Travel Writing #4 - National Student Rodeo 2013

Friday 1st saw the beginning of my three day reign as Official Club Captain for my University Paddling Club. During these three days I organised my university team members on a trip to The National Student Rodeo (NSR) the largest freestyle kayaking event in Europe. NSR is a student organised kayaking competition held at the National Water Sports Centre, Holme Pierrepont, Nottingham. The event is attended by clubs from all over the UK and is currently the best student event I have attended.

  

Friday is mainly a day of travel to the event arriving in the evening to register participants for your university, acquire your camping spot then crack out the drinks and attend the warm-up party. I had the joy of attending the Captains Meeting and represented my university well. Where other captains turned up with pen and notepad I turned up with all captains need, a drink and my captains sailor hat. As I had assumed it would be, the meeting was just to go over all the points in a pack of information that had been sent out to me with the booking information, which I had actually read.

 Saturday - starting off a little groggy from celebrating heavily with my friends who attend other universities around the UK. My hangover was quickly shrugged off by my paddling warm up and first few moments on the water. I was straight onto the whitewater course at 0900 to compete in the Extreme Slalom event. This event determines what heat you are put in for the actual Freestyle Rodeo Competition. It turned out this year I was put into the Intermediate category which I was pretty surprised at, as the only skill I showed was a roll, half a flat spin and making it through 1 of 2 gates. I was also pretty frustrated to have been put in the Intermediate category as if I had been in the Novice heat I might have actually been able to perform on the feature and win some amazing prizes however, it was not to be.

Sunday - Again I battled off a fighting hangover, got into my wet paddling gear and got on the water for the intermediate heat however, I was humiliated by swimming whilst warming up prior to my heat. I then ended up missing the start. I accepted that the heat was a loss pretty quickly when I saw majority of the competitors pulling off cartwheels in the select feature, a kayak move I could not match for points so I retired from the heat. I then got changed again and spent the rest of the afternoon snapping away photos of the few sponsored paddlers and friends appearing on the course in the hope to get some good shots to send off to the sponsoring companies.

Mens Expert Freestyle Finalists

After all competition heats and finals were completed the final part of the event was the prize giving where I became very jealous of all people called up to collect prizes. As prizes included free coaching days, masses of equipment and a few top of the range brand new shiny boats!.

We headed back to Penrith campus in the mini bus. During this journey most people drifted off to sleep and I was awoken by people trying to throw things in my mouth whilst I dribbled on myself. We arrived at campus and unloaded the trailer that had been our base for keeping my kayak and my colleagues media equipment in for the weekend.
I then had to drive my friends Lizzie and Pete down to Ambleside where I was to stay. Whilst driving the last ten minutes of the journey I noticed I was having real difficulty focusing on driving. I dropped Lizzie and Pete off with all their equipment and had a pizza with Pete with the intention of going for a drink with him and some others in town. Unfortunately not knowing it yet, by the time we had arrived the effects of the infamous Trent Belly had started to take hold.

George Younger (green) performing an entry move

The River Trent that feeds the whitewater course is infamous for making people ill. This is due to the sanitation of the water. The Trent holds a cocktail of chemicals and bacteria caused from run off from farmer’s fields and industrial factories along the river, mix these chemicals and bacteria together in the features of the whitewater course and you get a nasty stomach bug that is mainly contracted from people accidentally getting the water in their mouths and "drinking" it.

This bug lead to me leaving town early and deliriously walking to my good friends Mike and Tom's house where they put me up for the night. Tom had experienced this bug before so was very reluctant to come near me just in-case the bug turned contagious. He warned of what was to come, a night of pain and sickness. I'll leave out the nice details just say I haven't ever been as ill as I was that night.

 Since paddling at Nottingham I’ve done some research into the river and found that in 2009 the river contained traces of cyanide, it’s no wonder I was ill. Next time I go to paddle there I intend on trying some of the many tricks people say keep the bug away. One of which includes consuming large amounts of Coca-Cola. Hopefully next time at the event my paddling is more successful and the tricks work to keep the bugs at bay.