The conditions were good, the turn out from the vets and juniors was better and 2nd place in the points was even better. Best was reserved for Lightnings who managed 1st place in their point table with only 5 paddlers. Well done to Kasia, Stani, Max, Abbie & Ozzie. Results http://www.worcestercanoeclub.org.uk/Worcester%20Hasler.htm
Great Pictures from Jane at http://nkcgallery2.blogspot.com/
Showing posts with label Worcester. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Worcester. Show all posts
Monday, May 11, 2009
Thursday, August 28, 2008
National Marathon Championships 2008
A fairly large club team attended the Nationals at Worcester over the August Bank Holiday. Fortunately several people had cameras with them and the paddling is best viewed in the web albums on Picasa.
First the ones from Shobhanaa http://picasaweb.google.com/nottmkc/NationalMarathonChamps
Beth, Mick & Kath took a few too
http://picasaweb.google.com/nottmkc/Nationals2
First the ones from Shobhanaa http://picasaweb.google.com/nottmkc/NationalMarathonChamps
Beth, Mick & Kath took a few too
http://picasaweb.google.com/nottmkc/Nationals2
Here are a few of the ones Richard took.
http://picasaweb.google.com/nottmkc/Nationals3
Some good results were produced, most notable from Hayleigh, Harriet & Tina. Dave Belbin, Norman & Mick also featured in the National Champs Masters age group medals. There were also medalists in the Divisional races. Shob, Leanna & Craig also featured with divisional prizes in the National Championships youth age group races. Full results here http://www.worcestercanoeclub.org.uk/nationals_entriessofar.html
Congratulations to all those attending as the club gained 7th place overall.
Some good results were produced, most notable from Hayleigh, Harriet & Tina. Dave Belbin, Norman & Mick also featured in the National Champs Masters age group medals. There were also medalists in the Divisional races. Shob, Leanna & Craig also featured with divisional prizes in the National Championships youth age group races. Full results here http://www.worcestercanoeclub.org.uk/nationals_entriessofar.html
Congratulations to all those attending as the club gained 7th place overall.
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Worcester!
There weren’t that many paddlers from the club at Worcester on Sunday, but many people did well. Alice, Tadek and I paddled in div 9 and our race was the first of the sets of divs. Unfortunately Alice started next to a C1 which cut across a lot of boats and cut her completely off and Tadek also got held up but they recovered. But then Alice’s footrest broke and so Mick had to do a quick fix however Alice managed to over take four people!
The course had been changed to a new one which was easier as it was just up and down. Alison, Heather and Geordie, Kath and Donna also passed by on the race and they looked to be paddling well!
Afterwards we watched Rex win the div 4 K1, Mick do a great portage and Craig’s finish too! Not to forget Max’s fly by the finish line and win the under 10 lightenings!
As well as having a great race, the weather was lovely as it was forecast to rain all day although there was a bit of showers during div 4,5&6’s race.
My results were very pleasing as I won div 9 and was also promoted to div 7! Overall it was a great day and I’m really glad Mick talked me into racing, thanks!
The course had been changed to a new one which was easier as it was just up and down. Alison, Heather and Geordie, Kath and Donna also passed by on the race and they looked to be paddling well!
Afterwards we watched Rex win the div 4 K1, Mick do a great portage and Craig’s finish too! Not to forget Max’s fly by the finish line and win the under 10 lightenings!
As well as having a great race, the weather was lovely as it was forecast to rain all day although there was a bit of showers during div 4,5&6’s race.
My results were very pleasing as I won div 9 and was also promoted to div 7! Overall it was a great day and I’m really glad Mick talked me into racing, thanks!
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Worcester Photo Caption Competition!!!
I've promised that I'll add the first of these photos so that you can all click & zoom in on my face.
All suggestions for the caption to Rex please. Thanks for the photos Julie.
Worcester Marathon 2008 - Divs 4, 5 & 6
We had no paddlers in the upper divisions, but Rex, Mick & Craig provided good results in their respective classes. Most Notable was Rex's outstanding win in Div 4. 
Craig doing his first 8 mile race also aquitted himself well. His dead leg and other incidents on the only portage, were probably memorable from his point of view.
Not to be outdone by his dad, Max deserves a mention for his win in the Under 10 Lightning race.
The weather was generally good with a mixture of warm sunshine and quite heavy showers.
Craig doing his first 8 mile race also aquitted himself well. His dead leg and other incidents on the only portage, were probably memorable from his point of view.
Not to be outdone by his dad, Max deserves a mention for his win in the Under 10 Lightning race.
The weather was generally good with a mixture of warm sunshine and quite heavy showers.
Worcester Marathon 2008 - Divs 7, 8 & 9
It was an early start for some as the start times of the first races was very early for most marathons in the region. NKC was well represented in Div 7 K2 with Kath & Donna plus Geordie and Heather racing.
Leanna & Alice doing their first K1 marathon
joined Tadek in Div 9, while Alison did Div 7.
