paddlemag oct 2013

Issue 04 Au/NZ Spring 2013

CongratulationsSean Rice

Think Kayak Australia and Paddlemag would like to congratulate sean rice for his stunning win in the

inaugural iCF ocean Paddling World Championships in Vila do Conde, Portugal.

P: 0404-236-638E: [email protected]

test drive the ski that is World Champion sean rices weapon of choice, a

think uno Max, contact Think Kayak Australia

teSt dRivetaKE it For a

ChECK out What thE oFFiCial 2013 surFsKi World ChaMPion has to say about

thE nEW thinK ion

- WatcH videO HeRe -

FeATuRe: suPing The FranklinPage 48.CONTRIBuTORs

PADDLEMAG IS PUBLISHED QUARTERLYWinter / Spring / Summer / Autumn

PUBLISHERSAdventure Types

adventuretypes.com

MAnAGInG EDIToRPatrick Kinsella

[email protected]

AUSTRALIAn EDIToR Susan Wilson

[email protected]

nEw ZEALAnD EDIToRAnthony Antz Longman

GEAR TESTER Hamish Glen

ASSocIATE EDIToRSSimon Madden + Chris Ord + Ross Taylor

DIGITAL DIREcToRAdrian Bortignon

[email protected]

ADvERTISInG [email protected]

FoUnDERSPatrick Kinsella, Simon Madden, Chris Ord, Ross Taylor

DESIGnFletcher Ross

[email protected]

vIDEoAdrian Kiernan, Rohan Klopfer

TRAInInG, SkILLS AnD HooDoo GURUSTim Altman, Travis Frenay, Rohan Klopfer, Jarad Kohlar, Stewart ORegan, Joel Savage

TRAIL BLAZER

Scott Rawstorne

GEAR GURUSHamish Glen, Pat Kinsella, Rohan Klopfer, Susan Wilson

conTRIBUTInG wRITERSTim Altman, Travis Frenay, Lachie Carracher, Adrian Kiernan, Pat Kinsella, Rohan Klopfer, Anthony Longman, Scott Rawstorne, Sandy Robson, Susan Wilson

conTRIBUTInG PHoToGRAPHERSManuel Arnu, Madhav Bhakta, Lachie Carracher, Jehan Driver, Andrea Francolini, Adrian Kiernan, Lucas Tozzi, Scott Rawstorne

SPEcIAL THAnkS ToEast Coast Kayaking

eastcoastkayaking.com

Global Paddler

globalpaddler.com.au

Sandy Robson

Stew ORegan

thinkkayak.com.au

Joel Savage

adventurethon.com.au

Peak Adventure

peakadventure.com.au

Adrian Kiernan

whiteboxmag.com

Sean Smith

fatpaddler.com

covER PHoToRos Lawrence competing at the 2013 adidas Sickline Extreme Kayaking World Championships - photo by Manuel Arnu

vISIT US onLInE paddlemag.com

facebook.com/paddlemag

@paddlemag

instagram.com/paddlemag

vimeo.com/paddlemag

DIScLAIMERCanoeing, creeking, sea-kayaking, SUPing, rafting, running with scissors, whitewater and bluewater paddling of all kinds, and other activities described in this magazine, can carry significant risk of injury or death. Undertake any paddling or other outdoor activity only with proper instruction, supervision, equipment and training.

The publisher and its servants and agents have taken all reasonable care to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this publication and the expertise of its writers. Any reader attempting any of the activities described in this publication does so at their own risk. Neither the publisher nor any of its servants or agents will be held liable for any loss or injury or damage resulting from any attempt to perform any of the activities described in this publication, nor be responsible for any person/s becoming lost when following any of the guides or maps contained herewith. All descriptive and visual directions are a general guide only and not to be used as a sole source of information for navigation. Happy paddling.

Spring 2013 | 5 4 | pADDLEMAg

CONTeNTs FeATuRe: The ClashPage 40. Photo: Andrea FrancoliniTHe PuT IN10 Editors Letters

20 Event Wrap Australian Wild Water Championships

22 Event Wrap Adidas Sickline

24 Event Wrap The Brass Monkey

26 Preview Event Rafting World Championships

FeATuRes28 World Domination Inside the inaugural Ocean Paddling World Championships in Portugal, where a new king was recently crowned

42 The Clash Punks not dead, and neither is the Hamilton Island Clash of the Paddles

50 Standing up for the Franklin. An incredible SUP mission along Tasmanias mighty river.

68 Meet the Messiah Behind The Second Coming of Australian canoeing

76 Deliverance Drama, death & discovery on the rivers of Colombia

PeOPLe14 Guest Guru Sandy Robson,the expedition kayaker paddling around the world, from Germany to Australia. Yes, you read that right.

34 Sean Rice Meet the newly crowned king of Ocean Paddling

60 Ros Lawrence She could paddle with the best and bravest men out there if only she were allowed.

WORDs OF WIsDOM96 Boats with Bling Rohan Klopfer explains how to pimp your ride

100 Tim Altman Explains how first timers can go about popping their Molokai cherry

104 Control Freak The Canoe Man, Travis Frenay, teaches the boat who is boss

108 Spring into action Fine tune your body for race season with some off-water paddle training

ReVIeWs84 Boats, Blades + Boards The on-the-water essentials

90 Gear Oclock The best in paddling gear

94 Books Off-water reading matter

WATeRWAYs114 Lake Barrine & Lake Eacham Tropical North Queenslands Tableland

116 Williamstown Victoria

THe TAKe OuT118 Paddle porn Money shots for paddling pervs

6 | pADDLEMAg Spring 2013 | 7

www.tourismoman.com.au | Phone: +61 2 9286 8930 | [email protected]

Beauty has an address ~ Oman

Paddle the Arabian Sea and explore the coastline of an ancient land steeped in adventure.Oman home of Sinbad the Sailor and a nation with a seafaring legacy that predates recorded history and is interwoven into the culture of the country implores you to explore it from the water. Paddle among the dhows that dot this storied coastline, from the magic of the Musandam Peninsula, where the Indian Ocean

meets the Persian Gulf, past Muscat and right down to the sensational seascape of Salalah. With 2092 kilometres of pristine coastline to explore, you can kayak or SUP from white beaches, keeping an eye out for marine life including turtles and humpback whales as you go, or explore the unique terrain found

in the fjords of Bander Al Khayran. When not on the water, visit ancient forts, castles and souks containing hidden treasures and refuel with the gastronomic delights of the Old Arabia. Discover where Beauty Has an Address ~ Oman, and create your own paddling adventure of a lifetime.

Visit SidetripofaLifetime.com.au

IMAGE: Oman

Nature

www.tourismoman.com.au | Phone: +61 2 9286 8930 | [email protected]

Beauty has an address ~ Oman

Paddle the Arabian Sea and explore the coastline of an ancient land steeped in adventure.Oman home of Sinbad the Sailor and a nation with a seafaring legacy that predates recorded history and is interwoven into the culture of the country implores you to explore it from the water. Paddle among the dhows that dot this storied coastline, from the magic of the Musandam Peninsula, where the Indian Ocean

meets the Persian Gulf, past Muscat and right down to the sensational seascape of Salalah. With 2092 kilometres of pristine coastline to explore, you can kayak or SUP from white beaches, keeping an eye out for marine life including turtles and humpback whales as you go, or explore the unique terrain found

in the fjords of Bander Al Khayran. When not on the water, visit ancient forts, castles and souks containing hidden treasures and refuel with the gastronomic delights of the Old Arabia. Discover where Beauty Has an Address ~ Oman, and create your own paddling adventure of a lifetime.

Visit SidetripofaLifetime.com.au

IMAGE: Oman

Nature

TO STAY IN CONTROL YOUVE GOT TO BE MOVING FASTER THAN THE FLOW OTHERWISE YOURE SIMPLY FLOATING AROUND AT THE MERCY OF THE CURRENTS. THATS THE FIRST THING ANY WHITEWATER PADDLING INSTRUCTOR WILL TELL YOU, AND ITS OFTEN AS TRUE OFF THE WATER AS IT IS WHEN YOURE PADDLING.

Its especially true if you live in Media World, where the meltwater from the rapidly shrinking glacier of traditional print-format magazines has turned a trickle of digital content into a fast-moving flood in recent years. Its created some seriously exhilarating conditions to play in, but youve got to be on your game.

This is the fourth time weve scrambled down the bank, marched over the pebbles to the put in, and launched an edition of Paddlemag. To keep things exciting we make a point of never paddling out in the same direction twice and the release of each mag has felt like start of a new adventure.

Last issue we announced the app version of the publication, optimised for iPads and e-readers but of course you know that dont you? Because youre reading this in the edition you subscribed to.

And this is another truly transitional edition, because now we can announce that the Paddlemag posse has grown and our reach has expanded. Personally, Ive picked up my paddle and returned to the place where it all began the UK where I have unfinished business both on the water and off it.

Ill remain the Managing Editor of the publication, and I look forward to bringing you stories from Upover, but we now also have a dedicated Australian Editor, Susan, and a new gear tester, race reporter and all-round stunt monkey, Hamish.

Together with our New Zealand editor, Antz, and our art director, board-riding design-fiend Fletch, we will form the core Paddlemag production crew, and we look forward to bringing you the very best paddling stories on the planet.

