In conjunction with I-Canoe we have gained approval to run Level 4 Kayak Skills Assessments and Level 5 Kayak SKills Training Course. As things stand we have approval for the following courses and dates:

Level 4 Skills Assessments: December 6th and 11th 2009
Level 5 Skills Training: December 12th-13th 2009 and January 23rd-24th 2010

Please head here to book online etc…

Stay tuned here…
and here for futher updates and news about future courses…

Thanks to the Organisers, sponsors, competitors and the weather the BoaterX on the River Colligan in Co. Waterford on Saturday November 14th 2009 was a great event….everything ran smoothly with excellent organisation and pre-event planning and work. Even the fickle weather played ball with the recent rain, clearing to sunshine for the event, ensuring water levels were at a prime level for some excellent racing and even the obligatory swims and carnage, from the expected and the unexpected!!

..here is a slideshow of the many photos I took…

In conjunction with I-Canoe we are in the process of seeking approval from the ICU to run ICU recognised courses, such as Level 4 Assessments, Level 5 Training and possibly Assessments and Level 4 Kayak Instructor Assessments….keep tuned to here and also to I-Canoe.com….

…Courses to be run in Ireland or possibly North Wales / Scotland…and to include a suprise for all..

Here is a slideshow of the Crana BoaterX action…what an excellent event and section or river for a boaterX!!

Below is a small introduction and taste to the excellent boatercross on the Crana River, Buncrana, Co. Donegal organised by Foyle Paddlers on the 25th October 2009. Well done to Foyle Paddlers and everyone else who helped organise this event and big up to all the participants…due to a slow start and a mix up with boats I didn’t get to enter (although my boat did) but it did mean I managed to take some photographs! The full set will be put up on flickr but here are a few photos to ‘wet’ the appetite and hopefully ensure that those who didn’t bother to go this year will be tempted to go next year…this is an excellent boatercross on a real grade 4 drop with guaranteed dam released water. In addition there is a boatercross lower down for juniors and less advanced paddlers and events organised for sea kayakers and slalom paddlers…so all in all it is a super event in a super location and can only get bigger and better….

This is the the first heat and the first racers heading into the drop….yowser! Fran waiting for the first ‘casualty’ before taking the lead at the bottom!

Heat 2 with the machine Coleman leading the way…
Steven O’D leading Colm and Deccie into the drop….a good line makes a world of difference!

…a better line allows the overtaking manoeuvre….a wrong line means..ouch! Carnage!

The racing line…speed all the way to the bottom…

The line looking good….appearances can be deceiving especially in a race!

Fran charging in round 2…the fun and games continue with some epic racing…Deccie just ahead of Steven in take 2…but it’s all about the right (or left line)!

That’s just a taste…check flickr (paddleforfun’s photostream) for the complete set…

Big thanks to Foyle Paddlers and the organisers once again

Here is my entry for this super night at I-Canoe organised by Colm and Adrian…great effort lads and aslo a big thanks to all who entered videos and turned up with a big congratulations to Fran who won with her entry Why Canoe…

A big thanks to I-Canoe and all who entered a video… a good fun night was had by all with some fun videos…here is a taste of some of the entrants…

Here’s Adrian’s video of a ’sort of first descent’…part one

Here’s part two…

enjoy….

I will try and put up the rest when possible…