WORDS: MIKE KEENPHOTOS:MIKE KEENIG, Threads and YouTube: @mikekeencookshttps://www.mikekeen.comike@mikekeen.coSouth to north Greenland solo 3 The finaleIn April 2023, I set off from Qaqortoq in the south of Greenland, intending to paddle solo over 3000km up the west coast to Qaanaaq in the far north Qajaq from Qaqortoq to Qaanaaq (the number of Qs in that catchy title having kicked off the whole idea the previous year). All under the umbrella of climate change and connecting to our evolutionary roots, I was also eating purely ancestral Inuit food to measure the effects such an evolutionary diet had on my body (essentially sea mammals, fish and seabirds) either raw, fermented or cooked).Ironically, I had to cut it short in Upernavik, 2200km into the expedition, due to unseasonably solid sea ice in Melville Bay. Melville would always be the trickiest section: 320km between Kullorsuaq and Savissivik, the two settlements that bookmark the Bay. The weather and ice can be, and often are treacherous, with the added spice of it being prime polar bear territory.I left you at the last update having finished the expedition, not particularly intending to return and smash that final leg at the time, I felt like Id had a good stab at it, and circumstances beyond my control had stepped in perhaps I was content with passing it off to fate.But. Way back at the start, Id been given a bundle of letters from mostly elderly Inuit to deliver to their families way up in the north. At the time, I knew that letters and parcels had been delivered using a qajaq and dog sled relay system all up the west coast but had no concept of what these old traditions still meant to people here. Greenland is a country with one foot firmly rooted in ancestral traditions, and its connection with its environment is very solid. And it was that small bundle of letters that started to weigh on my mind.The people of Greenland had supported me unconditionally throughout the expedition, and that increasingly vocal little voice in my head was telling me to deliver the bloody letters. Not that they contained anything particularly important or, perish the thought, anything time-sensitive (paddling isnt the fastest mode of transport, after all).In April 2023, I set off from Qaqortoq in the south of Greenland, intending to paddle solo over 3000km up the west coast to Qaanaaq in the far north Qajaq from Qaqortoq to Qaanaaq (the number of Qs in that catchy title having kicked off the whole idea the previous year). All under the umbrella of climate change and connecting to our evolutionary roots, I was also eating purely ancestral Inuit food to measure the effects such an evolutionary diet had on my body (essentially sea mammals, fish and seabirds) either raw, fermented or cooked).Ironically, I had to cut it short in Upernavik, 2200km into the expedition, due to unseasonably solid sea ice in Melville Bay. Melville would always be the trickiest section: 320km between Kullorsuaq and Savissivik, the two settlements that bookmark the Bay. The weather and ice can be, and often are treacherous, with the added spice of it being prime polar bear territory.I left you at the last update having finished the expedition, not particularly intending to return and smash that final leg at the time, I felt like Id had a good stab at it, and circumstances beyond my control had stepped in perhaps I was content with passing it off to fate.But. Way back at the start, Id been given a bundle of letters from mostly elderly Inuit to deliver to their families way up in the north. At the time, I knew that letters and parcels had been delivered using a qajaq and dog sled relay system all up the west coast but had no concept of what these old traditions still meant to people here.Greenland is a country with one foot firmly rooted in ancestral traditions, and its connection with its environment is very solid. And it was that small bundle of letters that started to weigh on my mind. The people of Greenland had supported me unconditionally throughout the expedition, and that increasingly vocal little voice in my head was telling me to deliver the bloody letters. Not that they contained anything particularly important or, perish the thought, anything time-sensitive (paddling isnt the fastest mode of transport, after all).Trying to dodge the ice againAnd so I found myself in Upernavik again in late July this year about three weeks later than in 2023 to try to dodge the ice. This time, I had a support boat on standby. Laasi is a hunter up in Kullorsuaq and his wife, Birgitta, a teacher there. They were going to do some narwhal and seal hunting in Melville Bay and were happy to go super slow and hang around in VHF radio contact or satphone contact in case I needed assistance, advice, or just to know what the ice conditions were like.It turns out the ice was just as bad as the previous year, if not slightly worse and was causing problems for hunters accessing close to the coast in Melville and with the traditional narwhal hunting. And so it turned out that, yet again, the ice was more of a worry than anticipated, but there was nothing for it but to give it a go. There was no way I could afford to leave it and come back again next year.And so, on a cold and rainy day at the end of July, I paddled out of Upernavik Harbour, winding my way through the Upernavik Archipelago, a whole series of islands and headlands, fairly well sprinkled with tiny settlements that continued up to Kullorsuaq the last settlement before Melville and where I would meet up with Laasi and Birgitta.The 900km before me was split into three equal sections Upernavik archipelago, Melville Bay and the last third from Savissivik to Qaanaaq. That first section was glorious beautiful weather (after the first day anyway), mirror calm waters, incredible scenery and icebergs and the icing on the cake mostly settlements to stay in where I could stay in an actual bed. The settlements are close enough to each other for it to be an excellent paddling holiday. The islands are a great shelter from the force of any weather systems out in Baffin Bay, and there are numerous opportunities for easy landing and camping. And theres a great place in Upernavik that has all the kit for group paddling trips.GPS glitchesId had a couple of glitches last year with my GPS where it just refused to find a satellite, and the folks back home thought I was in trouble when checking out the location map on my website, but I thought these wrinkles had been ironed out for this year. Not so, though I seem to have an ongoing hate/hate relationship with tech. The GPS packed up about 200km into this expedition and didnt work again for the remainder. Despite being a well-known, marine-specific, qajaq-mounted piece of kit, it did the same again.Satellites couldnt be found. So I used a combination of Google Maps on my phone which always gives you your real-time position and a tourist map that gives a better layout of possible landing sites and topography. I had as backup Russian Topo Maps a great app that you can plot courses on, and SIKU an indigenous-specific app for the Arctic that, as well as a map, has ice conditions and a bunch of other info. Of course, the problem on a qajaq is trying to operate a touch screen with constantly wet and cold fingers, but apart from that, the navigation was OK after that even in thick fog in Melville.One other potentially catastrophic issue I faced was my elbows packing in. Last year, I averaged about 30km paddling per day but had to push it farther this year because of the geographical issues often long stretches of open water in between headlands of 40km plus. Another issue was that I had work commitments back in the UK, which I couldnt rearrange. Both meant Id have to double the qajaqing-per-day distance to at least 60km.Which very soon took its toll on my elbows a sharp, tennis-elbow-type pain that kicked in around 30km or so. By the time I got to Nussuaq (a small settlement a day or two south of Kullorsuaq), I wasnt sure if I was going to be able to complete the expedition without a rest day every other day. I was using a Euro-style