Lee Valley International. - How much?

kendall chew · Post by **kendall chew** » Sat Jan 22, 2011 5:41 pm

Just read the " blurb" attached to the International at Lee Valley, where our finest paddlers have been invited to attend ( I notice with some dismay that my name has been left off the list yet again!!). I understand that if they want to paddle the day before then;" Water slots are £15 per boat per slot (60 mins)". Is this normal? Seems a bit pricy to me, do they earn more in the south?

Canadian Paddler · Post by **Canadian Paddler** » Sat Jan 22, 2011 7:04 pm

I think this is the cost of the water divided by the number of boats that can realisticlaly have a good session on the water at any time.
Heavy stuff water and it all has to be pumped out of the lake to run down the channel.

Other threads have questioned if we can afford to run slaloms at artificial courses, especially if they want to charge opportunity costs e.r. the loss of earnings from rafting!

James Prowse · Post by **James Prowse** » Sun Jan 23, 2011 10:08 am

When open to the public it will be £20 for 120 min.

Anne · Post by **Anne** » Sun Jan 23, 2011 11:07 am

Yes it will be but not exclusively for slalom and probably few gates!

These sessions will have a limited number to ensure a good session, gates and no rafts!!

kendall chew · Post by **kendall chew** » Sun Jan 23, 2011 9:26 pm

Could we not be in danger of being priced out of the market? I am lucky enough to be close to HPP, I can take my butties down, sit on the bank and watch other paddlers once I have knackered myself in a morning session, wait a bit and go on in the pm. I could be there for three hours or more if I wanted but, even at the rates that James has mentioned, that is still high.

I appreciate that these are things which as part of future funding options have been decided upon a few years ago but it does appear through its pricing structure to be limiting itself to the "elite" end of the market, by which I mean; wealthy, funded or gifted ( which is not a problem per se).

Is Lee Valley going to benefit local clubs? Are we to see a strong slalom club develop there, with club paddlers paying £ 20.00 per session two or three times a week. You might as well buy a horse at that rate.

Please do not mis understand my gripe. I think it is a fantastic facility but, it is one which must become a legacy for future olympians, not a "white elephant" afforded only by those on corporate jollies, hen parties and stag days.

I do not have the breadth of knowledge to understand the politics and machinations of post 2012 facilities but, if we can't get lots of people into paddling, ( or even if we can get lots of people into paddling) will we not be thwarted because of cost and so, what good is it except to those who own shares? ( And yes, I understand that the thing has to make money I am in business myself). It does seem to me to be a cleft stick; high prices = low attendance. Low prices ?= higher attendance. Stack em high and sell then cheap. High prices ?= going bust. Low prices?= crowded water. Frankly I doubt that the matter of overcrowding will be an issue, there will always be peak times.

Enough!

mark123 · Post by **mark123** » Mon Jan 24, 2011 11:22 am

Kendall,

Living in South East London, with the exception of the various Thames Weirs which are not always running we have the choice of spending money out on fuel and more time travelling I hope that the clubs in the south east will use the venue once it’s open, I know our club is planning too.
We will be able to have an evening session there which we can't do reliably anywhere else in the summer.
PS I agree the cost is higher than we would have liked but at least we may have a choice.
Regards
Mark
Meridian

Fup Duck · Post by **Fup Duck** » Mon Jan 24, 2011 12:40 pm

All Kendall's talk of horse, elephant, hen and stag is making me peckish.

JamesH · Post by **JamesH** » Mon Jan 24, 2011 12:59 pm

Actually the proposed charges are £20/hr on the Olympic course and £10/hr on the intermediate course.

That means a minimum of £40 for a decent session on the Olympic course. At that sort of price I can't see many paddlers - whether river runners, playboaters or slalomists - using the site that often, unless funded from external sources.

Don't be surprised though - almost all the artificial sites make the bulk of their money through corporate rafting.

Anne · Post by **Anne** » Mon Jan 24, 2011 1:09 pm

That is incorrect - it is £20 for two hours and we are in negotiation to allow that to be split into 2 separate hours.

Carlr · Post by **Carlr** » Mon Jan 24, 2011 5:11 pm

I do at least £50 worth of diesel to Nottingham and back plus a tenner to get on the water, So it will be cheaper for me to paddle at Lee Valley (for that i could have 3 sessions a day if my body could take it!!!), at the end of the day its only money and you cant take it with you.

kendall chew · Post by **kendall chew** » Mon Jan 24, 2011 9:57 pm

Carl,

I do understand your position and the kids will only spend it when your gone but, if we are to improve the access to big water and facilities for future paddlers in the south, shouldn't we be looking at something a little less costly than this? It would be difficult for us up here in whippet land to drop down to Lee valley three times a week and justify the cost.

I will now show even more ignorance than I usually do and ask; why pumped water and not another HPP?

Dadstaxi · Post by **Dadstaxi** » Tue Jan 25, 2011 6:36 am

... not another HPP coz its too flat down there.

However I have always thought why didn't LOCOG/BCU just upgrade the facilities at HPP. Afterall some of the football is being played at Coventry, other sport (rowing?) over at Reading and isn't the sailing being done at Weymouth :p

Would have been a lot cheaper .. but then it wouldn't be 'London' would it.

kendall chew · Post by **kendall chew** » Tue Jan 25, 2011 7:19 am

Ignorance reigns here , again. Presumably the Thames does not have sufficient a drop on it to produce the flow needed. That and the fact that one would probably have to bulldoze a banker's house to do it.

I appreciate it is academic now as the course has been constructed. I just find it interesting to understand why anyone would build such a high level of exclusivity into a facility. It does not seem right to me that the better one gets in a sport the more it costs ( Sailing, motor racing and horse riding excepted).

JamesH · Post by **JamesH** » Tue Jan 25, 2011 1:04 pm

I stand corrected Anne, the charges are now proposed at £20/2hrs for the Olympic site and £10/2hrs for the intermediate site as you say.

The proposed charges were double these as originally emailed to me from the London2010 web site (if you register and interest for Olympic tickets you get all manner of interesting emails), but it's good to see that common sense has prevailed.

That makes it considerably more affordable to us ordinary punters.