12th-14th March Its back for another year paddlefest 2010 in Northern Ireland its the place to be so dont miss out!
12th-14th March Its back for another year paddlefest 2010 in Northern Ireland its the place to be so dont miss out!
Paddlefest is CANI's annual paddlesport event to bring paddlers of all ages and abilities together to enjoy our sport. Paddlefest is open to all abilities and disciplines and will provide you with choices to either develop existing skills or try a new discipline. Paddlefest is also an opportunity for coaches to develop their skills and update their awards, So come along and enjoy the event.
The Share Centre is a large residential outdoor activity centre with extensive facilities which include challets, conference centre, varied catering options, bar and social area and lots more. The Share Centre also has a large selection of water based options that we can utilise during the weekend and also a workshop for demonstrating boat building and repairs.
The theme of paddlefest 2010
Paddlefest 2010 will be themed arround flat water paddlesport across all disciplines and the development of paddlesport over the years. This theme is to make full use of the venue and the expertise within the Share Centre, the local area and across N.I.
As with last years event there will be a varied programme across all the paddlesport disciplines. There will also be specific sessions looking at lots of top tips and handy hints.
As always I-Canoe will be their with a full demo fleet of boats and equipment from our favourite brands!
this year we have a Supernova angler drysuit to be won by simply demoing our boats and tell us what you think!
Come and see us at Paddlefest 2010! We'll be the ones smileing the most!
Yes that's right. We've some spring cleaning to do so we're giving minicell foam away with every online order. Just put "Givemesomefoam" in the comments box when checking out along with a brief description of what you need it for (e.g. hip-pads, seat pads, etc...) and we'll chuck some in with your order. It's that simple.
Foam is a collection of random offcuts, image used is purely for illustrustration. If you would like to purchase a large piece of foam, please use the link below
Enter our free prize draw to win top of the range Kotatat family canoe Clothing courtesy of I-Canoe - Ireland’s newest online canoe equipment store.
The Kotatat clothing includes 2 sets of kids Super Breeze tops and Squirt pants and 2 adult Breeze tops. So you can paddle Northern Ireland’s Canoe Trails in perfect comfort.
So we are barely past the halfway mark for 2009 and now we can bring you details of the 2010 range from Sweet Protection!
Now before you wet your pants and break open your piggy bank, the 2010 Sweet range will not be available until at least April (2010), so there is still some time to wait.
Now we need your help to tell us what you do and do not like. You can download the full 2010 catalog using the link below (beware it is 5 megs!) and then either email us, shop@i-canoe.com, or leave a comment at this post, we'll take your opinion on board and put your name in a raffle to win some Sweet goodies when they are available in 2015.
Well it positively shat out of the heavens all day Saturday resulting in a choclatey brown Upper Liffey dash after work. Everyone was in a mature mood resulting in some conservative lines down what would normally be a 30 min read and run non-stop blast. Good times all round and some interesting lines from Mr Van Den Broek!
Sunday started with some ridiculous optimism re: water levels and start times. The meeting point was changed after a quick consultation of the new Upper Liffey guage proved that it had gone from too high to too low in the space of 10 hours.
Luckily the Dargle was still juicy at 6 blocks (6 is the new 5.5 for those who don't know). This was a decidedly quicker run, again with some interesting lines from James and some head ruddering from Fran! Even A.D. beat his nemesis "Dargle Main Falls" with a text book line.
It was then off to the Avonmore at Lough Dan to rendezvous with Steve and Paulie. Once again the levels were spot on with a "big agus bouncey" run all the way to Laragh. A.D. peeled out of the top eddy with a "so it's just read and run, right?" before disappearing off down stream.
And yes it was read and run, all the way to Jacksons. Again it was time for more contemplation and again the wise old Fahy spoke of much toiling, troubling and type-writering(!) to be had in the hole at the bottom. Nobody was eager to be the first to put Steve's theories to the test so it was hiking shoes back on to the takeout at the bottom of the Glenmacnass. Sadly this beauty wasn't still running (if it had, it t'would have been the icing on the cake for an awesome weekend).
