LUUKA JONES

Official Olympic Selection

2012-01-31T18:07:00.002+13:00

Today I received the news that I have been officially selected into the NZ Olympic team to compete in the London2012 games. Its hard to describe the feeling following this call but I am sure you can imagine it entailed emotions of relief, excitement and an immense sense of achievement. It has been a lot of hard work and this has been a major goal for me for a long time. Obviously it is only the first step and my eyes are officially locked on an ultimate performance in London with everything (mind and body) coming together on the day.

I did not get here alone and I am super grateful to everyone who has got my back. The key players (you know who you are) and my major sponsor Waiariki Institute of Technology (and the Waiariki Academy of Sport).

Ka Kite Ono

Luuka

2nd NZ Open

2012-01-30T13:11:00.003+13:00

A great NZ Open Race at our top international slalom course in Mangahao drew to an end yesterday with some exciting racing in the finals. I safely made it through to the semifinal and went hard out in the final, wanting badly to take the win. I felt fast and strong but a few critical errors and two gate touches put me back and I finished in 2nd position (108.87 + 4), 1second behind Czech paddler Karolina Galuskova (107.48 +4) with Ella Nicholas in 3rd (116.11 +2). Mike Kurt took the men's race, defending last years title with Fabian Doerfler from Germany in 2nd and John Hastings from Canada in 3rd.
Thanks to John Snook and all the race organisers for a great event.
This I will be attending my Waiariki Graduation Ceremony before heading to Australia to race the Australian Open and Oceania Championships.

Here is a NZ HERALD article about the race Swiss wins New Zealand Open

Mangahao

2012-01-25T20:52:00.003+13:00

Sportzhub Article

Photo: Lani Hepi www.lanihepi.co.nz

Driving down to Mangahao today we were met by a friendly breath test to ensure driver Louise Jull had not been on the beers at 11am on a Wednesday morning. After the all clear, we were given the option of free icecream or coffee by NZ Police and Mihi Cafe to encourage drivers to take a break on long journeys. We were happy to take up the offer and following this pleasant refreshment we carried on to Mangahao for a great afternoon training session.
The NZ Open is this weekend and it is a race I always look forward to. There is always something special about racing on your home turf and Mangahao is New Zealand's top slalom course. It will surely be a great event and I am happy so many international paddlers will be over to compete.
Thank you to the Julls for their hospitality, I absolutely love staying here.

NZ Selections 1 & 2

2012-01-22T17:37:00.000+13:00

Mike Dawson hitting it

A good weekend of racing and for me a good bit of race training and trialling a few things.

Day one was okay, I posted the fastest run time overall but hit too many gates so finished second behind Czech Paddler Carolina Galuskova. Mike Dawson finished 4th in the international K1mens field (1st kiwi overall) with Mike Kurt of Switzerland showing some good form.

Day two was another good race and I finished first, just in front of Carolina of Galuskova and had a bit more fire in the muscles, although it wasnt a perfect run. Mike Kurt of SUI won again and Mike Dawson was third and first Kiwi overall.

Day 1 results here

I am looking forward to training and racing on Mangahao next weekend.

Latest Update

2012-01-17T11:07:00.000+13:00

I am sitting at the bunkhouse in Penrith, currently summoning the minerals for this morning's hard flat water session. Its been an epic week of training here and I have only 5 sessions to go before I fly out tomorrow afternoon. My arms are definitely feeling it and I am combatting the fatigue that seems to be taking over.

Having already met Olympic qualification at the worlds nearly 4 months ago, this year is totally different to the previous 3, where I have had the stress of selection races in late January which forced a few lighter training weeks to ensure my spot on the team. This year however, I am pre selected and able to keep the training volume high through these crucial months. I will be racing the upcoming Kawerau and Mangahao (NZ Open) races but not in any sort of fresh form - although I will certainly be out to give it my all. It will be good to hit the start line again with my last race being the British Open in October last year.

Check out these photos of Penrith taken by Ciaran Hearteau. Awesome!!

