ThePADDLER 128
TRENT
The
100
Descending the Trent
Word and photos : Patrick Cruywagen Patrick completes his first-ever SUP event on the fast-flowing River Trent .
SUP is the fastest growing water sport in the world right now . In the middle of the lockdown , I purchased my board , a Red Paddle Company Voyager 13 ’ 2 ” tourer , to provide me with some escapism . It was also meant to give my feet ( and knees ) a break as I have run over 50 marathons in the past 25 years .
Now , not a week goes by without me getting on the water at least once or twice . The water soothes my soul and puts me in a good headspace . I got that with running but pounding the pavements is not the same as gliding through the water ( thanks to the new V-hull technology on my superduper Red board ).
I cannot do things by half measure ; I like to take life by the scruff of the neck and give it horns . I would rather have my river or mountain adventures than sit on the couch and watch Bear Grylls or Ed Stafford having fun in some exotic wilderness .
So I decided to enter the Trent 100 , the UK ’ s longest team SUP challenge . You need a minimum of three team members to take part , and my team was called Defender . I edit a Land Rover magazine when not paddling , and I drive a Defender , hence the team ’ s name . We had four members , and between us , we only had about six months of paddleboarding experience . None of us had ever done a SUP paddle race or challenge event before . What we lacked in experience we certainly made up for in spirit . I want to add at this stage that two of our team members were ladies .
Before I talk about the event , let me start by saying the Trent 100 is not the type of event where all you need is a half-decent board , an old army tent and a sleeping bag . When you are going to be spending 15 hours plus on the River ( and three nights camping ), you need to be safe and comfortable .