Blogworks

Archive for the ‘General News’ Category

As some of you may already know, we’re in the process of rebranding Paddleworks and we’ve had some exciting developments lately, including the Paddleworks Card.

It looks like your Tesco Clubcard, it’s used like your Tesco Clubcard, it gets you the same sort of great savings as you get with your Tesco Clubcard…but if you present it to the lady at checkout when you’re getting your weekly groceries, the odds are she’ll think you’re having a laugh.

So bring it to us instead, in Bala or Llangollen, where you’ll get your usual great deals, but on top of that, earn credit for future purchases, all for the one-off fee of ?1! Some terms and conditions apply, so for more info why not pop down to your nearest shop or call us free on 0800 043 2192.

Along with all our new branding, Paddleworks Bala will be morphing into Paddleworks Adventure!

We’re working on bringing you the best in outdoor and clothing brands as well as all your usual kayaking gear too, and so far we have in store already Montane, Marmot and Lowe Alpine.

Some of you may have Gul wetsuits and water sports equipment, but did you know that they also have a lifestyle clothing range to be reckoned with, up there with brands such as Animal and FatFace!? We’ve handpicked some of their best pieces, and they’re now in store in Bala too.? There’s still a little way to go, but we’ll keep you in-the-know as the developments happen.

For May only (or until stocks last!) all of our drysuits and thermal suits will be a whopping 20% off!! Including all Peak UK, Yak, Nookie and Palm drysuits, instore in Llangollen only.

?Doug Ammons is one of America?s most famous white water paddlers – known for his outrageous solo descents of Class V+ and VI runs ? and especially the Grand Canyon of the Stikine.? Doug is an award winning writer and photographer and perhaps the most articulate and inspiring paddler in the world today.? This is an evening that will entertain, thrill, and leave you mentally hung out to dry!? Book early!?

Doug will be signing his latest books ? ?Whitewater Philosophy? and? ?Stikine? with ALL proceeds to Nepali charities, Find out more about Doug and his national tour date here

Saturday 14th March, 8 pm Sharp,? Bridge End Hotel, Llangollen

Pre Book your Seats @ Paddleworks on 0800 0432192 ?Or Turn up on the night

Adults ?5 Students ?3

See you there,

?

Canoe Control?are pleased to announce the date for the 2009 whitewater rescue symposium following on from last year’s succesful and well received event. Cost ?85.00 per person for both days (non-residential) or ?7.50 (?3.75 for students in posession of valid photo ID) for entry to the Saturday evening presentations only.

Again we are offering a wide range of workshops/presentations. These are presented to you by some of the best coaches and river runners around. The symposium will give you the opportunity to refresh and learn new things. Because the event is in its second year and growing in credibility we are producing an attendance certificate.

Booking can be made preferably online using the link to the right or via cheque or bank transfer (Canoe Control International).

A number of manufacturers of quality rescue equipment have been invited to display their products. If you are a manufacturer and interested in attending please contact Stuart via the contact page on this site.?

Accomodation advice received from the Llangollen tourist information office can be downloaded from the ‘downloads’ page located in the menu to the left on the main site.

?

Day One Saturday 14 March

?

Location – The Town Hall Castle St. Llangollen.

Registration – 10:00

Introductions and welcome – Stuart Woodward

Choose your workshops for the day. The more ‘hands on’ workshops will be restricted to around 10 people per session.

10:30 – Franco Ferrero – The principles of safety.

11:00 – Workshops/Presentations.

13:15 - Lunch.

14:15 – Workshops/Presentations.

16:15 – End workshops.

16:30 – Paddler’s question time. Bob Timms will chair this and take questions from the floor, whilst trying to manage a select group of distinguished paddlers, including Doug Ammons, Dave Manby, Franco Ferrero and Olli Vann. Who will attempt (no promises) to answer the questions?

17:45 – A review and clarification of how and where Sunday works.

18:00 – End of first day UKRRS.

Dinner – lots of great places for eating out close by.

19:30 - Doors and bar opens at the Royal International Pavilion
(If you have been attending the main event please retain your tickets for free entry)?

20:00 – The Doug Ammons Lecture. Extreme White Water.
(Go to Doug Ammons Talk page to get an insight into the Lecture)?

21:30 - End of Lecture.

22:00 – Social time.?

24:00 – End of evening.