paddle and had never used a Greenlandic paddle but had heard they lessen the strain on joints so in Nussuaq, I searched for a house with a couple of traditional qajaqs outside and knocked on the door.Thomas didnt speak English, and my Greenlandic is embarrassingly inadequate, but I eventually conveyed my need for a Greenlandic paddle. He told me to return in an hour, which I duly did to find him sanding a plank of wood that was starting to look a tad Greenlandic. Another hour, and I had myself a proper Greenlandic paddle! This is one of the many incredibly positive moments that sums up Greenland for me such a great bunch of people with a never-give-up attitude and a willingness to help out.And, incredibly, the paddle worked brilliantly. It weighed almost 1.5kg most modern paddles are under one kg but was comfortable to hold for long periods and seemed to spread the stress of paddling across my whole upper body instead of fixating on my elbows or shoulders. My average speed also seemed consistent with the Euro-style paddles- staying at around 7 km per hour even after 12 hours of paddling. It seems thousands of years of virtually unchanged design are for a reason.Incredible part of the worldAnd then came Melville Bay. What an incredible part of the world. The first couple of days continued with glorious sunshine and great camp spots albeit further between. I was in radio contact with the boat to check on ice conditions and camping spots, which was working out fine. Then came a long 45km slog between headlands the icecap on the mainland to my right came directly out onto the sea, and there was too much ice both sea ice and icebergs from the many calving glaciers, to get anywhere near the land.But Laasi said there was an excellent hunters camp spot just past the Melville Monument (pictured!), a dramatic jut of rock just off the coast named by Sir John Ross in 1818. And then a pea souper descended, and within minutes, I couldnt see farther than 10 metres.Its such a speedy turnaround. Trying to figure out which way to go without losing precious energy and time readjusting my line was proving difficult without an easy-to-access GPS. I had only been about 20km from the camp spot when the fog came down but dodging looming great icebergs and brash ice whilst having to stop to try and operate my phone for my position was starting to grate and, as always happened in the cold of Greenland, you start to get cold the instant you stop paddling.I radioed the boat to guide me into land it seemed to take forever, and I had been convinced I was only a matter of minutes away. But finally, around two hours later, I landed on a great little rocky beach, pulled Scorp (P&H Scorpio, my qajaq) up above high water and found an almost flat camp spot with great views over the disappointingly close Melville Monument. It was disappointing because it looked so close, and Id paddled past it hours earlier. That was a 78km day.The next day looked good the boat would hang about a bit closer as the ice farther north was thick and routes to land and camp far between. If I couldnt reach the mainland, I had a backup island as a potential Plan B camp spot, but I always knew I had the boat as a Plan C if other options failed. Plan B soon became Plan A as I had to continually head westwards to avoid large sections of sea ice and icebergs there was also plenty of fresh sea ice forming despite the weather being sunny, qajaqing through this fresh ice is quite draining; it feels like someones hanging onto the back of the qajaq and cutting your speed right down.A dramatic gashI also found myself constantly changing my paddling style that may have been a hangover from the elbow problem or just general fatigue or a combination, but it seemed to help a lot. Leaning right back or forward and having a high or low and shallow stroke also seemed to break up the monotony.I could see the island I was heading to for hours before reaching it sometimes hidden behind icebergs, it popped in and out of view over the course of the day, always aggravatedly seeming the same size, and it felt like I wasnt closing the distance at all, not until the last kilometre, when it increased rapidly in size, that I realised just how high it was (pictured!) an incredibly dramatic gash from top to bottom that I could qajaq right into, beautiful clear waters where you could see the continued descent of the rock into the depths. At this point, I was about 75km from any other land and, rather disappointingly, the rock plunged directly into the sea with no chance of a landing, let alone a camp spot.The boat couldnt see a way through the ice to the nearest land, so we decided to haul Scorp onto the boat and search for the safe line to camp. Six hours later, we finally made it after some interesting moments. Often, in the sea ice, you just cant see a way out, and then, almost magically, the differing currents pull and push the ice apart to show a clear line to aim for. The camp that night was on a smallish ledge and didnt happen until 02:00hrs I just wolfed down another seal stew and prepared several bags of it back in Kullorsuaq, which I was now getting fed up with.The next day was more of the same a battle to get away from the coast and the sea ice, and then into some crazy large icebergs and brash ice smaller chunks that are big enough to have to skirt around as opposed to bashing through and all swimming in a slushy soup of other smaller ice chunks. And I saw my first polar bear! It was about 600 metres away, walking on the sea ice, luckily walking away from me. Thankfully, it didnt seem interested as I didnt have enough water to make a quick getaway if hed popped over to see what was happening. He trundled off into the distance, eventually disappearing amongst the ice.Massive icebergsAnd then the fog descended again I was headed almost west towards Savissivik and Kap York. Incomprehensively, massive icebergs loomed like mountains out of the gloom, lifting the hackles on my neck when I knew Id got a little too close, but keeping them at a safe distance whilst navigating the smaller chunks was a challenge. Especially when the fog hid them from view, several times, the slight greyish tinge in the fog darkened, revealing itself to be an iceberg that took over an hour to skirt safely.Eventually, though, land came into view sporadically between the bergs and after spending two hours trying to find a way through, the boat again had to come to my rescue Id been moving at less than 1km per hour for the final three hours s I got deeper into increasingly thicker ice and, after 14 hours of paddling, could feel myself getting exhausted and hypothermic again. Again, Scorp was hauled into the boat, and we spent several hours bashing through the ice trying to get to land sleeping on the boat was an option but would mean a constant ice watch and what with Scorp being on, there wouldnt have been a great sleep.But the next day was clear, and Id now passed all the most productive glaciers, meaning the threat of icebergs had decreased. Also, the sea was mostly clear of the previous few days sea ice, and it was a straight run of 40km or so to the settlement of Savissivik a tiny place of around 50 people I had a well-earned rest day here so amazing to get a shower, visit the shop and get back onto WiFi. I also ate several kiviaq the Little Auk seabirds flying by the millions all around Melville Bay.These are caught in great big nets on the mountainside and then stuffed intact into a seal (without its insides), sewn up, the air pressed out, and the whole package stored for several months under rocks. At this point, the birds are well-fermented and aromatic. And they were jam-packed with great bacteria and nutrients.Qaanaaq finally felt within my grasp 300km left. The weather was deteriorating a little from now on. Id lose three days to high winds the scoot along the coast from Kap York westwards is a fantastic journey plenty of camping spots and actual greenery this is prime muskox territory, and there were a few boats with hunters either off to shoot them or returning with a full boat.Up this was I was also