We are going to host a video competition Theme "Why-Canoe" ???
on the evening of Thursday 25th June we will be hosting an open evening (details to follow) whereby all entries will be viewed and judged. Rules videos can be compiled as individuals or as groups maximun length is 5 Minutes Videos must be suitable for viewing by anybody!
Videos should be submitted as a DVD or similar media to be played on the evening. NO stealing other peoples videos! (We have them all and will know if your cheating!!!) Videos will be premiered on the night so no pre screenings or biasy will be allowed! Videos must be at our door by Tuesday 23rd June the Prize! Fame, Fortune, and............ something expensively cool plus spot prizes!!!
We are looking for experienced paddlers to join our Test Pilot Program.
We need top guns to test the latest products to see if they have the right stuff, to make recommendations, criticisms and comments so that we can make an executive decision to always choose the best gear for you.
Test Pilots will be asked to scramble at a moments notice so applicants will need to be flexible and ready for action at all times. The missions will be many and varied, with the only reward being the experience itself (and possibly some swag).
So if you are a Hot Shot and fancy a challenge email your name, contact number and paddling experience to:
shop@i-canoe.com
Please include "Test Pilot" in the subject to ensure consideration
Wild Water Racing 08/09 season Finale Lower Liffey Classic
- Sunday 22 March, 2009
Viewed:770
Team I-Canoe were pleased to support the 08/09 Wild Water Racing Season.
Team I-Canoe were pleased to support the 08/09 Wild Water Racing Season.
Team I-Canoe were pleased to support and participate in the 2008/2009 Wild Water Racing season.
I-Canoe Provided a brand new Exo Fast Wave WWR Kayak which was presented to the Best new Club to participate in this seasons events. The winners were Kilcock CC
We would like to thank everyone for making the events successful and continue our support for seasons to follow.
We had rented a vw camper from our trip to San Francisco for 4 days sight seeing around the West coast of California in the States.
From route 101 north bound we saw spectacular sights of hills, rivers and giant red wood trees and not forgetting the amazing beaches with huge, over sized waves. Totally Awesome.
Eventually we found the Kokatat factory up in a place called Arcata. Meet up with our contact Adrien, who showed us the works. I have to say "WOW", the work that goes into the making of the clothing. It makes you appreciate them more after the insight.
Each garment is tested and tested till it reaches perfection and the design team keeping the trends up to date each season. As an example, EVERY Gore-Tex drysuit is water tested to check for leaks. That means every suit is sealed at the neck, arms (and ankles if it doesn't have socks), it is then pumped full of water and then a technician goes over it and marks any leaks (if any). This isn't a test for one suit out of a batch or a random test here and there. EVERY drysuit that goes through the Kokatat factory is water tested, and if it doesn't pass, it goes back for retaping until it does!
There is a real feel of team work and great welcome in the atmosphere and each employee has a special role in the company.
If anyone was to buy any kokatat item they can be assured that it has been built to high standards.
The Factory was devided into design, production, inspection, shipping, special orders and repairs. So many offices and so on. Adrien did a fantastic job of showing us around and explaining details of how things are done day by day. With all this knowledge we in I-Canoe hope to share the adventure and explain why some special orders take longer than others to get in and the outstanding value for money and service the customers are getting.
On the 1st January, 16 paddlers will depart from Lees Ferry on what will be the first Grand Canyon Trip of 2009.
12 days and 200 odd miles later we hope to emerge unscathed at Diamond Creek
Stay tuned for updates on how we get on...
Colligan Gorge Games
The date…… November
The Country ……… Ireland
The event….. Colligan Gorge Games!
This was the first event hosted on the Colligan, a small place somewhere near Waterford. The event was a boater X bringing paddlers from far and wide from all corners and even a few UK paddlers making the trip over for what was to be an excellent event.
The day started nice and early with the hosts and sponsors finishing off the preparations eagerly awaiting the first competitors to show up for registration. With well over 100 competitors the organisation was top class booking everyone through ready to compete.
The competition took the format of 5 paddlers racing down a section of the Colligan gorge to below the falls and first paddler to ring the bell in the bottom eddy being the winner. The winner from each heat got put through into semi finals and then finals. Each contest was hotly contested. With different degrees of tactics being used from blocking and pushing to face pulling and splashing the event proceeded with male and female expert and sport as well as junior categories to keep everyone involved - the men’s expert being hotly contested with a few favourites being knocked out early.
