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CDU Fitness Training....Reunion
When? Saturday 27th April
We are calling on all paddlers who have taken part in our
fitness training sessions over the last 13 or so years to
come along and join in on a reunion paddle/race session. It
would be great to see all the familiar faces from the past.
You don't have to be fit, you don't have to be good looking
(so Steve Coffee you are most welcome!) we would just love
to see you at our reunion training session.
Paddlers will have an opportunity to meet other paddlers
they haven't seen for a while. We will have the traditional
4km race for those paddlers who want to take it easy and we
will have a 8km race, (twice around the course) for paddlers
with better fitness.
The usual session fee will go towards 3 cash on-spot prizes,
so three lucky paddlers will have the chance of winning some
cold, hard cash.
It would be something to see as many paddlers in plastic
boats, but if you don't have one, come with what ever you
have. Just come!
We look forward to seeing you at Sandy Beach, 7.15am Saturday
27th April.
If you know someone who used to take part in our training
and they don't get this newsletter please mention the reunion
to them.
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I have heard that Dave Rowlands has conquered the cliffs
and on his way to Denham in Shark Bay. He started off at 6.15am
on Wednesday morning at Kalbarri and at 1.00pm Friday he landed
on Cape Bellefin, a distance of 232kms. Hopefully I will hear
more of the story when he reaches Denham or when he is in
mobile range.
Freya Hoffmeister who paddled around Australia has now completed
about two thirds of her journey around South America. To do
what she has done, is an amazing feat, much more so as she
is paddling through countries that are not deemed very safe.
It has taken her 454 days so far. Looks as if she has paddled
nearly 15,000kms.
WA's Sandy Robson has also been active this year. She's paddled
the western coast of India and part of the eastern coast too.
For the next stage she plans to paddle around Sri Lanka and
then complete the eastern coast of India Freya and Sandy are
two pretty brave women.
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I would rather face wild animals
than wild people
Read on...
Back in 1979 I had arranged to paddle from Nanga Bridge to
Scarp Pool on the Saturday, camp overnight with my wife Jenny
at Scarp Pool and be picked up the following day to do the
trip again with other members of the Ascot Kayak Club. Getting
a lift just meant that I didn't have to take down my old trusty
Ford Anglia car.
The trip on Saturday went well and at the end of our paddle
at Scarp Pool we grabbed our camping gear from our lift, said
good bye to our friends and Jenny and I settled down for a
romantic night in the quiet forest. We soon erected our tent
and sat under a darkening sky in peace. A strange marsupial
animal, similar to a Quokka started wandering around our camp.
It was just magical watching this creature, one that I had
never seen before, come closer to us and be part our brilliant
evening. This was truly Australia at its near best.
Then we heard cars. The headlights flickered through the
forest and got closer. Loud shouts that turned into yahooing
sounds echoed down the valley. We were stunned as two cars
came speeding into our picnic area. They stopped only metres
away and several guys and two girls stepped out of the cars.
They were completely drunk.
Jenny and I instantly retired to our tent hoping that they
were not staying long, but they settled in. They formed two
groups and started drinking and every empty bottle was thrown
at or towards our tent. We felt far from safe. It wasn't long
before they were having sculling competitions. Each person
stood on the table and drank a bottle as fast as possible
with the chant of the others.
By now we were getting more concerned, but at least they
didn't know how many people were in the tent. We could have
been two big bikies! The party started to heat up and then
we heard the wooden toilets being demolished.
It didn't take long for it to come down. They were
in a frenzy. Minutes later we started to hear a chopping sound
and it just kept going. It was hard to see what was going
on hidden in our tent, but it didn't sound good. The shouting,
laughing and arguing continued. It sounded as if there was
a brother in each camp and that they were arguing about one
of the girls. It seemed that each brother wanted the same
girl or had had the same girl, so there was a little grief
between the groups.
The chopping continued and they got even drunker and we were
getting more concerned about them storming the tent, but we
couldn't really run for it as we didn't have a vehicle to
escape the area and Jenny couldn't see without her contacts,
so she wouldn't be able to see to hide in the bush.
We couldn't sleep, only pray that the idiots would get bored
and leave. Suddenly the chopping stopped and there was quiet.
A moment later there was a creaking sound and a whistling.
My heart leapt as I realised that the creaking was that of
a huge, high tree falling and it was falling towards our tent.
It whistled to the ground with a big thud that shook the ground
like a small earthquake. I opened the tent door and was shocked
to see the huge tree, that had taken hundreds of years to
grow lying helplessly on the ground only metres away.
It was such a relief to be alive but the night was still
young and the drunks didn't seem as they were going anywhere.
The two parties continued to drink and it was the rubbish
bins around the picnic area which next got a belting. So now
there was no ladies toilet, no rubbish bins, a huge tree down
and a load of bottles scattered around our tent.
I had never been in such a vulnerable position before, I
even felt safer amongst the troubles in Afghanistan when I
was there. The chopping started up again, I stuck my head
out of the tent door and saw a guy chopping at another live
tree. I felt sad for the tree, but I felt safer as the tree
wasn't within range of our tent if it fell. It wasn't long
before the tree was creaking and it also hit the ground.
By now it was gone 2.00am and still the two groups partied
on and argued, mostly over the girl. We hadn't slept and we
didn't expect that we would get any sleep until they had left.