getting close to the US Space Base at Pituffik. And at one camp spot an old US army station that was now only two abandoned huts I was spending almost two days waiting out the winds when two ATVs appeared over the mountain and came to say hello it turns out the Space Base was only a two-hour ride over the mountains from my cosy camping spot. Lovely to get a mug of hot coffee!US military shopIt took me another two days to reach Dundas the distinct flat-topped mountain directly adjacent to the Space Base, and I managed to wangle a visit there to the social club and the US military shop. An unexpected visit to a strange location in a part of one of the most remote areas in Greenland.From Dundas, I pushed on and did over 70km again to Kap Radcliffe, the last real headland before Qaanaaq, where I was pushed back by high winds and had to spend a frustrating day and a half waiting it out. Even then, I launched into heavy seas, expecting a hard slog to get not very far. But 6km in, I rounded the headland, the wind died, and the sun came out; 10 km of paddling later, I could see the coast where I knew Qaanaaq was. I was too far away to see the town, but I knew it was there and decided to go for it. It was a 55km straight schlep past Herbert Island on my left, and it felt like it took forever.On those long legs, the land ahead doesnt get any closer for hours. No amount of singing or whistling at the seals makes it pass any quicker, and its depressingly monotonous. But then you can slowly make out details of the land, the oil tanks that are a big feature of every settlement, and then the buildings and their bright primary colours. About 2km away, three hunters boats came out to greet me, firing rifles into the air.As I closed on the long, recently built jetty, I made out the figure of hundreds of people lined up despite it being clear daylight 24/7, a bunch of fireworks was set off, and several traditional qajaqs skimmed out to meet me and escort me in. At this point, I was struggling to keep the tears in, and once the singing floated out to greet me from over half the town that was waiting for me, I was crying like a baby.3000km of solo paddlingI slid up onto the sand to massive cheers; Greenlandic flags were being waved one being thrust into my hands as well as a couple of bags of Greenland mattak (whale skin and blubber) and prawns, and I was greeted like one of their own. I had completed it. Finally, over 3000km of solo paddling. The final 900km with a shaped plank of wood, through ice, fog and storms.It is an experience that I will never forget. Greenland is wedged in my brain now, and I hope I return many more times. If anyone has a chance and/or the means to get to Greenland, I would not hesitate to say Go. Its an incredible country, with the most beautiful landscapes and paddling anywhere in the world. But its the people who make it. Make the effort, and theyll respond in kind.

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Words: Del ReadPhotos: Del ReadDel Readhttps://delkayaks.co.uk @del_likes_kayakingtom clare @tomclaremediaThe GB Freestyle Academy Camp 2024Another summer, another fantastic week here in Nottingham with the GB freestyle academy camp! Thirty-five young paddlers aged 12-17 travelled from around the country to spend a week at Holme Pierrepont white water course. They came to develop their freestyle kayaking under the guidance of 6 of the best freestyle coaches in the world! We had a brilliant week, and this article is here to tell you all about it!What is the GB Freestyle Academy camp?Following the huge success of the GB Freestyle Academy camp in 2023, we brought the camp back for another year! The camp develops and inspires young paddlers in freestyle kayaking. The camp aimed to ensure that the paddlers had a great week, developing their freestyle kayaking and their confidence on the water, learning about what being a freestyle athlete entails, making friends, and growing themselves both as paddlers and people.The underlying goal of the academy camp and all entry-level freestyle events is to spread the love of freestyle kayaking as a sport. By nurturing the enthusiasm of these young paddlers, the hope is that they will be able to encourage and inspire others they know (parents, clubs, school friends, etc.) to get involved and give it a go!Paddlers had to be nominated by their club to get a place on the camp. It needed to be clear in the nomination why the paddler would be a good fit for the academy, what they would gain from attending the camp and how they could share that knowledge and passion for kayaking with others. The freestyle committee went through the nominations and selected the paddlers who would be invited to attend the camp. The quality of the applications was very high, and with only 35 places in the camp, it was a tough choice to make a huge well done to the 35 young paddlers invited to this years camp.Coaches and staff running the camp?The camp would not have been possible without the volunteer coaches and staff who ran it, so let me introduce you to the teams behind the scenes!CoachesThe six coaches we had on camp this year are all world-class freestyle kayaking coaches, and we were fortunate to have them participate in the camp! This year, Dennis Newton, Mike Shaw, Matt Stephenson, Tamsyn McConchie, and Lowri Davies ran the freestyle sessions. David Rogers also joined the coaching team for Thursday and Friday so that there would be the opportunity for some squirt boat coaching, too.All six coaches are phenomenal freestyle kayakers and paddlers in multiple other disciplines within paddlesports. They have all competed internationally in freestyle kayaking, and many have medalled in these events, too. They are heavily motivated by their love of the sport and by wanting to share that love with others.This year, they were also joined by four assistant coaches Pete, Neil, Andy and John. The assistant coaches were on the water all week, helping the children with their kayaking, but they also had a great learning opportunity by being able to shadow such incredible coaches. When I asked Pete how his day had been early in the week, he was so incredibly positive. In his eyes, observing and learning from such talented coaches was priceless. He was thrilled with how much he had learned about coaching freestyle kayaking and how to break down key tricks for others. Petes positivity and enthusiasm were infectious, and it was a great asset to have him and the other assistant coaches helping out for the week.Camp staffWhilst the camps focus is on the water activities, the week would be such a success with the incredible camp team who kept everyone fed and looked after for the week! Em, Baz and Bella Walker came back for a second year to feed the masses. Ems determination to make sure that everyone is fed nutritious, healthy, filling and home-cooked food all week was incredibly helpful. Bethan, Lou, Nicki, Sam, Jenny, and Dani joined her this year.The whole team worked tirelessly throughout the week to ensure that the paddlers were fed breakfast, lunch, afternoon snacks, and dinner every day. Not a single person went hungry this week, and that was all thanks to their incredible efforts thanks, everyone!Pastoral staffFinally, Tanya and I worked as pastoral staff this week. Tanya was the key organiser and ultimately the lady in charge! Having that key person you know you can go to with any problems that arise over the week is always reassuring.I looked after the children (and coaches when needed) during the day. I did the registers, walked the children over to the course, supervised any children having a break off the water, sorted out any medical or pastoral needs whilst we were there and was generally someone to go to if you needed something. Luckily, I also had plenty of time when I wasnt needed, and hence, I was able to get plenty of photos of everyone!Sunday arrival at campFollowing a couple of days of hard work by the volunteers getting the camp ready, the children arrived on the Sunday afternoon. Boats were unloaded, gear was double-checked, and tents were assigned. The camp was