Ruling the event were the dagger guys who had brought over the Greens for the race these seemed to have a considerable advantage over about every other boat in the event. It took some serious tactics by every man in the men’s expert final to stop cheesy taking home the prizes.
Positions
Singles
Men’s Expert
1
2
3
Men’s Sport
1
2
3
Women’s Expert
1
2
3
Women’s Sport
1
2
3
Junior Boys
1
2
3
Junior Girls
1
2
3
During the event competitors had the chance to demo a large selection of boats brought to the event by I-Canoe the site had its own outdoor pool which was used for playboat demos as well as to cool down after the race.
Team Event
The afternoon took the event into a team competition with each “team” being made up of three paddlers they raced against the clock down the same course with a few obstacles firstly a buoy had been positioned for the paddlers to perform a 360 around next one paddler had to roll, one paddler had to make an eddy above the main falls and lastly the third member of the team had to ring a bell. This is where team dagger came unstuck due to their increased size they couldn’t manoeuvre three greens into the eddy for the last person to reach the bell. I-Canoe had given two boats as prizes for the fastest male and female teams clubs this meant The team event proved very competitive with teams scouting sections of the course to work the fastest tactics into their runs.
The two boats were won; one by UCCCC (University college Cork canoe club) and the other by Team Total experience who were to donate the boat to a raffle to raise money for the Irish Society for the Protection of Cruelty to Children (ISPCC)
Men’s Team
1 Brian “Snotser” Keogh, Ciaran “Kipper” Maguire, Jenny “Go On The Girl’s” Kilbride
2 Ross “Roscrea” Redmond,
3 Mark “Terminator” Coleman, Adrian “Dicky” Durrant, Colm “I-CANOE” Healy
For those of you that don't know already, the Colligan Gorge Games will be taking place on Saturday the 15th November 2008. It looks like it will be the only boatercross event of the year, and if the water levels play ball then it should be a stonker.
Check out this headcam footage of the course to see what it's about...
Sweet Video from French Team Paddler Stephane Pion
Sweet Video from French Team Paddler Stephane Pion
Some of the first footage of the New Playboat from Bliss-stick, The Smoothy, in action at Malate and some other hole I can't remember the name of at the moment.
Enjoy the thrills and spills of this years Liffey Descent from the comfort of your own home
Enjoy the thrills and spills of this years Liffey Descent from the comfort of your own home
All the drops and rapids from the 49th Liffey Descent, 13th September 2008.
Join Team I-CANOE, Colm & Wai Har, as they race a canadian canoe in Ireland's largest whitewater race.
"I'm holding out for at hero 'till the end of the night"
"I'm holding out for at hero 'till the end of the night"
"It's gotta be strong
It's gotta be fast
And It's gotta be fresh from the fight"
Yes the all NEW Hero Series from Jackson Kayaks, all together for the first time in Ireland.
There's the baby Hero (AKA Sidekick), medium Hero (for most of us) and then the Super Hero (for the big boys and gals).
Personally I think Jackson have hit the nail on the head with their new river-running kayak. A flat planing hull with rails combined with a creek-boating deck! It's not revolutionary but nobody else is doing it. So now your can run rivers confidently while still keeping a playful hull to catch waves on the fly and plenty of volume on the back deck to make sure you're not looking sky-ward when you are charging through the pushy stuff.
Size-wise, here's how they compare:
Sidekick - Kids and Small Adults Only (If you are 5' 10 like me, forget about this being the next generation Spud Boat)
Hero - Looks Shorter than it is and pretty wide - will suit the majority of paddlers out there
Super Hero - It's Huge, full stop. If you're a big fella and haven't been able to find a boat for your height/weight, check this out. Very wide and high knee/thigh position makes sure this will fit almost everybody.
I-CANOE'S new store in Parkwest is now open. Please feel free to drop by for a cuppa and browse our selection of boats and gear.
