Unofficial UK Slalom BBS

Has the Div 1 been lost or are those the details to follow?

I hope not and would be a shame if it has.
Last years event put on at short notice was a really well run and enjoyable event.

If it's re-arranged maybe it could be at Lee valley and give Div 1 paddlers a chance to race there.

watching new promotees into div1 race at lee valley would not be fun.

Well they can paddle on Bala, Hpp and Tully the same as Prem so why not Lee Valley?
If new promotees can't handle it then don't race there.

Surely the sport at the higher level is about testing yourself on the best White water available. Div 1 paddlers are the step below prem so should be able to handle the same water/courses.

Carlosvalderama wrote:Well they can paddle on Bala, Hpp and Tully the same as Prem so why not Lee Valley?
If new promotees can't handle it then don't race there.

Surely the sport at the higher level is about testing yourself on the best White water available. Div 1 paddlers are the step below prem so should be able to handle the same water/courses.

well, the problem with this is that at places like Bala the div 1s paddle on a different course, or the water just isn't as hard. But Lee Valley is a course that the prems find difficult - so with a course hard enough to challenge the prems, the new div 1s (especially girls) will struggle. It's a very physical course, so younger girls and boys will find it very difficult - this was shown at selection! obviously it would make sense for paddlers to make a decision on where they could paddle, but if they've not been there before, they don't know what it's like. and it's the olympic course - people will want to paddle there.
i don't know... it might work. but i think there's potential for carnage.

I suspect the cost of running a div 1 at lee valley will rule it out, but you're right as a div 1 I want paddle there

What about running a technical div 1 course on the legacy loop at LV? I have only seen YouTube videos of both courses so can't really comment on difficulty but from what I have seen it has enough features to utilise!?

Or why not have some of the features removed from the main course and run it at a lower volume to keep costs down!? If it isn't being used as a venue more frequently by slalom then you have to question the whole "legacy" reasons behind it being built and the overall cost of it being built.

roodthomas wrote:What about running a technical div 1 course on the legacy loop at LV?

it isn't being used as a venue more frequently by slalom then you have to question the whole "legacy" reasons behind it being built and the overall cost of it being built.

That could work I reckon

and yeah you have to wonder.

So back to original question is the Div 1 def dead then - I assume yes

If Tees was too pricey why bother pencilling it in I can't imagine they would ever play ball, could a fallback DIv 1 have been considered - shame to see another race drop. Slalom courses with no slalom - ouch

Weather the way it is I can see an interesting month ahead.

It must play havoc for those who like statistics

Is teesside not a white water rafting course now?

my wife keeps meaning to complain to trading standards and the tourist board in order to get the brown signs changed from a canoeist to a raft!

I think they should use a white elephant personally!

Is teesside not a white water rafting course now?

Lee Valley after the Olympics too.

To be fair whenever I go to Teesside, generall twice a month it's only been paddlers on the long course and Fire & Rescue guys playing on the short course. Not a raft in sight and very quiet.

What are the reasons for the cancelation?

Ridiculous costs!

I understand it was somewhere in the region of £10k for the weekend.

big ouch - but that must have predictable?

Predictable, but not right. Teesside (and HPP) were built as canoe slalom courses, and although I don't know the details, I am sure that a significant proportion of the funding came because they were promoted as sports venues, not corporate experience venues. I wanted to run a slalom at HPP in the summer, when the natural courses are at their most unreliable, and HPP quoted £8,000 for the weekend. Nor can we train at the weekends as the gates have to be moved out of the way in case the rafting punters get a bruise on their shoulder. It is shabby, and we shouldn't accept it. What do you think the cyclists would do if they had to share the Manchester velodrome with punters being driven around in buggies? It would be a national disgrace.

Have to agree Dave.
The same is true of Cardiff where there are no gates and I'm sure after the Olmpics Lee Valley will go the same way.

I don't think it's just our sport that suffers though. You can probably count on one, maybe two hands the amount of 50m swmming pools in the UK. I'd heard a rumour that the Olympic pool will only be used as a 25m pool for the public after the games. Someone raised the idea of adding a flume/slide to get more people in as they are worried there won't be the foot fall to make it profitable.

In the future mabe we'll be only racing on natural courses where we're then depending on releases and the weather.

[quote="davebrads"]Predictable, but not right.


I meant it was predictable that they would try and charge through the nose for use, not anything else. Agree with you Dave