set up so that there was a dining marquee in the kitchen area, and everyone could eat. There was a marquee for drying out gear and a marquee for keeping things dry. There were then seven tents for the children to sleep in, and Bella gave them fun freestyle nicknames, such as the loop tent or the cartwheel tent. Big thank you to River Legacy and Frome Canoe Club for loaning so much of the camping equipment for the week!Once everyone was settled in, the camp volunteers kindly prepared an evening meal and a briefing for the week. There were a few familiar faces at the camp this year who had also attended last year, but most of the paddlers were new, so this probably felt like quite a big experience! I am sure there was a mixture of excitement and nervousness for the week ahead as introductions were made and everyone started getting to know one another.I also had a box to hand out from Pyranha Kayaks, which had kindly gifted a sponge to each paddler attending the camp! I encouraged the paddlers to name their sponges, which led to some fantastically imaginative names being added in Sharpie to the sponges. It was great to see them being used this week to remove water from boats. So thank you, Pyranha!Day one: MondayCamp wake-up is 07:00. I am sure that for teenagers a couple of weeks into their school summer holidays, this wasnt a shock to the system at all! Coach Tamsyn kindly offered a morning yoga session, which was followed by a delicious and nutritious breakfast.Paddlers were told to ensure they were geared up and ready to go to the course by 09:00. Each paddler had been assigned a home group for the week, with whom they needed to check in at the start and end of each session. This was to ensure regular check-ins throughout the day for each paddler. After checking in with their home group leader, we walked over to the course!My role for the week was pastoral, centring around being the available welfare support person during activity time. Part of that was making sure no paddlers got lost on the walk from the campsite to the whitewater course. During this walk, there was a short road crossing, at which I became the designated lollipop lady, stopping cars for the flow of geared-up children. We must have been quite a sight 35 children fully geared up and sporting their bright white academy bibs!We arrived at the course in time to help unload the van of boats and had time for a course walk before the session started. As many paddlers had never attended HPP before, it was good for them to see what all the fuss was about! Afterwards, the paddlers split into groups with their designated coaches and started warm-ups. Soon, the sessions were in full swing, and the course was full of teenagers in playboats!Opportunities to restA few hours later, it was time for lunch. We walked back to camp, and the children got changed, washed their hands thoroughly, and sat down to eat. Lunch breaks on a camp like this are as much about the break as they are about getting something to eat. Its a long and very active week, so its essential to ensure there are opportunities to rest, too. We walked back over for the afternoon session, and as we did so, the sun came out!Everyone started with a group swim down through Inlet, which was very much enjoyed, given how warm it was now! HPP is really quite deep compared to most whitewater courses, and given how sunny it has been in the last few weeks, the water is quite warm! Groups then split up along the course, and each started working on specific whitewater skills.With a range of experiences, each paddler had different wants and goals for the week, which the coaches did an excellent job accommodating. Some of the more experienced groups went straight to working on more complicated, specific freestyle moves. Some groups were working on surfing and controlling their boat on a wave. Some groups were also working on building up their whitewater skills. As I walked down the course with my camera, each group looked really quite happy!We finished the afternoon session, popped boats into the HPP compound, and returned to the camp. A big thank you to HPP canoe club who let us store boats with them this week! Mouth-watering snacks awaited the paddlers, as did hot showers! It made me laugh how much quicker they walked back to the camp than to the course! Once everyone was watered, showered and had lots of water, a yummy lasagne dinner followed. Some of the children had found our camp rule of 9.30 bedtime amusing on Sunday, but after a whole day out on the water, many were in bed before that time today!Day 2: TuesdayTuesday started again with a filling breakfast before heading over to the course. Everyone was a little more settled than on Monday the first day. Nerves were out of the way, and paddlers were ready to start again! The groups split off, and warm-ups began before everyone started off at a different section of the course. I wandered along the course to check in with each group and saw so many wonderful different sessions going on.There was a focus on Loops and McNasties in Inlet, joy surfing on Jaws, learning to spin on Fairy Wave, a rolling clinic on the flat and some fun style moves on the bottom wave. Every group was focused and determined, but there were also so many smiles it was great!Everyone stopped for a lunch break before getting back on for the afternoon sessions. After duct-taping one unfortunate childs split wrist seal, we were ready for the water again! For the second day running, the sun came out over lunchtime and the afternoon session was in beautiful sunshine! Lots of happy children and coaches! It got to 16:30, which was our time to leave, and we had to drag the children (and coaches) off the water as everyone was having so much fun in the sun.After Id walked everyone back over to camp, I went back up to the course for a quick lap down myself to cool off! It was very refreshing! When I returned to the camp, most of the children had showered and fully engaged in the circus activities that trainee coach Pete had kindly set up. Henry proudly showed me his juggling skills, and Pete was kind enough to try and teach me how to juggle as well. It was good fun and nicely filled the time before the delicious curry the cooking team had prepared. Coaching debriefs followed, and some chilled activities were done before bedtime.Day 3: WednesdayAs Wednesday was the weeks midpoint, we had chosen this day to be gentler to give everyone a chance to rest. It had been planned to be only a half-day of paddling with some off-the-water activities in the morning. The children were thrilled to have the opportunity to lie in and snooze in their tents for a little longer.Coach Tamsyn led activities focused on movement. Little games were encouraged to get everyone moving their bodies in different ways that they might not be used to. Freestyle kayaking requires you to move your body into all sorts of weird and wonderful positions, so practising these off the water and on the water is good!After a yummy brunch, we headed to the course, where coach Matt led everyone in some Balsam bashing! He explained to the group what Himalayan Balsam was and why it was a problem. It is an invasive weed commonly found along banks of canals and rivers. It is so good at seed dispersal that it is rapidly outcompeting many of our native plants. This is a problem as it leads to lower biodiversity, making ecosystems less stable.Matt showed everyone how to pick out a Balsam plant and destroy it. As there was so much Balsam around the top of the whitewater course, the children got a good chance to do some Balsam bashing themselves! Although it did make me laugh, the mini Balsam wars of hitting each other over the head with a Balsam plant seemed to be happening. I was there with my camera and particularly enjoyed it when one little group noticed me taking photos and quickly dropped their Balsam plants mid-fight.After this, everyone got on the water and had another enjoyable afternoon of paddling. Post-paddle, Matt led another fun evening activity at the camp of off-the-water freestyle competition. The children split into