Lowri Davies

Did you know that if you lose the red key to a P-reg Fiat Ducato in a lake in the French Alps, you have no option but to spend 1226 euros to get all locks, ignition and immobiliser replaced?

Waving goodbye to my van!

That was a damn expensive slip up!

Some helpful hindsight advice given to me in the past week:

1. Why don’t you have a spare key?!
2. You should have got a spare key and kept the red key in a safe place
3. Close your buoyancy aid pocket next time
4. Clip your key into your BA
5. Get one of those floating keyrings

We tried all sorts including searching by boat and with snorkels, offering a 500 euro reward for its return, using a magnet to fish for it, calling Fiat UK for a new key, calling the previous owner for any old keys, seeing if we could bypass the immobiliser and getting quotes from various garages in France and the UK, but I was left with two options: abandon her or effectively “re-buy” her.

Many thanks to anyone who gave up their time to search for the key or help in any way. I’d particularly like to thank Kate Bankes who has been very kind and helpful in dealing with the French Fiat dealership.

I get the van back tomorrow.

Since the last update, I had a few more days with AUCC - trying out our inflatables and coaching the beginners before the paddling ban and continued rain resulted in them upping sticks and heading to Slovenia. It was a tearful fairwell; but I was cheered up by the sight of many other friends arriving and a day on a chunky Ubaye Racecourse with Simon Westgarth and a gang of local guides.

By Wednesday the ban had lifted, the sun was out and Tom had arrived It was time to don the lotion and get on the Sunshine Run.

Mounty fun

Matt Morrisey practicing for Slopejam

Friday meant Slopejam - an invite-only event where competitors throw tricks and stunts in their kayaks off drops and grind rails made of tree trunks to impress the judges and wow the crowds. There had been some doubt over whether the event would go ahead with such high water levels, but we were blessed that the mountian stream dropped off quickly enough.

Tim Trew styling the tree grind. Photo: Palm

The whole thing was laid back and utter hilarious making it a lot of fun for all involved. I made it through to the finals against some of the World’s best male boaters and with the standard of competition being through the roof, I was really proud that my brother and I were sat alongside them for a two run final. I was also pretty happy to be one of the only competitors who didn’t at some point get nailed in a hole and/or swim! There was definitely a lot to entertain the spectators! The standard was so high, with Tim Trew throwing back hammers in a Dagger Green, Matt Tidy throwing effortless pan-ams and Jon Davies doing some big donkey flips, that a winner could not be decided! Instead, all finalists were awarded “Victory Honey” presented by the Slopejam Honeys. Tasty.

Hammer time in practice

The top section of the Fournel. Photos: Little Danny

When Saturday rolled around I provided a group of Bath Uni students with free FlowFree coaching on flatwater cartwheels followed by a FlowFree freestyle coaching session for other coaches. By 5.30pm over a hundred students had gathered at the slalom course in l’Argentiere for the 3rd Student Boater-x. There were five events: Advanced, Intermediate and Beginner students, the “Bloater x” (old boys / non-students) and the Inflatey-x. It included everything you’d ever want from such an event: free beer, carnage, controversy and inflatable mushrooms. I was proud again to be just behind the podium positioned guys and the first female by a fair margin in the Expert category. Who knows what I could have achieved if I’d not wettied out of “Skin to Win”?!

 
Dagger branded beer!

Dagger branded boys!

Lots of fantastic photos will filter the web and magazines soon - there were loads of expensive cameras being waved about - but I was too busy floating about to take any!

No student event would be complete without an ambulance and as the sunset one arrived, showing the results of cheap beer and “vin dans une boîte”. After BBQs and Pizzas, it was time to gather round a bonfire and tell extravagant lies about the past few days of paddling; although with the amount of lost kit and hospital trips in the last week, it was probably all true!

More updates to follow soon, to include carnage and dilemas of the highest order… stay tuned!