The lights of one of the cars had been left on so they could
see, but now they had faded.
One of the group started pouring petrol along the length
of the big tree that was closest to us. It seemed they wanted
light and after striking a match, flames erupted along the
tree. Moments later there was a shout and then a cry. The
guy had spilled petrol on his jeans and the flames had crept
up and set them alight. As the fire took hold of his legs,
the guy screamed louder, but his mates in the other group
didn't seemed to give a dam. His closest mates decided to
fetch some water from the river using empty beer bottles,
but the small amount of water wasn't enough to cool him down
and stop him screaming.
It was now time to go out and help. I was now confident that
it would be safe to do so. When I reached him the guy was
still crying in pain, so I advised him to follow me down to
the river. He followed and I told him to wade in the water
and stay there for several minutes to ease the pain. He eventually
settled down and stopped his moaning, so I wrapped wet towels
around his legs to keep them cool and told him to get in his
car and go straight to hospital, which he agreed to do. At
last they would go I thought.
Back up at the picnic area his close mates tried starting
the car, but it wouldn't start as the battery was dead flat.
His mates tried pushing, but they weren't strong enough and
the other group wouldn't help. Thirty minutes later they were
still there and the cold towels were now warm and his legs
began to burn, so the screaming started again.
At last the other group decided to help, got the car going
and off they all went leaving the picnic area looking like
a war zone. It was about 5.00am and it was time to relax and
grab some sleep, but what a night it had been.
At daylight we walked around the picnic area to find a devastating
sight. You just can't believe that anyone would do such a
thing. This was Australia, these things happen in other countries,
don't they? We certainly seem to have our fair share of yobbos.
That morning I was picked up by Ascot members to enjoy the
forest and whitewater and paddle the river again arriving
back at Scarp Pool as an ABC TV were filming a documentary
about the area and how the area should be made into a National
Park. They got some good footage of the scene which proved
a point, and was screened later on in the week.
For the guys, well I reported the situation to the police
and they managed to question the guy who burnt his legs by
getting details from the hospital he visited. I think he was
fined, but that was that.
When I go on my big trips and camp close to people I always
remember this night. Give me a bear any time.
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No wonder sharks are getting friendlier and
approaching boats. Fisherman continue to feed them, taunt
them, provoke them, film them, just to and get their picture
in the paper and become some sort of hero. Are they stupid?
Don't they realise it is conditioning sharks to bahave badly.
What is wrong with people!
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Anthony Cabone
Was selected to represent Australia in
the Olympic Hopefuls U15 team
I will always remember Anthony Cabone coming into the shop
around the time he first started paddling. Later Anthony accompanied
his mum Louise, to buy herself a boat so they could paddle
together. Back then at 11 years old he seemed to know more
about the workings of a kayak than most adults do after paddling
for ten years. I could see how keen he was and although I
have seen it in other youngsters who eventually quit the sport
when they left school, I do believe Anthony will keep paddling
and succeed to fulfil his goal.
Anthony Cabone at the recent Australian Championships
A few days after Louise bough a Afinnity sit-on ski, I bumped
into them down at the river. Well, they were actually parked
on a sandy beach and Anthony was adjusting the rudder for
her. I was impressed as a lot of people just have no idea
how to adjust things. He was even giving his mum tips on how
to paddle.
I soon took a liking to Anthony. He was keen, polite with
impeccable manners, a little serious at times, but I could
see he was a very good kid, someone you would like as your
own child. Anthony was introduced to kayaking when Ty Stedman
visited his primary school 4 years ago when he was 11 and
ever since then he has lived, eaten and breathed kayaking
24/7!
I soon realised that I had to help him to develop into a
good paddler so after he had mastered the art of guppy paddling
I gave him a brand new Epic kayak and contributed towards
his first Epic paddle. It is always hard to know who to sponsor
as some paddlers want, but not give anything in return. I
could see that Anthony was appreciative of my help and he
did everything he could do to promote Canoeing Down Under.
Anthony has competed in every event there is, rain hail or
shine. To begin with it appeared that marathon was his thing,
but he and his coaches realised that sprint is definitely
his strength and his passion. He has been an active member
of Bayswater Paddlesports Club since he started paddling and
not only does he like to paddle he helps out with the guppy
paddlers. I remember him coming into the shop one day and
he said to me he had better get going as he had a guppy course
to run. He was only 12 years old.
Anthony has been supported by amazing coaches, Amanda Simper,
Andrew Hayden and Guy Power and with my support it has helped
him to fulfil part of his goal to become an Olympian. The
best thing is that he has the full support of his family mum
Louise, dad Laurie and sister Monique who is a paddling star
in her own right.
This week he was selected to represent Australia in the Olympic
Hopefuls U15 team, to compete at the Olympic Hopes Regatta
in Racice, Czech Republic in September.
Nicholas Pond and Ben Harris have also been selected from
WA.
Anthony Carbone (left) and Luke Moreton another up and coming
paddler (right) at last years Sprint Titles
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Demi O'Brian
Demi taking a dip in the WA Sprint Titles
Demi won 9 Sprint National medals at the recent
Australian Sprint Championships
A couple of years ago CDU gave Demi a cash
incentive as part of encouraging juniors into the sport. Happily
she is more determined than ever and doing extremely well.
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