Alice has a tale to tell - after the first 500 metres, her footrest & tiller dropped out, but fortunately, Craig was doing his guardian angel bit & spotted her in difficulties & summoned the driver/coach/repairman, to do some rapid, on the spot adjustments to the ailing system and then over 500 metres down on the last boat in the class, she carried on. Even then she managed to catch several of the tail enders before the finish. Tadek did a good steady race, paddling up from Under 12s, while Leanna produced an outstanding result by finishing 1st in a faster time than the Div 8 winner and consequently getting promoted to Div 7 ... on her 1st K1 race. She was the only person from the club who was surprised at this outcome, but also clearly enjoying her first real marathon K1 success.
Leanna & Alice doing their first K1 marathon
joined Tadek in Div 9, while Alison did Div 7.Alice has a tale to tell - after the first 500 metres, her footrest & tiller dropped out, but fortunately, Craig was doing his guardian angel bit & spotted her in difficulties & summoned the driver/coach/repairman, to do some rapid, on the spot adjustments to the ailing system and then over 500 metres down on the last boat in the class, she carried on. Even then she managed to catch several of the tail enders before the finish. Tadek did a good steady race, paddling up from Under 12s, while Leanna produced an outstanding result by finishing 1st in a faster time than the Div 8 winner and consequently getting promoted to Div 7 ... on her 1st K1 race. She was the only person from the club who was surprised at this outcome, but also clearly enjoying her first real marathon K1 success.
Once upon a time & the death of canoe marathon ...
Once upon a time, when the world was very young and life was still fun, there was a canoe marathon race course at Worcester.
I did something called National Championships there and it was fun. There were things called portages, that meant climbing and slipping up muddy banks, carrying boat and paddles. There were things called weir shoots at 3 different places and they were exciting.
And in those days many people raced and many came to watch the fun & excitement. The enjoyment was so great, that I wanted to do more and to learn how to climb banks without slipping and shoot weirs without swimming and paddle up fast narrow streams without being washed back. And so, in the fullness of time, I learned all these arts and it was even more fun. And watching was also fun.
As more time passed, canoeists forgot these skills and the ones called boat repair and they wanted easier things, with less challange, because it was told that canoeists from over the seas were not as good at the skills, so to make it fairer for them, we should make canoe marathon less demanding and less fun.
But the course at Worcester was still one of the best, with portaging around natural hazards, and so canoe marathon survived, slightly diluted but with some fun retained.
And yet more time passed and still it was too hard for some people, so more things were removed – concrete paths and cones and red & white tape replaced mud & fences and tree roots. They provided a portage around … provided a portage around … around … er … er … cones & tape.
And the course at Worcester survived, now quite insipid, a homogenised shadow of the course that first attracted me to the fun and excitement. It still had interest, beautiful, scenery, buildings and bridges, but I had no need of the skills I had learned.
And soon the thing called media and the spectre from over the seas, demanded that the fun stop, that canoe marathon was serious, not fun, that spectators wanted to sit at home, not traipse to things called weirs or portages. And so “laps” were born. And the course at Worcester was doomed.
Why go to Worcester? Wasn’t there a lake at Dorney and at Holme Pierrepont and “laps” could take place just as well on those. Media could get there easier, closer and the skills of canoe marathon were no longer needed, so why was the course?
RIP Worcester Marathon.
---------
Once upon a time there was something called 10000 metre racing in canoes and kayaks and it took place on lakes at places like Holme Pierrpont and it was fun. It had skills, different from marathon and it took place at regattas. It worked in” laps” and spectators could watch it and enjoy it. And soon the thing called media and the spectre from over the seas demanded that the fun stop, that regattas were serious, not fun, and besides it was too difficult to organise, or to take part … or something … and it faded away.
----------
In the hands of the great powers that be, and the media and the spectre from over the sea, two branches of the sport have dissolved, faded and vanished. The sport is not for paddlers, but the media and the spectre from over the seas.
Once I watched an indoor “cross country” running race. Once … and I slept through much of that. The media was there and spectators, but it was really just another indoor track run with a misleading name. No mud, no rain, no streams, no country to cross, no fun. And I’ve never seen it advertised again! Maybe it was not the wildest of successes.
Given the London or Boston Marathons to play with, the same great powers that twist and torture our sports, would have them run in stadia. Given the Tour de France and it would be ridden in velodromes, at different venues around France and spectators would not need to climb mountains, or travel great distances or stand out in the rain ….
And what of the legend of Pheidippides and his heroic 24.85 mile run bearing news? The term marathon, honours a legend of heroism, cross country, from place to place, not laps. Perhaps the new sport that is proposed should be known as Canoe/Kayak 40,000 metre racing or Canoe/Kayak Laps. The term marathon misleads and has a hollow ring.
And fun, and excitement, and challenge and skills could all be dispensed with, or at least groomed, and trained, and homogenised and diluted until …
Wii Paddling anyone?
