PADDLER 92
Nick Boreham
Alex Sheppy at Serpents Tail
PADDLER 92
eddy on the left and regain some composure . Leon was in the eddy on the right , having suffered a similar line . We laughed together quickly before swinging our boats around to crash through the final wave under the bridge and trundle to the get-out . We were beaming as we walked up to the car park , and Jan later remarked it was some of the best big water paddling he ’ s done !
RESULTS
Despite the cancellation of the race , the weekend was a massive success . Jan had won both the Classic and Sprint . Alex Sheppy scored enough points to win the overall ECA sprint cups series ( in MK1 ), with Freddie bagging third place . Even better , in the WK1 , Kerry , Molly , and Emma had taken 1st , 2nd and 3rd overall , a clean sweep for the Brits ! Molly and Kerry continued their ECA cup success in WC1 , securing first and second places overall . And , of course , in WC2 , the Christie sisters secured another first , with Lona Partick and Laura Milne hot on their heels in second . Jacob Holmes and Rob Jefferies also managed to secure a third-place finish . Meanwhile , while I had come second to Jan by 1.11 seconds in the Classic , I had been the first Brit , making me the 2024 MK1 British National Classic Champion – a lovely end to a fantastic year of paddling .
We said our goodbyes as we left the prize-giving at Chain Bridge Hotel . It had been a whirlwind few days but an absolute pleasure showing our friends around ( at least a few parts ) of our tiny island . In 2025 , we will host another two ECA Cup races , one in Nottingham and another on the Dee . I , for one , can ’ t wait to see everyone for next year ’ s adventures .
Feeling inspired ? Head to www . wildwater . org . uk to join the fun !
Nicky Cresser
Nick Boreham
Nick runs the River Stench blog at https :// riverstench . com , with the aim of presenting paddling stories in an entertaining way for both paddlers and non-paddlers alike . As a student at the University of Nottingham , Nick picked up playing canoe polo and started focusing on creeking , playboating and coaching . During this time he also joined Nottingham Kayaking Club and was quickly indoctrinated into the infamous # NORMPLAN training group where he discovered you could combine being speedy and whitewater !
Nick Boreham at Serpents Tail
Alex Sheppy at Serpents Tail