FP hanging out with the Stellar and Slipstream Surf crew at the Summer Series

The start of 2012 has been surreal. I’ve gone from tentatively sitting on a surf ski for the first time, barely able to stay on in completely glassy waters, to rolling up to a surf ski race on Botany Bay four weeks later with a  secret hope that I stay on at least long enough to limp over the finish line. During that time I’ve trained zealously in the gym, everyday, in the hope that diminishing weight and a stronger core accelerate my ability to paddle the long white rocket currently sitting in my garage.

Nat finishes up strongly on his Think Evo. One day I'll beat him, just you watch.

To be honest though, the Stellar SR surf ski I’ve been using (thanks Slipstream Surf) is pretty stable in the surf ski scheme of things. It’s design is great for entry to intermediate level paddlers as it has great secondary stability (for a ski). But there’s still a certain amount of paddler stability that needs to be finessed before taking it out in anything lumpy (unless you like swimming) so the onus has been on me to get myself more “ski ready”.

Eleven kms on Botany Bay and it looks like FP might make it high and dry

So I’ve been training. A lot. Daily routines of cardio and core strength exercises, backed up with a nutritional plan put together by Benefit Active. Since I started training 6 weeks ago (ie two weeks before I got on the ski) I’ve lost 14 kgs / 30 lbs. This is a substantial amount of weight to lose in such a short period of time, but I’m doing it healthily. Great food, lots of exercise, carefully planned by fitness professionals.

Mogo looking great on the Stellar SR surf ski. Also looking very WET!

Of course, all that is irrelevant when it comes to racing. Botany Bay is protected from the ocean but it does get wind-blown lumps and swell squeezing in from outside. The water was certainly dynamic enough to have me worried, but I didn’t want to let on to my fellow Team Fat Paddler members so I forced a smile and off I went. Fortunately fellow TFPer Mogo had borrowed a Stellar SR ski from Slipstream Surf that morning as well so I wasn’t alone in my stability nerves.

Malcolm from Carbonology Australia gave us all awesome on-water support and advice. Legend!

To say I was slow is an understatement. For the first 1-2 kms I took it very slowly, keeping my rhythm steady and cadence slow as I concentrated on keeping the boat stable. Mogo started falling out a bit and as other TFP paddlers went to his aid, I found myself alone in growing chop and swell. I had catchable waves hitting me from behind and at a 45 degree angle, so I zig-zagged through it to enable me to gain the benefit of any runners I could catch.

In the TFP kayak (male) division, The Riddler flies into the finish and a podium place

In the TFP kayak (female) division, Series leader Meg wins another race in her division!

The acceleration on waves was intoxicating, the spray kicking up around me as I desperately fought to keep myself in the boat. Sometimes I’d dip a gunwale into a wave and the cockpit would instantly fill with water, reminding me of Nat’s submarine video on Sydney Harbour, but the gurgling venturi quickly emptied out the water and everything was fine. As I wobbled my way through the chop, I noticed a funny thing. I started to smile, a big heartfelt “THIS IS FUN” kinda smile. Much like the rush of surfing through rocks or bouncing around in whitewater.

Footage from the GoPro. Running the lumps, hell yeah!

As the race went on I kept learning about how the ski reacted to different lump shapes and changing wind conditions. I managed to assist another paddler who’d fallen out, turn the buoy and then battle on through the headwind and side chop back to the start. By now my stability had really kicked in, I’d worked out how to build stability via acceleration, and was genuinely loving the bumpy ride on the return leg. When I started I had no idea what I’d think of this surf ski stuff, but suddenly now I could see why it’s growing as a sport so rapidly. The sensation of racing through lumps on a sleek boat is truly awesome.

Winners are grinners... and we're all winners in our own way!

Needless to say I didn’t win. In fact I wasn’t even in the middle pack – I came into the beach at the finish with only two skis behind me. But to me it was a big win, because in just four weeks I’d managed to somehow race the surf ski in a few lumps without falling out AND actually finish. I’d learnt a heap about the boat, and about how to stabilise through keeping my body relaxed and my speed up. Sure, I have a ridiculous amount still to learn and a huge range of skills to pick up, but they’ll be future wins I can work towards. For now, I’ll be happy with the finish and use the success as motivation to keep up the training. Cheers – FP

Team Fat Paddler racers for Summer Series Race 3 - Mogo, Riddler, FP, Meg and Nat

Special thanks: Gavin and Slipstream Surf for the use of his Stellar SR surf skis, Malcolm and Carbonology Australia for the use of the carbon wing paddles and for his care and advice on the water, Dez and the Blast Paddlers crew for putting on the Summer Series, Alex Francois for the use of his photos from the event, and of course to my Team Fat Paddler members who make all my paddling experiences awesome.

