Price 50p DM 4 OS 30 FR 12 USA $1 INCORPORATING~ JIMMY JAYES, BRITISH CHAMPION MENS Kl 1985 THE NEW BRITISH CHAMPION PADDLING THE LATEST DESIGN FROM NOMAD CANOES * PRO-AM 75&65* AVAILABLE FROM ONLY £145 plus VAl NOMAD CANOES, UNIT 15, DEES/DE INDUSTRIAL PARK, CLWYD. Tel. 0244 811393. SLALOM Magazine 1 CONTENTS SPECIAL FEATURES PAGE 8 Augsburg - Mecca of International Slalom 10 Summer Competition - Great Prizes! 13 Worlds Preview 18 The Endicott Factor - by Kent Ford 21 Liz Sharman - Profile of a Champion Ian Raspin: Britain's top youth paddler Photo: T Tickle NEXT ISSUE • Worlds Round-up • Profile - Jimmy Jayes 1 School Terrace, Selly Oak, Birmingham. B29 6DY Telephone: 021 471 3869 • Whitewater in Chile EDITOR: JOE LYONS Ff;.ATURES: RICHARD FOX T~official magazine of the B.C.U. Slalom REGULAR FEATU-RES Executive, 45/47 High Street, Addlestone, PAGE Weybridge, Surrey. KT151JV. The views expressed in this magazine are not 2 From the Editor necessarily those of the Editor or of the Slalom Executive. SUBSCRIPTIONS 3 'Feedback' Subscriptions may be obtained at £4.00 for 6 issues post paid from: Slalom Magazine, 1 School Terrace, Selly Oak, Birmingham. B29 5 & 11 Trade News 6DY Special Rates for overseas readers. ADVERTISING. Rates for the next issue are available from the Editor - Telephone 021 471 3869 25 Fast and Clean COPY The next issue will be published on August 16th. Copy to reach the Editor 14 days before 28 Events Round-up publication date. Cover photo: Richard Fox at Tacen, Yugoslavia 2 SLALOM Magazine EDITORIAL The third issue of 'Slalom Magazine' greets the This is the last season of the operation of the new British K1 mens slalom champion, Jimmy current rules for slalom. The new rules have Jayes, who in the abscence of Richard Fox from been imposed from without, but like it or not they the early season events, now has three premier are there and we are stuck with them. The time wins. Statistically he can still be equaled on has come to stop griping about what is being points by Russ Smith, if Russ wins Serpents Tail done to 'our sport' and to get on with the game, and Llangollen town, but to all intents and whatever the rules. If you haven't been to a new purposes, Jimmy's winning second run at rules event then you should got to one and Washburn gives him this years title, a reward for experience it at first hand, to learn how your hard graft and committment that is an inspiration approach to events will need to change. Lets be to every paddler over the age of 23 ! With four positive - we are the best slalom nation in the premier events gone noone else has shown world, and we will remain so if we get out there consistent form in mens kayak, while in the other and give it a fair go - but if we isolate ourselves disciplines the current leaders will have to wait from the mainstream of slalom by self imposed until September to confirm their rankings. differences we are doomed to fade into ordinariness and inconspicuosness Not that for most of these people the ranking list internationally. To all the merchants of doom matters too much at the moment, for their minds who say that all the skill will go out of the sport, are centered on the Augsburg Worlds, as is this and to all the cynics who talk about putting the magazine, for this issue is primarilly devoted to poles on the bank and running down the course, this, the climax of the canoeing year. No and other witticisms, I would suggest that the prophecies can be made, it's just good luck to cours~ for the April premier event at Bala would those who represent us, and I hope they acquit have been an excellent new rules course. It themselves to the best of their ability, as well as would have been a very skilful paddler who enjoying themselves. negotiated 13, 14, 15 as three forward downs, and the scope for thought and planning, and the The abscence of Richard Fox from the ranking reward for skill in pulling off a difficult move, list this year is easily explained. Apart from the which will be up to you to try, will be greater, not Rapid Racing week, Richard has been less. In the 13 years I have been in this sport, conducting his campaign for a third gold in every time the rules have changed the 'less skill' foreign parts. Most encouraging was his victory chorus has gone up, often from the bank and in the South German Champioships, held on from past 'masters'. We, the paddlers, have to Augsburg in the same week as Washburn in race these rules. Lets give them our best shot!. which