I did something called National Championships there and it was fun. There were things called portages, that meant climbing and slipping up muddy banks, carrying boat and paddles. There were things called weir shoots at 3 different places and they were exciting.
And in those days many people raced and many came to watch the fun & excitement. The enjoyment was so great, that I wanted to do more and to learn how to climb banks without slipping and shoot weirs without swimming and paddle up fast narrow streams without being washed back. And so, in the fullness of time, I learned all these arts and it was even more fun. And watching was also fun.
As more time passed, canoeists forgot these skills and the ones called boat repair and they wanted easier things, with less challange, because it was told that canoeists from over the seas were not as good at the skills, so to make it fairer for them, we should make canoe marathon less demanding and less fun.
But the course at Worcester was still one of the best, with portaging around natural hazards, and so canoe marathon survived, slightly diluted but with some fun retained.
And yet more time passed and still it was too hard for some people, so more things were removed – concrete paths and cones and red & white tape replaced mud & fences and tree roots. They provided a portage around … provided a portage around … around … er … er … cones & tape.
And the course at Worcester survived, now quite insipid, a homogenised shadow of the course that first attracted me to the fun and excitement. It still had interest, beautiful, scenery, buildings and bridges, but I had no need of the skills I had learned.
And soon the thing called media and the spectre from over the seas, demanded that the fun stop, that canoe marathon was serious, not fun, that spectators wanted to sit at home, not traipse to things called weirs or portages. And so “laps” were born. And the course at Worcester was doomed.
Why go to Worcester? Wasn’t there a lake at Dorney and at Holme Pierrepont and “laps” could take place just as well on those. Media could get there easier, closer and the skills of canoe marathon were no longer needed, so why was the course?
RIP Worcester Marathon.
---------
Once upon a time there was something called 10000 metre racing in canoes and kayaks and it took place on lakes at places like Holme Pierrpont and it was fun. It had skills, different from marathon and it took place at regattas. It worked in” laps” and spectators could watch it and enjoy it. And soon the thing called media and the spectre from over the seas demanded that the fun stop, that regattas were serious, not fun, and besides it was too difficult to organise, or to take part … or something … and it faded away.
----------
In the hands of the great powers that be, and the media and the spectre from over the sea, two branches of the sport have dissolved, faded and vanished. The sport is not for paddlers, but the media and the spectre from over the seas.
Once I watched an indoor “cross country” running race. Once … and I slept through much of that. The media was there and spectators, but it was really just another indoor track run with a misleading name. No mud, no rain, no streams, no country to cross, no fun. And I’ve never seen it advertised again! Maybe it was not the wildest of successes.
Given the London or Boston Marathons to play with, the same great powers that twist and torture our sports, would have them run in stadia. Given the Tour de France and it would be ridden in velodromes, at different venues around France and spectators would not need to climb mountains, or travel great distances or stand out in the rain ….
And what of the legend of Pheidippides and his heroic 24.85 mile run bearing news? The term marathon, honours a legend of heroism, cross country, from place to place, not laps. Perhaps the new sport that is proposed should be known as Canoe/Kayak 40,000 metre racing or Canoe/Kayak Laps. The term marathon misleads and has a hollow ring.
And fun, and excitement, and challenge and skills could all be dispensed with, or at least groomed, and trained, and homogenised and diluted until …
Wii Paddling anyone?
Monday, April 30, 2007
Worcester Hasler Race
With good weather, Dave driving the mini bus & several good results to NKC, Worcester was an enjoyable day out. Most people were happy with their individual results, but most importantly the team effort meant that we finished 3rd overall in the points.
Photo's by Mick & Sarah - more on the Gallery Blog. (Click on the images for the large version.) Results by following the link on the NKC Results page.
Mick & Tadek getting ready for their 1:30 starts.
Having Dave as driver made the whole day easier for the rest of us.
Division 4 was a good field, with Rex, Graham & Norman all competing. A good result for Rex, finishing 2nd
With the higher divisions racing, Tadek had plenty of help to get him on the water for the Lightning race. 18 competitors across the different catagories made it the best Midlands Region Lightning event so far this year.
A very good result from Tadek, coming first in his class & scoring 10 points in the Lightning competion.
Worcester Assessment race
From the NKC point of view the premiere event was the Women's K2 with Vicky & Hayleigh racing. 
They finished 2nd to Anna Hemmings & Louisa Sawers of Elmbridge who were well clear of the rest.
The battle for 2nd & 3rd places was decided in the last few metres with Becky Schofield & Fay Lamph 3rd & Frankie Negus with Nicky Taylor only a few seconds down on them.
Full results by following the link on the NKC Results page. Photos by Sarah.
They finished 2nd to Anna Hemmings & Louisa Sawers of Elmbridge who were well clear of the rest.
The battle for 2nd & 3rd places was decided in the last few metres with Becky Schofield & Fay Lamph 3rd & Frankie Negus with Nicky Taylor only a few seconds down on them.
Full results by following the link on the NKC Results page. Photos by Sarah.
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