Our Summer opening hours will be as follows:
Mon - Fri: 10am - 6pm Sat:10am-4pm
The new store will offer the following benefits:
Free Parking
More Concise Product Range
Onsite Demos (On Selected Days)
Onsite Tuition
Demo Days/Info Days
To Name But a Few...
After completing the Upper Liffey Race last weekend (and in anticipation of the Lower Liffey Race this weekend - and ultimately the Liffey Descent) it was decided some "training" would be beneficial.
The route chosen was Lucan to Straw Hall with Mikey Barter, making his kayaking komeback as safety boater for the open canoes.
Mark and Tadhg took an extra half hour to negotiate 500 metres of rush hour traffic to get to their canoe in Lucan so we headed down to the weir for some practise. After an embarrassing line down the chicken shoot, we regained some style points surfing the hole at the bottom of the high drop (see photo).
It's taken me a while to get some decent whitewater to test the Mini-Mystic out on, but what a boat. I had thought, at 75-ish kgs that I would be at the top of the weight range but she handles perfectly. Auto-boof is definitely turned on - in fact it's near impossible to bury the nose at all. Even though it's shorter than the regular Mystic, it's still a fast boat. The narrowness takes a little getting used to, but it doesn't make it trippy at all. I'm trying hard to think of a downside to this boat but at the moment but I really can't. Maybe in HUMONGOUS volume WW it would get pushed around a bit but for low to medium volume creeking it's the business.
Last week, Thursday 31st July to be precise, myself and Sparky McCabe got a rare summer run on the Source of the Liffey at one pipe.
While this may seem like just a ditch to some people, this is indeed a magnificient river. I had been hoping to get a run on it for ages and am glad to say that the guidebook just doesn't do it justice.
Mark belongs to that select group of paddlers who find using 2 blades too easy so opts just for a single paddle. Personally I think he finds using 1 paddle too easy and shouldn't use any at all but that's just jealousy I guess!
Mark is one of the most helpful members of staff you could hope to meet and is patient enough to listen to any queries no matter how mad they may be.
He may look like he just left secondary school but he has a wealth of knowledge and experience that most paddlers twice his age would envy - just don't get him talking about wave-skis!
Wai Har is our newest and smallest member of staff! She is also relatively new to kayaking but she's a fast learner - not neccessarily due to having Colm as an instructor!
We've finally found a river kayak that fits her well and suits her paddling style - the Bliss-stick Mini-Mystic - and now we hope the water stays for the rest of the summer.
She's also a keen open boater and is now training hard for the Liffey Descent in September.
Last but not least, Colm is the longest serving member of staff and responsible for all this shenanigans.
He started paddling over 15 years ago and has never stopped since - although he does tend to get distracted by climbing, kite-surfing, mountain-biking & sailing (to name just a few).
Colm is indeed a Jack of all trades and likes nothing better than finding a new ditch in Wicklow to go paddle. Otherwise you'll more likely find him on the end of the phone or email in the office.
The Meetings of the Water to Woodenbridge on the Avonmore
The Meetings of the Water to Woodenbridge on the Avonmore
Seeing as there was still a little bit of water in Wicklow after all the recent rain, we decided to take girl's on an intro to Whitewater down the lower Avonmore from The Meeting of The Waters to Wooden Bridge.
I had raced this section a couple of years ago but only as far as Avoca. Woodenbridge is only a couple of extra kms of easy grade 2 whitewater, but what I hadn't researched was access at the finish!
We parked the shuttle vehicle at the pub in Woodenbridge, on the banks of the Aughrim and knew the confluence with the Avonmore/Avoca River was just a couple of 100 metres further downstream.
The run from The Meetings was easy enough with evenly spaced shallow rapids and nothing at all too technical. Great for beginners to get them used to reading water and practicing breaking in and out of eddies.
When we reached the confluence with the Aughrim, we pulled in on the right hand bank opposite Woodenbridge Golf Course. The banks were lined with the densest, mixture of nettles, thorns and a combination of all the other nasty overgrowth imaginable. We decided that bush-wacking through wasn't an option, and that wading up the Aughrim wouldn't be practical either.
After some stubborness, it was decided that the only option was to scamper through the golf course as inconspicuously as possible! This we did with only a minimum of derogatory remarks from the few golfers we passed and I quickly realised why this section of river is seldom run...