Cheers,

Pat

SUSAn wILSon AuStrALiAn EDitorSUSAN was too young to remember when she first learned to paddle, but it all started on wave skis on Port Phillip Bay. Before long she was perched atop a double surfski, while her father Michael Wilson, something of a paddling legend around these parts (although Susan doesnt like me to mention that) introduced her to the fun of the rollercoasters out the back of Portsea surf beach.

After a few serious years of wildwater racing, including some overseas competition and a big waterfall or two, she began dabbling in surf lifesaving before finally mellowing out and becoming a sea kayaker.

Susan has worked as a freelance journalist in Australia and Cambodia, and until recently was a video journalist for Sky News. Now, when shes not on the water or surfing a keyboard with her Paddlemag hat on, she works part time as a writer and video journalist for a NFP, and full-time as a mum.

HAMISH GLEn gEAr tEStEr / rAcE rEportEr / Stunt MonkEyHAMISHS introduction to paddling was in Sorrento Victoria in the 80s, on his uncles windsurfing board, with a towel for his knees and a flimsy, slightly busted plastic paddle for power.

Despite these inauspicious beginnings, he developed a lifelong love for the ocean and, after many years sailing catamarans, he returned to paddling seriously a few years ago, to discover that the technology had improved beyond belief.

Now with a carbon wing paddle in his hands instead of a broken piece of plastic and an Epic V10 Sport ski under him in place of the windsurfing board he has completed several downwind events and ocean paddles, including last years Great Ocean Paddle, the Battle of Barwon Heads and multiple smaller races and time trials.

When hes not on the water putting gear through its paces for Paddlemag, Hamish is a busy professional in the software industry, and an even busier husband and dad of four.

TRANsITION VAMpEDIToRIAL pAtrick kinSELLA

Susan Wilson

Hamish GlenPatrick Kinsella


FroM tHE pAStBLAsT

A cALL FroM An oLD boAting buDDy gEtS our nZ EDitor ALL MiSty EyED

WHEN YOU START KAYAKING, ITS NORMALLY WITH A COUPLE OF MATES. YOU SHARE THE LEARNING CURVE, LAUGH AT EACH OTHERS MISTAKES, DRIVE HOURS AND HOURS TO GET TO THE RIVER, LAKE, RACE OR EVENT, AND REVEL IN THE CAMARADERIE OF IT ALL.

When I started paddling I had a crew just like this. I was the naive beginner, no knowledge of river dynamics, no awareness of differences between kayak designs and not even a roll. I was accepted with open arms. We went to the swimming pool and several different people spent hours teaching me to roll; we went to the beach and got smashed by the dumping waves; I even entered some slalom events and received multiple Did not Finish results against my name for swimming or rolling past the finish line.

The memories from my early days of paddling almost 15 years ago are a special part of my development as a kayaker. Those experiences built a passion, which in turn has helped to shape my life in a way that I would have never expected.

Since then, like many others, our crew of kayakers hasnt really been together that much. Weve travelled different paths, studied different vocations, lived in various cities and countries and, over time, paddling has dropped off the radar for these old mates of mine. In fact, as I write this, one of the group is cycle touring through Eastern Europe (having started in China), another is mining in North Queensland and one is popping into some Scottish castles on an extended European holiday. Different strokes for different folks as they say.

But this week I received a message on Facebook from one of this original group: Ive bought a kayak, Im picking it up in Queenstown this weekend, lets go paddling.

Now I havent paddled with this friend since 2002. Its now 2013 and hes hardly been in a boat since, yet the opportunity to meet up with an old friend, rally to the river, and have a laugh for old times sake is impossible to turn down.

So come this Friday, Im knocking off early, loading the car and heading to the river. Because although the frequency of trips may have changed, the joy of paddling with friends will always remain.

Cheers. And happy paddling,

Antz

" i HAVEnt pADDLED witH tHiS FriEnD SincE 2002. itS now 2013 AnD HES HArDLy bEEn in A boAt SincE, yEt tHE opportunity to MEEt up witH An oLD MAtE, rALLy to tHE riVEr, AnD HAVE A LAugH For oLD tiMES SAkE iS iMpoSSibLE to turn Down."

EDIToRIAL nZ AntHony AntZ LongMAn Photo - Bruce Longman


GUEST guru

TRANsCeNDeNTALIsM AnD SEA kAyAking

BY sANDY ROBsON

Launching at kasaragod Image: Madhav Bhakta


Let me start with two stories that describe peak experiences from my 2007 SLAP (Sandys Long Australian Paddle) expedition, where I paddled as far as I could around Australia in one year.

One afternoon I was snoozing in my tent on Fly Island when a noise erupted that sounded like a boat hull bashing into the swell. It wasnt a boat that had snapped me out of my lazy siesta, however, it was a humpback whale, lolling around and repeatedly slapping its fin loudly on the surface.

The next day I continued paddling across the Exmouth Gulf. Whales and their calves were popping up everywhere and some were breaching. For curiositys sake I wanted to get reasonably close, but for safetys sake I didnt want to get too close. I was looking and listening out for regular blowhole blasts, which helped me negotiate a zig-zag course across their migratory path. It was slow going and meant Id arrive at Bundegi well after sunset, but time didnt seem really important at that moment.

They say peak experiences come on suddenly and thats exactly how it happened. One minute I was paddling and the next I was awestruck as two whales beneath me began singing to each other. I think my kayak hull must have acted as a hydrophone. My entire world, from horizon to horizon and sea to sky, was filled with beautiful whale-song in surround sound and at full volume. I was paddling alone and I fumbled

with my camera to try to turn it on and capture a sound byte, but then the two whales surfaced just metres ahead of my bow and my heart was racing as I paddled back a little in case they decided to breach.

The whales were like islands emerging from the sea and I was small and insignificant in comparison as I paddled on my way, unknowingly heading towards big changes in my life. One year later I quit my job and started a career as a kayak guide. It offered less than half the salary, but double the joy and plenty of time to dream up the next adventure on the horizon.

Dreaming is one thing, but adventures dont always go where you expect them to (if they did they wouldnt be adventures would they?) and peak experiences are not always within your comfort zone. Sometimes they are a long way past the edge, but there is always something to be learnt. I definitely learnt a lesson in humility through my second peak experience the kind you can only learn after a sudden and dramatic reminder about where you really sit in the food chain.

Paddling past big granite rocks in northern Queensland, I rounded Villis Point to find a perfect sheltered beach. The water was calm and the beach looked to be a fantastic landing spot. Then I heard the voice of Dave Winkworth in my head: Crocs like calm water

I paddled a few more strokes and noticed some mangroves on the inside of the point. The voice in my head reminded me of what else crocs like. Shit," I whispered. "Mangroves!

SLAM!

That noise changed everything. It felt like someone had slammed two bricks together hard on the stern of my kayak. My heart rate accelerated. Adrenaline poured into my system. I knew it could only be one thing. Forcing myself to turn and look I saw a large croc with its head fully out of the water, jaws open and right on the back of my kayak. It closed its teeth and sank back into the water.

FUCK! What else can you say?

Then Daves voice was in my head again: If you see a croc, just paddle away.

I considered paddling out to sea, rather than getting chased off the water and onto the shore, but to do that Id have to face a big croc head on. Bugger that. Instead I fled the jaws of death and headed for the beach, all the way chanting out loud: Please dont get me, please dont get me, please dont get me

I didnt know if Id be able to pull my spray deck loop, leap out and run up the beach fast enough. This is where Id be most vulnerable to an attack. I glanced behind to see if the croc was on my tail. No sign. Shit where is it?

When the bow of the kayak hit the sand I already had the spray deck off and was running up the beach, thankfully without getting tangled up in my paddle leash. No croc chased me so I was able to relax a little and even pull my kayak up out of the danger zone. Then I saw it out in the bay, arching its back, puffing itself up and displaying its tail. This had certainly been a territorial attack from a large male croc and it put me off paddling the top end alone, but it didnt put me off adventure.

I have always loved exploring the outdoors and remote places, which is why I took up a career as an outdoor education teacher. My first time in a kayak though, found me filled with apprehension about whether Id be able to get out when capsized.

It was 1993, the year before I signed up to study outdoor education at La Trobe in Bendigo, and I was 26. During my

How HAS pADDLing inFLuEncED AnD SHApED My LiFE? " Forcing MySELF to turn AnD Look i SAw A LArgE croc witH itS HEAD FuLLy out oF tHE wAtEr, jAwS opEn AnD rigHt on tHE bAck oF My kAyAk"

GUEST guru

Sandy Cuts a Lonely Figure paddling the coast of Turkey 2011


studies I learnt a lot about canoeing and the basics of kayaking, but I never thought Id pursue paddling much further because I wasnt super comfortable on whitewater. Sea kayaking, though, changed all that.

I grew up in rural Western Australia and was always a strong swimmer. When we moved to Geraldton, I spent a lot of time at the beach playing around in the waves bodysurfing and swimming. The ocean was a place where I had never had any fear. Respect, yeah of course, but no fear.

In 1999, I bought a friends Southern Aurora sea kayak. I was running an outdoor education program at a private girls school in Perth, and the kayak sat in the garage a lot until I got the opportunity to go sea kayaking on Ningaloo Reef with some groups as a volunteer leader.

I was in my element paddling in an amazing place, camping on remote Ningaloo Station and snorkelling from the kayak and the experience encouraged me to pursue my paddle education

further. Soon I was studying to become an instructor.

