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What is canoe slalom?
Canoe slalom is one of the most spectacular watersports, demanding skill,
stamina and courage. The aim is to run a rapid river course marked by "gates"
fast, and without touching. A "gate" is two
poles, suspended over the water. Green and white gates are negotiated in a
downstream direction, red and white gates upstream. The gates are placed so that
you must make tricky cross-current moves and use the eddies and waves.
You have to pass through all the gates in number
order, and in the right direction - red ones upstream, green ones downstream. If you touch a pole with anything - paddle, boat, buoyancy aid, helmet or
any part of your body - a 2 second penalty is added to your time. If you miss a gate out, or go through in the wrong direction
or upside down, the penalty is 50 seconds - a wipeout in serious competition! The aim is fast and clean. Each competitor takes two runs, and the
best run of the two counts.
In Division 4, where you start, it won't be too hard - a rush of water from a weir, or moving water in a stream. When you get to Division 1 it will be big and tricky!
More about Divisions The gates are positioned to test your skill in using, and coping with, the water. This is perfect training for running big whitewater rivers.
There will be an upstream gate to test your ability to break out into the eddy behind a rock; then a downstream gate the far side so that you must ferry glide or surf a wave to reach it before the river pushes you past. It takes skill, as well as speed. You must pick, and paddle, a line that turns the current to advantage. You must learn to read the water.
Five classes compete: Men's and
Women's Kayak, Men's and Women's Canadian Singles and Canadian Doubles.
This is a sport in which Britain excels. Richard Fox was 5 times
K1M World Champion; Lynn Simpson was K1W World Champion; Paul Ratcliffe held the World Cup and
won the silver medal at the Sydney Olympic Games.
Campbell Walsh won the K1M silver medal and Helen Reeves the K1W bronze at
Athens in 2004, and David Florence won the C1 silver medal in Beijing in 2008.
At London 2012, Tim Baillie and Etienne Stott took the C2 gold medal, only a
fraction of a second ahead of David Florence and Richard Hounslow, who won the
silver medal. Back to Questions
History
Whitewater slalom, which was originally modelled on ski slalom, began in Switzerland in 1932. Slalom canoeing
began on flat water, but soon switched to white water rapids. World War Two set back development, especially from an Olympic point of
view, but today both sprint and slalom are established Olympic disciplines.
The sight of skill, strength and courage pitted against
powerful water makes slalom an exciting spectator sport both live and on TV. For
the competitor there is the challenge, together with fantastic friendships,
cooperation between national teams, and a closeness to the river and the
environment.
The first Slalom World Championships were held in 1949 in
Geneva. Since then there have been dramatic changes as folding and rigid
canvas canoes have been replaced by composites and rules have been changed and
simplified.
In 1992 canoe slalom returned to the Olympic Games, in the
fantastic atmosphere under the burning sun of La Seu d´Urgell in the Spanish
Pyrenees. There has been a
massive increase in interest outside slalom's traditional areas, and slalom is
going into the new millennium as a permanent Olympic sport. Look for it in 2012!
Where can I learn slalom, or start canoeing generally?
It depends where you live. There are clubs and watersport
centres all over the country, and some clubs have slalom teaching for mixed
groups or for novices.
If you haven't canoed before, a starter course is a good idea. Or you can join a club. The
BCU can help you find one. The Slalom Year Book lists
clubs that are active in slalom - click for a list.
Lots of clubs have a slalom night when their slalom paddlers practice. You can also get lots of practice at competitions - there's always practice time there, and other people to watch.
The
Canoe Slalom
Technique Library has excellent video breakdowns of key slalom techniques.
Back to Questions
What events are there?
There are races for one-person kayaks and for one-person and
two-person canoes - Men's K1, Women's K1, Men's C1, Women's C1 and C2. A K1 is a one-seater kayak - you sit in it and use a paddle with
blades at both ends. A C1, or Canadian, is a boat you kneel in, and use a one-bladed paddle. A C2 is for two paddlers,
kneeling and with single-blade paddles.