Penrith

2012-01-12T12:42:00.001+13:00

Yesterday I woke up at 3.30am to catch my flight from Auckland to Sydney for a week of training on the Sydney Olympic course in Penrith. Things got off to a shaky start when to my disappointment, Virgin Australia left my kayak in Auckland. How you forget to load a 3.5m kayak onto an aircraft is beyond me as it is not exactly inconspicuous. Well, its not good to dwell on these things and I made my way to Penrith, borrowed a kayak and paddles managing to get onto the white water for my scheduled training that afternoon. Two sessions down I am loving it. It is good being in the mix again with so many people over here training and the quality of the course and training venue.
I am hoping (perhaps praying) that my boat will be delivered this afternoon and all will be good again.

Check out my latest Olympic blog post as well as all the other athlete ambassadors. I love reading their blogs and there is so much going on in the world of NZ sport.

I am back to NZ next week to race the NZ Open in Mangahao and the NZ selection race in Kawerau.

I hope everybody had a great Christmas and that the New Year has started well.

Luuka

Helping out

2011-12-22T23:26:00.001+13:00

Last week I helped out with the Water Safety New Zealand "Our Way of Life" day at the Rotorua aquatic centre. The day was attended by ninety year 6 pupils from Selwyn Primary School and is one of many being organised around the region. It was a really fun few hours and it felt good knowing that these children would leave with some key knowledge and skills to help them stay safe in the water this summer. I hope they learnt a lot :-)

Forest - 1, Luuka - 0

2011-12-12T12:15:00.003+13:00

As an athlete you always put everything into your training and more often than not, this correlates into other areas. A casual Mountain bike in the Redwoods was a prime example and a bit of a lesson in that sometimes it is not best to go hard in other sports with a high technical component and rather large consequences. Going full throttle through the trails at the top of the forest, the track forked and I ended up plunging down a tricky descent, losing control and hitting the dirt with commendable force. I landed on my shoulder and even though I could keep riding, it progressively got worse and by the end of the day I couldn’t move it. The part that really ripped my nighty was that the opportunity to run Huka Falls that day was thrown out the window and I was instead given a camera and support role, watching Louise Jull style her way down the rapids (shot Lou!!). So this week I will be dialling up The Physiotherapy Clinic and using my legs more than my arms in an effort to increase the rate of recovery for a sprained AC joint (Its pretty low key). I have a lot of respect for my flatmates who compete for NZ in Cross Country Mountain Biking. The technical and physical demands of this sport and the consequences of falling off being full impact on ground, bike or tree – it is definitely not for the faint hearted!!

The Official London 2012 Olympics Film

2011-12-08T07:55:00.000+13:00

The Official London 2012 Olympics Film.'Sport At Heart' from Daryl Goodrich on Vimeo.

Vegas Training and WAOS Camp

2011-12-02T16:44:00.001+13:00

I love this time of year! The first tan lines of the summer (following an initial burn), basking in the warmth of the outdoors and the hearty, head down training phase. You cannot beat a NZ Summer!!
Its been game on since my return and I plunged into a super routine of work, training and finishing my Diploma in Communications. It is the aerobic phase of offseason training, increasing fitness and doing a lot of longer activity. I have been making the most of Rotorua (fondly known as vegas), running tracks in the forest, cycling laps of lake Rotorua and white water on the Kaituna. Christmas is fast approaching and it makes me realise how quickly this year has gone.