Even then most of my expeditions tended to be bushwalking adventures, but in 2002 I was devastated to learn that I required a hip replacement because of a congenital condition. My surgeon told me I could kayak as far as I liked, but I should hang up my backpack.

I never looked back. Eager to continue my love of venturing into wild places, I joined the Sea Kayak Club WA with a determined new focus. I didnt want to teach, I wanted to learn. The club allowed me to paddle with experienced kayakers, hone advanced skills and push beyond my comfort zone. There were regular long-weekend expeditions and I paddled every Sunday on club paddles.

Soon I was on a 450km expedition up the coast from Perth to Geraldton, paddling an average of 40kms per day with three other paddlers, two from the club and my boyfriend at the time, Jason Beachcroft. At the end of that I just wanted to keep going.

Id heard about a legendary paddler, Paul Caffyn, who had just kept going to become the first person to paddle right around Australia. I bought his book Dreamtime Voyage and started thinking about the idea of taking off around Australia by kayak. I recall Jason Beachcroft saying I would need a bomb-proof roll on both sides to even entertain the idea.

One of WAs most experienced expedition kayakers, Les Allen, became my mentor and helped me become a sea-kayak instructor. In 2003 I had some long service leave and I used it to venture into Greenland rolling, learning from Les and some videos from the internet. By the time I had to go back to work I could roll with chopsticks I called it the Sushi Roll.

I started seeking out experiences in big surf in different locations, particularly along Australias East Coast. On a flight back from Sydney I recall staring out the plane window at the coastline along the Great Australian Bight, knowing I

desperately wanted to paddle down there.

But first I had to face a total hip replacement. It had become so painful that I could no longer paddle long distances without breaks. In 2004 I got my hip replaced in my summer holidays, terrified because I didnt know if I would ever be able to kayak again after the surgery. I tested it out on the south coast of Victoria in 2005, and in 2006 I asked for leave without pay in 2007 so that I could paddle around Australia. All through 2006 I trained, paddling around Garden Island and across to Rottnest and back numerous times, and making a trip in the big seas between Cape Leeuwin and Cape Naturaliste.

Les pummelled me every weekend with questions about how I was going to handle various situations I would encounter alone on the sea, and I sought advice from Australias most experienced expedition sea kayakers, including Stuart Trueman, Andrew McAuley and Dave Winkworth. I bought a Mirage 580 sea

kayak for the trip and, after much frantic preparation, flew out to Melbourne to launch from Caffyn Cove.

The most important lesson I learnt from SLAP was that everyone has dreams, but so many people never make that first step. When you do, you set yourself apart from the crowd and lots of people get behind you. Often everything just seems to flow and fall into place, sometimes in ways you could never imagine. When you leap, you really do fly. Sometimes you crash too, but at least youre living with intention.

My plans to retrace the historic kayak route of Oskar Speck from Germany to Australia evolved during 200910. I wanted to take on another long expedition and the 7-year achievement of Oskar Speck intrigued me because its one of the most amazing paddling journeys ever undertaken.

In 2011, I threw myself into a 5-year plan, sacrificing everything I didnt need in my life so I could undertake this expedition. Since then there have been ups like

paddling over 4000km from Germany to Cyprus and downs, like not being able to get permission to paddle in Iran despite months of planning. Most recently, though, I became the first woman to paddle the west coast of India.

India is the most challenging place I have ever paddled and as I look back on my first trip there, I realise that I am on some kind of transcendental journey into sea kayaking. Sometimes I feel like a paddling monk, but I snap out of the delusion when I unload my kayak and realise that I still own more gear than I can carry.

To find out if there is a sea kayakers Nirvana youll have to follow Sandy on www.sandy-robson.com when she sets out in March 2014 across Palk Strait to Sri Lanka. You can help Sandy complete her mammoth expedition from Germany to Australia by clicking on the DONATE button on the Home Page of her website where you can also watch a video of her voyage so far.

" inDiA iS tHE MoSt cHALLEnging pLAcE i HAVE EVEr pADDLED AnD AS i Look bAck on My FirSt trip tHErE, i rEALiSE tHAt i AM on SoME kinD oF trAnScEnDEntAL journEy into SEA

kAyAking. "

GUEST guru

Launching Alibaug MaharashtraImage: Jehan Driver


wiLDTHING

by SuSAn wiLSon

EvEnT wrAp

AUSTRALIA CANOEINGS MOTTO FOR WILDWATER RACING THIS YEAR IS SOMETHING ALONG THE LINES OF FOLLOW THE WATER. WHICH MAKES SENSE REALLY, BECAUSE AFTER YEARS OF DROUGHT AND ROCKY RACING, DOWN RIVER PADDLERS WERE STARTING TO GET TIRED OF PATCHING UP THE GLASS.

In the spirit of things, the race had a very last minute shift of location from the Goobagandra River in the Snowy Mountains to the mighty Snowy itself, with the race taking place on the upper Snowy River above Jindabyne near Island Bend.

And it was worth the trouble, with Classic winner Mathew Foo French describing it as some of the best water hes ever paddled at an Australian nationals event.

For more information visit the Facebook page or the Australian Canoeing website. The 2014 National Wildwater championships will take place on 5 October on the Goobragandra River, Near Tumut in NSW.

ResuLTs: > DOWNRIVeR CLAssIC MeN1st Mathew French

2nd Stuart Bennett

3rd Matt Dalziel

WOMeN1st Kristy Packham

2nd Maddie Batters

3rd Shayanah Beck

> RAPID sPRINTMeN1st Rob McIntyre first

2nd Foo

3rd Alex McIntyre

WOMeN1st Kristie Packham

2nd Maddie Batters

3rd Elaine Bonney

MATHeW FOO FReNCHtAkES out tHE wiLDwAtEr nAtionALS


With an average incline of 20%, the Wellerbrcke rapids in Austria have been referred to as the Eiger North Wall of kayaking. On this angry aquatic playing field, during one weekend in October, the adidas Sickline Extreme Kayak World Championships put competitors through their paddling paces across a 200-metre course.

The difficulty grading of the rapids here swings violently between class V (extremely difficult) and class VI (only runnable under ideal circumstances), according to the international standard.

A unique event attracts a unique field, and lining up to give it their best crack was a world-class ensemble of the best slalom and freestyle paddlers on the planet. Over 30 different countries were represented by elite paddlers, including Sam Sutton and Bradley Lauder from New Zealand, and Ros Lawrence

from Australia (see our feature on Ros in this edition of Paddlemag), who placed fourth this year, after winning in 2012. Joining Ros, Sam and Brad were kayakers from Brazil, Costa Rica, Argentina, South Africa, India, Japan, Canada, USA, Russia and all over Europe.

With the whitewater raging at class V+, the field of 150 international whitewater kayakers were split into two qualification rounds to determine the 45 best extreme paddlers on the planet, who then went on to compete in the World Championship race. The top three from the previous year also automatically qualified for the finals, and the 48 finalists then fought it out in a head-to-head format.

At the end of a tough and action-packed weekend, Joe Morley from Great Britain and Nouria Newman from France emerged from the whitewater mist as the adidas Sickline Champions for 2013.

Sickline ExtrEME kAyAk worLD cHAMpionSHipS

ADiDAS

EvEnT wrAp

cHEck out MorE oF tHE Action HErE

Photo: Manuel Arnu


Its actually four races under one big brass banner. The format, adopted in 2012, sees competitors run a 12km, grade II stretch of the Waimakariri River (just north of Christchurch) on two consecutive weekend days in July, returning for another double header over a weekend in mid August. The racing is done in time trial style, with competitors leaving in groups of three kayaks, spaced out with 30-second intervals. Paddlers can enter one race or do all four, but there are greater prize incentives the more races you enter.

The whole thing kicked off over 30 years ago, as a training exercise for the South Islands now internationally infamous Coast-to-Coast multisport race itself then in it's infancy. A bloke called Nigel Randall from the White Water Canoe Club wanted to learn how to paddle a downriver racing kayak so he could have a stab at the Coast-to-Coast. Two buddies, Pete Sullivan and Mike Pearce, agreed to teach him and took him along to the Waimakariri one of the South Islands largest braided rivers - and invited the rest of the club along too (luring them in with promises of prizes such as chocolate fish).

Three decades later many people still use it as a training exercise for the Coast-to-Coast, but thanks to Justin Lawson, who later turned it into a major event - its also become a must-do fixture on

the local paddling calendar in its own right. Indeed its one of the largest kayak race series in New Zealand - and even attracts a few North Islanders as well these days. Must be something to do with the chocolate fish, which still get handed out to winners (along with, we should add, over $10,000 worth of cash spoils and spot prizes). The race is now the major fundraiser for the White Water Canoe Club.

Starting one week later than planned due to an 800 cumec flood, the 2013 Yakima Brass Monkey Kayak Race series finally got underway on the weekend of 13-14 July. With the Waimakariri running at 140 cumecs and looking a little murky after the floods, 86 hardy paddlers lined up to do battles. The fast and furious conditions led to some great times, though, with a new course record being set by Adam Milne, who finished in a time of 36 minutes 43 seconds.

Day two served up seriously freezing conditions, which saw the field reduce to 70 tough competitors, and the opening weekend finished with Adam Milne, Nathan Peterson and Ian Huntsman occupying the top three mens spots, and Wendy Riach, adventure racer Fleur Pawsey, and Anna Jaine and Michelle McConchie (equal third) leading the women.

