Does your canoe club have training water? - Where gates can be hung?
Without access to water with gates hung either on a permanent or semi-permanent basis it is extremely difficult to encourage the development of slalom within your canoe club.
It doesn't have to be moving water however - an old gravel pit would do once a health & safety assessment has been undertaken.
P.S. Can you please post a reply when you vote so that I know which clubs/individuals have responded to the poll?
It doesn't have to be moving water however - an old gravel pit would do once a health & safety assessment has been undertaken.
P.S. Can you please post a reply when you vote so that I know which clubs/individuals have responded to the poll?
The above is the personal opinion of Mark Shaw and does not reflect the views of either the BCU or England Slalom Committees.
St Albans make use of the permanent gates at harefield (there's a race their soon too!) http://www.canoeslalom.co.uk/courses/harefield.htm
The site isn't owned by any particular club, but a few of the St Albans paddlers now maintain it... There are a couple of sliuces and permanent gates!
The site isn't owned by any particular club, but a few of the St Albans paddlers now maintain it... There are a couple of sliuces and permanent gates!
Baldock and District have a permanent swimming pool with occassional gates! No moving water, no permanent gates and no slalom specific coaches (just very nice volunteers who have given slalom a go themselves and pass on words of wisdom to the rest of us).
We have more people getting into the sport but I am not sure how far we can get them. Nevermind, most started because we advertised the cake prizes at Orton Mere!!!
We have more people getting into the sport but I am not sure how far we can get them. Nevermind, most started because we advertised the cake prizes at Orton Mere!!!
You've been to Marple often enough Mark! But for those that haven't, we have about 25 permanent training gates in three sections, and we are planning to add another 5 or so in the near future.
I am very aware just how lucky we are at Manchester, though we do curse about bashing our paddles on the bottom at this time of year!
I am very aware just how lucky we are at Manchester, though we do curse about bashing our paddles on the bottom at this time of year!
We have 10 gates permanently hung outside the Clubhouse on flat water. When the water level rises, we paddle on Duckmill Sluices where we spend 15 mins stringing out 6 training gates. We train every week, once a week. As we train all year round, I think it splits maybe 40% on sluices and 60% on the flat.
Discussions are in progress with the local authority to permanently illuminate the sluice area and that seems it will go ahead. we are also discussing a retractable gate suspension system that will be generally invisible but only take 5 mins to erect and get training.
We train every Tuesday night (7pm to 9pm) through summer and Sunday morning (10am to noon) through winter and these days change with the clocks changing. Anyone may join in the sessions, but if you are not a VKC member, a fee of £5 per session is requested.
Discussions are in progress with the local authority to permanently illuminate the sluice area and that seems it will go ahead. we are also discussing a retractable gate suspension system that will be generally invisible but only take 5 mins to erect and get training.
We train every Tuesday night (7pm to 9pm) through summer and Sunday morning (10am to noon) through winter and these days change with the clocks changing. Anyone may join in the sessions, but if you are not a VKC member, a fee of £5 per session is requested.
Peter Parker - 12 gate courses are plenty long enough!