he defeated worlds rival and Augsburg resident Peter Micheler by some six seconds. In addition to his victory in Rapid Racing, against a top class international field, his results abroad this season put him securely on top of the canoeing world. All we can hope is that he gets his just reward in June and brings the Paul Farrant trophy home again. Domestically the season is now well under way. Division one has had three ranking events and the current leader is Nick Barton of Windsor, with Britain's top black slalomist, Kev Campbell, close behind. Promotions and entries from the lower divisions show that the sport thrives and grows at all levels. The number of events, the number of participants, and the number of represented clubs has increased again, with the atmosphere at all the events that I have attended being friendly and enjoyable. Many unsolicited reports from people unconnected with the organisation have been received and all have been complimentary of the rising standards of organisation and presentation of Joe Lyons events. We will pass what we can on to the clubs concerned. I SLALOM Magazine 3 NOMAD INTER-CLUB CHAMPS UPDATE BRITISH TEAM WARMS UP The following rules have been agreed: In preparation for the World Championships the British Canoe Slalom team has undertaken The clubs that compete must be both B.C.U. and several trips to the continent for training and slalom registered. The event will be run under competition. A week long training camp at the proposed 1986 div. 2 - novice rules. Each Augsburg after Easter was followed at the club may enter a team of three premier/division beginning of May by another spell of training on 1 paddlers, one from each of the lower divisions the Eiskanal and two competitions at Loter. to div. 4, and a C1, C2 and a lady, who must all More recently the team has been involved in the be at least division 3. There can be no doubling Tatra Cup, a series of three competitions held on up in different classes. A team event will be held the artificial courses at Liptovsky Mikulas in with the teams made up of the three Czechoslovakia. In addition to the wins of Fox premier/div. 1 paddlers, the three lower division and Sharman in their respective events Les• men and the lady and Canadians. Each club Williams showed his best form in the C1 class, must provide at least two judges who may enter taking third place in the Tatra Cup. the judges event. A team leader must be The final warm-up evenmt for the team will be · nominated, who may or may not be a paddling the Commonwealth Championships at Bala on -nernber. Prizes - 1, 2, 3, in each class. The top June 1 /2. lub, worked out on a points system, will each win cash prizes for the club as well as medals. SPONSOR ANGRY Entries to J. Croft, 12 Holmcroft Road, Luton Imagine the dismay of Washburn Slalom Beds, LU3 2T J. Telephone 0582 571841. Entry sponsor Chris Hawksworth when he found out fee £3.00 individual, £3.00 team, cheques that his original donation of £800 worth of payable to St. Augustines Scouts Canoeing equipment for prizes at the May event had account. turned into £1200 after goods had been NATIONAL COACHING FOUNDATION •· exchanged following the prize giving. Leeds PROJECTS Canoe Club spokesman, Norah Small, Alan Edge the National Slalom Team coach has suggested that the unfortunate incident has been awarded a NCF grant to help him carry out probably cost the event any chance of a further a study of a delayed Feedback VTR System to sponsorship from the Wild Water Centre. assist the coaching of canoeing and other AMERICANS WARM UP ON MINI AUGSBURG sports. The project will be based at Bangor The American slalom team has been making under the supervision of former Olympic Coach good use of its own artificial course at South John Fazey. Bend Indiana as preparation for facing the real thing at Augsburg in June. The Old East Race _ John Handyside has also been successful in his utilises a filled-in industrial canal in the middle of 1 I, 'Jplication for a NCF grant. His project will the city and although it was constructed as long ~cus on the development and calibration of a ago as 1972 few paddlers had heard about it Canoe Ergometer which will be used for fitness until the late Summer of 1984. Since that time a testing members of the national teams. few alterations have been made to improve the B TEAM PROGRAMME water flow and at the end of April it was the site When the team minibus arrives back in Britain for the 1985 US team trials.