Canoe Slalom 1986
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FEBRUARY 1986 PRICE 80p NEW BOATS • NEW RULES • TRAINING IN FRANCE r-, I I f 0-4~ - \ ~ r -z>· 0~ ~~ 8 Cl) • >- 0) CJ ~ Lt) z- ~ s , .. ' 0 _J co ~ Ct-I ~ . C-f) w zCJ <( I (_) LL 0 z 0 en o z w en - ~ _J <( s 0 ::) w w co a: en I s s s 1-- ~ w w w z z z <( a: <( 0 a: ~, I ~~ LL 0 LL - SLALOM Magazine -·--------------------------!'--C--O---N---T--E---N--T---S-- SPECIALF EATURES 3 New Rules Courses · Ken Langford 6 New Boats for 86 · I Ed. Joe Lyons 9 Australian Champs· A Special Correspondent 12 Warm Up - is it really necessary - D. Littlehales 20 Summer in Bourg · Alan Bayles LIZ SHARMAN - BRITISH CHAMPION 1985 NEXT Photo: Tony'Tickle ISSUE • Selection Results • Home Pierrepoint Update • Pool Slalom Report 1 School Terrace, Selly Oak, Birmingham. 829 6DY Telephone 0785 817016 'EDITOR: JOE LYONS FEATURES: RICHARD FOX The official magazine of the B.C.U. Slalom Executive, 45/47 High Street, Addlestone, Weybridge, Surrey. KT151JV REGULAR The views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the Editor or of the Slalom FEATURES Executive. PAGE SUBSCRIPTIONS Subscriptions may be obtained at £4.00 for 6 issues 2 From The Editor post paid from: Slalom Magazine, 1 School Terrace, Selly Oak, Birmingham. 829 6DY Special Rates for 5&15 overseas readers. G,(:@®i, ADVERTISING Rates for the next issue are available from the Editor - 17 Letters Telephone 0785 817016 COPY 19 FACOnTour The next issue will be published on April 3oth. Copy to reach the Editor 14 days before publication date. 22 Canadian Corner Front Cover: Uangollen International 1985 24 Results '85 Photo: Tony Tickle 2 SLALOM Magazine EDITORIAL .... And a happy new year. 1986 dawns. (cynics will no doubt point out that the December issue did not arrive till 1986, but nobody's perfect - least of all me!} This is a new year with a vengance, with the new rules and new boats. We are stuck with at least one of the three (the new rules} and the boats look to be an improvement on the old ones, having given the designers a chance to use some fairly radical new ideas. Our group of boats we don't discus is the concept designs trio of first, Hi-Flyer and Ziggy but an unfortunate illness to John Day prevented him writing a resume of the designs. All these new boats are worth a look, as are the bouyancy aids which most people will be having to replace - I understand Pyranha have got a very light weight one out to go with their new premier 3 sprint - it could be worth a look. Finding the executive stand may pose a problem at this years exhibition as it is in the cricket school, which needs a map, compass and an indian guide to locate. If you struggle that far (and I hope you will) you can congratulate Nev Unwin on a well deserved award of merit. Nev has put years of work into this sport, not least the exhibition stand for a number of years and deserves his recognition. Alan Edge is getting into his coachlnq job with a large amount of enthuslasrn; but a major requirement is people to coach as coaches. There must be many people who would benefit from a weekend course such as he offers in the coming months, so don't just sit there, get up and encourage those club 'helpers' to learn a bit more, and for the more adventurous and involved a career in coaching could be just around the corner. Don't delay, do it today! Finally, in th.is short editorial (nothing has happened, so there is nothing to write about!} we look forward to selection 86, and to Bourg St. Maurice. Lets see lots of people enjoying the pre-worlds, because its a beautiful place for a holiday and you can combine a suntan, scenery, ski-ing, canoeing and supporting in better surroundings than almost anywhere else. If you don't believe its worth it, ask Alan Bayles, or read his article on the Slalom Schools trip last summer. A good British presence on the bank will do wonders for our paddlers results - See you there. JOE LYONS THREE DIFFERENT APPROACHES TO THE GATE ON THE POT - LLANGOLLEN 85 SLALOM Magazine 3 THE NEW SLALOM RULES These, and many other questions need to be answered if any coherent Much publicity has been given to code of practice is to exist in the most recent changes in the course design. slalom rules, and yet those Under the old rules the course had changes are no more radical than to be approved by a person any previous set of amendments. appointed by the Executive On one hand this increased Committee for Championship events. attention reflects the general This meant in practice that development of the sport with individual