Cambridge University Canoe Club

Polo

Canoe polo is a 5 aside ball game played on a pitch roughly the size of a swimming pool (indeed, the game is often played in swimming pools). Cambridge teams have been very strong over the past few years, with impressive results in the annual university championships. Basically, the idea of the game is to get a water polo ball into a net suspended above the water. Canoe polo is a fast moving and aggressive game, but great fun to play at any level.

Marathon

Marathon boats are long, fast and exceptionally tippy. It takes a great deal of skill just to paddle them without falling in and even more skill to paddle them fast without wobbling. And once you've mastered that you can start training, get fit and go even faster! We also have "Wave Hoppers". These are designed for white water and are more stable than marathon boats which makes them ideal for introducing beginners to the sport. We have a Varsity match every year and some club members also compete in marathons held on the Cam that are part of the National league.

White Water Racing

Do you want to experience the exhilaration of racing flat-out against the clock down stretches of the UK's top white water through unspoilt countryside, and gain a sense of achievement by successfully negotiating a demanding time-trial course? Then try Wild Water Racing ­ the canoeing equivalent of downhill skiing. Races take place on grade II to IV water ­ the exact difficulty depending on water levels.

The club has several plastic "Wave Hoppers" that are ideal training boats for White Water Racing (WWR). They are quite narrow and feel very tippy when upright but the large "wings" behind the cockpit give the boat a lot of stability on edge and they are actually quite hard to capsize.

The club competes once a year in WWR, at the BUSA Championships, usually held on the Washburn in Michaelmas term. Our Varsity competition is based on the team event at BUSA. Three paddlers race down the course at once, helping each other out if they get in trouble, and yelling at each other to go faster! A good laugh is guaranteed.

Slalom

A slalom course consists of a series of "gates" hung above a white water river. Each gate is two poles just over a metre apart and about 6 inches off the water. The gates are coloured either red or green. Green gates must be negotiated in the downstream direction but red gates must be negotiated the other way, against the current. These are often placed in eddies and are then known as breakouts. Competitors are timed one at a time down the course. There is a two second penalty for every gate hit and a fifty second penalty for every gate missed or negotiated in the wrong direction. The results are based on the aggregate of two runs down the course. The club competes in the BUSA slalom held at Teeside every year.

For more information about canoe slalom see www.canoeslalom.co.uk.

Freestyle

Freestyle kayaking is all about doing moves the impress the judges. This will usually involve surfing a wave and turning your boat end over end to score points. The sport has taken amazing steps in the last few years with radical changes in boat design. The latest boats are often under 2m long! This allows an amazing range of moves to be achieved relatively easily. The club has a Varsity competition every year and also competes in the National Student Rodeo.