Paddlers of all ages compete together, but there are usually special prizes for the best in each age group.
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What About Age
Groups?
Apart from Veterans,
paddlers of all ages in a division and class race against one another, but
usually there are special prizes for various age groups.
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If you were 9 or younger on 1st January this year you are a J10
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If you were 10 or 11 on 1st January this year you are a J12
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If you were 12 or 13 on 1st January this year you are a J14
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If you were 14 or 15 on 1st January this year you are a J16
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If you were 16 or 17 on 1st January this year you are a J18
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If you were 18 - 22 on 1st January this year you are a U23
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If you were 23 or over on 1st January this year you are a Senior
If you will be 35 or older on 31st December this year you can claim Master
status (it used to be called DV or Divisional Vet) but it's up to you. When
you apply for your bib you can "Opt in" as a Master or "Opt out" and be just a
Senior.
For Masters there is also an end-of-year league, banded M35, M40 and so on.
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If you will be 35-39 on 31st December this year you are an M35
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If you will be 40-44 on 31st December this year you are an M40
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If you will be 45-49 on 31st December this year you are an M45
And so on. If you wish you can opt out of this even if you register as a
Master.
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The GB C2 team at the 2009 Euros - picture © Nikita
Setchell |
What are team races?
In team races, teams of three boats work together for the
fastest possible time. The team time is taken from the time the first boat
starts to the time the third boat finishes - but there's a big penalty if the
third boat doesn't finish within fifteen seconds of the first.
Team racing means working together, co-ordinating movement to
stay close together. Good teams interweave on upstream gates.
Most people treat the team competition less
seriously than the individual competition and have a lot of fun doing it.
Back to Questions
What equipment do I need?
In Premier Division and International racing there
are strict rules about the length, width and minimum weight of your boat (see
below) but you can use any kayak to start with. When you want a "proper" slalom kayak, buy one second-hand - you will often find them for sale at competitions. A slalom boat is light, long and low so that it can pass under the gate poles.
You need a paddle and a spraydeck, and you must wear a buoyancy aid and a helmet. Other equipment - wet shoes, shorts, a cagoule - you can get later.
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A slalom kayak |
Once you need a "proper" slalom
boat
All types of K1
Minimum length 3.50m,
Minimum width 0.60m,
Minimum weight 8Kg
All types of C1
Minimum length 3.50m,
Minimum width 0.60m,
Minimum weight 8Kg
All types of C2
Minimum length 4.10m,
Minimum width 0.75m,
Minimum weight 13Kg
All boats must have a minimum radius at each
end of 2 cm horizontally and 1 cm vertically.
There are no restrictions on what boats are
made of, but in practice carbon fibre and resin, and sometimes kevlar, is
the best materials to build a boat this light and strong enough for the job.
Finished race boats often weigh about 7Kg
and carry a lead weight to bring them up to regulation weight. Using a
weight placed at the centre of the boat keeps the ends light so that the
boat turns fast, and it is allowed as long as it's permanently fixed into
the boat. |
Back to Questions
How do I enter my first race?
Just go along to any "Division 4" event, find
"Control" and ask for an entry card. You will be welcome! If you like
you can get your entry in before the event: if you've got one, send an entry card to the address in the
Calendar - or just write. If you send two envelopes with a stamp and your
address on, they will send you the start list before the competition and the
results afterwards. You also need to send a cheque or postal order for the entry
fee - seniors, £7.00 or £11.00 for a double event: juniors, £4.75 or £7.70 for a double.
If in doubt, pay on the day.
You have to be a member of Canoe England/Canoe
Wales/CANI/SCA to race, but for a Div 4 race
you can buy a one-day temporary membership. Once you win promotion to Div 3 you
must join.
Competitions are held all over the country from
March to October. Click here for Calendar of
Races for Newcomers.