groups and had to design a synchronised 15-second freestyle ride, which they then performed for the group. The rest of the group had to identify what moves they had performed and rate their level of synchronisation. It was a lot of fun to watch!Day 4: ThursdayThursday started in beautiful sunshine! We had a big group photo before heading up to the course. Today was the last full day, and although everyone was really quite tired at this point, there was still lots of excitement for another day on the water. Lovely paddler Ottilie was feeling a little under the weather but was determined to get on because kayaking is just so amazing I dont want to miss out! What a trooper, Ottilie!Everyone split into groups and got on the water. We gained coach David for the day, who took over one of the freestyle groups. This allowed coach Tamsyn to be free to run the squirt boating session. A few of the paddlers had opted to squirt boat all morning, and then every group was given a time slot for the coach to bring them over to Tamsyn and allow each paddler to try out squirt boating. Watching the more experienced paddlers and complete novices try this discipline out was excellent fun.I spent the rest of the morning following Mikes group down the course and had so much fun in doing so. It was shocking how much progress some of the paddlers had made already this week. Shout out to Brendan, who had never been on white water this week but had an incredible roll and lots of determination. Watching him get stuck in troll hole (stickiest feature on the course currently), hold a side surf and follow my demo from the side of how to get himself out the hole was incredible. Three days of white water paddling, he is already side surfing and managing to paddle out of holes! We nicknamed him after Brendan: King of Troll Hole!As the morning session went on, the weather took a turn for the worse. In the wind and rain, some of the paddlers were getting quite cold, so a group went back to camp a little earlier with camp staff member Sam. The rest held on, however, and we ended the session with many paddlers looping the Inlet gate and having the best time! A warm lunch was well received today.The rain didnt let up in the afternoon, but that didnt stop the keen beans on the camp from being determined to get the most out of their afternoon session. We started with a mass group big ball race which is always good fun to watch. My favourite moment was when Patrick led the race quite a long way until he went through Troll Hole, but his ball remained in it! However, Patricks group wasnt the only one to get wiped out by Troll Hole, and the level of boat/ball carnage in the eddies below was something to behold! Ultimately, it was Jack, Lewis, Zach, Owen and Toryn who won the race!Paddlers were then given the opportunity for a play session. They had free reign of the course to choose from, with the coaches spread out over each feature, ready to give out top tips where requested. Inlet and Fairy Wave were the most popular features, but paddlers were at every spot! So many smiles! There was a beautiful moment when Jamie got his first-ever loop and was so loudly proud of his achievement that half the course heard him celebrate! Well done, Jamie, on smashing your first loop!In the evening, ICF coach and freestyle athlete Charlie Brackpool gave an interactive talk to the camp on how ICF judging works. It was informative and fun to get everyone guessing how the system worked. Thanks, Charlie!Day 5: FridayThe week seemed to have flown by, and suddenly, we were on Friday, and it was the final day of the camp! It was also one of the paddlers birthdays, so Nati had many happy birthday wishes over the day! What a way to celebrate your 16th birthday! We returned to the course and got on for the weeks final session. It was a beautiful, warm summers day and a big change from the rain and wind we had on Thursday.The stoke was high, and the smiles were huge. I think one of the loveliest moments of the whole week was Brendan (King of Troll Hole) getting a loop in Inlet gate. His first experience of white water kayaking was on Monday, and he was looping his kayak by the Friday what a legend! Not a single person who saw that wasnt cheering him on with 100% genuine excitement!Before we knew it, the session was over, and we had to drag both the children and coaches off the water as everyone was having such a good time! We headed back to camp for showers, lunch, and a huge team effort in packing down the camp. Finally, we had a whole group debrief to say goodbye before letting me go off with their parents. Many tired but happy teenagers!Feeling inspired?If you are reading this and feeling inspired to try freestyle kayaking, consider signing up for some of the freestyle events that happen all over the UK, with the next one being the Euro Open https://gopaddling.info/Events/dewerstone-european-open-2022-03-09-2022I would also suggest checking out the GB Freestyle Instagram page www.instagram.com/gbfreestyle/ and getting in contact if you need some advice about how to get more involved in freestyle kayaking.

Words: Emy McLeodPhotos: Emy McLeod &Matt Larsson CliffordEmy McLeodThe challenges of the YukonIn the heart of the wilderness, meandering through vast forest-covered mountains and valleys, gaining flow and widening gracefully yet contrasting so vividly with the landscape, Id describe my feelings in one word surreal. This is the Yukon River.A traditional route to paddle is from Whitehorse to Dawson City a 715km journey that passes many historic sites of interest dating back to the Gold Rush of 1898. Abandoned settlements with their many artefacts remain for you to explore, including wrecks of sunken sternwheelers and old cabins left to return to forest overgrowth. As you progress along the Yukon, wild camping on the river banks, amongst the tree lines, and on the sandbars keep an eye out for moose, bald eagles, beavers, and bears, all commonly spotted in the valleys of the Yukon.I became involved in the expedition by answering a social post of the director of Sweden Outdoors Coaching and founder of Expedition Limitless Matt Larsson-Clifford. He sought a second guide to lead a charity expedition of 15 novice paddlers on the 715km stretch from Whitehorse to Dawson City. Following a few Google meets and phone calls, I headed to the Yukon, where I have wanted to paddle and explore for years! The team I would be guiding was raising funds for Manx Mencamp a charity based on the Isle of Man. The charity aims to improve opportunities for the Learning Disability Community.Prior to going to the Yukon, the team had very few paddling skills. Some had never even been in a canoe, and some had never wild camped before, which added even more to their personal challenges. Eleven nights in the Yukon region and paddling 80km+ on some days was always going to be challenging for the group, and so it turned out. The paddling of the Yukon River presents little of a challenge for an experienced paddler.However, the large group and fast flows on a wide river forces decision-making to be made much sooner, or you may risk missing the eddies you want for camps. With any expedition that involves paddling on a lake, wind becomes a factor, and two days of headwinds on Lake Laberge could have really set us back on our timeline. However, in terms of rapids, these are minimal in number. The main event on the section Whitehorse Dawson is Five Fingers Rapids after Carmacks (now only four fingers due to one of the blocks being taken out by an ice float in a previous snow melt). There is a choice of lines, but the go-to line on the river right provides a safe, clean line with a gentle wave train.Concerned about bearsThe lack of skill wasnt a huge concern as this could be developed over the first few days it was more how the fatigue would affect the group as we were paddling long distances combined with the wild camping and the feeling of being very remote. Bears were high on the concerns of the group, but I would say I could paddle faster and run faster than most, so I was safe! We always carried bear spray with