Details of Workshops

Franco Ferrero – Technical rope work, extractions, tag lines, Z drags, singes etc. 2 hrs. Get to grips with some of the more technical aspects of rescue, made simple by the man who wrote the book.

Peter Knowles - (Slime) Thinking about the Unthinkable. 1 hr. Expedition guru, Pete Knowles looks at how dangerous paddling can be, and then leads a discussion workshop on what to do in the event of a fatality and the aftermath. Probably not a first choice, but we strongly recommend this for all participants unless you have personal reasons for opting out.

Bob Timms – Leadership, Group Dynamics, Incident-Management. 2 hrs. Bob’s a professional staff trainer, he deals with the above issues every day. Inspiring confidence using the groups integral dynamics to have a great day and avoid the incidents.?

Olli Vann – Leadership, Group Dynamics, Incident-Management. 2 hrs. With years of top end raft guiding behind him, Olli has masses of experience on group dynamics. Also how river? management can avoid problems. But like Olli when it goes wrong you have to have the right stuff.
?
Julian Burnard – First aid and evacuation. 2 hrs. Jules revels in a challenge. Following on from Franco’s fantastic first aid session of last year. He is determined to make this one even better, more informative and also a great learning experience.?

Doug Ammons -? Elements of Risk. 1 hr. One of the worlds most accomplished white water boaters, looks at the elements of risk in relationship to our sport. Then heads a informal forum on other peoples personal experiences and thoughts about risk.

Dave Manby. Dave is an honored guest however: he is on the Paddlers Question Time Panel

Will King – Personal apparel and rescue equipment. Ropes, Slings, Pin-kits etc. 2 hrs. A young coach with an old head on his shoulders. From boots to helmets he will discuss and advise on the many options of what to wear and carry.???

Ray Goodwin - The open boat specialist is with us on Sunday. Ray will be around on Sunday, to give lots of tips to get the best performance from you and your boat.

Stuart Woodward - Coordinator. However on Sunday Stuart will be running coaching sessions on developing dynamic styles of paddling.

Awaiting provider – The new BCU white water safety and rescue course. 1 hr.?

Day Two Sunday 15th March

We will meet at the river (the location will be revealed on the Saturday).

09:00 - The days briefing. All meet at the river/bank side location. Please bring your own Coffee and Lunch etc. The workshops are available both morning and afternoon. In two hourly sessions.

09:30 – Workshops/Presentations.

11:45 – Early Lunch.

12:45 – Workshops/Presentations.

13:00 Afternoon workshops as above.

15:00 -End workshops.

15:30 – Franco Ferrero symposium debrief/wind-down.

16:30 – Finish.

The Sunday sessions expand on the the skills and concepts from the day before in a ‘real’ environment. The added workshops are coaching skill based on the water in Canoes and Kayaks.?

Franco Ferrero – Technical Rope-Work in practise. 2 Hrs.

Ray Goodwin – Improving skill, improving safety. Open Boat. 2 Hrs.<

Peter Knowles – Improving skill, improving safety. Kayak. 2 Hrs.<

Stuart Woodward – Improving skill, improving safety. Kayak. 2 Hrs.<

Bob Timms – Group Dynamics / incident management. 2 Hrs.

Ollie Vann- Group dynamics / incident management. 2 Hrs.

Will King- Using Rescue Equipment. Throws, boats and swims. Broaches and pins. 2 Hrs.

Awaiting provider – The new BCU white water safety and rescue course.

Jules Bernard – First Aid and Evacuation techniques. 2 Hrs.

UKRRS Doug Ammons Talk 2009?

The multimedia show I will do for the symposium will focus on the beauty and intensity of whitewater kayaking, traveling through a number of astonishing river landscapes around the world. In particular, we?ll head into the Grand Canyon of the Stikine River. The Stikine is one of the most difficult rivers ever done, hidden away in a deep canyon in the wilderness of northern Canada. The river casts an ominous shadow over anybody who decides to take it on. The instant you enter the canyon the rawness of the place shakes your core, shouting violence and danger. In an era where there are many professional, full time kayakers looking to make their mark, where skills and gear are astronomically advanced, this river stills kicks people?s asses. In 2006, of the four attempts by top teams, only one group made the descent.