gates could be changed. increased at ten ti on to detai 1, The new rules require a new however small, in so far as it philosphy to be accepted and affects competitive performance. communicated to course designers more significantly though .Ls the and answering such questions as underlying changes whic~ have what is he purpose of a specific occurred as a result of these rule cour-aet Does it provide a fair test changes. of ability? How do I design a Previously, the rules were ~tight' course? in that they did not g-i ve much If'. paddlers are to be able to scope for individual interpretation compete successfully they must know by course designers, ~nd this what they are going to meet on the enabled competition organisers to course. If paddlers are preparing produce a course which was for internationals they must know acceptable to paddlers even if the how other countries interpret these designer himself had not been to new course design freedoms. any other slalom for a couple of The requirement is not for an years. In short, the rules explanation of the rules. Such provided a degree of control over explanation is more relevant for a the designers who might have done judging course. The requirement is something completely against the for a continuous output rr-om the accepted norms of the sport· - like executive and for active discussion upstream reverse gates which, between coaches and course atlhough not specifically banned, designers to assess what is did not often appear because possible for the paddler and what suitable alternative demanding skills the course design should be sequences were always available. assessing in his design. In fact, through the rules, the Previously it sufficed to have course designer was more able to slalom defined as a test of a order what the paddler did. paddler's ability to control his Personally, i think the new rules boat in agitated water. Now it is are the best thing to happen to necessary to review the role of slalom for a long time. slalom courses in the assessment of Unfortunately, while it is possible ability. for a course designer to have increased freedom to produce a The abilities required by a course equally demanding for all slalomist include speed, endurance, classes, the guidance for many and strength, technical skill etc. and the protection against some which each course will put different existed under the old rules has now emphasis on each aspect. A river gone. How do you force a person to in flood is more likely to test do gates in reverse without strength than the same river in low reducing the element of 'flow' on a water where skill could be the course? Should reverse gates be dominant feature. Each of these relegated to become the easier but factors are understood by slalomists in general. What is slower option for the poorer less widely understood and paddler on a difficult course? 4 SLALOM Magazine frequently ignored is the Perhaps my euphoria is misplaced in requirement of a course to anticipating great developments in discriminate between paddlers of techniques as a response to new and differing abilities. exciting courses. I hope not. If an examination in mathematics I believe that the onus is on was so easy that most people all-paddler, coach, and organizer achieved 100% or converseiy, if it to critically examine courses was so hard that- most people failed during this next season using to get any marks it would not have criteria such as - ranked people in order of abll i ty (a) does a sequence test strength at mathematics. Similarly in or skill or speed etc? slalom, a sequence which is too. ( b) does a. sequence differentiate easy, too hard, or which depends for all classes and all levels more on luck than ability cannot be of ability - i.e. are, the considered fair. Therefore, it is penalties more in time than in important that the course provides hitting poles? a challenge to all classes and to ( c) does the sequence make the all ranges of ability from the paddler think? bottom to the top. A course which (d) could an alternative sequence fails to allow the better paddler have made better use of the to show his skills is as poor as water? (e) does the course flow? the course which is too difficult (f) is the standard maintained for all but the very best. throughout he course? Under the old rules it was The analysis can be endless but if difficult to achieve the broad it promotes discussion on course range of tests appropriate to all design the outcome can only be levels of ability in the same better courses on which the future i'' \I course.