us; fortunately, we never needed to use it.Sadly, we saw no bears on the trip, which was disappointing, but there is always next time! At the campsites, we would check for paw prints and evidence of bears before setting up for the night, ensuring we were always camping upwind in the cooking area and keeping nothing with any scent in the tents. We saw bear, wolf, and moose prints along the river and claw marks on the trees.We left Whitehorse around midday on day one with the boats loaded up with bags, barrels and a large amount of trail mix. There was a positive energy within the group, lots of excitement, and a high level of nerves as the reality hit for a few individuals that they were actually doing this! The first leg had us on gentle flowing water down to an island at the south end of Lake Laberge. The usual zigging and zagging of novice paddlers was evident but soon became less noticeable after receiving handy hints and tips for steering the canoes. We had ospreys flying above us they were much bigger than the ospreys I see back in Scotland.Displays of seal launching from a number of beavers from the banks were also commonplace. As we approached the first camp, it started to rain. We got shelters up; a group was tasked with collecting firewood, another with setting up tents and a third with prepping out the first dinner cooked on an open fire.A small exploration around the camp area to see if any animals had been present earlier found wolf paw prints on the sand but no sign of bears. Remembering to carry bear spray and call out, Hey bear would soon become second nature to the group.Very choppy waterThe forecast for day two was strong headwinds, which was not ideal for Lake Laberge. The 57km long lake gave us our first real challenge. With continual white horses and very choppy water, the group struggled to make distance into the headwinds, so we made the call to pull off the water, set up a shelter, start a fire and wait out the weather. When the winds dropped, we rafted and crossed at the south end of Lake Laberge over to the east shore. This was a challenging paddle.The constant bailing of the boats and pushing hard to make the needed distance took its toll on the group morale. The weather broke in the late afternoon, rafts separated, and we paddled into camp in the sunshine! A picture-perfect view of what canoeing in Canada should be like was our reward as we ate dinner, swam in the lake and sat around the fire, resting our bodies after the days hard push. I couldnt help but compare it to Force 6 winds on Loch Ness only with much better views!Thirty-Mile RiverHaving had strong headwinds on day two, it was only fitting for the group to experience tailwinds to finish the rest of Lake Laberge. Force 5 pushing into Force 6 tailwinds was on the spicy side, with it picking up rapidly. With nearly no experience, paddling in these conditions was challenging for the group, Matt and I, to manage. However, with regular stops on the leeward side of the headlands, we made significant progress and were at the end of the lake by the afternoon. The following section, Thirty-Mile River, is known for being the most scenic section of the trip, which is unquestionably true.The water colour was a stunning teal shade, the river hosting large sweeping bends and high cliffs with hoodoos (rock features) pillaring each side of the river bank. We made camp on the North side of a small island. Setting up camp was smooth, with the group getting used to the equipment, collecting firewood and cooking meals on an open fire.What could have been a disaster for the group occurred with one of the boats being blown into the river by a strong gust of wind, but it was swiftly rescued and towed back upstream to camp with only a kneeling mat being sacrificed to the river gods. From then on, the boats were triple-checked and securely tied each night at camp. That night, we saw our first moose of the trip grazing on the shoreline, which was not too far from where we had our dinner.The Teslin joined the river on day four following the journey through the 30-mile section, which had lived up to its reputation of being the nicest part of the river.Hootalignua, an old settlement established during the Goldrush and Sternwheeler trade years, marks the meeting of the Teslin with the Yukon River.A marker of the past lives of the river, notice boards, and artefacts are still present here, along with a number of newer buildings that can be used as camping shelters if you choose to stop here for the night.Our camp was further downstream at Big Woody Eddy, a campsite within the tree line.Introducing bushcraftThe rivers teal colour was lost after the joining with the Teslin. The flow also increased; now, a silty brown sedimented river was our path. That night at camp, we introduced bushcraft to the group using tools Matt had brought with him, and we started carving out wooden spoons from Poplar and Aspen foraged timber. This was a memorable evening, with the group in high spirits, having paddled a long distance, set up a great camp and now in the routine of boiling water, keeping the fire ticking over and enjoying human conversations. Seeing others feel the joy and contentment I find and seek in the wilderness food, shelter, water and warmth is simple.Meandering its way north, the Yukon River passes through the town of Carmacks, where we stopped for a top-up of basic supplies and took a long break for the group to rest up and attend to blisters, sore backs and sleepy heads. The campsite here is an official camp area with facilities where the group was pleased to shower and give their kit a clean in readiness for the next six days of paddling! It felt strange to be in an area where water was available on tap, and if you wanted, you could get a phone signal.Five Finger RapidsWith the group refuelled, we continued north, swiftly coming to one of the main events on the river, Five Finger Rapids, changing the characteristics of the river. It was a bit of an anti-climax water-wise as it was a straightforward wave train. Im not sure what I was expecting, as having watched Ray Goodwins videos of this, I was fully aware it wasnt a challenging, fast-flowing rapid, and the team made it down easily, having gained fairly efficient paddling skills.The river widens the further north you paddle, with many tributaries from the Yukon Territory joining the river so, increasing the flow. Moose and bald eagles were spotted on the riverbank, but there were still no sightings of any bears only paw prints. We stopped after the River Pelly joined at Fort Selkirk, where we met with First Nation people who spoke about the land and how life used to be through to the present day. If you paddle the Yukon, a stop at Fort Selkirk is a must; visit the museum and speak with the people here. You will feel a strong connection to the river and its history here.An electrical storm and torrential rain hit us over the last few days of paddling, but as cliched as it sounds, it didnt dampen the spirits! Getting into camp, setting up shelters and getting the fire going had become a well-oiled machine.Everyone knew their roles, and we supported each other throughout the challenging moments.There is something relaxing about hearing the sound of rain against the outer of the tent, but then reality returns with the need to get up and pack the wet tent away, and it quickly becomes less relaxing than it was first.Journeys endWe reached Dawson City our journeys end on the 12th day of paddling, having completed our 715km canoe expedition. It was a bit strange being back in civilization, I could have quite easily continued on the river all the way to the sea. We stayed at a guesthouse for a night before driving back to Whitehorse. Dawson City is a quirky place; if you have been, you will know what I mean; if you havent, you have to experience it!The sourtoe drink was done by all the team drinking a dram of not so nice whisky with someones toe in it why wouldnt you do it?! Its a must do when stopping in Dawson City. Having a celebratory meal out that was not cooked over a campfire was a great way to