I’m now in the French Alps which are still very rainy and wet. Levels have gone down a lot, a couple of sections of river have had their ban lifted and there is hope of all rivers being open by Monday… but it’s still raining and the forecast isn’t looking good…

Anyhow, I had two days of coaching an intro to big wave surfing at Hawaii-sur-Rhone in Lyon on my way down. Here’s a few photos:

Jon Soper-Dyer looking shocked as he gets his first big wave surf!

Me going for the air blunt. Photo: Andy Calland

Seppi Strohmeier going big

Last Tuesday I completed my last exam of my third year, deeming me “free for the summer”. Only one more year of Uni, then I can claim my status as a MEng-er.

In four days time, I head out to the French Alps (via the big wave in Lyon) with my University Canoe Club - an annual tradition. Usually we get lovely sunshine and low-to-medium river levels, but this year there has been a lot of snow and a lot of recent rain. Reports from those already out there, including my brother, are that the rivers are super high and brown… which should make for an exciting trip!

After two weeks with the club, it will be time to style it up in the first ever invite-only SlopeJam contest on the Fournel and party hard at the Student Boater-x - where I will also be providing free FlowFree coaching clinics for a day.

As the students recover and start to make their way home, I will head a couple of miles up the road to start work with Canoe Control for a month. During this time, I will also be training for the European Freestyle Championships, which I fly to in mid-July.

Sponsorship update:
After my last post regarding sponsorship, I have recieved a lot of interested and would like to thank anyone that has done anything to help - whether it resulted in sponsorship or not. I want to particularly thank:

• Netcase for financial contributions and support
• Sam Lumb @ Aberystwyth Guild of Students
• The Welsh Canoeing Association
• Ruth Jones, my landlord, who reduced my rent for June by way of sponsorship!
• The guys on sv650.org for all their help and support
• Olympus for a shiny waterproof camera
• SquareRock for continuing playboat support
• Palm Equipment Europe for continuing kit support

I am featured in the next issue of Planet Magazine, thanks to Dilwyn Roberts-Young.

Should everything that has been promised come through, I should be on my way to the Europeans without any stresses about financing it, for which I am massively grateful.

And now, to the packing… A parting shot…

Photo taken by Tom Laws

The location of the 2008 European Freestyle Championships to be held this July was recently confirmed as being Ourense in Spain. This year I am the defending champion, so the pressure is on!

Preparations have begun: training is underway, flights are being booked and sponsorship is being sought. Here’s an article from the Cambrian News, published today to try and get some sponsorship from within my University town of Aberystwyth.

Why do I need sponsorship?
Freestyle kayaking is a fast, dynamic, challenging and photogenic sport yet even at the top of our game we get very little funding and support to represent our country. Even the major kayaking brands generally only support their “Team Athletes” with free or discounted kit rather than funds towards these events (unless you are from America or Canada, where athletes are on at least partial salaries - hardly a fair competition?!). People assume that the GB Team get grants from UK Sport, the BCU, the lottery or councils; or that our kit sponsors individually foot all the bills. Unfortunately not. Every year it is a balancing act to get enough training in (which at this level should include a couple of trips abroad to train on bigger volume rivers not available in the UK such as the White Nile in Uganda or the Ottawa in Canada) and work to earn the money to live and get us to these events - in my case I also have to juggle this with my studies.

I estimate that training and competing at this level costs me over £4000 a year - and that’s not counting a lot of my kayaking trips which I consider to be “purely recreational”. That is a lot of money to find as a full time student.

How can you help?
There are many ways in which you could help:

1. Sponsor me - whether you are a business or an individual, donations of any size are very much appreciated. I realise that sponsorship is a two-way street and would expect to do something in return if the donation was sufficient. Ways in which sponsoring me could benefit you / your business include (but not limited to): photos for use in promotional material, giving presentations / inspirational talks, promoting your company through the varying media I frequent (includes TV - SkySports down to local news, magazines, promotional posters, newspapers, radio interviews etc)
2. Let me know of any relevant grants - there are many grants around that are not in the public domain or barely known about. Despite thorough investigations and many applications, the only grant I have attained so far is £150 from Ceredigion County Council. That will cover a one-way flight to the European Championships with my kayak and other vital equipment. It is not even enough for the flight back.
3. Would the company you work for sponsor me? - you may not have the power to release the funds, but you are probably able to contact the person who does. Please send me their contact details and/or speak to them directly about me. Knowing who to contact is a great start!
4. Do you know anyone else who might be able to help? - Please put me in contact with them if you do!

