Lee Valley

Last weekend, my mates finally got round to doing their assessments at Lee Valley, which is great because it means I don’t have to go boating on my own anymore! Although in fairness, having been going most weekends I have met quite a few friendly people on water, which shouldn’t be surprising really but it’s nice to be reminded how friendly the kayaking community really is.

This end was intentional, the next 2 weren't!!
Photo: Dave Garratt

The course seems to be undergoing constant changes at the moment, especially the bottom half of the course. The second big drop which I heard being called Jaws last time I was there, seams very aptly named now, we were all throwing some impressive unintendo’s in that one. And as Chris found out, it’s not a good place to be when a raft is bearing down on you.

Photo: Jeff Taylor

The middle wave is pretty good though, everyone was getting flat spins and the odd blunt, plus I've seen some far more impressive moves being thrown down here, so I can't wait to see how I progress having a reliable feature to practice on!

Racing down the top half
Photo: Jeff Taylor

Everyone passed their assessments and so an afternoon of fun and frolics ensued, we played the eddy game, and had a head to head race, needless to say I won the race haha. And any boating trip wouldn’t be complete without the liberal use of KNAR quotes and banter.

Winning!
Photo: Jeff Taylor

Rob "I'm so much better than you" Menown