toast the expedition and talk about the experience.The achievement of the Expedition Limitless 2024 team has been incredible, I am so proud of what they have done and gained from it. It shouldnt be considered an easy challenge; it certainly wasnt for the group. Photos dont always show the down parts of a trip, the tears, the pushing through the personal breaking points, etc. I think I speak for everyone when I say it was a very special trip for them, but more importantly to them, the fundraising for the charity has been outstanding.One hundred per cent (100%) of all the money raised goes directly to the chosen charity. The costs of going on the expedition were either covered by corporate sponsors or self-funded, allowing every penny raised to help others through Manx Mencamp. The total raised so far is more than 120K, and with several smaller events still to take place, this sum will increase. This is an outstanding achievement.Commercial guided tripsI loved guiding the Yukon River. It was fantastic to be guiding alongside Matt Larsson-Clifford. We gelled from the beginning, and we already have plans in place for offering commercial guided trips to the Yukon from 2026 onwards. I am looking forward to returning to Canada and exploring more of the rivers out there. I seek the remoteness, the quietness, and the connections with the rivers and lands of the Yukon.A massive thank you must be given to the companies that sponsored and supported the expedition. The main sponsor was Palm Equipment, which kitted out every participant with cags, dry trousers, buoyancy aids, and expedition dry bags. Thanks also to Zurich, Mountain Equipment, and all the individual team sponsors for their contributions.For info on the 2026 Yukon ExpeditionsWebsite: https://www.outdoorscoaching.seFacebook: Emy McLeod / EM Paddlesports Coaching & GuidingInstagram: @emy.mcleod @empaddlesports @swedenoutdoorscoaching @palmequipment

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Words: Andrew Whiting Photos: Peter Astles &David LeathboroughPaddle PeakPaddle Peak is a local charity and club that cleans and cares for the River Derwent and takes local youngsters kayaking. For more information, check their Facebook Page and website:www.paddlepeak.orgPaddle Peak Cromford Mills adventure weekendEach August Bank Holiday weekend, for several years now, local charity Paddle Peak have run come and try kayaking sessions free to local youngsters keen to get on the water as part of the Cromford Mills Adventure Weekend. This superb event based around the historic Cromford Mills gives opportunities to try all sorts of activities, including kayaking.A unique opportunityThe canal at Cromford offers a brilliant and safe space to try kayaking for the first time, and the weekend is staffed by such well-experienced and qualified paddlers; it is a unique opportunity.This year was no different, and around 275 kids took part in the sessions over three days alongside the opportunities to meet GB Olympic paddlers fresh from the Paris Games. Adam Burgess, Kimberly Woods and Mallory Franklin, as well as newly crowned U23 European Champion Ben Haylett, were all on hand to talk about their experiences, show off medals and sign posters, hats and t-shirts some lucky kids even got to paddle with them and get tips from the superstars!Huge thanks to all the volunteers who make these sessions possible, Cromford Mills for their continued support, Peak UK for supplying the best equipment, and Pyranha Kayaks for bringing their demo fleet. This wouldnt be possible without all of you.The Peak ChallengeThe Peak Challenge was (probably) the biggest and best multi-discipline kayaking event series the UK has ever seen. Running for almost a decade, it combined slalom, freestyle and downriver racing skills to find an overall champion. It ran as a series throughout the UK and even ventured to Nepal and Africa. Almost 20 years after the chapter closed, the flame has been re-ignited and re-modelled into a fun-filled family weekend.Over the August Bank Holiday weekend, around 60 paddlers aged six to 60 descended into Cromford in the Derwent Valley, based around the historic Cromford Mills and Willersley Castle, to participate in this inaugural event. There would be a slalom, Downriver and as a finale, the new Olympic discipline of Kayak Cross would round off the three days.Slalom eventSaturday would be host to the slalom event. A course of 18 gates was set over a couple of small rapids, training grounds of the local Paddle Peaksters, to ensure enough challenges for all but not too daunting for any paddler with some moving water experience. Paddlers briefed, judges in place, the racing began. There were some seriously hot laps from the ex-premier division and GB team paddlers, GB coaches of several disciplines, and the youngest competitors being chaperoned by their parents. All cheered on with tremendous enthusiasm.After two laps, results were crunched, and medals were presented by double Bronze Medallist from the Paris Olympics, Kimberly Woods, who also spent the day showing off her medals, chatting and signing posters. What a memory (and podium picture) to cherish alongside all the fun and camaraderie of the day. Willersley Castle (Manor Adventure) hosted a social gathering in the evening with dinner and entertainment from local superstar Buskin John Gill, rolling out the tunes until the last person had left the building (apart from the residents!).A seriously impressive coaching listSunday was the Downriver. But before that started, slalom coaching sessions were offered to any challenge participants, with a seriously impressive coaching list. Fresh from the Olympics, we had Adam Burgess (silver Olympic medallist in Paris), Kimberly Woods (2 x Bronze), and Mallory Franklin. Also on hand were slalom superstars Fiona Pennie and Chris Bowers and recently crowned U23 kayak European champion Ben Haylett. What an experience for the kids!A course of around a kilometre was decided as suitable for the Downriver race (by someone fitter than myself!). Safety was set (thanks to the GB Slalom folks, Gav Barker, Pete, and Olly from Plas y Brenin), and racing was go! A full race spec whitewater racing boat was a notable addition to some paddlers quiver for the day. These folks displayed tremendous speed and skill in negotiating the tight lines and even shared boats for others to try. Despite this, the other paddlers battled to fight for positions, smiling and cheering.Incredible paddling from everyone throughout the day and medals presented by Adam Burgess lead into a well-earned social up at Willersley Castle once again. Theres no better setting in the Derwent Valley. Dinner was served once again, followed by a screening of the legendary PeakUK film Id10t1c Go Boating (remastered for a family audience), which showed the paddling and exploits of the PeakUK team from 2000-2001.Kayak CrossMonday dawned bright and (too) early! The big event was here. Kayak Cross (Peak Challenge style) would involve launching from a start ramp and negotiating eight larger-than-life gates initially as an individual time trial to seed competitors into heats for semis and finals for each category, then as pairs or threes for the semis and finals. Thrills and spills ensued, with some amazingly tight and fiercely competitive racing throughout.This was drawing the crowds for sure! Results were crunched throughout (thanks, Steph and Paul!), and finals were fought to end the weekend with medals for the kayak cross, presented overall by PeakUKs own Pete Astles.One of the best things to see from the whole weekend (although there were so many) was that the J12 (under 12s) category was the biggest of all. What a promising future and I guess it means the Peak Challenge is back for a new generation!Huge thanksFantastic work, and huge thanks to all who came, paddled, supported and volunteered. The pictures and results show most of the story, but the memories from the shared paddling, friendships, meetings and cheers will ensure its back again next year.Special thanks to Cromford Mills and Manor Adventure Willersley Castle for making the event possible, Swadlincote Ski Slope for the kayak cross-start ramp, Peak UK, Pyranha, P&H, Ainsworth and Dagger for all of the kayaks and equipment, Plas Y Brenin for rescue skills, all of the tireless volunteers, instructors, and caterers, Thornbridge Brewery for the cool refreshments, and last but not least, everyone who came along and joined the fun. Well done.Overall Results:J12Eli Hill Paddle Peak.Heather Longhurst Cheltenham CCBodie Ramsdale Paddle PeakJ18Ava Hayden Break Out Canoe UnitHarvey Reeves Break Out Canoe UnitAdam Rose Break Out Canoe UnitSenior MensJamie Christie Break Out Canoe UnitPaul Ramsdale Paddle PeakMark Proctor Paddle PeakSenior WomensGracie Gormal Pinkston PanthersAlison Longhurst Cheltenham CCMolly Walker Pleasley CC

