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Chris Wheeler Memorial Edition CHRIS WHEELER MEMORIAL EDITION JULY / AUGUST 2010 THE TRASHER CHRIS WHEELER MEMORIAL EDITION I’m writing this nearly a year after the tragedy where we lost We’ve also tried to put together photographs and reminis- Chris. One of the things we decided to do was to produce an cences which we hope in some small way go towards show- issue of the Kingfisher newsletter The Trasher which would ing why we all consider it a real privilege to have had Chris be devoted to Chris. We hope this will be of interest to his as a dear friend. many friends in and outside of the club and also to people who didn’t know him. Thanks to all who have contributed stories, photos, memo- ries, and anecdotes to this special edition. Myself and Louise have trawled through past copies of The Trasher to find what Chris had written. It soon became ob- Dave Surman, Kingfisher Canoe Club vious that there is so much material it becomes difficult to November 2010 know what to include and what to leave out. As well as his writing for Canoe Kayak, Paddles and the English Whitewater Guide, Chris would regularly write for The Trasher. His “Magic Knees News” was always written with a dry sense of humour and packed with enthusiasm about past or future activities. We have tried to select material that reflects his enthusi- asm, his sense of humour and his high level of achievement. Chris was around in the early days of “Rodeo” and paddling the Nile before it became a popular destination but he was also involved in frequent whitewater missions at weekends at the drop of a hat. Chris & Julia Hay-on-Wye, October 2009 TRASHER CHRIS WHEELER MEMORIAL EDITION, NOVEMBER 2010 2 Poza Azul, Costa Rica, 2004 TRASHER CHRIS WHEELER MEMORIAL EDITION, NOVEMBER 2010 3 by Dave Surman (first published in the Trasher, Chris Wheeler December 2009) was typical of Chris that he admitted his through a hedge backwards- probably mistakes, learnt from them and moved because for most of the time I had” on. Over the recent years as Chris` stand- At this time Chris was working in Lon- ard of paddling was leagues above mine, don, but his heart was always paddling it was inevitable that we spent less time on some wild river. He took some time paddling together. But it was a measure out to go travelling with an old friend of the man that Chris was, that socially Richard. we were still together. We would meet When he returned he had no job and up in the evenings at the Dart Centre. A no car. I used to pick him up and we group of us would meet up regularly at would go to Kingfisher or the Thames lunchtimes during the working week, to weirs. Always organised he would tum- talk and discuss things. Chris along with ble down the stairs with a plastic box Andy Mac helped me off the river and of paddling kit and a check list to make called for help after I was injured on the sure he hadn`t forgotten anything. He Mawdach and when, a few years ago, I also expanded his paddling from trips was going through a bad time, it was On Saturday 21st November 2009 Chris to Austria to his first expedition pad- Chris who phoned up, came over after Wheeler was tragically drowned whilst dling in India with Fred, Chris Sladden work and we went down the pub just to kayaking the Upper Dart. and others on what was, I believe, first talk. I`ve never forgotten that. For twenty seven years Chris has been descents of the Sutlej and other rivers. The day before the accident we had a very dear friend. Never in a million We had lots of happy times paddling met up for lunch and I`d told Chris that years did I expect to be writing this and and socializing. I owe a lot to Chris for his old S6 was still going strong having whatever I say or write cannot possibly giving me the confidence to tackle rivers been sold on from one Pathfinder to an- do justice to the man Chris was. I probably wouldn`t have gone on oth- other.. His reaction was that he was re- I first met Chris at his parent`s home in erwise. We raised eyebrows one night B ally pleased that it had gone to a good Kennington, soon after I had joined Riv- n B ing in Ashburton where we shared home, one of the youngsters. That was erside around about 1980. I had called the Valentine`s Day Menu because it typical of Chris, he wanted others to in with his brother Tim. Chris, being was the best value! It was Chris that in- share and enjoy what had given him so younger, did not start kayaking until the troduced me to the southern paddling much pleasure.. following year. Even then I remember his network that would head for Dartmoor Chris was an exceptional paddler who rise to competency was meteoric, hand at the slightest hint of a favourable fore- had a wise head on and who would not rolling within a week. In the old long cast. I made many more good friends do something if he thought the risks too glass fibre boats he quickly became one and many more paddling opportunities high. He was well loved and respected of the regular band of youngsters that were opened to me from this. even by those who had only a brief ac- would be out locally every weekend. I I remember the 2000 trip to Austria quaintance with him. The 400 or so at believe his first trip kayaking abroad was (The Lonely Goatherd Tour) with some the funeral are testament to this. as part of a Riverside trip organised by classic moments at the Landeck Stadt- I really hadn`t intended this to be so Fred Wondre. From this he quickly pro- fest, the Sunday afternoon sessions in long, but somehow I didn`t know how gressed, showing his ability and dedica- the Red Lyon after a Hurley session in to shorten what I wanted to say. There tion from an early age. When many of which Chris had spent most of the time is a big hole in the lives of many many us were still confining ourselves to the installed in gate 3. people. Julia, Tim, Phil and his mother standard whitewater paddles, Chris was Then there were the times at the have all lost a dear one. But so too have off with Fred and Chris Sladden explor- Dart Centre when Chris would set off all his friends and even the people who ing every bit of whitewater in Wales. early in the morning on a spate day to only knew of him have been affected It was on one such New Year trip that do the triple Crown (Upper Dart, Erme deeply. Chris had his unpleasant experience and Plym) having spent the previous Chris would want us all to remember on Conway Falls resulting in dislocated week studying the forecast in the fin- him by carrying on doing what he loved knees, a spell in hospital and time in a est detail so he would catch each river so much. wheelchair. Many people might have at it`s peak. I remember his comment Chris, you have made such a differ- been put off by this accident but Chris one day when he and Mark had been ence to so many people`s lives. It has learnt from it and came back with a off paddling every tree infested ditch on been an honour to know you. vengeance, even getting back in a boat Dartmoor to research the English White- Rest in peace. whilst still having callipers on his legs. It water Guide”I felt like I`d been dragged TRASHER CHRIS WHEELER MEMORIAL EDITION, NOVEMBER 2010 4 CHRIS IN THE EARLY DAYS by Louise Royle Chris was always a very active con- letter, Martyn Green (the editor) wel- Lyn that I remember well. We used to tributor of article to various canoeing comed new members:- Chris is a skilled have to book up tickets for the Upper magazines, and the KCC Newsletter canoeist, holds the BCU senior instruc- Dart and Lyn but between us we had was no exception (the newsletter be- tor award, has paddled on many occa- a good system worked out (see Magic come known as ‘The Trasher’ in late sions with Fred Wondre and other KCC Knees news July 2001). Even then Chris 1991 when a certain Mr David Surman paddlers of the same ilk. Chris lives in could talk his way around us having took over as editor). I have had a very London. more paddlers than tickets, and we interesting time going through my col- were paddling the Sunday when the lection of KCC newsletters (I have only The first account of Chris’s many pad- tickets were for Saturday! kept them since 1987) bringing back dling trips abroad that I could find was many happy memories. I have selected written by Fred Wondre in 1990 on their In the late 80’s –early 90’s there was a handful of my favourite Chris related trip to Peru. Here is an extract just to a regular bunch of KCC folk paddling articles to share, particularly some of show how little things have changed: the Thames wiers: Hambeldon, Hur- the older ones which were hand writ- ‘We snaked our way into Heathrow.
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