Bryan's Clydagh / Flesk trip report

And so it was on a wet and windy Saturday in Kerry I found myself sitting in the jeep waiting for Muireann and Colin to arrive.

The flesk was reading 1.4 on the gauge and we had some serious paddling to do!

When the lads arrived and after a quick chat we decided to run the clydagh too. We met up with the gang from Silverbridge Kayak Club in Drogheda at the get in and hopped on for a great day on the water.

With a few trips in the new liquid logic Jefe under my belt I was eager to try out the new adjustments I made to the fittings. Confirming again to me how important it is to spend the time on tuning a boat for a individual person..

Great to see people braving the wind and bad weather for a paddle on one of the best runs in Kerry. There were thrills and spills all the way down with some great lines down the slide! I have to report that my new Snap dragon amortex spray deck did the job wonderfully!

Fair play to the Drogheda gang who ran the slide and on down through the gates of the flesk.

Team training for the colligan gorge games is coming along nicely.

Stay tuned for more updates, thanks to Muireann for supplying the photos.

Bryan

National League wrap-up

Aaaand finally! The last competition of the '09 Freestyle League was on in Lucan Sluice last weekend. This was a great competition with the emphasis all on the fun. This competition was run as a jam session, so each heat is 15 minutes long, and competitors can go in as many times as their arms and lungs allow, with their top 5 moves counting. This means you can really go for the big moves, without having to worry about flushing, since you can always go again! From a competitors perspective, it's great fun, but very tiring, by the end of the heat your arms are falling off. From a judges perspective, we definitely saw people trying some big stuff, especially in the Men's Expert class, where Tom popped one of the biggest loops I've ever seen, and Bowsie landed a donkey flip and mcnasty. For the sports classes - plenty to keep them amused too, with points for fun moves like air guitar, and paddle spins.

Tony goes old school in a new school boat with the rail grab

While the scores from the heats were being added up to keep the crowd amused, we had an "old school" rodeo, rules were boats must be pre - 2000, and we saw some nice ribbed BA's, luminous cags, and dodgy looking helmets. I had trouble recognising people I know quite well! Big big popouts were definitely the order of the day here. Those long boats go big.

Big boats fly apparently

Old School carnage

After all the freestyling was wrapped up, we had the boatercross. Juniors were up first with a mass start, and plenty of fighting. Sport class next - these guys were supposed to go without their paddles, but mutinied and refused - boooring! :-) After that the ladies were up - minus our spraydecks! I was in the lead up until I tried to cross the eddyline and turned in too sharply, and started sinking, maybe next time! Then the men's expert, also minus their spraydecks. These guys took no prisoners, and there was pushing and shoving a-plenty, and a Kamikaze Conor leaping from great heights in on top of the action to try and sabotage as many as possible.

Juniors wait for the carnage to unfold

That night we had partying and prizegiving in Blessington. Prizes were handed out for this competition, the overall prizes for the League, and the trophies were awarded to the new National Champions.

Me trying to cartwheel

Sunday saw a C1 and Squirt training day, as well as a release at Sluice for anyone who wanted to go back for more. I didn't make either of these myself, as I was lost up the Wicklow mountains at the time, but am assured it was good fun.

A big thanks has to go to all who made this, and the other events in the League happen. Organisers, prize-givers, judges, scribes, competitors, parents, spectators - thanks everyone :-) Hopefully next years season will be even better!

All pictures are thanks to Eoin O'Raghallaigh, more in his album here