If anyone else is interested in this section of river, please take out before the golf course on river right - there is a small layby for parking opposite the entrance to Avoca Manor. If you miss this takeout, then the only other option is to follow the river all the way to Arklow.
With possibly the best weather all summer since the June Bank Holiday weekend, we headed down to the aptly named "Sunny Southeast" to Graiguenamanagh on the River Barrow. I have been to this annual event for the past 4 or 5 years, with the highlight so far being the huge water on which last years race was held.
Myself and Mrs H got down in plenty of time but we were left waiting by our co-racers Barry and Rita - so much so that while we were doing the shuttle, we missed the start!
Anyway, we made the most of the "race" itself, getting an early lead over the first couple of weirs, but soon getting caught by the mighty duo of the two Gerrys. We tried to keep up with them but over the longer, flatter sections of the race, we hadn't a hope. We eventually arrived in St Mullins in 5th place overall or 2nd of the late starters
I-Canoe, in conjunction with Liquid Logic, have supplied a fleet of four kayaks to the Irish Canoe Union for the coming season.
These include the proven river-runners Lil Joe and Hoss and also the awesome Jefe and Jefe Grande creekers with Bad-Ass outfitting.
We are sure that the addition of these kayaks will make the ICU's students more enjoyable and productive and ensures that learning paddlers have a wider variety of kayaks to try before they buy.
On a very wet 6th July, Tullamore Canoe Club's open day was held in the harbour. On the canal in the town.
On a very wet 6th July, Tullamore Canoe Club's open day was held in the harbour. On the canal in the town.
In not so perfect conditions, the i-canoe team arrived at the canal, and as some club members arranged some shelter from the rain, others got into their gear and onto the water, maybe the dryer option?
In between the very heavy downpours, many passers by were attracted to the activity on the water. Come and try it sessions were on offer, with the braver spectators having a go.
After the BBQ most of us hit the water, with some of the more adventurous members paddling a C1 for the first time. All did very well, with the open boating experiece showing, but special mention has to go to Coaimhe, who rolled it on her second attempt, which has never been done.
A great turn out on a miserably wet day.
The I-Canoe Team set up each day around 10am and began 11am early in the morning. A selection of Sea kayaks, Play boats, Paddles, Boyency Aids, and Even a Canadian Canoe.
We had Guest suppliers ?Squaire Rock?, Aaron & Rhona who travelled all the way from the UK. Helping people with queries on the Jacksons kayaks. Two lovely couple with Irish Connections.
Information was placed carefully around displays and we had even decided to put up a Competition to Encourage people to come over and see what we were about. All they had to do was to give a name, e-mail, contact number and address:
10 people to get ?10 vouchers to shop with us online or at our store.
10 people to win Free T-Shirts and the 1st Prize a ?100 voucher to shop with us online or at the shop in JFK Drive, Dublin 12.
It seemed too Good to some people. and some turning away with noses in the air, for those who entered, well fair play & Big Congrats to the Winners!:)
You could smell Summer in the air as the sun shone brightly tanning all who drenched themselves in it. An Unbelievable heat wave hit Dublin that Bank Holiday weekend. Never did one see so many people swarming the Docklands, which is usually quiet most of the time.
The Stalls along the Dockland Quay attracting tourest, shoppers and familes on there day out. The abundance of food drink and entertainment along with amusement. The Smell of BBQ and Food, which most of it Surounded the I-Canoe Stall in the Middle of the I.F.S.C. Centre. Even Peddle Boats on hire for those who fancied peddling around a tiny man made lake and island. Tall ships dotted themselves on the quay welcoming people to come along.
A lot of 1st time paddlers curious about what to buy and a phenomenal amount of beginners and families all interested and purchasing Sit-On-Top Kayaks.
A Very fast growing trend.
Most of Team I-Canoe enjoyed their day out in the hustle and bustle, meeting and greeting new faces. Yet again, a successful event well done. If only the sun would peep out more when we are all at the I-Canoe Shop, as the weather yet again gets cold so quickly. Ah that lovely Irish weather ever changing.
Thanks to all who took interest in our Stand!
