For second-hand slalom kit try the second hand group on Facebook: (search for canoe slalom - wanted or selling used equipment)
MCC New Marlins Guide to Canoe Slalom – Intro
All the information about races (including google map links to all the venues), entries, ranking etc. is on the canoe slalom website canoeslalom.co.uk
If you have any questions ask Mark, Andy, Steve, Matt, Clare or one of the other parents.
MCC New Marlins Guide to Canoe Slalom – Part 1 – Races!
The main aim of slalom is to race. Race days/weekends are about much more than the racing though. They can be highly sociable fun days out. Weekend slaloms particularly over the summer frequently feature camping and barbecues.
You start in division 4, which is a relatively cheap entry. Once you get promoted to division 3 (which doesn’t take many events for someone who paddles regularly) you will need to take out annual membership with British Canoeing.
How events work
Generally races start at around 11am on race day (div 2/3/4 will start earlier). Before this is registration and practice.
Most races now are online entry in advance: https://www.canoeslalomentries.co.uk/year/2023
If you have any questions about the event when you get there ask for "Control" - it's where someone will be to deal with any issues.
There are 2 types of practice:
Free practice - you can start at any time and practice sections of the course. At most beginner events this makes up the bulk of the practice.
Official practice – full runs only. Some events will give you a time to start, some will have somebody on start to ensure everyone only does one run, some (like Stone) won’t limit the number of runs you do but enforce full runs only. Again – don’t panic (this bit can seem a bit intimidating at your first event) – just ask!
The best time to practice: courses can get busy and practice can get frustrating! With Chloe (my daughter) we would aim to be on the water as early as possible, to minimise crowds on the water and maximise rest time before her race runs. If you’re racing both days then it’s worth hanging around on the Saturday until the course has been changed and practising then – it’s generally a lot quieter then than on Sunday morning. Then on Sunday you can just do a couple of runs down to remind you of the course.
I recommend getting as much time on the water as you can at early events - this will really help with your development.
Racing consists of 2 timed runs – one in the morning and one in the afternoon. Your best time counts. After this is prizegiving – please stay if you can and support the race organisers.
Events
Below is a quick guide to all the close(ish) div 4 slalom venues (in the order they should be happening this year, covid permitting). We will try to get club coaches to as many as possible to offer race support. If this isn’t possible we’ll recommend a good parent to latch on to! If you need help getting a boat to a race talk to us – we can probably sort something out. Long term a roof rack is a good investment!
Stone Sat 2nd / Sun 3rd July Div 3 / 4
Sat 29th / Sun 30th June Div 3 / 4
Sat 5th / Sun 6th October Div 3 / 4
A double event (one race each day, so it doesn’t matter if you only go on one day. This is run by arguably the most successful canoe slalom club in the country. It will be amazingly well run, and the cake is good! The water is very gentle – the roughest part is comparable with the middle pool at Marple. Very spectator friendly.
Mile End Mill, Llangollen Sat 13th / Sun 14th April Div 3 / 4
Mile End Mill is back on the slalom calendar after a long hiatus. A great venue, the course will be on the gentle part of the site. Cafe, toilets and canoe shop on site and an Aldi half a mile up the road. Should be well run as Jonathan and Mark have a lot of pedigree behind them!
Oughtibridge (Sheffield) Sat 20th/ Sun 21st April Div 3 / 4
Sat 6th / 7th July Div 3 / 4
Sat 14th / Sun 15th Sept Div 3 / 4
Another great Yorkshire slalom! Onsite camping. Generally there are lots of kids there trying different disciplines (C1, C2 etc.). Really gentle water (unless it’s high!) and supportive atmosphere.
Marple Sat 4th / Sun 5th May Div 3 / 4
Sat 7th / Sun 8th September Div 3 / 4
Your home race! Lots of home support, good cake. You know the water! The club will be looking for parent volunteers to help out over the weekend.
Wagon Lane (Bingley) Sat 11th / Sun 12th May Div 3 / 4
Sat 28rd / Sun 29th September Div 3 / 4
A double with on site camping. Really friendly, great trophies! Water difficulty is similar to Marple, but you will need to be wearing a spraydeck as the first drop could fill your boat up otherwise!
Kilnhurst (Rotherham) Sat 18th / Sun 19th May Div 2 / 3
A new event last year. Run by Manvers so a really friendly race. Water is on the easier side of div 2 so as div 2/3 races go this is not a bad one for div 3 paddlers. Camping almost on site.
Old Bank End Farm Sun 2nd June Div 4
(Doncaster) Sun 6th Oct Div 4
I don't know too much about this one as it's a new ish venue. Flat water so a short course (12 gates). Run by the amazing Esther Mathews of Green Star, should be good.
