played it safe . Lydia Clifton joined us from the southwest , and whenever she ’ s raced this year takes on the challenge with a constant smile and keep-at-it attitude . No matter what came her way , Lydia kept going and deservedly walked away with an age category medal for her efforts .
WSA Juniors
The show stars had to be our WSA Juniors , who looked the part in their race gear and jumped into their clinic and racing . Packed into a 40-min slot , the juniors ran through some skills , developing their turns and getting them ready for the following races . At each WSA Junior event , we have had a WSA ambassador leading the activities , with Emily King stepping in at the Viking Bay Classic , helped by Ollie Nawrat and Laird Dawson on the water . For their races , the juniors completed several variations of Sprint , Relays and Technical formats , eagerly watched by their parents and plenty of spectators . They all did amazingly well , and we look forward to seeing them progress through their SUP racing .
National Championships - Holme Pierrepont Nottingham
2022 offered our paddlers the opportunity to compete for the first overall National Champion status by combining our Sprint or Distance events . The Distance race took our paddlers right through the heart of Nottingham with a 10km course on the River Trent , whilst our Sprints were part of the National Regatta over at Holme Pierrepont .
Some of our paddlers were tempted overseas by other championships and European events , opening up a real opportunity for other paddlers to shine . The racing showcased the dedication , training and commitment our paddlers make throughout the year .
Distance Championship Race
The Ladies ’ 14 ’ class was taken by Natalie Cant , who put her training to good use , paddling a consistent race and bringing the fleet home after taking the lead at 1km . The top five ladies were covered in just four minutes showing how close it ’ s been all year in the fleet . Our digital media manager Lauren was the early leader in the race , showing her excellent form from the South East Regional Series by setting the pace for the first km . Lauren ’ s effort reminded us of the challenges each of our women faces through their training and the timings of races . After settling into second place to the 3km mark , Lauren eased off and turned for home , knowing that this one wasn ’ t her day .
Scott Warren - race director
Our commitment to paddler safety
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