P D L RUK 6
A DE
W
here and when was your first
paddle?
I started out at Marlow Canoe Club, where I
met some of my best friends in between squirt
turning Blades, RPMs, Attacks and Prozones. I
tackled my first river (the Dart Loop) at the
tender age of 10 years old and picked up my
first sponsorship deal with Pyranha at the age of
15 at Marsport the Canoe Shop’s open day back
in 2002.
What gear are you currently using
and why?
The kind people at Palm Equipment keep me dry
and warm, Robert from Robson Paddles
generously keeps me with a paddle in my hand,
Matt from Perception keeps me afloat in my
favourite Wave Sport Kayaks and James from
Melon Optics keeps the sun out of my eyes.
I use what I believe to be the best kit, made to the
highest standards so that I stay dry, compete at my
best, train at my best and generally enjoy my time
on the water because I’m a firm believer that if I
don’t enjoy it I won’t put my all into it.
Where and what was your first
paddle and competition?
I’ve been in and around boats all my life, I
remember watching the water swirl off my dad’s
canoe blade when I was only a few years old in
the sunshine, on our way down a gentle river for
a picnic with my parents’ friends. Not long after
that messing around in a swimming pool with
some fibre glass kayaks.
Before we start – just let our readers know a little
about you, your family, background, etc.
I’m from a very small village called Stokenchurch in
Buckinghamshire, about 40 minutes west of London, and about
15 minutes from Hurley Weir. My dad started kayaking when
he was 11 and has been on the water as much as possible ever
since, so naturally he encouraged me to start kayaking just as
soon as I could hold a paddle. He’s a BCU Level 5 Coach and
used to run a canoe/kayak shop and even made my first kayak
(a Nipper).
My first competitions were the PeakUK freestyle
series, from which I have very fond memories of
dancing to Burdock, and doing all sorts of stupid
things, some of which we’re lucky to have walked
away uninjured from !
My first international was the Pre-Europeans in
Sort, Spain in 2002 ? Mark Birkbeck drove Jon
Best and me out in his pimped out Transporter
road trip style with the sub in the back pumping.