Last week we had a Waiariki Academy of Sport camp at Ohope beach, it was three days of fun, challenge and learning and I thoroughly enjoyed it. More photos of the camp are on the Academy of Sport Facebook Page

SANDILINE NEW ZEALAND

2011-11-28T23:06:00.001+13:00

It makes a difference what you wear on the water. As the saying goes - "if you look good, you feel good". I will be feeling good on the water, staying dry in the cold mornings and cool in the summer wearing Sandiline kayaking gear. Supporting me in on water performance in my build to the games with team member Mike Dawson. If you need some gear for paddling this summer, check out their wide range at http://www.sandiline.co.nz/

Olympic Ambassador

2011-11-17T19:28:00.001+13:00

I am an Olympic Ambassador for the NZ2012 Campaign - when were you most proud to be a New Zealander? I will be providing blog posts and updates along with other Olympic ambassadors. Check out my latest (and first) post below;

NZ2012 - LUUKA JONES BLOG

SUNLIVE - Top sports people up for top awards

2011-11-07T20:24:00.000+13:00

Outstanding performances by Bay of Plenty sports men and women at world championship level have been reflected in the finalists selected for the Bay of Plenty Polytechnic 2011 BOP Sports Awards.

The annual awards organised by Sport Bay of Plenty, recognise outstanding achievement by Bay of Plenty sports men and women, at home and abroad in the last year.

“The calibre of nominations and the variety of sports never fails to amaze, and it is fantastic what Bay of Plenty athletes, coaches, officials and administrators are achieving on the world stage. I certainly don’t envy the judges who are charged with making the tough decisions and determining who the winners are.”

In contention for the Bayleys’ Sportsman of the Year category are cricketer Kane Williamson, kayaker Sam Sutton, rugby player Luke Braid and Mike Dawson for Canoe Slalom, all of whom have achieved on the international stage in the last 12 months.

Achievements in international events including the Commonwealth Games identified the following King St Sportswoman of the Year category nominations as Gemma Flynn for hockey, Luuka Jones, for canoe slalom, Katie O’Neil in XC Mountain Biking, kayaker Lisa Carrington and Sarah Walker for BMX.

Read more

British Open - U23 Champion and 2nd Overall

2011-10-31T08:45:00.000+13:00

My last training session on the Lee Valley course took place on Friday afternoon. My arms were burning from fatigue and a hard week but I was still buzzing off the course and stoked to have had the opportunity to paddle here for two weeks.

The course is amazing and I felt I knew it really well by the end. I put my boat on the car and cruised up to Nottingham to race the British Open. I didn’t know how it would roll as I was super tired from a full on week of training and hadn’t paddled on the course before the race. It turned out okay, I finished fourth in qualification, progressing through to the semifinal. I had a bad semis run and qualified through to the final in 9^th equal. Upping my game, I paddled clean and 4seconds faster to finish 1st U23 and 2^nd overall behind current world champion Corinna Kuhnle, British paddler Laura Blakeman in 3^rd. It was a good result and a great way to round off two weeks of great training. AirNZ flight tomorrow and I am looking forward to getting back to the homeland. Peace.

Rotorua Daily Post article

2011-10-23T23:53:00.003+13:00

Luuka paddling for all she is worth

By Dianna Lee Raukawa Doughty | Friday, October 21, 2011 16:00

Preparing for the 2012 Olympics isn't just about training for Rotorua slalom kayaker Luuka Jones - she also has to find $60,000 to get there.

The Waiariki Institute of Technology student recently qualified to compete at the London games next year and alongside her training, she will have to find funding and sponsors.

The 22-year-old is currently in London for a two-week canoe slalom training camp on the Olympic course. Because there is no artificial water course in New Zealand she must go overseas to get the required training and all of this comes at a huge financial cost.

Her family has paid for a lot over the years but Jones needs sponsors and financial support from companies and organisations.

Waiariki Institute of Technology provides her with support and some sponsorship, by giving her part-time employment and the opportunity to be coached and mentored by sports scientist Jane Borren, who has worked with Olympic gold medallist Sarah Ulmer and the New Zealand women's hockey team.

Read More ....

London

2011-10-20T01:00:00.002+13:00

Yesterday was my Birthday. I turned 23. I celebrated with two white water sessions on Lee Valley and indulged in the muscular burn as a result of the physicality of training on this course. There was no place I would rather be. Paddling here puts things into perspective as I am starting my training for the 2012 season on this course and will be finishing the season on this course - at the Olympic Games. Motivating stuff.

