The 9th and 10th of April saw the end of what seems to have been a long hard winter. The sun was shining which set the scene for some picturesque paddling at the National Watersports centre in Nottingham. The amazing weather was not the only thing to signify the end of winter, as Nottingham was host to the U23 and J18 Great Britain slalom selection series.

This event was literally the conclusion of six months hard training for those who had entered and unfortunately; only fifteen boats across five disciplines could be selected in each age class. With well over 60 juniors and U23 entered, it was easy to imagine how tight the results were at the end of the weekend.

Peak UK paddlers Paul Ramsdale and Gareth Wilson were invited to the demonstration event to help the competing athletes prepare for their runs whilst showcasing their Speedskin 2 long sleeved topdecks. Peak team athlete Tim Baillie accompanied them on Sunday with a special guest appearance from GB canoeing C2 development coach Andrzej Wojs who filled in for the injured Etienne Stott. The courses over the weekend were challenging but fair and would prove to test the mind, body and heart of the strongest racers.

With the demonstration runs out of the way the real racing could begin! Emotions ran high and often spilled out for public viewing. Such was the intensity of this massively important event. Representing team Peak UK in the U23 categories were Joe Clarke and Greg Pitt. Both are well-established International athletes who have had numerous successes despite their young careers.

The C1 men kicked both days off with some incredible paddling. Greg paddled well, but with one eye on senior selection at the end of the month, was pushed in to fourth place overall making him first reserve for the U23 team. Despite finishing fourth, Greg looked like he had more to give and will look forward to getting back on to his home water down in London.

Although Greg's C1 runs were over, he still had the opportunity to make the U23 C2 team with partner Adam Burgess. Greg and Adam, both gifted C1 paddlers, have an incredible affinity for the doubles discipline. Their combined power and technical prowess proved its worth at the Lee Valley invitational race. They did not disappoint at the 2011 selection series finishing second in all three races in a very competitive field.





The K1M's class has an incredible number of high calibre athletes capable of making the three coveted spots on the team. Peak UK newbie Joe Clarke, in his first year as an U23, pushed really hard to establish himself as an early contender for the team. Within the K1 discipline, athletes are constantly looking for ways of cutting the lines to save as much time as possible. This risky tactic works for some, but not for others. Joe calculated his lines well with just enough risk (some call it flair) to give him the result he so desperately wanted. Joe's dynamic paddling style combined with his youth certainly make him one to watch for the future.



The weekends racing conclude with a beautiful sunset signifying the end of a long weekend, series and winter. Congratulations to all athletes who competed this weekend on what was certainly a memorable weekend.

Article by Gareth Wilson. Images by Fiona Pennie

(Posted on the 20th Apr 2011 by Pete)

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