C2 - The Tim and Etienne legacy

[CeeBee]

At the weekend in Junior selection, there were 5 C2s of which 3 were Scottish crews. Why is this? Where are all the other C2s?

In 2011, the Scottish performance coach, Neil Caffrey recognised that there were opportunities for Junior Selection in C2. He actively encouraged 2 of the junior C1 men to train seriously in C2 and they were rewarded with a Junior team place in 2012. This has continued into an established pair who are now racing at U23 level.

But to do this, they needed a decent C2 to train in. Scotland have been very fortunate to benefit from Kenmore Lodges (Steven Turnbull) passing on quality C2s from Etienne and Tim to benefit paddlers in Scotland. When each boat is donated, another C2 pair get the opportunity to use it.

As these C2s have been passed down and with the encouragement of Neil to put paddlers together, we now have 4 C2 pairs training seriously and racing competitively at Premier races. 3 of these boats are are all former Tim and Etienne boats. This has enriched Scottish slalom as most families would not have committed to purchasing a C2 as well as their individual boat.

For any one who has not paddled C2, I would recommend you try it. Paddling C2 brings enormous rewards and builds excellent relations with your C2 partner - you can both share in the joy of a good run (and have someone to cry with when you have a bad run!) and support each other on and off the water.

[jjayes]

I think we see will fewer young crews take up C2 as it will soon no longer be a Olympic class. I feel this is a great loss to the sport.

[Neil H]

A salient point JJ. Is it worth it?

[Seedy Paddler]

And according to some recent publications the value of slalom in comparison to infrastructure costs is once again being aired with the potential to drop slalom from future Olympics.

Of course the argument skilfully avoids reference to the London venues that were torn down; bulldozed and otherwise removed including the magnificent athletics arena that will be turned into a football stadium whilst athletics returns to the rather ramshackle facilities at Crystal Palace. But in sporting politics we are a small minority voice so the threat will remain valid.

Of course if we drop out of Olympics we may get better recognition for our own ICF global events with competition among the best in the world rather than the slightly pantomime commerciality that is the Olympic festival.

[Neil H]

And according to some recent publications the value of slalom in comparison to infrastructure costs is once again being aired with the potential to drop slalom from future Olympics.

What are the publications? Be interested to read. PM me if you like

[pcm]

I assume you're talking about this:

http://www.sportscene.tv/whitewater/can ... pic-future

[CeeBee]

Paddling C2 (and any other slalom category) should not depend on it being an Olympic class. At best, we have 1 paddler per class (except for London) who will compete at the Olympics every 4 years. The overwhelming majority of slalom athletes in the UK will not compete in the Olympics. Has it been confirmed that there will be no C2 class at the Olympics and will C2 still exist at World and European Champs?

C2 teaches paddlers so many life skills and teaches you to work together and support your partner. It is a great way to put the fun back into paddling for those who are feeling the weight of expectation to achieve places on junior teams. It is also a way of racing at lower level events when you reach Premier in your individual class and you have no races until September. Tim and Etienne are life long friends as a result of the relationship they have forged paddling together.

We should remember that ultimately we compete in any Sport for enjoyment - this includes not only racing but also training.

When Neil Caffrey was National Coach, he not only encouraged participation in C2 but also C1W. Latterly, the Breadalabane athletes were removed from his remit and he was moved to a Performance Coach in the Central Scotland area. He created a strong Scottish identify, he worked the athletes hard and he nurtured the available talent to perform to the best of their abilities as they were motivated and enthused under his leadership. This enabled my children to get a great deal of enjoyment through the progress they made under his leadership.

[Neil H]

All good points

[Seedy Paddler]

I assume you're talking about this:

http://www.sportscene.tv/whitewater/can ... pic-future

This was the latest article I was referring to, however it is worth remembering that we are down to 1 boat/class as a compromise when Slalom was to be dropped from the Sydney Olympics. It would seem Penrith has provided a significant legacy for Oz.