Tags: Blast Paddlers, Carbonology Australia, ocean ski, Slipstream Surf, Stellar Kayaks, Stellar SR, Stellar Surf Skis, Summer Series, surf ski, surfski

The Summer Series is an inclusive race for all paddlers, regardless of craft

Last weekend Team Fat Paddler took part in the 2nd race of the 2011 Summer Series at Rose Bay. This great Sydney-based series is different to many of the races out there – where else can you have a start line with elite ski paddlers chatting casually to SUP paddlers, kayakers on sit on top fishing kayaks and hefty fellas on outriggers? Its an event that defines what paddling is about – friendly folks competing for the class win on beautiful waterways and then sharing a sausage sandwich at the end with race organisers, sponsors and fellow paddlers.

Dez from Blast Paddlers giving the pre-race briefing, course details etc

Team Fat Paddler has enjoyed it’s involvement in this series and were excited to get another couple of podium places on the day. A huge thanks to Dez and the crew from Blast Paddlers for putting the series together as well as the brilliant involvement from sponsors including Carbonology, Stellar Kayaks, Prokayaks, SUP Love and Oz Standup who bring their boats/boards along on the day for people to try out. And of course ASN – Neutral Bay for the turbo-charged performance drinks at the start – haha!

Sexy boats to drool over and even test, especially the Stellar and Carbonology skis

We can’t wait for the next few races, and if you feel like taking part in a race event without the competitive pressures of other events, then this is the series for you. We’d love to see you out on the water (and at the bbq afterwards of course!). Cheers, FP

Rose Bay at 5.30am. A spectacular sunrise for the Summer Series Race 2

Team Fat Paddler's Commander Alan lines up at the start of Race 2

A locally made Bladerunner OC1. It's captain had been paddling for a whole 2 weeks!

And some bigger boats too - a full blown OC6 ready to charge!

Alan gets a 2nd in the Mens Kayak class, beaten by the slightly older fella on the right!

Lt Cmdr Nat got his first surf ski podium place as well. Congrats Nat!

Meg, good friend of TFP, takes out the Womens Kayak div for the 2nd time. Congrats!

Tags: ASN Neutral Bay, Blast Paddlers, Carbonology, OZ Standup, ProKayaks, Stellar Kayaks, Summer Series, SUP Love

2011 Summer Series six-event paddling competition

Summer is upon us and those folks at Blast Paddlers are about to launch their new multi-discipline race schedule, the 2011 Summer Series. This great race series is comprised of 6 races over 6 months, with categories for skis, OCs, SUPs and kayaks – pretty much something for everyone. Here’s the official blurb from their site:

“The Sydney Harbour Challenge “Summer Edition” is a fantastic annual Community-focused paddle-sport event, designed and developed with the support and input of world class athletes from all paddling disciplines, and representatives from the peak bodies in the paddle sport industry.

We’ve gone to great lengths to create a comprehensive, all inclusive race event, with the aim of providing a fun, safe, family day out, and the best possible format of of fun, safe, and challenging racing or distance and conditions, tailored to suit paddlers of all levels of paddling skill and fitness.

No matter your skill-level, this is the event for you. We welcome all paddlers, of all abilities, and all craft. From those of us new to the sport, to the old-school veterans. At the 2011 Summer Series, there’s something for everyone with a passion for paddle sport.”

So there you have it! The event is $35 in advance, or $45 on the day. Your’s truly is going to be there coming last in my Remix white water boat, so come along for a paddle and say hello as you pass me. Cheers! FP

Tags: 2011 Summer Series, Blast Paddlers, kayak, OC, ski, SUP

FP leading the crew away from The Spit at the start of the social paddle

Having done a fair bit of solo paddling over the past few weeks, I thought it might be time to organise an open social paddle. I put the word out looking for first-timers or friends, with a plan to meet at The Spit before a leisurely paddle up Middle Harbour.

