
Christmas than we were before Christmas (and we're hoping
it will last). So that being said, it's also the main reason
why this newsletter is late. It's not that we have made a
million this week, but it is heartening to know that our customers
still know that we are here.
Because of the amazing amount of money the superstores have
to advertise, it is hard for us to be noticed, so it is important
that you tell your friends where we are. Remember 90 per cent
of our boats are either made in Australia or New Zealand and
as you would be aware our manufacturers do need the help of
the Australian public to survive.
Every day we see an Australian manufacturer go out of business
and some have been around for years. Our government has done
little to help this from happening, but the blame can't all
go on their heads, every Australian has a choice to what they
buy, so we are all at fault.
Unfortunately not every thing we need or like is made in
Australia, (and it will get worse) so we do have to buy some
things from overseas, but if you have a choice on a similar
item - why not buy Australian.
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If you know other paddlers that might enjoy this newsletter
tell them to go to my web site and enrol. http://www.canoeingdownunder.com.au
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I had a customer come in to the shop last week in the hope
of resurrecting two kayaks that he has had beside his house
for the last 25 years. Marriage and children stopped his paddling
career for quite a few years. Now he's back in an old K1.
He was a Swan Canoe Club member and back then as a beginner
he was given a lot of advice by Rod Fry. He remembers him
warmly and was shocked when I told him that Rod had died in
a car accident in the 80s at the prime of his life.
Rod Fry paddling a Wild Water C1
I was lucky enough to know Rod when he started
paddling. Although he had paddled at the white water course
at Harvey his first Slalom Championships was at Nymboida,
NSWs in 1981. I asked him to paddle with me in the team event
and I soon realised he was going to be a good paddler as he
paddled better than I did.
Rod did turn out to be a great slalom paddler in C1 and K1.
Not only that, Rod was amazing in a wild water C1 and a sprint
C1, the ones that you kneel on one knee. He could keep up
with some of the fastest K1 paddlers and not only that his
balance in a sprint C1 was just astounding, he could paddle
rapids without falling in and that was impressive. You try
paddling a sprint C1.
Rod also took his university studies very seriously and he
was an outstanding person. Unfortunately Rod died too early,
he never got the chance to enjoy a full life and show the
world how great he really was.
Rod Fry and myself on a social paddle
The Rod Fry Race
run by the Swan Canoe Club is on the 28th April
at the Swan Canoe Club
Rod was well known for his C1 paddling so
why not give a canoe ago in this race.
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A New Year to Enjoy
I have never been one to philosophy about life, why are we
here? What's out there in the universe? Why was I born with
a big nose???? Or when will I die? All I know is that I was
born in 1951 on a farm at a place called Fishtoft, near a
town called Boston, in a country called England. My dad was
a farmer who couldn't read or write, my mother worked hard
but after a while she wanted more from her marriage and living
on a farm, so when I was 10 years old my parents parted. I
couldn't wish for a better older sister who was there for
us, my younger brother though didn't cope very well with the
separation and went off the rails, but changed at an older
age.
Living on a farm gave me a great start to life. While the
town kids were listening to music, walking the streets or
doing things that town kids do, at 8 years old I was driving
tractors, working in the fields and becoming independent and
self-reliant. I even saved enough money to buy a horse at
10 years old. Life was good and I wanted it to go on.
The separation, and later a reconcilation of my parents to
make a new life eventually changed my free life on the farm
to a town kid 100kms away from my best friends. Going from
owning a farm to owning a grocery shop in a coal mining village
in the Midlands didn't go down well, and to make it worse
my parents split up again within two months. After being a
country kid it was hard to become a town kid, but I eventually
made friends, found things to do and started to enjoy life
again. My sister did all she could to run the shop, as dad
who couldn't read or write and was like a fish out of water.
The shop wasn't profitable and soon drained our finances.
In the space of two years we went from having quite a lot
of assets to no assets. It really didn't matter that much
to me as I was still enjoying life and they say money can't
buy happiness.
Being alive is a funny thing, you can either take it and shape
it, or waste it away. Doing what you do with your life is
in your own hands. Your goal may be to succeed in work, to
raise a family or just enjoy yourself or do things as they
come. Life is too precious and it shouldn't be wasted away,
we never know when our time is up and for many people, like
Rod, the end has come too early. Surely we must try to enjoy
each and every day?