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Olympic GamesOver the ten days of action at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, Team GB achieved four medals across six events in the canoe slalom and kayak cross programme, the biggest haul for the discipline at the Games.Paralympic GamesThe British paracanoe team ended the competition topping the table with a record-breaking eight medals, the greatest return from the sports three appearances at the Paralympic Games.Relive the magic of the Paris 2024 GamesThe Varies-sur-Marnes Nautical Stadium set the scene for a spectacular summer of world-class paddling from Team GB and ParalympicsGB. Our British athletes brought home twelve medals across the Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games, making history.Brilliant Olympic bronze for Kimberley WoodsKimberley Woods started the medal rush after winning bronze in the womens kayak on day two of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Her first Olympic medal. Kim put down a clean run in the final, taking second place behind Jessica Fox before Zwolinska from Poland pushed Woods into third place. It was the first Olympic medal in the womens K1 for Great Britain since Helen Reeves in Athens 2004.Ive got a medal around my neck, and Im so happyIt shows Ive got so much strength. Im so proud of who Ive been the last three years since Tokyo. Kimberley Woods.Sensational silver Olympic medal for Adam BurgessAdam Burgess won silver in the mens canoe on day three of the Games, the first mens C1 Olympic medal since David Florence, who also won silver in Beijing 2008. Despite getting into difficulty on the approach to gate 17, he fought back strongly to keep his clean run going. Adam went into the lead, recording the first time under 97 seconds, with only three to go. He was beaten out for gold by Frances Nicolas Gestin.Adam BurgessIve dreamed of this moment since I was ten years old. I was trying to keep myself calm. I was really trying to think about the little kid who was dreaming about this moment. Adam Burgess.Olympic finals for Mallory Franklin and Joe ClarkeAfter a promising start, Mallory Franklin finished 12th in the womens canoe final. She was up on the leader at the first split before picking up a penalty on gate seven. Despite rallying back, further penalties and a late missed gate saw Franklin finish outside the medals.Joe Clarke claimed a top-five finish in the mens kayak on day six. After finishing fourth place in qualifying, Clarke recorded the fastest time in the semi-final and was last to go in the final. Clarke powered through the finish line in a strong final section to take fifth place.Silver and bronze inaugural kayak cross medals for Clarke and WoodsAfter dominating the preliminary rounds, Joe Clarke took the far right lane in the mens kayak cross final, but Finn Butcher took the lead off the start line. Despite his best efforts to catch the New Zealander, Joe crossed the line in second place to claim the silver medal. Joes second Olympic medal after winning kayak gold at Rio 2016.In a dramatic womens final, Kimberley Woods was in second place behind Nomie Fox off the ramp. Fox moved away from the field as Kimberley crossed the line in fourth place after taking a risk to go for gold. However, Elena Liliks fault on upstream gate two promoted Woods to third place and secured her bronze medal, her second medal in the Games.Two medals in five minutes for Team GB. Doesnt get any better than that. Joe ClarkeParalympic GamesThe British paracanoe team ended the competition topping the table with a record-breaking eight medals, the greatest return from the sports three appearances at the Paralympic Games.Glorious Paralympic Golds for Emma Wiggs, Charlotte Henshaw & Laura SugarCharlotte Henshaw and Emma Wiggs got the British paracanoe team off to a golden start as they were again crowned Paralympic champions on the first day of the finals.Emma Wiggs dug deep to retain her Paralympic title in the womens VL2, the only woman to duck under a minute to win in 58.88 seconds and to become a three-time Paralympic gold medallist. Charlotte Henshaw capped off a brilliant day as she won the first-ever womens VL3 final at a Paralympic Games, leading from start to finish to victory ahead of team-mate Hope Gordon.Charlotte Henshaw and Hope GordonOn the final day, Charlotte Henshaw retained her title in the womens KL2 to become the first British paracanoe athlete to win two gold medals at a Paralympic Games. Emma Wiggs secured her second medal of the games, taking silver. Laura Sugar joined the gold rush by brilliantly retaining her own title in the womens KL3 and claiming a fourth gold medal for Paralympics GB.Emma Wiggs MBE and Charlotte Henshaw MBEIt hasnt quite sunk in but I am proud to get on the podium. We are well prepared for the conditions because we train in Nottingham. Laura Sugar.Superb silver, first-time Paralympic medals for Dave Phillipson, Hope Gordon & Jack EyersFormer wheelchair tennis player Dave Phillipson won the first Paralympic medal of his career at his fifth Games and second in paracanoe, with a brilliant performance for silver in the mens KL2 final.Dave PhillipsonHope Gordon made it a British one, two in the womens VL3, by claiming the silver medal. A sensational debut at her first Paralympic Games in paracanoe, having competed in para Nordic skiing at Beijing 2022. Hope also competed in the womens KL3, finishing fifth.The final medal for Paralympics GB was won by Jack Eyers, who secured silver in the mens VL3 at his debut Games. Jack powered into the lead after the halfway stage and was neck and neck as the finishing line approached, taking silver just 0.08 away from gold.Jack EyersThe goal was always to start paracanoe and become a Paralympian. I have done European and World Championships and now a Paralympics. Ive got the set. Jack Eyers.Finals booked across the boardJeanette Chippington, appearing at her eighth Games, took an agonising fourth place in the Womens VL2. Racing again in the Womens KL1, she pushed all the way, ultimately placing seventh.There was a sixth place for Rob Oliver in a hotly contested mens KL3 final. As Algerias Brahim Guendouz surged ahead for gold, it was too close to call between five paddlers, with Rob unfortunately missing out in the photo finish, just 0.14 off bronze.Ed Clifton marked his Paralympic Games debut with an appearance in the mens VL2 final. Despite the difficult cross-winds, the Chelmsford paddler tackled the conditions with everything he had to place seventh in the final.Visit the Paddle UK Paris 2024 hub to learn more: https://paddleuk.org.uk/paris-2024/

In this SUPboarder PRO video, we pin the Starboard Waterline 126 x 28 against the JP-Australia GT-S 126 x 29 to see which board is best for you.We tested these boards in a variety of conditions, from calm water to choppy seas, upwind to downwind, waves, tide and wind. So how did these boards perform?Well, they actually did better than we thought. Both Starboard and JP-Australia market these designs for flat, calm water causing and touring but upon pushing these boards past their limits, they become very different and each board suits a specific rider.The post Starboard Waterline VS JP-Australia GT-S 126 / Conditions Test appeared first on SUPboarder Magazine.

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