Monday 15 September 2014

A new way of seeing your three star!


Ok I decided it was time for a blog when I couldn’t fit all the news onto the Facebook page. Firstly I’ve been on my three yearly coach update course – which is always painful and I normally don’t achieve much apart from getting revalidated for three years.
This year did have some high points, mainly standardising what is expected for a pass at 3 star WW kayak. The BCU are looking for a more holistic approach, rather than performing a set of well drilled strokes / tasks – an approach we’ve always favoured at AR Kayaking.
So here’s the low down.

·         Why use a low brace for turns? Impedes forward motion. Read the water and go.

·         Draw on the move only as a correction. I still have reservations about the use of draw strokes, but this is used more as a bow draw when things are about to go pear shaped.

·         Hanging draw – as taught to our clients!

·         Skulling – why bother? Paddler gets tired and falls in anyway. Release pressure on blade and PLF out of stopper.

·         High and Low brace – active use of blade.

·         Rolling. Be able to roll up from a capsize on either side, this doesn’t mean roll on each side - just if you fall in on any side you can get up. This reflects real paddling, unless you’re performing at the highest level you will always go for your strongest side.

·         Surfing stroke – higher angle of paddle, can be adjusted to suit water.

·         Bow rudder – anywhere that is effective for your boat and is forward of the hips.

·         Run the river!
To help anyone who may have been trained under a previous three star syllabus or anyone who just wants to be a better paddler; we’re running a Three Star Tune Up on 11th October – probably at Llangollen.
If any coach doesn’t agree with the above, don’t bother complaining to me – talk to the WM BCU coaching rep.
Other news is we're looking to run a Stand-up For Cancer Day around the 17/10/14. We'll announce details once we've got the ok for river access.

Monday 7 July 2014


Today I saw a business consultant. I remember as a very bored 14 year old lying around feeling ill, I read a computer magazine cover to cover. It was in 1982 when computer magazines were orientated towards business and not gamers, it said. “… A consultant is someone who gets paid for telling you nothing about your business and supplies worthless advice.”

Looks like no change there in 32 years! Just glad the government were paying her wages and not me.

I’m just glad the river awaits and will always be my friend. It can deliver a good kicking when you least expect it, it can give you great joy, but it will always help clear your head and put life into perspective. Doug Ammons said it’s like a band of brothers on the water, I think he might be right. There are two types of people in the world – those who paddle and lower life forms. At present I feel that I have more in common with the little furry creature we saw playing in the river last week than all the office bints I have encountered with their lacquered hair and plastic lives over the past week..

So, see you on the water all you higher life forms! Water dwellers do rule the planet - just ask any Cetacean.