The Paddler Magazine Issue 61 Late Summer 2021 | Page 110

ThePADDLER 110
2000-POINT BARRIER The British Championships 2021 is a day that will live on in the memories of those who were lucky enough to be there . It was speculated that we might see the 2000-point barrier broken again , but who would do it ? The answer came early in the senior men ’ s heats when Gavin Barker broke the 2k barrier , swiftly followed by Robert Crowe , who set a new ICF Record with 2,400 points . Harry Price quickly followed to become the third member of the elite 2k club , securing himself a place in the final just behind Rob Crowe with Matt Stephenson and ex-world champion James Bebbington … AKA ‘ Pringle ’.
The men ’ s final took things to even giddier heights . Rob Crowe ’ s astonishing 2,400-point ride stood as a world record … for all of four hours . Then Harry Price laid down an epic 2,600-point ride when it counted most , securing himself the title of British Champion as well as the ICF record . Rob Crowe had to settle for silver with Gav Barker third , with a score of 2,045 .
Not only did we see the senior men smashing records , but we also saw the first-ever women ’ s C1 competition . This was a long time coming and marks a significant moment in the sport ’ s history . Buoyed (!) by her squirt-boating British Championship title she had earned the week before , Ottie Robinson-Shaw dominated the competition , posting scores that will set a benchmark for the other C1 women in the years to come .
ONE-HORSE RACE Not only did the phenomenon known as Ottie RS win gold in C1 and squirt boating , but she also dominated the women ’ s K1 with a ride featuring many top-scoring freestyle moves . Many of these were being thrown for the first time in women ’ s competition with lunar loops and back loop Mcnasties . Ottie has turned women ’ s freestyle into a one-horse race , but veteran contender Lowri Davies made a strong showing with a trophy move of her own to take the silver medal .
Matt Stephenson Bertie Everett
Timmy Hill