On 10 August, 98 paddlers gathered for the start of race three, amid foggy and windy conditions and with the river running at around 100 cumecs following a delivery of cloud juice from the West Coast midweek. Adam Milne and Nathan Peterson took out first and second place again, but Ian Huntsman slipped to fourth after following a bad braid and ending up high and dry on a shingle bank, and in the womens race Anna Jaine swapped overall positions with Fleur Pawsey.

Even more paddlers, including some novices - arrived for the final race, with 110 people taking to the water for the time trial stage. This time it was Fleur Pawsey who took the bad braid, slipping a few positions as a result, but there was little movement in the overall placings, however, with Wendy Riach, Fleur Pawsey and Anna Jaine forming the womens podium and Adam Milne, Nathan Peterson and Ian Huntsman taking first, second and third in the mens event.

Fancy a crack at this icy but increasingly iconic winter blast? Find more details on The Brass Monkey Below.

EvEnT wrAp

tAking pLAcE in tHE FrigiD grip oF MiD wintEr in nEw ZEALAnDS SoutH iSLAnD, tHE brASS MonkEy iS not An EVEnt For tHoSE wHo SHiVEr EASiLy.

tHE brASSMONKeY

Adam MilneImages: James Brown

wEbSitE FAcEbook


EvEnT prEViEw

eVeNT HIsTORYInternational raft racing has been around in one form or another since Project RAFT in the late 80s and early 90s, which saw countries competing in various disciplines (from slalom to downriver) on rivers such as the Chuya in Siberia, the Reventazn and Pacuare in Costa Rica and the Coruh River in Turkey.

These were followed by a World Championships on Italy's Dora Baltea River in 1994. The following three years saw the Camel White Water Challenge on Zimbabwe's Zambezi River act as the de facto Champs, but in the late 1990s the status of World Championships was once-again given to events in Costa Rica (on the Reventazn and Pacuare Rivers, South Africa (Orange River) and Chile (Futalefu River), with a qualification process being invoked through the IRF.

In 2000 the IRF decide that the World Rafting Championships would be held every two years. Since then the venues have been the Gauley River in the USA (2001), the Vlatava River in Czech Republic (2003), the Quijos River in Ecuador (2005), the Naerinchon River in South Korea (2007), the Vrbas and Tara Rivers in Bosnia & Herzegovina (2009) and the Pacuare River in Costa Rica (2011).

Since 2010 there has also been a bi-annual R4 (4-man raft) World Championships, held every year that the R6 event isn't taking place.

DIsCIPLINesThere are four disciplines in rafting competitions: Sprint (2 to 3 minutes of hard paddling, with teams racing one at a time, time trial style), Head-to-Head (two teams at a time, knock out style until just two teams remain, who then duke it out in the final), Slalom (involving 12 downriver and upriver gates in powerful rapids, very technical) and Downriver (up to an hour of racing along of a section of river featuring continuous and powerful rapids, with up to five teams racing at once). Teams earn points in each discipline, which are then added up to determine the overall winner.

IN NOVEMBER THE WORLD WILL COME TO THE NORTH ISLAND OF NEW ZEALAND WELL, THE ELITE WHITEWATER RAFTING WORLD

WILL ANYWAY TO COMPETE IN THE 2013 INTERNATIONAL RAFTING FEDERATION'S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS.

This is the World Cup and the Grand Slam of whitewater rafting all rolled into one, and the crowd-pleasing action will take place in Rotorua and Kawerau, on

the Bay of Plenty region's biggest baddest rivers, the Kaituna, Tarawera and Rangataiki. Around 50 crews 30 mens teams and 20 womens teams from

right across the globe are expected to go into battle during the event, with each team comprised of six paddlers and one reserve.

In October last year the same waterways hosted a Pre-Worlds event and reigning Champions Japan showed that they are going to be an awesome force to be reckoned with, beating a local Kiwi team (containing no lesser paddler than multi Extreme Kayaking champ Sam Sutton in their ranks) to

take out the overall win. Revenge will no doubt be on Kiwi minds in November adding to the excitement of an already amazing program of events.

Check out all the action on the event website and Facebook page.

tHE irF 2013

noVEMbEr 1324, 2013 PHOTOGRAPHY iAn trAFForD & FrAnS rooZEnDAAL

worLD rAFtingChampionships

For more about the sport in general, check out the International Rafting Federation below.

irF wEbSitE irF FAcEbook


On a cruelly still July day in Vila dO cOnde, On the atlantic cOast Of POrtugal, 380 Paddlers went intO battle in the inaugural Ocean racing wOrld chamPiOnshiPs at the end Of the day the best Paddler On the Planet was crOwned.

these world titles were the first in the sport of ocean paddling to be run by a governing body and not a manufacturer, and here Paddlemag gets the inside line from three top competitors, including the newly crowned world champion Sean Rice, third-placed australian Cory Hill and a dynamic new face on the ocean racing scene Greg Turbo Tobin

ToPoF THE

woRLDINTeRVIeWs pAt kinSELLA PHOTOGRAPHY LucAS toZZi


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Gives paddlers the ability to: Structure training sessions around cadence. Use cadence feedback to develop quick arms

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DESPITE ONLY TAKING UP OCEAN RACING A YEAR EARLIER, GREG TOBIN WON THE OCEAN SERIES IN 2012. HE WENT ON TO PLACE SECOND IN THE SURFSKI DIVISION AT THE SURF LIFE SAVING NATIONALS AND THEN ROUNDED THE SEASON OUT BY EARNING A JERSEY TO REPRESENT AUSTRALIA IN THE INAUGURAL OCEAN RACING WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS IN PORTUGAL. HERE HE GIVES US A GLIMPSE OF THE WORLDS FROM THE INSIDE OUT.

When I saw the email from Australian Canoeing about a selection race to decide the team who would be going to the Ocean Racing World Championships in Portugal, I was up at the Australian Surf Life Saving Championships on the Gold Coast. I didnt really give it too much thought at the time to be honest. When you are competing at the Aussies, all youre thinking about is making it through seven rounds of surfski racing to get into the final.

After the Championships, with a sore head from celebrating too hard [Greg placed second in the Aussies], I began to consider the possibility of actually making the team. The odds were against me though. I had only been ocean racing for one year, the selection race was three weeks away and Id just been training purely on the spec ski with no endurance oriented work whatsoever, so I thought my chances were pretty slim.

I spoke to my new coach Pete Scott about the pros and cons of competing in the selection race. Initially Pete was keen for me to have a rest and then work on my technique, but right there in front of me was a chance to represent Australia in a sport I love. As far as I could see, the worst thing that could happen was I wouldnt make the team. Decision made.

Pete and I worked on a rushed program to try and get me ready for the 20km selection race from Long Reef to Station Beach in NSW. On the day I didnt perform to the best of my endurance abilities, but I did enough to secure a spot on the team in the open division.

It had always been a dream of mine to represent my country and I was incredibly excited to be named on the Australian team. However, it meant that I had to train for another six weeks and stay super focused.

In Blacksmiths, NSW, where I live and train, winter had begun to bite, making it harder to stay motivated. Luckily I had Pete and a group of dedicated training partners who maintained a strict paddling routine throughout the winter months, meeting in the dark, frigid mornings to train before work.

We set a goal to race at the Clash of the Paddles in Hamilton Island, which took place three weeks before the World Championships. At Hamilton Island I raced well, placing third in the 16km race and fifth in the 25km marathon. I felt I was on

track, with my end goal being a top 15 place in Portugal. After Hamilton Island I kept to the program, training in the cold and dark, and wanting the champs to come sooner.

The day Id been counting down to finally arrived. I packed my clothes, paddles and ASN supplements, said my goodbyes to my understanding fiance and boarded my three-connection, 28-hour flight to Porto, Portugal.

Walking out into the arrival hall you could feel the buzz in the airport, as paddlers from all around the world picked up their paddles and headed straight to hotels inVilado Conde.

Staying with the Australian Team was great. I roomed with the team captain, Jim Walker a bloke who is always ready to have a laugh but who also constantly kept me in a positive mindset. I had exactly three days to try and get my sleep patterns right, to do some practice paddles, work on my Lemans start and check out the prevailing currents of the Portuguese coastline.

The setup at the finish line was brilliant and a credit to the race organisers. Just being around there in the days leading up to the race was a fun experience. All the kayak manufacturers were showing their gear and, of course, the worlds best paddlers were all present and the air crackled with everyones favourite topic of conversation: paddling.

The only thing that wasnt there was the wind. Its usually a very windy place, Vila Do Conde, but the announcement of a downwind paddling event seems to put a curse on conditions.

The day of the event I woke early, still struggling with jetlag, and went for a swim at the beach with Jim. We discussed our race plans and went for breakfast. I had a bigger breakfast than normal, knowing that with all the getting around before the race I would struggle to eat a decent lunch. We went back to the room prepared our things and tried to relax before driving down to the start line.

Arriving at the start area, it suddenly hit me how big an ensemble 380 paddlers lining up on the beach created. It was quite the spectacle and I had to try and focus hard on my preparation for the race at hand. There was little to no wind, and I knew I was in for a very tough race with my inefficient technique against the sprint- and marathon-background paddlers. I needed some surf! www.vaaka.co.nz

GReG TOBIN

Lisa Carrington's Vaaka cadence sensor helped her win Olympic gold in London 2012.