The social set making their way under The Spit Bridge

Grumm turned up with Gavin, a mate of his from the old country.  A colleague from my work, Gelo, turned up. A reader of the site who I hadn’t met before (Mark) arrived on his Vespa. And Blast Paddlers personality Dez Blanchfield turned up with his carbon fibre racing ski. Finally, a bloke we met on the beach, Ian (who had hired an OZFlyte ski for a test paddle), took up an impromptu invite  to join us as well. The seven of us then lined up our respective kayaks and skis on the beach, and paddled north into Middle Harbour.

The FP Paddle Gang... that's how we roll, baby!

Watching Dezzy cruising on his 6.5 metre Think Uno racing ski, I thought about how he might go with a Greenland paddle.  So I convinced him to swap paddles for a bit, me fumbling with his carbon wing paddle, and him trying to get a handle on my traditional hand-carved wooden Adanac Paddle. It was an incredible sight, the mix of cutting edge carbon ski with a traditional Inuit paddle!

Carbon fibre and Timber - New School and Old!!

We eventually returned each others paddles and continued with the group up to Sugar Loaf Bay, where we anticipated meeting Garry in his coffee boat. Unfortunately he didn’t turn up, so after waiting a little while we made the decision to head into Scotts Creek and try to find Garry later.

Mark traded in his usual Sit On Top for a sea kayak. Not sure about the lime visor though??

For those of us in kayaks, the narrow confines of Scotts Creek are usually pretty easy to negotiate. You’d expect the boys in long skis to have problems, but not the kayakers. Except for Gelo of course, who someone managed to wedge his boat into a tree.

Gelo, smiling to hide the fact he's firmly wedged in place!

As the creek narrowed at the half way mark, Dez decided he couldn’t really take his ski much further and chose to turn around. Watching a 6.5m ski trying to turn in a creek about 6.3m wide is pretty damn funny, and for a few moments it looked like Dez was going to wobble enough to end up swimming. But after a perfectly executed 120-point turn, he eventually got his ski around and waving goodbye, head off back to the The Spit.

Seeya Dez, get that bloody huge ski out of this creek!

The rest of us continued up the creek until it bottomed out, so we each turned our kayaks around to head back out. Except Gelo of course, who again managed to get wedged sideways across the creek! Grumm and I had to use both our kayaks to push and pull him around until eventually he was facing the right way.

Oh Gelo.... did you get stuck AGAIN??

The paddle back out was uneventful and as we returned to Sugar Loaf Bay we caught up with Garry for the long-awaited coffees. Rafting up, we all had a chat and enjoyed the beautiful Sydney morning as we sipped our coffee, before splitting up again for the final paddle back to The Spit.

A triumphant Mark at the end of the paddle. Still not sure about that visor!!

Gavin and Ian rolling in to The Spit

Ian... got to see a bit more of the Harbour than a just your average paddle!

With a few new friends made, we all grabbed a final coffee and enjoyed the sun and the beach out the front of Sydney Harbour Kayaks. All up a lovely little tour of Middle Harbour, and a few new lads with the paddling bug.  Cheers – FP

P.s. Thanks to Shannon from Sydney Harbour Kayaks for some of the photos!

Tags: Blast Paddlers, Dez Blanchfield, OZFlyte Pro, Scotts Creek, Social Paddle, Think Uno

Early morning coffee, Pittwater side of Palmy (thanks to Pete Morgan and Mitchell Gailbraith for pic)

Officials setting up and trying to get out of the wind. Wonder if any paddlers will turn up?? (Only about 170 paddlers!)

Pittwater. A little windy. A little wet. A little cold. And no-one cared.

The Team Fat Paddler boats ready to dominate.

Like sleeping mako sharks, the Team Fat Paddler boats awaited the race and the imminent destruction of all their competitors.....

Ok, this boat may have been a little faster than ours (thx to Sydney Harbour Kayaks and Blast Paddlers)

Paddle craft of all different shapes and sizes. Fortunately we were next to the TAB board so Grumm could put a big bet on England beating Germany in the World Cup.

Team Fat Paddler chasing down their competitors. Look at the fear on their faces. Smell their terror! (again, thanks to Pete Morgan and Mitchell Gailbraith for the pic)

Grumm, laughing after robbing Team Fat Paddler of its two podium places by deciding to take a swim in Pittwater instead. WHAT'S SO FUNNY GRUMM???

Thankfully, there was a gaggle of gorgeous girls with tables stuffed with brilliant foods to help ease the pain of not winning.

The Brains Trust of Paddle For Pete. Well done for an awesome event. Cheers - FP

Tags: Blast Paddlers, Grumm, Paddle for Pete, Team Fat Paddler