So all in all, it was a good day, I had a primo dinner with some good friends at a local restaurant.

My Birthday gift from London ... a parking ticket, wrapped up in plastic. Thanks.

Luuka Jones

2011-10-17T23:25:00.004+13:00

Photoshoot with Graeme Murray. Check out this great shot.

BRUNEI

2011-10-17T22:12:00.003+13:00

Not sure if you can tell, but Brunei is a wealthy Country

Brunei deserves an apology as I underestimated it on arrival into it’s modest airport yesterday morning and txt Louise telling her it was a royal disappointment. I had thirteen hours to kill on a stopover and was rather perplexed as to how I should go about it. I took advantage of the free tour on offer and set off to feast my eyes on the what this small country north of Borneo had to offer.

School Boat. Kids returning from school.

The majority of people live in the water villages which consist of everything you would find on land – two primary schools, an elementary school, petrol stations, police stations, wifi, the list goes on. Hundreds of boats boost around as a key mode of transport, the school boat was even spotted dropping kids off to the water village school.

On the tour I met some new friends and ventured back into town with them to do some more expoloring. We went to see the monkeys and more of the wildlife, visited the mosque, the markets and museums before boosting back to the airport. All in all, it was a primo day in Brunei.

This was right next door to the very top photo. Contrast? Yep.

Compulsary attire for Mosque visit

Local Petrol Station

Arriving in London, I got incredibly lost on the M1, M4, M11 and whatever other motorways were thrown at me. After a considerable amount of wasted lifetime, I finally arrived in Enfield where i am staying and then went to pick up Mike from Stansted. Training starts today and I am looking forward to picking up my new boat before this afternoon's session.

London Training Camp

2011-10-15T00:05:00.002+13:00

Eating an apple at Auckland international, it seems to have become a familiar environment of late. It is buzzing with people as the clock ticks over to Saturday morning and I am waiting to board my plane to London at 3am. With three hours still to kill, I am trying to hold back from buying a chocolate muffin from the coffee bar and instead keeping myself busy with this overly detailed update. I have been rather busy lately and the blog has been denied regular postings.

Blue Lake, Rotorua

I am heading to London for a two week training camp on the Olympic course and rounding it off by racing the British Open in Nottingham. I am relishing in the opportunity to head back to this high class venue and spend some quality time learning the white water features in preparation for the games. It is also a perfect trip to tick off some big water miles and kick start training again after my post worlds breather. Jane and I have planned out the upcoming months, sussed the 2012 race calendar and we are ramping up the training even more than last year. Yeeeeeaaaah!
Its been a supreme month back in NZ and it was great to settle down again, moving into a new flat with fellow athletes Katie and Carl who I lived with last year. Unpacking my bags into drawers was a dream.
It feels good to be back into training again and I have been especially enjoying paddling out at the Blue Lake again where I savour the freshness and have the option of occassionally drinking the water if my session is a little dehydrating. I have also been busting out my running shoes, developing a new passion for something that previously prompted strong feelings of dislike. With the forest, river and lakes on the doorstep, Rotorua is the perfect place to be based. I rounded off today running two laps of the Blue Lake followed by a Gym session at the Waiariki Rec centre before boarding the bus and boosting out. Yep -feeling good for the next two weeks of hard core white water training. Now, back to that chocolate muffin .... just kidding!

Slalom Boat for Sale

2011-09-20T17:39:00.001+12:00

CAIMAN STORM FOR SALE...
Top Spec, Primo Boat, only 2 months old.Message me luukayaker@hotmail.com, 021 02971077 if you are interested. Comes w Boat Bag

