July for the ACC brought 6 brand-new Perception Fox slalom boats including junior paddles, buoancy aids, helmets and spray decks. The boats and gear were75% paid for by grants , owing to our efforts within the Top Club and PaddlePower schemes of the BCU.

Consequently, Slalom Training started seriously at the ACC (for details phone Sean Hudson on 01784-432245) and soon, competition spirit flared up and lead to the first entries. The first ACC Junior to start the slaloming round was Danny East, unfortunately too early in the month to be able to benefit from “the neon-green beauties”. Nevertheless, he won his age group at the TYM Fun Slalom on July 4th and came 3rd in the overall ranking. A week later - with the new boats available - David Rushton represented our Club for the first time in an official ranking slalom event at Shepperton - and he would like to share his adventure with you. Here is his story: (Ed.)

As we pulled into the already crowded car park at Shepperton Lock, I noticed, to my dismay, that all the other kayaks I saw were slalom kayaks, and among the sea of sleek carbon fibre boats sat my plastic Super Sport. Naturally, I was relieved to hear that six new Perception Fox slalom boats were in the store at Shepperton – the “regional stock” Addlestone had just received from a grant for our own use as well as for regional competition boats. So that was sorted - I would hire one of them.

Not so, as when we came to be booked in I was told all the Foxes had already been borrowed by other competitors -- and I was left to compete in my trusty old purple playboat.

I waited around for about an hour and a half doing a few practice runs here and there, waiting to see if anyone else from Addlestone would turn up. Then the five minute official practice was announced – and I found myself jumping out of my kayak when everyone else was getting in as I realised we needed to stick numbers on our boats and everyone had them except me.

A few bits of borrowed sticky tape later and I was back on the water only to find I had missed my run! I was allowed to go about fifth and off I shot. All went smoothly until I got half way around the course and realised I was catching up very quickly with the novice in front of me. A man on the bank started whistling at one of us but neither of us knew what to do. Eventually, I decided to overtake him, having lost about twenty seconds in waiting.

After I had recovered from the race I slowly paddled back to the start and asked for a rerun. The official said I could, but only after everyone else had had their first go.

Called for my rerun I pulled up to the start with a pro who had just gone off. Confident I would not catch her, the official started me and I blasted around the course. Not knowing how well I had done I returned to the start only to find it was my turn to race in the second heat. So off I went again, arms and shoulders aching to complete my third lap.

Because of my tiredness in the second heat, I let my technique slip and only managed a time of 145 seconds. In the rerun, however, I scored a great time of 125 seconds which was enough to gain me first place by eight seconds -- and a promotion to Division Three!

by David Rushton, July 1999