If you would like to donate
I have a paypal account under lod3@aber.ac.uk. Otherwise, please get in touch using that email address, or the one in the ‘Contact Me’ section.

I would like to thank my current kit sponsors Palm Equipment and Square Rock for their continuing support. A massive thank you also to the GB Team management who put in a lot of time on a volunteer basis.

Phew! I’m back from my whirlwind tour of the UK and had an excellent time. It’d take hours to tell you all about what I’ve done in the past month so here’s some photo-based highlights:

 
It was my pimping van’s maiden voyage. She did me proud. Photos: Tom Laws

Photo: Hugh Thomas

I did several talks around the country - Photo: Tom Laws

My favourite Uni Club on a cracking Scotland Trip - Photos: Tom Laws

 
Hammer Time after work on the Cwm Llan - Photo: Hugh Thomas

The utterly hilarious “Green Machine” - Photos: Tom Laws and Lowri Davies

Back to (the old) school. Jon Davies hucking the gnar on the Einion.
Photo: Lowri Davies

A fun-filled, action-packed Easter including losing my Glen-ginity, steep slides, passing two 2-day assessments back-to-back, rafting, 2000 miles in a van, waterfalls, giving talks, lots of snow and coaching in various kinds.   

Coaching, from ferrygliding to McNasties… Photo: Becca Hernandez

I’d like to thank Tom, Aber Uni CC, Ken Hughes, Cumbria Canoeist, Liverpool Uni CC, York Canoe Club and anyone I’ve paddled with this month. It’s been most excellent.

To see a mini-collection of MORE PHOTOS from my UK Tour, click here! Includes an amazing photo sequence of my brother (Jon) doing a barrel roll down the last drop of the Upper Cwm Llan - definitely worth seeing!

Now, I must get back to that pile of Uni work I’ve been ignoring…

It’s a busy time in Lowri-land. After last weekend’s UK River Rescue Symposium, I had half a day to catch my breath at my Dad’s house, where I found this on my doorstep:

Photo: Tom Laws

A great Fournel-like weir with a beautiful grade 2 ‘gorge’ afterwards. A splendid way to spend an hour.

I got off the water and into my van, heading straight for Liverpool to give the next in my series of lectures around the country about the Four Borders Expedition. After dinner on Penny Lane, I was shown to a very grand reading room featuring two pianos - the venue of my talk. After a bit of stress with the projector, everything ran smoothly and I was flattered at how interested in my stories everybody seemed. I’d like to thank the guys in Liverpool who organised and hosted this lecture - their write up of the night can be found here.

Four days of lectures, cheeky afternoon river runs and organising the club Alps Trip leads me today. Tomorrow I’m lucky enough to have tickets to watch THE Grand Slam match of the year: Wales v France in the Millenium Stadium . I’m very excited! Sunday I’m coaching in Nottingham before heading to the Lake District for two more Four Borders Talks (Monday in Keswick, Tuesday in Staveley - details here). I then carry on north to the Fort William area for some paddling (and maybe snowboarding?!) before heading back down through the east side of England to do a talk in York on March 27th for the club that taught me to paddle (details).

After all that, it’ll be back to the land of the sheep for work - then back to Uni!

Busy but lots of fun… just the way I like it!

Last weekend I was humbly part of an impressive team of providers for the first River Rescue Symposium held in the UK for over 12 years. Being part of this event obviously meant a lot to me as I gave up defending my title at the National Student Rodeo and supporting the 43 members of my club who were in attendance. I felt major pangs of miss-out-itus as my whole house excitedly packed up and left dressed as pirates on Friday afternoon, but I looked ahead to a fun and informative weekend.

