Days don't come much more miserable, but there were still about 30 NKC paddlers out training in K1 or K2. Not content with high water and weather discomfort, the majority opted for adding to the pain pleasure by doing a long paddle to Beeston or even Barton Island.
Some people also added to the pleasure by swimming a little to cool down as they headed upstream, but most paddlers settled for gritting their teeth and carrying on round Barton Island and back downstream to Beeston.
The conditions downstream of the weir added extra spice to the mix which offered more swimming opportunities for some. Fortunately others on the water or bank were on hand to make sure it didn't get too exciting. Particular mention must go to Nigel for a starring role as lifeguard and his skill, prompt response and loud voice all proved invaluable.
Music featured in the videos from CCMixter: The Final Rewind - Tryad This River - loveshadow Drops of H2O (Filtered Water Treatment) - djlang59
It was a crisp sunny morning for the Big Water Classic K2 Time Trial. A few "motley crews" turned out including one from Solihull club. A few K1s were along for a pleasant paddle. The water lived up to its billing and could be regarded as "Big." The boats appeared up the canal and portaged on to the Trent for the leg round Barton Island, before portaging back onto the river below the weir. Most crews managed without problems although one seemed to have difficulty with route finding, portaging down on the wrong side of the river. The Solihull crew investigated the possibilities of tree climbing from the river side of the tree and succeeded in turning the event into a triathlon. The K1s including Tom from Solihull all negotiated the course without incident. Hightlights at Beeston