30 | pADDLEMAg Also available throughthinkkayak.com.au & FitnessPaddlers.com.au

" tHE worLDS bESt pADDLErS wErE ALL prESEnt AnD tHE Air crAckLED witH EVEryonES FAVouritE topic oF conVErSAtion: pADDLing. tHE onLy tHing tHAt wASnt tHErE wAS tHE winD." GReG TOBIN

I went for a 20-minute warm up and placed my Meek paddle in my designated paddle locker. At the car I grabbed a bite to eat and then went back down to position my boat. And that was when things started to get a bit rowdy; with everyone trying to ensure their kayak was directly in front of them.

After everyone was set, we went up to our paddles and waited for the start. There was a mistake and one set of lockers was opened early, causing a bit of confusion but they were reset and the start hooter was soon sounded for real.

I blocked everything out and just ran for my boat, keeping my eye on the foot strap. Picking up my boat I used my surf experience and jump started into the cockpit of the Think Uno Max. I got away well and was happy with my start and the first furious-paced paddle to the 2km turning buoy.

I turned the buoy within in the top 15 and set myself to paddle according to my race plan. Halfway in to the race, however, I knew I was a bit off. I wasnt feeling good in the water and started losing focus. Paddlers were passing me left and right, and I knew with about 8km to go that it just wasnt my day.

With a burst of anger, I said a few things to myself, pushed as hard as I could and finished strongly, without letting anyone else pass me, to cross the line in 17th place still outside my goal of a top 15 finish.

I was disappointed at first but then the excitement I felt for various Australian paddlers who performed well, and for my fellow Think paddler Sean Rice, who won and became World Champion, pushed any negative thoughts to the back of my mind.

The event, I feel, was a great success for ocean paddling and hopefully another country will put its hand up to host the event next year. In my opinion the UAE or an Asian nation would be the best location for a World Championship, because theyre a bit closer for many of the traditional ocean-paddling countries, and that would make it easier in cost and time for everyone.

When I look back on my Worlds performance, I am proud of what I achieved. If I could go back, l would arrive closer to the event, but overall I dont think there was much else I could do. I had a bad race and others were better on the day.

Now I get the chance to have a break, get married, rethink a few things and work on my technique in the K1. My second year of Ocean Racing starts with my next international race, which if all goes well will be the Dragon Run in Hong Kong on 16 November. My goals are set, and what I put in place now and in the coming months will hopefully come together and help me perform well there.


seAN RICeIN AN ExCITING FINISH, WHERE JUST 40 SECONDS SPLIT THE TOP THREE PADDLERS, SOUTH AFRICAN SEAN RICE WON THE FIRST EVER OCEAN RACING WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS TO CLAIM THE TITLE AS THE BEST PADDLER ON THE PLANET ON THAT DAY IN JULY. HERE HE ExPLAINS WHAT WAS GOING THROUGH HIS HEAD BEFORE, DURING AND AFTER THE RACE THAT MAY WELL DEFINE NOT JUST HIS YEAR, BUT ALSO HIS CAREER

THe WIN It was a fantastic feeling. Like nothing I can describe. That single day was the highlight of my life. To put so much time and effort into a single goal and then to experience success with it makes it all worth while. I actually cant bear to even imagine what I would have felt if I didnt win that race. I put my heart into it.

THe PRePARATIONThe physical training is the easy part. Everyone does it. Training happens every day, two to three times a day with one rest day a week. Its nearly full time. Its the mental side that ultimately sets athletes apart on any race day. The mental training happens every day, 24 hours a day, NO rest day. I was fully focused that day and my build up had been perfect both physically and mentally.

THe RACeThe start was crazy. Like no start Ive ever done. You could feel the tension like it was electric. I stayed out of trouble. I also had a nice draw at number eight. The conditions were ideal for me, too. I dont doubt that at all. Its nice to feel more comfortable in certain conditions. Although it wasnt as technical as some others would have liked it was what we were given that day.

Man it was so close at the finish. I didnt feel comfortable with my lead until the very last kilometre. To have such a close race is really exciting. Just one wrong move and its game over. Leading a race is not nearly as easy as chasing someone, because when youre in the lead and you make a single mistake the guys catching will quickly see what to avoid or how best to take advantage of that bad move. When youre in front you have no one to follow or mark, and that forces you to go with your gut feeling on a lot of things.

THe BOATThe Think Uno Max, like all the other boats in the range, is the product of countless time and energy spent into being the best surfskis on the water. I put my ass in their boats every time

knowing that Im on the best piece of equipment I could ever want. Think Kayaks have been fantastic to me. Five years ago I was not the paddler I am today and they were the ones who were willing to take me on and nurture me. They trust in me and I trust in their equipment to give me the results I want. I think back to the beginning and then look at where the brand stands now and Im overwhelmed with pride. Im proud to be a part of such a fantastic company and to have had the opportunity to grow with them.

THe CHAMPIONsHIPsThese World Champs had 34 countries represented. That is just fantastic. Surfski paddling continues to grow all around the world; every time I do a big international race this becomes more and more evident. These events then give all these paddlers from around the world an opportunity to meet up and obviously race each other. Its great for camaraderie and at the end of the day we are all in the sport to have fun and these events are a hell of a lot of fun so why not? Not a lot of paddlers have the luxury of being able to travel around the world all through the year to chase a series, so by having just one race on one day with the possibility of becoming the official ICF World Champ until the next one that makes it a lot more accessible to the masses. The series is obviously still very important because its what the sport needs to grow to all regions of the globe, but for a World Championships, I think just one race is enough.

AND NOWI race the World Marathon Championships in the K2 with Shaun Rubenstein in Copenhagen, Denmark at the end of September. Im looking forward to this as Im still new to racing kayaks at that level but Im feeling very confident because Shaun has been such a fantastic mentor to me. Ive learnt so much from the guy already. From there I have the Hong Kong Dragon Run, Cape Town Surfski series, Cape Town World Cup and finally one of my favourites: the Cape Point Challenge.

rEAD pADDLEMAgS FuLL intErViEw witH SEAn ricE HErE

" tHAt SingLE DAy wAS tHE HigHLigHt oF My LiFE. i ActuALLy cAnt bEAr to EVEn iMAginE wHAt i wouLD HAVE FELt iF i DiDnt win tHAt rAcE." seAN RICe


" MAn it wAS So cLoSE. i DiDnt FEEL coMFortAbLE witH My LEAD untiL tHE VEry LASt kiLoMEtrE. juSt onE wrong MoVE AnD it wAS gAME oVEr. wHEn yourE in Front you HAVE no onE to FoLLow or MArk, AnD tHAt ForcES you to go witH your gut FEELing." seAN RICe


EPIC PADDLER CORY HILL PLACED THIRD IN THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS ROUNDING OFF A PODIUM THAT ALSO CONTAINED FELLOW AUSTRALIAN TIM JACOBS. HERE CORY DESCRIBES HIS OWN ROAD TO VILA DO CONDE AND ExPLAINS WHY PADDLERS FROM THE ANTIPODES CAME AWAY FROM THE EVENT WITH SO MUCH BLING

THe BuILD uPThe hype that the ocean-racing community bought to the event was awesome. We all knew that all the top paddlers were going to turn up, and if you were going to turn up yourself then you would want to be prepared.

Id been training for Molokai in May, so I knew that I had the distance in me after that. I just had to really fine tune myself and get the pace back, as I knew there would be so many kayakers and sprinters on the start line. The pace was going to be on.

THe seT uPThere was a lot of carnage at the start. Coming from a clubby ski background I thought that I would get away quite quickly with the jump-start. With that many people surrounding you it was a really hard task. People were jumping on in ankle depth just to get their first strokes in. It really didnt help that they played a heartbeat background with two minutes until the gun although it did create a really good atmosphere.

CONDITIONsThe winds wed seen at SummerChallenge in the past were outstanding, so everyone was assuming that the wind was going to be up. Typical of ocean racing though, if a race is on then the wind is most definitely not. Having a lot of kilometres under my belt from Molokai became my biggest advantage soon after the hour mark ticked over. I was able to catch quite a few people in the back half of the race.

DAWID MOCKes WITHDRAWAL BeCAuse OF ILLNess I wouldnt wish it upon anyone. I went to the World Championships to race the best in the world so it was a shame that he wasnt able to race. For his fans it is also a shame too, as they would have loved to have had the opportunity to say they were only x amount away from beating him.

THe FIeLDI wasnt concerned about any one paddler as there were about 20 to 30 that I believe could have been in that top 10. There wasnt much in time between first and 10th. I think this was the toughest field that has ever been put together.

BLOW BY BLOWI had a really good back half to my race. At one stage, around 5km in, I was thinking that top 10 was nearly out of the question. When I pulled up to around sixth I thought that the top three were uncatchable. Only when I saw Sam Norton dropping back did I think that there was an opportunity to podium. Sean and Tim raced amazingly up the front for the whole race. I would have loved to have been the underdog and snuck up to grab the prize, but it wasnt to be.

sTANDING ON THe PODIuMIt was really humbling. Earlier in the season I had opted to not continue my Ironman racing for the year and instead channel my efforts into ocean ski racing (mainly due to my dislike of swimming), so in my head I needed a good result to make me feel like I had done the right thing.

AusTRALIAN PADDLeRs PeRFORMANCe The beach is Australias back yard. Its hard to get a car park on the Gold Coast if the weather is nice. Who wouldnt want to be out there catching waves, chasing runners and feeling fit? Personally, I work only until 3pm so I can go and play in it every day.