The programme is usually:
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Practice
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Team Competition
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Individual Competition
The main things to remember are:
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Put the number you have been given on your boat (use sticky tape)
You start in number order. Watch others at the start, and be there when your turn comes Try to get through all the gates - in the right order! When you've finished, wait for two more people to finish before you get off - it's your turn to do safety duty.
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My First Slalom
The seat of my kayak was the only comfortable thing in
the race. I felt scared, nervous but also excited. My last practice was the
best so far, it had left me feeling exhausted. Would I finish the race?
Ahead of me I could see the first 10 gates and round the
corner were the other 8 gates. The white foam of fast flowing water and a
great challenge lay ahead. My fellow Matlock Canoe Club members were
standing nervously at the side of the riverbank. I could hear them
frantically cheering me on and this made me feel better and the water was
flowing past my boat and down the river.
At that moment, it happened – the countdown: 60 seconds,
30 seconds, 15, 10, 5, 321 –GO!
The first 10 gates were easy but, I was worried that I
would fall in the river. Each time I approached a gate I could feel the
water splashing up from my paddle and I could hear it more loudly as I
rushed down the river.
As I approached the last 8 gates, my arms felt like they
were about to drop off. I could not think about anything other than
finishing the race. I struggled to keep going and I made a mistake; I leant
upstream when I should have leant downstream and the water started to flood
into my cockpit. I had to finish with my half drowned boat.
I swam through the last gate taking my kayak with me. I
felt worried that my team members would be angry with me but they said that
I had done fantastically for my first event.
Despite my failing to finish I enjoyed the race. Kayaking
keeps me fit and healthy. I have improved a lot since then and now I don’t
know why I felt so scared on my first event. I would recommend kayaking to
anyone. It is a really enjoyable sport.
Glen Cropper
Matlock Canoe Club. |
Back to Questions
Where do I get entry cards?
Send a stout, stamped, self-addressed envelope 9"
x 4" or larger to Mrs S Paterson, 14 Clay Street, Wymeswold, Loughborough LE12
6TY. She will send you as many entry cards as the postage will cover (16 for
minimum postage rate)
What are "Divisions"?
Slalom paddlers are grouped so that they can race others of
similar ability, on water that is appropriate to their skill.
There are five divisions - Premier and Divisions 1 to 4. Newcomers
usually start in Division 4. When you do well, you get promoted. You build up your skill, and work your way up to bigger water and tougher competition.
In Division 4, where you start, it won't be too hard - a rush of water from a weir, or moving water in a stream. When you get to Division 1 it will be big and tricky!
In C1W there are only four divisions: a combined Prem/1,
Div 2, Div 3 and Div 4.
In C2 there are only three divisions: Prem/1, 2/3 and 4.
I'm already an experienced paddler. Do I still have to work my
way up the divisions?
Back to Questions
How hard will the course be?
Organisers try to use sites and set the gates at
a level of difficulty to suit paddlers in the Division that's racing.
When the event is multi-divisional you can
expect the course to be set for the higher division racing, so Div 3 paddlers
can expect to find a 2/3 tough going, Div 2 paddlers should find 1/2 races
difficult, and so on. You may prefer to pick races that are for just your own
division, or yours and one down, to start with - but if you like bigger water
and enjoy a challenge, go for harder ones!
How do I get promoted?
How Promotion Works
At Division 4 K1M, K1W and C1M races, one paddler in five is promoted to Division
3 - that is, the top 20% of competitors in each class. Promotion for Div 4 Canadian
Doubles (C2) and Women's Canadians (C1W) is on achieving a best score within
120% of the last promoted Division 4 Men’s Kayak score - you take the best run
time plus penalties, divide by 1.2 and compare that with the K1M promotions.
Promotion to Div 2 and beyond goes on points
or on Paddle Up achievement - see below. At every race you
get points according to your position, and you count your best results towards
your ranking and promotion. The points you count must all be from races in
the current year.
Points are a way of comparing results when there are more
competitors on one race than in another. In K1M, K1W and C1M the winner gets 1000 points and
the other competitors get a "share" of 1000 on a sliding scale according to
their place. In C2 and C1W, points are calculated by a factored comparison
with K1M times.
