Pump House Slalom Race

On Sunday we had a little local race in the mighty town of Ottawa. I had only paddled my new boat twice before and was wide awake at 4 that morning because of jetlag, so wasn't as prepared for this race as i would of liked to be. First run didn't go so well touching 4 gates and being told i had to go before my start time. Second runs went abit better having the 2nd fastest flat time out of everyone, behind the local boy but touching 4 gates again put me out of any chance of making medal. Letting them all go to the bloody Australians. 

RESULTS

1st Australia

2nd Australia

3rd Australia

4th Laurence NZ

5th Myself 

6th Cole NZ

And Kelly got 2nd in C1w and K1w,

will have the rest of the results later. 

 Warm up pool

 Cole looking at the coarse, with old style bridge in back round. Pretty cool photo. 

 Me looking at tricky stagger at the bottom.

 River side

Andy walking NZ crew through the coarse.
Here is a little movie about the race.

Pump House Slalom 2011 from Flow Addicts on Vimeo.

New Boat!!!!

On saturday Cole and Andy and myself all went around to the Canada's coaches house to pick up our new boats that had arrived. I was unsure how my design was going to go and if the blue was going to be the right colour. So we got it home and unwrapped it to find it was. We got them all fitted out and was lucky enough to be able to paddle them that afternoon. 

 This is mine and Coles new Boats.

This is our new little group that me and a group of mates made, so people can see what we are up to in New Zealand and around the world. Please check out flow addicts for the latest news and videos of what we are up too.

Airport Mission

Well where do i start? On thursday I travelled to the USA for Pre Worlds. Throughout the plane ride we had one lost bag, 9 boats left 7hours away from our destination and about 3hours of delays. So it was a pretty interesting 37hours.

After that we finally got to Ottawa with everyone bar one and no boats, training was going to be interesting with the local pump house race 2days away.

Airport Mish... June 2011 from Flow Addicts on Vimeo.

A short write up in the bay of plenty times about the Wainui

http://www.bayofplentytimes.co.nz/sport/news/in-search-of-the-bays-wildest-water-video/3950907/

"WAINUI"

 On Tuesday morning i was lucky enough to be asked to go creeking with the okere falls crew, including Ryan, Ben, Jamie, Simon, Blair, Phil, Dave, Greg, Cole, Bradley. It was a pretty big crew but some real top paddlers. 

The decision was made early on that we were going to paddle the wainui if the flow was right, so we were off. As we were driving over the group just got bigger and bigger until they had to start turning people down.

Waiting for this rest to arrive before a big day on the river. 

Photo: Bradley Lauder

Ryan showing the line for the first rapid. 

Photo: Greg Thomas

 Dave on one of the slides

Photo: Bradley Lauder

Phil on the double drop.

Photo: Greg Thomas

Greg looking back up at little brother to take this sweet photo of Jamie Garrod. 

Today this little bad boy had a bit of a rowdy lead in, but there were still good lines by those who hit it up.

Me popping over the lip of a 60foot drop. 

Photo. Bradley Lauder.

 This is the video of me doing it, from the top. Hoping to get one from the bottom as well. 

Some sweet coaching from bradley as i drop over the lip.  

Video: Bradley

  Ryan giving it everything, as he claims the first decent of this big boy a while back. 

Photo: Greg Thomas

 Me showing how not to do it, turning side ways halfway down and landing on a rock at the bottom. On one of the last big slides of the day. 

Photo: Bradley 

Photo from the top of the previous one shown. 

Show the gradient this river has to offer.

Photo Greg Thomas.

Little Video that cole made of the trip.

Hitting Up Wainui... from Flow Addicts on Vimeo.

Carnage for the day was a big eye opener for me as one guy got stuck in a pocket on one of the last drops of the day. Having a nasty swim and getting bagged out by Bradley and help from Jamie also. He had swallowed some water and was blue in the face once pulled from underneath the water. 

This just shows how bad things can go in seconds and makes you pick who you go paddling with alot more carefully. Other than that there were just a few dents in boats from wrong lines. But all and all was a great day of the river. 

Wairoa

Last weekend i finally got back on the wairoa river up the kaimai's, after about 2 months of not paddling on it. A few rocks have been moved from the big floods we had earlier in the year, leaving it like a new river. Roller coaster is completely different, as well as Mclaren Falls which still hasn't been run, in full since the flooding. Pretty lucky me and the boys got in early. We also found a sick sea launch rock with a slide leading into it, just below the weir on Mclaren Falls. 

Australian Open

240 Competitors
29 Nations 
14 Kiwis