IMPACT OF THe ICF WORLD CHAMPIONsHIPsIt was evident by the number of people at the event that it is considered quite important. It also has a title that comes along with it that many of the paddlers want to have. To be classed as a World Champion of your sport is huge. Without a title race it becomes a matter of opinion.

It would be great to have a World Championships in Australia but I think the logistics of that would be too hard, as we are so secluded on the other side of the world. I love Europes beaches and lifestyle perhaps even the USA or South Africa could host the next one. Anywhere with an ocean and I will be there with my Epic boat and paddle.

And now

Ive just started my Chartered Accountancy after completing my Bachelor of Commerce at the start of the year. I am going to focus on that until the end of the year and fit as much paddling in as possible in my time off. My next big races will be the 20 Beaches in Sydney and the Doctor in Perth.

CORY HILL

rEAD pADDLEMAgS FuLL intErViEw witH cory HiLL

> More on the 2013 Ocean Racing World Championships in Portugal

> Video wrap-up of the 2013 World Championships

> Full-length video coverage of the World Championships

WORLD CHAMPIONsHIPs WRAP-uP" to bE cLASSED AS A worLD cHAMpion oF your Sport iS HugE. witHout A titLE rAcE it bEcoMES A MAttEr oF opinion. " CORY HILL

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Issue 03 Au/NZ wintEr 2013

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AuStrALiA'S oLDESt AnD MoSt LEgEnDAry AnnuAL pADDLing MEEt MAy HAVE turnED 30 tHiS yEAr, but LikE punk tHE cLASH oF tHE pADDLES iS FAr FroM DEAD. in FAct, it'S not EVEn SHuFFLing into rESpEctAbLE MiDDLE AgE yEt. pADDLEMAg wAS on HAMiLton iSLAnD to ExpEriEncE tHE pASSion (AnD tHE pAin) oF A pADDLing pArty to EnD ALL pADDLing pArtiES

THe CLAsH(BesT OF)

(sTORY) pAt kinSELLA (IMAGes) AnDrEA FrAncoLini


IN THE SUMMER OF 1984, ICONIC BRITISH PUNK BAND THE CLASH WERE SPECTACULARLY DISINTEGRATING ON THE JAGGED TERRAIN OF THE LONDON ROCK SCENE AFTER A FEROCIOUS STORM OF INFIGHTING AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE.

At the exactly same time, on the polar opposite side of the planet, Queensland's Hamilton Island was hosting its first high-octane paddling shindig an event that would later become known as The Clash of the Paddles.

And there my rather tenuous link comes grinding to a halt. Because although Hamo's version of The Clash has seen plenty of feisty battles over the years, most of the fights have taken place on the water, and substance abuse has largely been limited to the consumption of ocean-loads of amber nectar at the annual afterparty. It's all rather good, healthy fun for the most part with plenty of tattooed flesh on display, but nary a safety pinned body part in sight.

This year, with the race meet celebrating its 30th lap of the sun, there was certainly no shortage of beer skulling, but the real action, of course, took place out on the big briny blue juice, with all manner of paddling craft competing in races that threaded their way through the idyllic islands of the Whitsundays.

Back in the 80s, only outriggers had an invite to this paddling party, and the race then called the Hamilton Cup soon developed a stout reputation as one of the most exciting and demanding OC events in the world.

Over the intervening decades, however, the Cup has evolved into a far more inclusive celebration of ocean paddling in all its forms a chaotic four-day carnival of aquatic action. This year there were events on the bill for everyone from SUP yoga contortionists to dragon boat paddlers. (It was quite a debut for the latter, with the Canberra Ice Dragons' canoe sinking mid-event during the flag race, and having to be towed ashore.)

THe MAGNIFICeNT seVeN Many of Australia's best surfski paddlers were present to scrap out the two ocean races. The older sea dogs included Clint Robinson (fresh off the back of a convincing Molokai victory), Dean Gardiner, Jonathan Crowe and Bruce Taylor, but snapping at their heels were young Turks in the shape of Jeremy Cotter, Cory Hill and Greg 'Turbo' Tobin, who were using the event as a launch pad for their crack at the upcoming Ocean Racing World Championships in Portugal.

Clint kept the paddling pups at bay, however, winning both the 16km round-island dash on the Thursday and the 25km

marathon from Lindeman Island back to Hamilton on the Sunday and pipping last year's 25km race-winner Jeremy Cotter to the top of the podium in both contests. In the women's events, Elin Ashfield Hedstrom and Tania Moohin dominated across both distances.

The party attracted a touch of glam too, with Masterchef's Hayden Quinn having a paddle in both the surfski events. I'm guilty of taking a somewhat recalcitrant approach to reality TV and wouldn't normally be able to tell the difference between a celebrity cook and the Muppet's Swedish Chef in a pod of paddlers, but it was hard not to notice the excited buzz around Hayden particularly when my wife was around. Somewhat annoyingly, he turned out to be a really nice bloke and a top class paddler to boot placing top 10 in his category in both races. Damn him.

The COTP's outrigger roots still run close to the surface though. Hamilton Island bounces to a beat bashed out by one-ended paddles all week when the event is on, and OC teams from all over Australia and as far away as Hawaii and Hong Kong had turned out in large, vociferous force.

There were multiple races across OC1, OC2 and OC6 disciplines all weekend, from sprints to endurance events including one contest in which some teams paddled while

dressed like the backing singers from the Flaming Lips, in fetching farmyard-animal onesies.

The marquee event, however, and the most anticipated and hard-fought race of the weekend for many of the huge crowd of paddlers and spectators, was the fearsome 42km OC6 race that forms the climax of the COTP on the Sunday. It is, undeniably, an incredible contest to participate in or behold, with the explosive drama of the changeovers making it particularly exciting.

Outrigger Australia Open Mens dominated this race, finishing in just over three hours, followed by Mooloolaba OCC Open Mens and Northern Beaches Masters Men.

sHOuLD I sTAY OR sHOuLD I GO?Amid all this frenzied action, I was beginning to wonder should I stay (and just lap up the event I was there to cover) or should I go (and have a paddle in one of the races)? Obviously the pull of the latter was far too strong, and on the Saturday I found myself on a one-way ferry trip out to Lindeman Island, preparing for a 25km race back against 60 other paddlers all of whom looked a whole lot more comfortable in the conditions than I felt.


Noosa Outriggers Masters Men team changeover during the 42km OC6 marathon off Hamilton IslandImage: Andrea Francolini


The Coral Sea was choppy and belligerent as we skirted around Little Lindeman Island and headed for Pentecost Island en route back to Hamo. Piloting an unfamiliar boat I had a couple of involuntary swims along the way as the ocean swirled unpredictably beneath my ski, with the channels between the archipelago of islands creating all manner of confusing currents and swells. I'd been warned about how technical the water around the islands can be by a highly experienced outrigger paddler the previous night. She wasn't lying.

But the Whitsundays are a truly a world-class place to paddle, and between gaping at my surrounds and having a giant loggerhead turtle pop up to keep me company, it was impossible not to lap up the experience and grin (even as I inhaled another mouthful of water after tipping over again).

I was concentrating so hard that I barely had time to notice, but apparently conditions were unusually frigid for the region. Having just arrived from the depths of a Melbourne winter I thought the day was really quite barmy, but some of the locals were apparently really feeling the cold, and I learnt later that a few even had to pull out with hyperthermia. And that is how I came to beat (technically, anyway) one of Tropical North Queensland's local heroes, Mick de Rooy.

As delighted as I was with that result (and with the fact that I'd not only survived, but finished the race) for me, the best part of the whole shindig was rubbing shoulders with some genuine paddling royalty people who have literally shaped the sport of paddling, and who are living giants of the sport.

The elder family members at this 30th birthday party included 72-year-old Joseph 'Nappy' Napoleon, who has paddled the epic 41-mile Molokai ocean race more than 50 times since he first had a crack at it in 1958. Legend is a much used-and-abused word these days, but really, what else are you going to call this guy? And there Nappy was, helping out with skills sessions in a swimming pool by Catseye Beach.

On the last evening, after the beer had been well and truly flowing for some time, the MC called Clint Robinson, Ky Hurst and Hayden Quinn up on stage for an informal chat on the couch. Paddling and cooking questions done with, he finished off by asking what kind of music the lads listen to. Clint didn't blink. "I used to get into AC/DC as a young fella," he revealed. "But now I pretty much only listen to a band called Coldplay."

Jaysus. Maybe punk is, in actual fact, dead. At least in the heart and ears of one our top paddlers. Imagine how fast he'd go if he occasionally cranked up something a bit more exciting on his stereo then he'd really rock the casbah.

VIDeO HIGHLIGHTswAtcH DAy 1

wAtcH DAy 2

wAtcH DAy 3

wAtcH DAy 4

Often referred to as the Everest of whitewater kayaking, the Grand Canyon of the Stikine in British Columbia is described by kayaking legend Doug Ammons as one of the most challenging runs anyone has ever found on this planet.