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Div 3 to Div 2 |
Div 2 to Div 1 |
Div 1 to Prem |
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K1M |
Count |
4 races |
4 races |
5 races |
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Target |
3300* |
3600* |
4750* |
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K1W |
Count |
4 races |
4 races |
5 races |
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Target |
3300* |
3600* |
4750* |
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C1M |
Count |
4 races |
4 races |
5 races |
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Target |
3200* |
3400* |
4650* |
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C1W |
Count |
4 races |
4 races |
N/A |
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Target |
3200* |
3400* |
* or winning three races
For promotion from the combined Division 2/3 to
Division Prem/1 in C2 you count 4 results and you need
2650 points.
Paddle Up Achievement (for 2013, on a trial
basis)
If you are ranked in Division 1, 2 or
3
you can enter races
intended for the next Division up from your own, and this can be an
alternative route to promotion: beat 40% of the higher-division paddlers in
your class at three races and you can claim promotion. The higher division
class must be quorate, that's to say there must be at least 5 higher
division paddlers racing.
If you race in the lower division at a
combined-divisions event (a Prem/1, 1/2 or 2/3) and beat 40% of the higher
division paddlers you can count that toward promotion but you must have
raced on the same course on the same day so most Prem/1s won't count.
For 2013 a “paddle up” achievement (beating 40% of the field at a
next-div-up race) can be counted as equivalent to a maximum-points score. So
you can claim promotion for any of:
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Three maximum-points scores
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Two maximum-points scores and a paddle up achievement
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One maximum-points score and two paddle up achievements
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Three paddle up achievements
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(or of course) achieving the points target for promotion
MORE ABOUT PADDLING UP>
Div 4s only – sorry!
If you get promoted from Division 4 to Division 3 and
apply for a full Promotion Certificate on the new form that will be
given to you by the Event Organiser, you can get a discount on the
entry fee for next event you enter.
What to do if you get promoted
If you are racing in a Division 4 (novice)
competition and you win promotion, the organiser should tell you and give
you a certificate and a form to send to the Division 3 Bib Officer for your
class. Send off this form, with your Canoe England/Canoe Wales/CANI/SCA membership card, a £9
cheque made out to BCU Slalom Committee and a big, stamped envelope. The
Bib Officer will allocate you a number and send you the bib.
The Bib Officers' names and addresses are on the form.
If you are already in Division 3 or higher,
you are promoted on points accumulated over four of five races (see
here). Don't wait for your promotion
certificate - it may take some time, and you'll want to get on with racing
in your new division.
Send to the Bib Officer for your new division:
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Your old bib (you don't need to send a cheque as well - on
promotion you trade in one bib for the next)
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A note requesting promotion. List your qualifying points and where you got
them.
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A large, strong stamped, addressed envelope with
postage for 150g. If we can squeeze the bib into the large letter format the
price is £1.20 1st class, £1.10 2nd class. If not it if has to go as a packet at
£2.70 1st class or £2.20 2nd Class.
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A copy of the bib application form,
filled in
And PLEASE make sure you put enough postage
on! MORE
INFORMATION>
Back to Questions
I used to paddle
slalom. Must I start again in Div 4?
If:
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You've been a ranked slalom paddler in the past, or
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You haven't done slalom but you're already a very experienced whitewater
paddler, or
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You've paddled in slalom in another country
You can apply to be put straight into a higher division, but you'll need to
show some evidence of your ability. One option is to go to a Division 2 race,
enter as an "Open" competitor or judge and show your result as evidence. Contact
John Woods
- phone 01788 335469
If you've been ranked before you mustn't race in Div 4 - sort out your
ranking with
John Woods and return in a suitable division to suit
your ability
If you're already ranked in another class - say, you're a Div 2 K1
paddler wanting to do C1 - you can go straight into a Division. Sort out your
ranking with
John Woods
People sometimes decide to enter a race on the spur of the moment. If you
explain to the organisers they'll usually let you enter in an open event or as a
judge then sort out your ranking afterwards based on the results.