The show talks about the unique lessons from rivers, and of the Grand Canyon of the Stikine as an exemplar of the edge. At the end of the show, I will talk a bit about one descent that means a great deal to me. In 1992, without telling anybody where what I was doing, I drove the 1700 miles north into Canada and soloed the Stikine. It has taken 16 years for me to decide to talk about my experience on that run, and I?ve never said anything publicly. It?s always dubious to compare across sports, but expedition paddler Charlie Munsey calls it, ?one of the greatest feats in the history of kayaking?. I am not interested in the feat, but in where the journey takes us. Feats are in the past, but our real journey is always unfolding.

Rivers create some of the most beautiful and improbable landscapes on earth. Like many other people, I?ve been inspired by them for my entire life, and kayaking was just another vehicle for exploring them more intimately. I love the challenge, difficulty, and intensity of hard whitewater, but I also love the quiet serenity and flow of rivers.

I?ve been supporting a school and a number of individual children in the poorest part of Nepal for the last 15 years and ALL PROCEEDS from the book sales on this tour will go to this cause.

For More info and to Book your place online go to http://www.canoecontrol.com/river_rescue_symposium.html

Have you decided to take this years holiday? in the Uk? Why not make sure its as fun packed as you can make it and bring along your own watersports to the beach or lakes

Paddleworks is situated on the A5 just as you leave Llangollen, We are you gateway to North Wales why not call in and see us and get your self kitted out for you holiday fun as you pass us en route to your holiday in North Wales

We have great deals on Sit on Tops, Inflatable’s, and open boats as well as everything you will need to enjoy your activities on the water from Buoyancy Aids( Life Jackets) to wet suits, and Booties

For family adventure on the beach you can’t beat a sit on top . Available as one, two or three seater models, these are great fun in the surf or on sheltered waterways, We curently have a great deal on the Nomad sit on top with paddle and backrest+seat for only ?299

Inflatable’s are ideal for anyone who wants the convenience of not needing to attach to roof rack or are short of roof space on their vehicle, Our?inflatable’s come in a wide range from Budget spec. to white water spec,

Discover the lakes and canals?in an open boat, ideal for the whole family to go off and explore your surroundings you can bring a picnic with you to enjoy on a undiscovered island and don’t for get to?bring the dog, these boat are a great way to see and explore ?the waterways of the country,

For the fishermen amongst you why not check out our range of fishing accessories ideal to kit out your boat to access those sweet fishing holes

Why not give us a ring on 0800 0432192 or call in to either our Llangollen or Bala shop and have a chat with us for expert advice

Winter is coming; the rivers are going up,
We’ve got an offer?to knock your socks off;
With 20%?discount and a free spray-deck to boot,
There’s never been a better time to buy a new boat

Curently on offer is
The Rev: was ?859 Now only ?679
The Recoil: was ?799? Now only ?679
The Streach: was ?799? Now only ?639
The 4 Twenty: was ?559? Now only ?399
We will also throw in a free spraydeck with purchase of any of the above boats

Follow link to see all boats available on offer at this time?? Click here

The 12th Llangollen Hot Air Balloon Festival took place this weekend,

As we where closing shop on Friday for the evening we where lucky enough to start to see them take off over the trees and head up the river towards us
?

?

?

?

?

?

?

?

?

The Balloon Pilots where practicing their moves for the weekend and some where coming close to the trees and one landed on the field across from the shop stayed for a few Min’s then took off again

?

?

?

If you want to find out more or visit for next years festival the go to http://www.hotairballoonfestival.co.uk/?for more info and Pictures?of the festival

A big thankyou to all our suppliers who turned up to help make our inagural Bala Demo day on Sunday 20th July a great success. Notably, Avoncraft, Palm/Dagger, Whitewater Consultancy, Nookie/Delta and Pyranha/Venture/Feelfree/P&H. Cheers everyone!
?
Thanks also go to all the families and individuals that attended and tried the huge choice of kayaks, canoes and sit-on tops available, numbering more than 200 people throughout the day.
?
The weather threatened to break all day but despite a light shower around lunchtime we were saved from a complete soaking and the sun even came out once or twice.
?
Bala Lake proved to be a brilliant venue with parking, toilets and showers just a short walk away. The nearby cafe wouldn’t of had many complaints either as it seemed to be busy all day. The lake foreshore is ideally located for launching boats and includes a jetty.
?
Please keep an eye out for details of our 2009 Bala Demo Day later this year. Enjoy the pictures!