Watch Adrian take on the Strkine here

Adrian Kiernan scouts "The Hole That Ate Chicago" on his descent of the canyon

[email protected] 0418569 044

Clint Robinson took out the 16km and 25km ski marathonsImage: Andrea Francolini

cLick HErE For MorE About tHE cLASH oF tHE pADDLES


itS tHirty yEArS SincE A wiDE-EyED poM FELL in LoVE witH tHE FrAnkLin riVEr AnD joinED tHE cAMpAign to SAVE

it. SincE tHEn, pADDLErS oF ALL pErSuASionS HAVE grAVitAtED towArDS itS priStinE wAtErS AnD Fun,

cHALLEnging rApiDS. but AS FAr AS wE know, itS nEVEr bEEn DonE

on A Sup. untiL now, tHAt iS.tHE FrAnkLin HAD bEEn on tHE cArDS

For A wHiLE.


GUY HAD A HISTORY WITH THE RIVER, FIRST PADDLING IT IN THE LATE 80S IN A 'DUCKY' - A YELLOW YACHT TENDER COMPLETE WITH NEST AND BARREL JUST LIKE THE FIRST ExPLORERS. BUT ESTHER HAD NEVER BEEN ON THE FRANKLIN BEFORE. THEYD DISCUSSED THE TRIP MANY TIMES BUT NEVER GOTTEN AROUND TO IT.

Its not that they hadnt been paddling. Esther described herself as an ex-surfer who got bored of doing just one thing. Guy, for his part, is an extreme adventurer who only shies from convention. The two of them did very well, very early in their professional lives and as a result theyve escaped somewhat from the traditional daily grind. They now have a list of crazy expeditions as long as your street, ranging from big wave surfing, to paragliding in volcanoes to SUPing Himalayan Rivers.

Reading between the lines, paddling the Franklin in a raft or kayak seemed too normal.

We were chatting to Chris Jones from Griffon and he and his wife Sharon said we should come down and do the Franklin sometime, so it was always in the back of our minds, says Esther.

She explains Chris is the director of Asia-based Griffon Expeditions and has been guiding rafting tourist groups down the Franklin for years.

But weve got to be different, she laughs, admitting she does bore easily.

I do nine sports, at last count. Including sex. And I thoroughly enjoy each one of them.

Then late last year, Esther started taking an interest in Tasmanias Tarkine River.

I started reading and hearing online and Guy and I started chatting about what was happening to the Tarkine, she recalls.

At the time, Federal Environment Minister Tony Bourke had just approved plans for an open cut iron ore mine in Tasmanias remote Tarkine Region the last disease-free stronghold of the Tasmanian Devil and the valley of the Tarkine River.

We were just getting really shocked and thinking, could this all be happening again?

Its an issue thats close to their hearts. Guy first got involved with Tasmanian rivers in the early 80s, when he arrived in Australia as a 20-something adventurer and got a job with the Wilderness Society. He quickly joined the campaign to save the Franklin, working in the local community in Queensland as it became a federal issue.

There were apparently some funny moments and Esther now chuckles at the thought of a young Brit door-knocking for the Greenies in the Queensland of the 80s.

As a Pom in Brisbane, I had a rough time, Guy admits.

Discussing the threat to the Tarkine, Esther says they realised it was the 30 year anniversary of the court case that finally saved the Franklin River. Suddenly, the trip had a purpose.

But what craft would they take?

As it turned out, the answer was pretty simple. Theyd just returned from doing a first SUP descent on the Karnali river in the Himalayas and theyd had an absolute ball.

Id ridden SUPs and surf boards and all sorts of craft on the ocean, says Esther.

But Im not really a river person and I was never connected to rivers that much. But since the Karnali I love them.

Everybody had done it on rubber kayaks to duckies to everything. And wed recently returned from Karnali, so really its just to do something different.

" i Do ninE SportS, At LASt count. incLuDing SEx. AnD i tHorougHLy Enjoy EAcH onE oF tHEM"


Its just spicing life up, you know.

Once committed, it didnt take them long to get organised. Chris and his wife Sharon jumped onboard straight away and after a few dead ends, Guy managed to secure Starboard as a sponsor.

They decided to take Starboards inflatable SUPs for flexibility and portability. The plan was to paddle the section from just below the Great Ravine to Sir Johns Falls, which meant hiking in from the end of the Mt McCall 4WD track where access to the river is possible via a former cableway.

Its a drop of over 300 metres and its rough terrain, especially with a lot of gear.

Walking in was pretty bad, says Esther. We had to have pumps and we all had gear. Its sheer, steep, wet and pretty slippery and I had heaps of weight.

That was my scariest moment.

Given they paddled class IV rapids, thats saying something. While the group was blessed with freakishly good conditions, the river is no picnic even at the best of times.

With its huge catchment, any rain can see river levels rise dramatically overnight, explains Guy.

Mistakes here cost lives, he says. While most of the deaths on the Franklin River have occurred in the rapids above where the group put in and in situations where paddlers were ill-prepared or inexperienced, Guy says they gave the river all the respect it deserves.

Skill and knowledge is needed to navigate the river, he explains.

Complex and difficult portages involve ropes and knowledge of river levels and two canyons can trap the unwitting, resulting in less-than-adequate nights spent out clinging to rocks.

And Esther admits from time to time she got a little nervous. Optimistically, shed chosen Death of a Riverguide (set on the Franklin) for some light reading during the trip. But in the end, with an experienced group and proper preparation, they were comfortable enough to be able to relax on the water.

That meant every rapid ended in peals of laughter.

Most other sports, particularly surfing, youve got this pride thing that you have to stay on your feet, Esther says.

But, she warns, if you want to paddle a SUP on a white water river, falling in is part of the game.

Chris would usually scout the rapids, given his extensive knowledge of the river. Then they would wait and watch the first paddler with glee.

Someone would go down the rapid and theyd either make it, so it would be like yeah!, or theyd end up ass over tit and looking like a complete fool.

They spread the paddling out over four days. The first day, after the climb down from Mt McCall Track, was a short paddle of just a few hours to Rock Island Bend, made famous by Peter Dombrovskis' 1980s photo that became the symbol of the Franklin

" EStHEr DEScribES it AS goDS country""


" tHiS wAy tHE ExpEriEncE iS AS wiLD now AS it wAS For tHE FirSt ExpLorErS 30 yEArS Ago"


for reflection, singling out the Kutikina cave, still a significant site for the local Aboriginal people, as one the most amazing shed encountered.

As the trip wound to an end, Esther says wasnt ready to leave yet and continued paddling until the seaplane arrived to collect them.

The photo of the seaplane, with me on the water, that wasnt set up, she insists.

For Guy, it had been a trip down memory lane. When he first paddled the Franklin nearly 30 ago, he says it was still in its infancy as a river to kayak or raft upon. Still now, thirty years since it was saved and a quarter of a century since he first paddled it, its the same, pristine wilderness experience.

Having kayaked all over the world and kayaked on every content for 30 years, the Franklin goes into my top 10 rivers for its beauty, its wildness and its historical connection with the past, he says.

He says the raft companies are managing the river extremely well with a maximum of two rafts of four people per trip.

This way the experience is as wild now as it was for the first explorers 30 years ago, he says.

Lets hope someone sees sense and realises that the Tarkine offers such a unique environment for similar water enthusiasts and is kept for our use and not dammed or destroyed by deforestation, he adds.

Esther says shes disgusted by the thought of such a beautiful river the Tarkine being lost to future generations.

It almost brings me to tears really, she admits, explaining that her son is now 15.

Dont these politicians have children? Is there not more of an agenda than the here and now? Dont we care about the future, and the future for our kids?

She says its critical to protect those few places on earth that are hard to get to.

We went down the Franklin and there was no one, she sighs.

Dont tell too many people.


Distributed by Sea to Summit [email protected] / 1800 787 677

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ANTIDOTE RESERVOIR2L Reservoir and low profile design

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PReCIOus LITTLe GIRLs

roS LAwrEncE DoESnt tHink tHErES MucH riSk oF HEr Dying on A riVEr. nor iS SHE worriED About tHE iMpAct oF cAnoEing on HEr rEproDuctiVE SyStEM. but unFortunAtELy not EVEryonE FEELS tHE SAME. now SHES on A MiSSion to conVincE tHE DinoSAurS oF tHE cAnoEing worLD to juSt LEt HEr pADDLE.

sTORY BY SuSAn wiLSon

Ros at the Sickline Extreme Kayak World ChampionshipsImage: Manuel Arnu


SHES got A SwEEt FAcE, roS LAwrEncE. A gorgEouS SMiLE, bEAutiFuL Skin AnD ALL tHE tHingS tHoSE goSSip MAgAZinES tELL girLS tHEy nEED to bE tHE pErFEct woMAn. but Dont bE FooLED. SHES wAy cooLEr tHAn tHAt.

At 24 years old, Ros has three World Cup titles in womens canoe slalom to her name and regularly places in the top 20 in the world in the K1 slalom event. Shes also the womens World Extreme Kayaking Champion and is looking forward to defending her title at the upcoming Adidas Sickline event in October. In her spare time, Ros is the kind of girl who enjoys running the occasional waterfall to keep life interesting.

But people keep holding back her paddling.

Why? Well there are plenty of excuses. The Poles say it will damage her pelvic floor and leave her incontinent. The Austrians say its because some races are only for the toughest men under the sun. The International Canoeing Federation says theyre not sure shes competitive enough. And the extreme racing organisers say its because theyre worried shell die, despite the fact that shes beating half the guys they let on the course.

But when it comes to the crunch, its all because shes a woman.

