Recently my mind has drifted back to a conversation I had in České Budějovice with Tjaš Kupsch. He was remarking on how incredible it was that the British Team had managed to field a full team across men’s and women’s canoe. Its true, while we might not yet enjoy the levels of success of the French and Czech athletes, the canoe classes (C1 and C2) have been experiencing a remarkable renaissance in the UK. Not long ago wildwater canoe was nearly dead and you could count on one finger the number of paddlers in the UK.
But this renaissance has not been an accident. Instead it is the direct result of a concerted effort from a few key individuals (shout out to Nicky Cresser!). The lessons from this hold the key for not only saving the canoe classes but also growing wildwater in general, and it is something we would be keen to see replicated elsewhere.
The approach to reviving canoe classes has really centred around to main prongs
- Ensuring accessibility to equipment
- Creating a cultural shift within British River Racing
One of these is harder than the others, but it might not be the one you expect.
Equipment and Accessibility
You can’t race canoe classes without canoes. That much should be obvious, but it is also very difficult to tempt anyone to try something new if it comes with a price tag for a few thousand quid. Therefore lowering the barrier to entry is essential for increasing participation in any discipline.
It is here where the British River Racing Committee has stepped up. In the UK wildwater paddling is run by this executive committee, which is a volunteer organisation under paddle UK. Wildwater doesn’t receive a massive amount of funding from Paddle UK but in recent years this committee has been investing in C1s and C2s. Some new, some second hand but importantly they have been creating a fleet of boats that anyone can race. These boats have been to nearly every race in the UK in recent years, usually piggy backing on the minibus or spare roof space. And if they are there then the expectation is that they will be used (although we’ll get into that).
Now we are entering the second phase of the plan. The British River Racing committee is beginning to sell some of these boats. These boats will soon be replaced in the fleet, but selling the boats is now increasing the supply of 2nd hand boats in the UK. Allowing athletes to buy themselves a boat at a more reasonable price.
Eventually this should hit a critical mass. As we get more competent canoe paddlers they will buy new shiny boats, and sell their old boats second hand. I have been reassured though that the British River Racing committee will not stop until there is a C2 in every UK household!
Double or Nothing!
You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t force it to get into a canoe. That is unless your name is Nicky Cresser.
One of the great things about the British River Racing calendar is that it is littered with lots of small easy races on grade 1/2 rivers. The kind of rivers where the water flows upstream when the wind blows a little too hard. These events are great for introducing new people to river racing or getting experienced kayak paddlers into canoes. While it did take a little bit of arm twisting in the beginning it is now the expectation that everyone who enters one of these races doubles up into at least 1 other class. Be that K1+C1, K1+C2 or even C1+C2. The second class may not always be the most elegant of races, but when beginners and juniors see more experienced athletes doubling up and trying different boats with enthusiasm they are more motivated to give it a try themselves. Thus creating the next generation of (hopefully slightly more competent) canoe paddlers.
The ‘Daleks style race’ has become the epitome of this. These races are short sprints held in a free-for-all format. There are no start times, instead the small entry fee gives you as many runs as you can manage, in any and every boat. This usually means K1, C1 and as many C2 parings as you can find. Occasionally there are SUPs or K2 or anything else that floats. Admittedly this makes calculating time at the end a bit of a nightmare. But the times aren’t really the point, the point is fun. Often prizes are given for the most C2 parings or the most different types of craft, not necessarily the fastest. And the prizes are often edible, like homemade cookies!
As doubling up became common at these lower level events, it slowly started to grow at bigger races too. This occasionally involves playing around with the start lists but it’s all for a good cause! Now the expectation is that at anything short of a selection race, everyone will double up (and you better believe we will give you shit if you don’t – although in a very friendly and inclusive way).
Of course getting people into the boats is just the first challenge, but eventually the aim is to build competent and competitive canoe paddlers. This is where ‘Canoe Thursdays’ shine!
The core concept is simple, dedicate a single night of the week to a canoe session. A session where everybody MUST paddle a canoe. Any canoe will do, WWR C1/C2, Sprint high kneeler, Va’a, open boat, as long as it only has one blade your welcome! Each week the session is adjusted to be inclusive of who is on the water. One week it might be skills and drills, another could be short sprints or perhaps threshold efforts. Slowly this weekly session has been building the base and quality British Canoe paddlers.
And it’s not just limited to Thursdays. Canoe Thursday sessions have been popping up on Tuesdays and Sundays around the UK. If you pick a day of the week, we can even hook you up with a sweet sticker!
In Con-canoe-sion
Recently some of the canoe classes have been struggling to be quorate internationally. If we as a community don’t support and encourage these classes then we could loose that forever.
Half the battle is ensuring people have access to boats and equipment which is a role club and governing bodies can assist with. But the second half, the cultural of doubling up encouraging each other into canoes is a job for everyone.
If we build it, they will come.
So should go get in a canoe, because as it turns out, it is a lot of fun!
Canoe Camp
On the 6th/7th of June Nicky Cresser will be running a canoe training camp in Matlock/Nottingham (in the UK). It’ll be suitable from everyone form first time canoeists to those looking to develop their skills. Keep an eye on https://www.wildwater.org.uk/ for more info!
River Stench 