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Island to Island
Race
The Div one grid take
off. Photo Jason Gardener
The juniors take off.
Photo Jason Gardener
Olympian Steven Bird
lead Josh Kippin to the finish. Photo Jason Gardener
Mark Lawson, newly crowned
world 55 plus champ in a Epic V14 is the first ski home and
beating Olympian Ramon Andersson. Photo John Hilton
Spencer King pipping
Peter Liddle to the line. Photo Jason Gardener
Chris Watson, winner
of division 3 and beating many in grid 2. Photo Jason Gardener
I tried hard to beat
the K2 to the line. Photo Jason Gardener
Newcomer to the sport
Jarrod Eaves looking good in his first race. Photo Jason Gardener
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Marathon #1
– Island to Island Race Report
Sunday 5 October 2014
2014 – 2015 Marathon season.
By the close of registration we had
105 craft entered for the mornings paddle around Ron Courtney
Island and Ascot Waters Island. Paddlers where entered into
4 length courses, 11.1 km for the expert paddlers, 6.6 km
for the capable, but not experienced paddlers and 4.4km Novice
and U12 Guppy and a 3.2 km for our youngest paddlers.
After the Marathon Discipline’s
AGM and race briefing, all the paddlers took to the water
to travel the 400m upstream to the Start line.
First away was the team boat division.
Division 1 was off next which included several of Perth’s
top male paddlers all capable of taking it out.
Third start away was Division 2, containing
5 of the state’s top Marathon and Sprint Ladies.
After these two divisions the following
divisions were a little less hectic but still showing signs
of great competition within them.
From the Start Line there is a 400m+
straight to allow the paddlers with a fast start the chance
to set up a leading pack. Once around the northern side of
Ron Courtney Island the groups could settle down to a fast
cruise depending on who was around them and plan their tactics
for the rest of the race.
At the bottom end of the course the
first of several winds and rain squalls hit, reducing vision
and increasing the need to paddle in a safe manner. The low
bridge in Ascot Waters once again took its toll with paddlers
having to duck to get under and some getting it wrong. Once
out of the Ascot Waters canal and back in the main river and
under Garret Road Bridge the finish is only 3 km away.
Several paddlers stepped up the pace
with in the groups to cause them to breakup and reform with
paddlers from the group ahead. At the downstream end of Ron
Courtney Island, in full sight of the supporters the final
sprints to the finish line took place.
In the team boats class Shannon S (MOC)
and Ben D (AKC) were the winners with a six minute margin
to second Steve F (BPC) and Lee D (BPC). This was also the
fastest time for the day and a race record.
In the Division one singles, Steve B
(BPC) had a close race all the way with Joshua K (AKC), winning
by 1.2 seconds and setting a new class record. Todd B (BPS)
was third with James M (AKC) close behind.
In Division 2 Peter T (AKC) was the
race winner with Bronwyn M (AKC) second, fastest lady and
reset the Open Ladies race record. Andy H (PP) was third with
Jamie R (BPC) fourth across the line and second fastest lady.
Division 3 was won by Chris W, with
Kye B (AKC) in second and the leading Junior. Mathew G (AKC)
was third in Division 3 and the second Junior.
Division Four had Shaina S (BPC) (Junior
Lady) come home fast with Simon O’S (CRCC) second and
Greg F third.
In the Short and Junior classes David
T (AKC) paddling a K2 with his Father Richard was the winner
with Alex R (AKC) second and Nicole S (AKC) third.
Novice class was won by Zac M (AKC)
with Harriette A (CLBC) and Angelina G-G (CLBC) in the minor
positions.
U12 Guppy Class was won by Ryan B (AKC)
who had a clear lead over Kelly T (AKC) and Isabella R (AKC).
U10 Guppy is always interesting watching
as the spectators work out who is going to be Australia’s
future World Champions and the battle in the class is worthy
of them. Emerson A (CLBC) followed by Aiden B (AKC) and Hunter
F (AKC) with Oneli V.W (CRCC) the first girl home.
With the return to Marathon Racing for
the WAIS squad paddlers and a high standard of the local paddlers,
quite a few records were broken across all classes despite
the rain and wind.
Our thanks to Ascot Kayak Club for hosting
the event. A big thank you to all our many volunteers who
helped with the timing and checkpoints of the event, they
had to complete these tasks in the wind and rain.
Next Event is the Moore River Race,
which will include the Mixed Doubles Championship.
Peter Martin.
Results here: http://www.webscorer.com/race?raceid=30056
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A Week With
Dan & Cheryl
I met Dan & Cheryl
in a pretty Canadian town called Kenora. Kenora is surrounded
by many lakes. After paddling 2600kms from the Rocky Mountains
to Kenora, where I was going to meet Alaine and Leonie to
paddle the next leg of my journey with me I met Dan and Cheryl
Kuss. At the time I was waiting in a campsite and writing
in my blog when I first chatted to theml. Then the next morning
as I popped my head out of the tent they invited me to go
and have breakfast with them in town and soon a friendship
started.
The previous day I had
left the Hammerbak family (18 of them) who had holiday houses
on a lake that I was passing through about 35kms away. They
had made me very welcome so I stayed with them for two days
and was spoiled with their company, their food and their drink.
I repayed them with a huge amount of stories and some paddling
lessons.
Back in Kenora the girls
arrived but now we had a little too much gear so Dan and Cheryl
kindly took some of our un-needed stuff back home with them
to Thunder Bay. About 6 weeks later after paddling and portaging
dozens of lakes we arrived at Thunder Bay and stayed with
them for a few days and to let the stormy weather calm down.
Back on Lake Superior we paddled for a couple of weeks and
when our trip came to an end Dan picked us up and took us
back to Thunder Bay where we spent another few days with them
as we waited for our flights out of Thunder Bay. By now we
had become good friends.
Before we took them down
south they went up north to Exmouth with Leonie and her partner
Dan so they have seen a good part of the West. They now head
over east and then to New Zealand taking two months. They
are both keen paddlers, keen divers and dive a lot on shipwrecks
in Lake Superior. With the lake being 3.5 degrees I think
the barrier reef in Queensland is going to be a lot warmer.
Alaine, Dan and Cheryl
really impressed with the WA coastline
A dive at Green Pools
was a little chilly but not as chilly as the 3.5 degree Lake
Superior that they dive in
They were impressed with
the tree top walk, the unique trees, sandy beaches, rocky
out crops, cliffs, forests and especially the wine.
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