Bala Mill (Bala) Sat 15th / Sun 16 June Div 2 / 3 / 4
Sat 13th / Sun 14th July Div 2 / 3 / 4
Another double event. The div 4 and 3 will be run on a shorter course to the div 2. This isn’t a great beginner’s venue – practice time is generally limited and it will be busy. The water seems intimidating but the div 4 and div 3 start after the first drop and miss out the scary bits! There will however be a friendly atmosphere, on site camping, BBQs etc!
MCC New Marlins Guide to Canoe Slalom – Part 2 – Clothing
When you join the club you will be allocated a boat and (for the first year) a buoyancy aid, spraydeck and helmet. Paddles are on a first – come first – served basis on club nights, but the club paddles are not great, once you start racing you will probably want some higher performance paddles. I will cover this in part 3.
Slalom paddlers tend to be unimaginative in their clothing (or you could say that over the years they’ve worked out what is good and what isn’t!)
Wetsuits aren’t great for kayaking and especially slalom. They’re restrictive and designed to keep you warm when you’re IN the water, not floating on top of it. On the flip side on a hot day you’ll roast!
Feet – neoprene slippers. Various brands and prices are available. Decathlon sell them for around £13.
Legs – neoprene shorts. For cold days thermal leggings under neoprene shorts or neoprene leggings. For both of these Decathlon sell cheap ones. If you want higher quality neoprene shorts then PeakUK, and Hiko amongst others make paddling specific ones. PeakUK also make longer neoprene trousers which are popular with some kids.
Thermal tops – there are numerous brands out there. Decathlon do cheap ones, as do other high street stores that stock ski clothing. You can get paddle specific ones.
Cags – Often called “paddle jackets” by websites trying to get away from the old yellow hooded cagoule stereotype! Basic paddling cags have neoprene wrist and neck seals. “Dry” cags have latex wrist seals and either a latex or tight neoprene neck seal. With cags, unfortunately, you tend to get what you pay for. Decathlon do sell cheap cags in their sailing section. For a paddling specific cag look for Palm and PeakUK – both do good kids ranges.
You can get cags with inbuilt spraydecks (cagdecks). These have the advantage of less restriction round the trunk area and a more watertight seal at the waist. The disadvantage is that unless you buy a separate spraydeck you’re limited in clothing options. PeakUK also sell a “Racer ST” which is a cagdeck with a buoyancy aid built in. I wouldn’t recommend one just yet!
Headware – you’re a bit limited here due to wearing a helmet. If you’re training on flat water in winter a wooly hat is great!! Under helmet options include a thin fleece hat or a 2mm neoprene skullcap.
Hands – Gloves aren’t great due to losing the contact with the paddle shaft. “Pogies” are mitts that velcro over the paddle shaft and your hands go inside them.
MCC New Marlins Guide to Canoe Slalom – Part 3 - Equipment
Helmets – need to fit! They also need to be watersports approved. There are loads out there, from a £22 RUK helmet to a £125 Galasports Carbon Fibre helmet. Take your time finding one that you like! Slalom helmets tend to be lower profile and lighter than general white-water helmets. Lucy got a "Gotham Water" helmet which seems really nice for small heads.
Spraydecks – you want one sized for a slalom K1 (or just "K1" on some sites). PeakUK and Hiko make slalom specific spraydecks. You can get them with cags attached. There is quite a strong second hand market in cagdecks.
Buoyancy Aids – Any buoyancy aid with the correct amount of buoyancy will do, as long as it fits. A slalom specific buoyancy aid is minimally restrictive – PeakUK’s Racer Pro and Hiko’s Saluki are probably the most popular.
Paddles – need to be the correct length and blade size for you. If the blades are too large you can put excessive force on your shoulders. If they are too small you won’t generate enough power! You can generally find second hand paddles at events or online. If buying new talk to the supplier about what is right for you. Galasports are the market leaders in kids’ paddles, imported and sold in the UK by canoe-tec. TJ composites and JemRacing also make child specific paddles.
Paddles vary in feather. This is the angle of twist between the blades. For slalom it can vary between 0⁰ and 60⁰ .Club paddles tend to be around 30⁰ . Be aware of this if buying second hand!
Kayaks – Slalom kayaks are expensive. Fortunately there is a strong second hand market both online and at events. If you buy a second hand boat and look after it you can probably sell it on again! Boats vary in materials (cheapest and heaviest is diolen, up to carbon which is expensive and light). They also vary in the weight of paddler they are made for, so be aware of that when buying one.
Ideally talk to someone more knowledgeable before buying one! Be wary buying online – there are a lot of really old 4m boats doing the rounds at the moment, these are not competitive in modern slalom.
Shops that stock slalom equipment:
Go Kayaking NorthWest. A general paddling store, but local, and offer a 10% club discount. Run by paddlers and Andy the manager seems really supportive of young slalom paddlers.
Canoe-tec Importers for Galasport and Hiko
PeakUK Paddling clothing firm based in Matlock
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