Back to Questions
How do I get a bib?
When you get promoted into Div 3
You should be given a form to send to the Div 3 Bib Officer for your
class. If
not, click here. Send off this form, with your
Canoe England/Canoe Wales/CANI/SCA membership card, a £9
cheque made out to BCU Slalom Committee and a big, stamped envelope (see
below for postage). The
Bib Officer will allocate you a number and send you the bib.
The Bib Officers' names and addresses are on the form.
When you get promoted into Div 2 and higher
Keep track of your points from the results, or on the website ranking
lists. In Div 3 and Div 2 you're keeping a total of your best four scores, in
Div 1 it's the best five. You get promoted when you've achieved three wins or the points
target (see how do I get promoted). Write to your new
Bib Officer and send in your old bib and another big, stamped and addressed
envelope - see
what to do if you get promoted.
What do I do at the end of the year?
At the end of the year, paddlers are ranked for the next year
according to their points, and they become entitled to a new bib number. Send in
your bib to your Division's Bib Officer by 30th November with a stamped, addressed envelope (a
small one will do). The Bib Officer will send you a voucher.
How do I get my new bib at the start of the year?
In January or February, fill in a bib application form and send it off to
the bib officer for your division (listed on the form) with:
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Your Canoe England/Canoe Wales/CANI/SCA
membership card
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Your bib
voucher or a £9 cheque made out to BCU Slalom Committee
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A big,
stamped and addressed envelope.
You have a choice of two bib
application forms. One is a form to be
filled on on-screen and then printed, to be posted with your membership
card, envelope and cheque or voucher. The other is
a PDF to be filled by hand. Please
don't use the PDF unless you are sure we will be able to read your handwriting!
Posting Bibs
A bib can be posted as a “large letter” for
£1.20
(first class) or £1.10 (2nd Class) BUT the envelope must not be bigger than 353mm
X 250mm and it must (easily) go through a 25mm slot. If not it if has to go as a
packet at £2.70 1st class or £2.20 2nd Class.
Bibs are tricky. You can fold one to be within
this rule, but it’s easy to make it too thick.
MORE>
Back to Questions
Is coaching available?
A lot of clubs have training nights and welcome beginners.
Click for a list of clubs that are active in slalom.
Back to Questions
Slalom Administrator
The Slalom Administrator's address is:
, Slalom Administrator,
12 Holmscroft Road,
Luton
LU3 2TJ
About Being a Member of a BCU National Organisation
You have to be a member of one of the BCU national canoeing
organisations (Canoe England, the SCA, Canoe Wales or CANI) to race,
but for a Div 4 race you can buy a one-day temporary membership.
Once you win promotion to Div 3 you must have full membership of one
of the above to race.
Div 4 Under 18s - if you are taking a group to
an event and take your club’s affiliation card or a copy, and
providing each competitor is are a member of that club and can show
a club membership card or other proof of membership, they are
covered and do not have to take out Event Membership.
Joining Canoe England/Scottish
Canoe Association/Canoe Wales/CANI
Here is who to contact about joining
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If you live in
England |
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Canoe England
18 Market Place, Bingham, Nottingham Phone
0845 3709500 |
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If you live in Northern Ireland |
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Canoe Association of Northern
Ireland
Unit 2 Rivers Edge, 13 - 15 Ravenhill Road,
Belfast BT6 8DN
Tel: 028 9073 8884 - Email: office@cani.org.uk
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Web: www.cani.org.uk
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If you live in Scotland |
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Scottish
Canoe Association - Caledonia House,
South Gyle, Edinburgh EH12 9DQ - 0131 317 7314
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If you live in Wales |
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Canoe Wales - Canolfan Tryweryn,
Frongoch, Bala, Gwynedd LL23 7NU - 01678 521199 |
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British Canoe Union 18 Market Place, Bingham, Nottingham Phone
0845 3709500 |
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