“ Just so good to see group after group of kids getting on the water and having a good time in boats ! Proud to have been there with Paddle Peak to see them create this opportunity for so many !” Adam Burgess
On Sunday , visitors were treated to a doubleheader of paddlesport action . Firstly Viking Canoe Polo Team from Belper put on an excellent display of action and impressed everyone highly with their excellent ball and paddle skills . Viking is looking for new Derbyshire members to join their team . Check out their website for more info :
vikingcanoepolo . com .
LIAM HEATH MBE Then again , just back from Tokyo 2020 , sprint kayaker Liam Heath MBE put on a fantastic show by speeding past the Cromford Canal boat Birdswood in his carbon fibre racing kayak . Liam is Team GB ’ s most medaled kayaker . He ’ s the fastest sprint kayaker on the planet and a World , European and Olympic Champion . He wowed the crowd with an amazing demonstration of speed , certainly the fastest craft the Historic Cromford Canal has ever seen ! Liam then kindly took some of our local youngsters out on the water and held a mini Olympics just for them , awarding all participants with a special Cromford Mills medal . He brought all four of his Olympic Medals to share with the young paddlers , signed autographs and showed everyone his incredible racing kayak . What a great guy and experience for everyone .
JAMES BEBBINGTON , GAV BARKER AND ROB CROWE On Bank Holiday Monday , Great Britain Freestyle Kayak team members , including World and British champions James Bebbington , Gav Barker and Rob Crowe , wowed the onlookers with an impressive display of acrobatic kayaking moves . They demonstrated a menu of moves and entertained the crowd with horizontal spins , through vertical cartwheels , front flips and onto three dimensional crazy combinations such as McNasties and Godzillas with cheese ! All in the shallow and very weedy waters of Cromford Canal . Again , the guys then took local boys and girls out on the water and started to teach them the wonders of freestyle kayaking – truly outstanding .
Other events also took place in the mill yard and on the canal throughout the weekend , including open canoe and canal boat trips , rock climbing , orienteering and more .
Event organiser and Paddle Peak founder Peter Astles commented , “ What a fantastic weekend . We filled every come and try it session back to back and gave more than 250 youngsters the chance to experience kayaking on the beautiful Cromford Canal . The kids also got the chance to see our amazing paddlesport ambassadors on the water and meet them , share their stories and even hold their Olympic medals . What a weekend ! We hope to get some regular sessions going for the kids around the Cromford and Matlock Bath area soon . Keep an eye on our website and Facebook pages for more details . Thanks , everyone , for coming along !“
It ’ s just so satisfying to be part of an organisation that responsibly promotes and cares for the environment and paddle sport in the Derwent Valley . With the ‘ can do ’ philosophy that Paddle Peak exudes and with a little help and flexibility from landowners , councils and other interested parties , we all have the potential to transform paddle sport in the area and create a legacy for so many , for the future . Pete Montgomery
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