The Original Slalom Experience

I have been meaning to write this blog for a few weeks, since our trip to Scotland to race in Grandtully, Perthshire. The first time I went there was in 1995, to contest GB Junior Team selection. Over the 21 years since then, I think I have raced there in at least 12 of them, and although it might be argued that the river is no longer at the cutting edge of slalom, it is one of my favourite places to race in the whole world. In fact, when our schedule worked out such that we could make the trip this year, I was really happy. I just knew it would be cool. So I decided to try and share with you why I like it so much. I think in many ways, it epitomises some of the reasons that I love canoe slalom. So here goes, in no particular order:

Fine examples of weather-beating equipment.

The road trip - it was always a long way, but up from Lee Valley, it is as good as an eight hour drive. Nowadays we fly to many race venues, and although there's no doubt you cover a lot of distance, you rarely get the feeling that you've really travelled. Sure, they might speak another language and the food is different, but it just doesn't feel like you've gone anywhere. To me, when you drive, you have seen every meter of that journey and you appreciate it all the more for it. Plus, you get to discuss pretty well everything with your car-mates and listen to all sorts of music too. An added bonus is stopping off at one of a few premium service stations on the way (eg. Tebay, on the M6). Over the years, some of these have come to signify progress and deliver some tasty treats!

The weather - Needless to say, Scotland has famously unpredictable weather. Canoe slalom is an outdoor sport, and so when you do canoe slalom you will be subject to this weather. Howling wind, driving rain, sleet and snow are perfect to test your waterproof gear. Then the beaming sunshine and flat-calm times give you the chance to appreciate your sunglasses. Sure, it's not brilliant racing in bad conditions, but I can't say that I don't relish battling the elements sometimes. I think canoeing has taught me to like bad weather, it feels like I've learnt to earn my enjoyment!

Not really a puddle, more a small muddy river.

The mud - in the racing season, I paddle without shoes. It give me the chance to squish through any muddy puddles that are on the walk up to the startline. Some puddles are more muddy water, some puddles are more damp mud. Either way, I do like just being able to just trudge wherever I fancy without worrying about having to clean my shoes! Grandtully does seem to have puddles that cover the total watery/muddy spectrum, and this year was no exception. Sometimes, I do wear sandals, but there is also a bit of a thrill from filling your sandals with mud too!

Getting back indoors - after a day outside in the wild weather, getting back home to a warm and dry haven seems like a wonderful thing. Having sorted your gear out to dry, sitting down on the sofa and watching some TV with a warm mellowness seems just about spot on (thanks to Steven Turnbull for setting us up with the perfect place this time around).

The countryside - not all that many canoe races are done in the countryside anymore, that's just the way the sport has headed. I don't think that's a bad thing, but when I get the chance to be somewhere just a bit out of the way to do a race, I really appreciate it. There's very often a quietness down at the course before it kicks off which is not found everywhere. You look around and there are trees, big trees that were just saplings when canoe slalom was discovered (!). There's hills or mountains that seem to ask me to go up them, or see what is behind them. I don't always get the chance to explore, but the idea that I could just get out and become some part of a natural scene rings nicely in my mind.

The people - we're all watching canoeing together. Some are engrossed, some are slightly bored, others are nervous, some are hardly watching; just making jokes and having a laugh with their chums. When it's raining, we talk about the weather, when it's nice, we talk about canoeing. People I've known for decades, some I'm meeting for the first time. Slalom is cool, there just aren't many baduns around, and so to me it is like old friends or family: it doesn't have to be deep and meaningful necessarily, it's just good to chat with people who you share something with.

The cake - when I was a kid, my mum used to make me some special cake for races. And I am still partial to a piece or two. Having a slice of home-made chocolate cake or a piece of flapjack from the cafe keeps up the tradition, and I can count it as energy for my racing, so it's a win all round!

The racing - a domestic slalom is a fair way from a major international, but it is fundamentally the same thing. You're trying to go as fast as you can (with respect for precision) down a course set out by hanging gates. In Grandtully, some of the gates are so far away that you can't really tell exactly where they are! Plus it's a river that can change a bit and I don't paddle there loads. So when you set off, you are a good deal less certain of what lies ahead than at some races. That's an interesting something extra, which I quite enjoy.

A fine river on a fine afternoon :-)

Now I don't know if people will agree with me, but these things just contribute to the love I have for canoe slalom, and a lot of them I would think I'd share with other slalomists and the wider canoeing population. It's been nice to think about this enough for me to be able to write about it, and I'll have to keep my eyes open for any other elements that I missed on this occasion. Bye for now!