For the first ten years of my life, I didn’t live anywhere near a canoe club, or a suitable body of water. Nobody in my family used to paddle, but I was always drawn to boats. When I spotted an old surfboard somebody had put outside to take to the tip, I told my dad to stop the car because I ‘needed’ it. The person had already cut it in half for easier transport. That’s how I ended up with this as my first boat:
My dad added the handles for me later. This thing is very heavy, especially when it’s soaked full of water and I dragged and carried it down to the stream (2k easily) and back up countless times to brave ‘the rapids’ and the ‘big, dark pond’.
This was before digital photography, and I don’t have any photos of me paddling it. I didn’t have a paddle, either, I used all sorts of planks and branches.
This was taken at Bostalsee, it’s the first time I was in a ‘real’ kayak. All I remember is that I really liked it, and that it was much wobblier than I thought.
The first time I paddled moving water was on Ardèche, France during a family holiday. We were in one of the tourist sit on tops that get sent down the river by the hundreds without any skills or proper safety equipment. No helmets : O
Everything went fine, though, and we ended up having a great day. The scariest part was the bus ride back to the base (Roads are narrow next to the gorge, without significant barriers). I also remember how surprised I was that my parents bought this photo. I’m very glad they did.
When we moved, I had heard of rolling, and because I couldn’t imagine it, I got really scared. that’s why it took so long until I finally joined the local canoe club. Wish I’d gone right away!
This is my first ever race. The times from both runs were added up, so I didn’t get a result because I swam during the first one.
I’ve written about this place before, Kleinblittersdorf at the Saar, right between Germany and France.
I’ve also written about Hüningen/Huningue, where I spent that winter swimming even more.
These are from Ivrea, Italy, my first proper training camp. I don’t remember enough to make it a seperate article, but Ivrea was awesome and scary, the water was super fresh and clean but full of sediment, icy cold, and the air was very hot. I loved that combination. And the fig tree. I’d never eaten that many figs in my life.
Note the boat: A Galasport Strike from my club. Slalom boats were still 4m.
I wasn’t supposed to paddle all the way down the course, where it got more difficult, but I did. We went to Bourg, as well, where I only paddled below the proper course, and to Sault-Brenaz.