Over 50 people arrived on Saturday for an introduction lecture followed by workshops about everything from advanced rope skills and first aid for paddlers to equipment and boat outfitting; most of which were based in the warm and dry of Llangollen’s leisure centre.

Photos: Mark Rainsley

My workshop was about the the dangers of those who’ve learnt to paddle through playboating taking to the rivers - why it is a problem and some ideas on tackling the problem. Here’s some cracking examples of playboaters going river running:

  
Photos: Tom Laws

After dinner it was Question Time where I found myself sat between Franco Ferrero, Bob Timms, Peter Knowles and Dino Heald as part of an expert panel. Things got a little heated at times, but at least we cleared up whether to use a cows tail…

Photo: Mark R

Saturday was rounded up with an excellent talk by Allan Ellard about his most recent trip to Arundel Pradesh and it wasn’t long before everyone was at the bar discussing where their next adventure would be.

Sunday was an entirely water-based affair, with half-day sessions working on the ideas presented the day before. I was running a session entitled “Improved Skill for Improved Safety” which I certainly enjoyed and hopefully everyone went away with a few new ideas and something to work on.

Photos: Mark R

Thanks must go to everyone who helped to put on the weekend, especially Stuart Woodward of Canoe Control. The event has already recieved a lot of positive feedback so I’m sure it will be back next year, just hopefully next time it won’t clash with the National Student Rodeo! 

Apologies for the lack of my own photos, but my camera is in for repairs

I’ve just got back from 4 days of snowboarding in Meribel with a friend and his Dad. The sun shone, the snow was good and the food was delicious. Excellent stuff.

We didn’t take a camera, which was quite refreshing, these pics are from Mark’s phone.

Thanks to Mark and Paul Darby for a great few days and for looking after me when I was concussed on the final afternoon!

 
Photo: Lowri Davies

With the BCU’s contract with the Outdoors Show ending last year, Brookbank (the UK’s biggest canoeing retailer) decided to organise a show dedicated to paddling. This was met with mixed responce; paddlers always seeming to find fault in anything people do. Admittedly, the show being organised by one retailer does mean that all sales go through their tills, but there were a wide variety of manufacturers displaying their goods with their staff and sponsored paddlers on hand to give out top notch advice and information.

   
Photos: Lowri Davies

Canoexpo also included a range of talks and seminars on topics ranging from recent expeditions (both inland and at sea) to video analysis and tarpology. I was humbled to be slotted between two stunning presentations by Gordon Brown and Duncan Murrell in the Main Theatre. There were four talks on at any one time so it was often a struggle to decide which to go to - I was glad I was there all weekend!

  
Left: Pyranha crew rocking some cool sombreros
Right: Jamies Burbeck
Photos: Jamie Burbeck

Saturday night hosted a Mexican party with appropriate fancy dress, food and a rodeo bull. The parties at these events are usually pretty subdued due to the long hours and early starts expected of all of the exhibitors, but Saturday saw hundreds of ponchos, fake tashes and sombreros being sported by company directors and scruffy paddlers alike. The bull didn’t go lonely all night.

 
Photos: Jamie Burbeck

The Outdoors Show is happening in March and there will still be a section devoted to paddling, though probably smaller than in recent years. There will be a canoe pool, which is something I think Canoexpo lacked to allow people to try out boats. The advantage of the Outdoors Show is that you get all the camping, hiking, climbing and diving stuff within the same complex - which allows a much broader spectrum of people to be exposed to our sport as well as allowing us to take a look at theirs. It could be argued that better discounts are available if there are several retailers, but some of the deals on offer this weekend were pretty impressive (e.g. £150 worth of kit free with a new boat).

Overall, the exhibition seemed both busy and well recieved with the talks generally getting excellent feedback. Most exhibitors seemed happy with how the weekend had gone, but I guess we have to wait to see whether it appears in next year’s calendar to decide if it was a true success. I for one had a good weekend.