Topsport Pro-am Series – A game of two halves!
Well, Race One and Race and Two of the Pro-am Series are nothing but a distant memory now. Thank you to each and every one of our paddlers who have showed their support to this series and entered, come along to support others or helped us with safety. We appreciate each and every one of you. It has been so rewarding seeing our wider paddling community coming together to help us all get through winter with some km’s in the bank and a smile on our face.
These races are turning out to be everything I wanted them to be. A really competitive race at the front with our top guys and girls, not just in the open field but across all the age categories, a social outing for some, just getting out on the river over winter for others and of course that all important invaluable experience for our new paddlers.
We are half way through the series. Race One was back in May and the course was 15kms in total. The race started at Bailes Island which is 9kms up from the State Highway Bridge. This section of river is classed as Grade I. The conditions for this race were just ideal for new paddlers. The flow was on the higher side which meant that the braids were nice and wide with plenty of room on the river for everyone. The river was dirty which gave first timers some experience at paddling when the river is tricker to read. When the river is that colour, it is a lot harder to spot the shallows especially when you are new to it. There were a couple of spots that saw a few swimmers. One was a boil and swirly water about 2kms down from the start line. Having a swim in conditions like that, where you are nice and safe with others around you and the jet boat on hand is such a great learning opportunity. It was great to see most of these paddlers back at Race Two having a dry run. Well done!!
Race Two was two weeks ago on the 8th of June. The race couse was the same as race one. The conditions again were a higher flow. Even higher than Race One. The flow was really fast and the braids even wider. Conditions like this are often easier than a lower flow as there is so much water in the river you often find you don’t need to go near any difficult features. This was certainly the case for this race. We had just two swims in total for the day. The river was again a dirty colour, highlighting the ever-changeable conditions on this river and no two races are ever the same.
The second half of the race series, Race Three and the final Race Four sees the course move to a start location higher up the river. These two races will be run from Miners Bank to the State Highway Bridge. This section is 20km of Grade I River. 9kms of it has been paddled already if you have paddled at the first two races. If you haven’t paddled at Race One or Race Two and want to get involved it certainly isn’t too late.
Here are our Topsport top tips for getting ready for Race Three.......
- Before you head out the door make sure you have enough layers. Winter paddling is cold. Trust us we know! A few layers of skin tight thermals, a paddle specific Jacket and you are nearly sorted. What else do you need? Have you heard of Pogies? They cover your hands allowing them stay warm while still holding the paddle shaft with bare hands. They are amazing and I wouldn’t paddle without them, I even paddled Race Two in mine!
- Find someone to paddle with - This helps with urgency to get out the door. Not only do you have good company but added safety if on isolated waters.
- You have a buddy so next get some paddling in! Any paddling it doesn’t matter. Just make sure Race Three isn’t your first time in a kayak since your Grade II Course.
- Join the Arawa Canoe Club (or your local kayak club if you are not Christchurch based) - Clubs are the hub where you can meet new people, borrow gear, learn better technique and find regular group sessions. Get in touch with us if you are not sure of your local club, we have knowledge of them around NZ and some overseas. Bonus is you can store your bike inside while you paddle and have a hot shower!
- Now you are ready to hit the river. Plan a date with a paddling buddy and head to the State Highway Bridge or the Gorge Bridge to practice those all-important skills you learnt on your Grade II Course. Remember practice makes perfect! Sam and I will often be found here paddling. Practicing skills isn’t just for new paddlers.
We would absolutley LOVE to see some more new paddlers (and our long time favourite paddlers) at Race Three. If any of you need some extra support to make it happen all you need to do it get in touch and we will help.
If you are still on the fence here is a quote from one of our new paddlers Shane who just started paddling in April.
Hi Everyone,
I was lucky enough to do my Grade II with Topsport Kayaking on one of their Autumn courses and found the 4 days amazing, hard and exciting all at the same time. But that’s only the start of the excitement, I knew I had to get more "time on water". This winter series is perfect for the Novice paddler, you have your own category, you have some guides and you have some safer flatter river and some good paddle time to work on technique and strength. If I had a magic wand, I would see that ALL grade 2 course participants enter the winter series. It's amazing. I even travel down from the north Island to attend it’s that good.
See you at Race Three!
Shane Parlato – Topsport Grade II Course Graduate April 2025.