I left school at 15 and returned to the country, worked on
a farm and lived with my Aunty. Being back in the country
I felt free again. At 18 I stopped drinking, I sold my car
and ran or cycled everywhere I needed to go, so I got really
fit. I probably wasn't your normal teenager, not many teenagers
run to a dance 10kms away and then try to pick up girls. Not
many teenagers decide to live in a tent on the farm that I
worked on, for several months. Who does that?
Although I was happy with life and happy with
friends, I was ready to do something really different from
the norm, to step out and just find another world, so at 19
years old, with $100.00 in my pocket I travelled around Europe
for 6 months. I had found my calling, so six months later
after saving $200.00, I hitch hiked across Europe and Asia
to find Australia where I settled for a while.
In 1975 I spent a year travelling, kayaking, scuba diving,
touring around Australia. Nearly every night for a year I
slept in this 5 star accomodation. Like the yellow sign says-
it was a TUFF life!
Since 1977, after getting married, having our
wedding night camped on the marshes on a cold November night
and then having our honeymoon on a train on the Trans Siberian
Railway in mid winter across Europe and Russia, I have tried
to get a balance between work, married life and pleasure.
Although it is impossible to enjoy every day, I try to find
something good about every day. We are all different and want
different things in our life, so for me it has been important
to dedicate part of my life with the things I really wanted
to do. Like the big expeditions I do. It might seem selfish
to many people, but it has helped me to value life and to
be happy with every day.
I have been lucky I have lived for 61 really
good years, when many others have had their life cut short.
If I had a regret in life, (which I haven't), it would be,
not having a better education. I must admit though when I
left school at 15 I didn't give university a thought as I
didn't think I was bright enough and I thought only rich kids
go to university. But in a way I am thankful that I didn't
have a better education as I don't think I would have achieved
all the amazing trips, travelled, (I spent 6 years travelling
around the world) learnt so much about myself, about other
nationalities and seen so much beauty in the world. And if
my parents hadn't split I probably wouldn't have been so independent
and self-reliant. So I have been lucky to have lived such
an enjoyable life.
We have all been given a chance to live life. We shape our
own destiny. So whatever you do - Enjoy family, enjoy your
sport, enjoy as much of life as you can and make 2013 Matter.
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Are You Wearing A PFD?
At the moment our state doesn't require us to
wear a PFD in our river systems. Our association doesn't require
us to wear a PFD in flatwater races, but if you are part of
a Canoeing Down Under Official Course we need you to wear
a PFD, not just for insurance reasons, but I don't want our
instructors and trainers in a situation where they have to
face the family of someone who has drown while paddling beside
them. There are not many racing paddlers who like to wear
a PFD, but anything could happen out there, so we need to
keep our CDU courses as safe as possible. We have been running
courses for more years than I can remember without a series
incident and we would like to keep it that way.
So please if you are thinking about taking part
in one of our training sessions, don't forget your PFD.
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Rowers - Don't Cross Their
Path
Be Safe
Paddlers and rowers don't seem to mix very well.
We often want the same part of the river. Paddlers cut corners
which in turn can cross a rowers path, - rowers are wide,
their oars are long and they can't see where they are going
and they often take up the whole river when there are more
than one.
I am puzzled why rowers use a particular section
of the river that they know that kayakers use. Why is it they
don't avoid these sections. And why is it they sit in the
middle of the river where kayakers are paddling and racing
when there are kilometres of river up or downstream? And why
do they get narky when we ask them to slow down going through
a busy kayaking area? They don't seem to be racing, if they
were, they wouldn't stop in the middle of the river next to
all the kayaking activity.
Anyway who-ever is right or wrong, we as paddlers
must do our bit and try to keep the river as safe as possible
by looking ahead to see where the rowers are headed and keep
out of their way to avoid a collision.
So be courteous - if you meet a rower coming
towards you, don't cross their path as they are very fast
and you are liable to have a close call or clash. It's not
worth having a clash with a rower, especially if the rower
is 6'5" and muscle bound.
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