In many ways, it starts and ends with the Olympics. At London in 2012, there were three events for men K1, C1 and C2 but only the K1 for women. Thats four men for every woman in the team.

For Ros, the problem is pretty simple: I just want to race C1, she says.

Not surprising, given shes won the World Cup series three times in that class. But there isnt an event for her.

The last four years, Ive enjoyed C1 more than K1, she says. And a lot of the time, I thought Id like to stop doing K1, but my ultimate goal is to go to the Olympics, and I cant do that in C1 at the moment.

Going to the Olympics is a big deal for Ros, given shes at the pointy end of the competition. But even for the juniors, this is an issue that really bites. Because the fact that canoeing is not an Olympic class in slalom has an impact on the funding of womens canoeing across every slalom competition and every national sports budget in the world.

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Put simply, if it isnt at the Olympics, the funding for the class is hard often impossible to justify. It can make or break a sport.

On a personal level, it also means there are less opportunities for female canoeists to win titles that earn them funding, which is why Ros is so excited about a recent small sponsorship win and so very matter-of-fact about sleeping in her car at some events.

A female Olympic champion and a male Olympic champion might get the same funding, but theres only one Olympic class for women, while there are three for the men, she explains. That is where its out of whack.

The lack of funding and support, along with the very important fact that slalom canoe (C1) is a newer class for women, inevitably results in a lower level of competition. How low and what should be done about it, are very contentious questions.

This is where Ros starts getting mad. With all the calm and grace of a slalom paddler, she explains that some countries actually forbid their girls from competing in international competition for fear theyll be an embarrassment, even if theyve achieved the selection requirements.

Even in the mainstream World Cup events, many European women competitors are prevented from racing in the C1 class.

Despite coming second in the European Championships and qualifying according to Austrias rigorous selection criteria, one Austrian paddler was forbidden by her own Federation from paddling C1 in any further World Cup events.

In another case, a paddler was allowed to compete, but didnt receive any funding so slept in her car beside the course.

These girls are among the very top female canoe slalom paddlers in the world.

Ros says it happens all the time in minor races. She recalls the Dolomitemann race in Austria, where women werent allowed to race at all because the course was only for the toughest men under the sun.

Ros offers to give me the contact details of women C1 paddlers from all over Europe who have experienced this kind of treatment by their own Federations, but as she starts on the story of a Polish woman who is leading an educative campaign against the urban myth that C1 is bad for a womans reproductive system and can lead to pelvic floor damage and incontinence, I realise these stories may require a dedicated issue.

Its not, apparently, intended as blatant sexism. In most cases, the argument against female participation uses the line that womens C1 is at a lower standard and thus letting them compete alongside men isnt good for the sport as a whole.

Ros doesnt buy it.

The fact is, were not going to develop as fast as the other classes while were not getting as much funding or support But were still developing very fast as it is and theres another four years to the Olympics.

Just wait, she says, gritting her teeth. The World Championships this year are going to be very high quality.

For the record, Australia is streets ahead on this issue. Under the leadership of Australia Canoeing President and Barcelona silver medallist, Danielle Woodward, Australia Canoeing is heading the charge against the lack of womens events at the Olympics, with Rio as the primary target.

In an update to the canoeing community in July, Danielle Woodward warned that gender imbalances in the sport threaten its very existence at an Olympic level.

"Many of you will be in support of considering the issue of gender imbalance, certainly having regard to the real connection between this issue and wrestling, where gender imbalance contributed to its potential demise," Woodward wrote.

"We are concerned that our sport faces a similar threat and believe the reason canoeing was recently at risk (where it was placed in the bottom five sports by the IOC) was precisely due to the issue of gender imbalance."

Danielle has worked alongside slalom head coach Mike Druce to drive the Australian team's acceptance and support of C1 women. Their efforts, along with advocacy (and hard work) from the paddlers themselves and from figureheads like Richard and Myriam Fox is how Australia has managed to produce paddlers like Ros, Jess Fox and Sarah Grant. Not to mention Ros sisters Kate (1st K1 World Cup 2008) and Jacqui (silver medal K1, 2008 Olympics) and a host of other great Australian female paddlers in both C1 and K1.

But many believe Australias advocacy for equality in the sport hasnt been well supported at the top level.

British-born Richard Fox, father of Olympic medalist Jessica Fox, has been a key player in Australian Canoeings campaign. He was recruited as Australias national head coach for the Sydney Olympics, and has an impressive CV. He won the International Canoe Federation (ICF) World Championships five times in K1, and a further five times in K1 teams. He also won the World Cup series three times and placed fourth in Barcelona.

Up until this year, he was the second vice-president of the ICF. There are plenty of people who believe Richards advocacy for equality in the sport is the main reason he no longer holds that position. Richard himself is more careful with his words.

" tHiS iS wHErE roS StArtS gEtting MAD. witH ALL tHE cALM AnD grAcE oF A SLALoM pADDLEr, SHE ExpLAinS tHAt SoME countriES ActuALLy ForbiD tHEir girLS FroM coMpEting in intErnAtionAL coMpEtition For FEAr tHEyLL

bE An EMbArrASSMEnt, EVEn iF tHEyVE AcHiEVED tHE SELEction rEquirEMEntS."


From my side I would say that it was really because of the geo political ambitions of others and a block vote, but with a gender twist, he says. I know some of my colleagues at the time were uncomfortable with my pro women stance."

Whether it was in terms of support for greater political representation for women or my support for the C1 Women category in the Olympic Games is difficult to know and in any case is irrelevant now. Life goes on, and no regrets.

While Ros talks mostly about slalom, Richard has been instrumental in the campaign for equality across all classes and there are plenty of other examples of inequality in canoeing. In one case, British sprint canoeist Samantha Rippington launched legal action against the London 2012 Organisers arguing the lack of canoeing events for women constitutes discrimination.

As an outsider, its difficult to know where to point the finger for the current situation regarding equality in the sport. The International Olympic Committee has made it clear that no additional class can be added to the sport, which leaves the ICF in a slightly sticky situation.

While the ICF is all for gender equality at the Olympics if its handed to them by the IOC on a plate, in order to advocate for equality, they would need to accept that one of the mens events would have to be dropped.

Richard Fox says its a tough choice, but it can be done.

In 2009 the ICF took the step to

adjust the 2012 program to include an additional event for women within the overall quota. This was the first change that increased women's opportunities in canoeing at the Olympics since 1984 and it came at a price, he says.

Richard argues its the ICFs responsibility to determine whether a quota neutral change (most likely dropping the mens C2) would be in the best interests of the sport.

Unfortunately, the ICFs current position is that it isnt, meaning a female C1 event at Rio is no longer on the official cards.

But Richard is working to change that. Long term, how many sports can remain in the Olympics without gender equity? he says.

From her side, Ros says its time the ICF accepted theres no perfect outcome and made the right decision.

Whatever way they go there will be angry people, she admits. But we really need someone to stand tall and say this is whats going to be done, and this is how were going to do it.

Perhaps they could look to the extreme racing world as an example of progress.

While most of the extreme events Ros has been involved with have been very encouraging of female paddlers (she says people love to rub it in the men's faces when she beats them), there were a few major stand outs, including the Adidas Sickline extreme racing world championship event, where women werent allowed to compete on the main course in the past.

I went to Sickline in 2011, and the girls race was just on the qualification

course, she says. I felt pretty angry, to be honest. Because I know that I can paddle that kind of water, and its really exciting to race on it.

But in 2012, that changed and Ros came home with the title of Extreme Racing World Champion. This year, shes hoping for even more.

Its a fantastic event and they do a really good job, but they dont put the womens final on TV, and theres no prize money, she says.

Thats her request for this year. Ros says shes looking forward defending her title in October, where her experience from 2012 will help her time.

I just cant wait to race, she says. Thats all I want.

Here at Paddlemag, we think thats the least she deserves.

The Sickline took place in the first week of October with Ros only managing a fourth place. After a great first run, she ran into a rock or two and rolled on her second, slowing her down just a tad too much and losing her momentum for the finals. But she says event organisers certainly improved things for the girls this year, with the class receiving prize money for the first time and the women's final shown on tv. Its still only 500 euros for 1st place, compared with 3000 euros and a fancy watch for the men, but its a start. Even more motivation for next year.

Now if only those pesky journalists would stop asking how her boyfriend was feeling about the race

"FroM My SiDE i wouLD SAy tHAt it wAS rEALLy bEcAuSE oF tHE gEo poLiticAL AMbitionS oF otHErS AnD A bLock VotE, but witH A gEnDEr twiSt, HE SAyS. i know SoME oF My coLLEAguES At tHE tiME wErE uncoMFortAbLE witH My pro woMEn StAncE."RICHARD FOx ForMEr SEconD VicE-prESiDEnt oF tHE icF

SHow your Support HeRe

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on tHE HigHLAnD riVErS oF nEw SoutH wALES, pADDLEMAg MEEtS A quiEt AMEricAn wHo iS SpEArHEADing tHE rEViVAL oF AuStrALiAn cAnoEing

In 2009 I entered the longest annual paddling race on the planet the Yukon River Quest in the far north of Canada. You can do the Quest in all kinds of craft, from single sea kayaks to 8-person Voyageur canoes, but my mind was made up from the minute Id decided to have a crack at it: I was going to Canada, so Id be doing it in a Canadian canoe. Of course they dont call them Canadian canoes over there. Just canoes.

And that got me thinking.

paddlemag oct 2013

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