2011-09-16T08:43:00.000+12:00

Not long after my return to the homeland I was chasing a sheep and a llama across the lawn and spent over an hour trying to retrieve them from the neighbour's property. Happy to be back!
I am still buzzing off having qualified for the Olympics and having put together a really good race at the World Championships. Looking back, my season definitely gathered momentum with my races getting faster. This is a change from previous years where my first world cup has been the best and by the world champs I have been struggling to keep it together.
The World Champs were really inspiring and there were not many surprises in the medals as the best athletes showed their true form. In the K1W, Corinna Kuhnle dominated and won her second consecutive title with Jana Dukatova in second and Maialen Chaurrat in third. Legend Peter Kauzer won the K1men's, follwed by Fabien Lefevre and Mateiuz Polaczyk. Mike Dawson also showed super form and finished a great season qualifying through to semi's in 10th and finishing up 16th in the semi final, qualifying a spot in the Olympics. Yeeeeeaaaaah Boy!
C1's was a bit of a surprise with 3 x Olympic medalist from Slovakia having issues and not making the medals whilst Denis Gargaud Chanut rocked out and took gold followed by Nico Bettge and Matej Benus.
C2's was a super tight race and 4 x Olympic Gold medalists and 5 x World Champions Hochschorners took top bling followed by the pair Denis Gargaud Chanut and Fabien Lefevre who also won medals in their individual events and bronze to the Skantar brothers from Slovakia.
.

2011-09-13T01:47:00.002+12:00

Olympic Qualification

2011-09-11T10:59:00.002+12:00

World Champs for me was a rollercoaster. The ups of having the fastest race I have ever had. The downs of the two, 2 second penalties I incurred which kept me out of the semi final by .5 of a second. Big ups of knowing my time was fast enough for top ten and even with penalties was fast enough to qualify a spot in next year's Olympic games in London. Stoked!
So mixed feelings all around but overall, the outcome of this World Champs was one that I spent the last three and a half years working hard to achieve.
My build up was really good and it made all the difference having my trainer Jane Borren arrive in time for the race along with John Snook. It reinforced the importance of having the best possible people surrounding you at the pinnacle events.

Its been a tough year and one of big highs, big lows, vast improvements and my ultimate mission achieved. I would like to thank everyone who supported me this year, especially Jane and Pim Borren, my parents and grandparents and my main sponsor Waiariki Institute of Technology.

Tomorrow we head down to watch Mike Dawson lay it down in the semi final on the last day of racing at the World Champs. Then its back to the homeland for some fresh kiwi springtime and a flat white. Boom!

World Champs Day 1 - Cancelled

2011-09-08T08:24:00.002+12:00

Today was a day unlike any other I had experienced. The wind that presented itself at this afternoon's qualification race for the K1W and C2's was in one word - epic. Slalom poles were blowing in every direction which resulted in a very different type of racing,
To cut a long story short, it was so bad that over a third of the field had 50's next to their names on a course that was fairly straight forward. Second runs were cancelled and first runs discounted to ensure Olympic qualification and the World Champs are a fair race.
This afternoon's scheduled racing will run instead tomorrow (Thursday) and the K1M and C1's who were supposed to race tomorrow morning will race now on Friday. This is all still very dependent on the elements as tomorrow is forecast to have even windier conditions than today (if that is at all possible!)
I am looking forward to kick starting again tomorrow on a hopefully calmer course as its been a long build up and I am definitely ready!

Newspaper article

2011-08-31T16:46:00.001+12:00

http://www.sunlive.co.nz/news/15746-kayakers-worlds-buildup-perfect.html

Loved Lipno

2011-08-30T19:13:00.001+12:00

The release of water from this dam was the reason I travelled to Lipno in the Czech Republic last weekend, along with over 400 other people. This river flows only three days per year and hosts an amazing slalom course and river run. It was not wasted. Last weekend, this river hosted the National slalom championships, a rafting competition, extreme racing champs and down river racing, as well as recreational boaters keen to just get on the H20.

I was in the A final on Sunday and racing my first international final was exciting. I was storming the top 3/4 when the bottom move caught me out and I lost some crucial time spinning out. Consequently I finished 9th. Mike finished 5th and also won the extreme race and Lou 13th and 2nd in the extreme.

It was an amazing weekend and the surroundings reminded me on NZ. We also caught up with Sam Sutton and the other kiwis who came for the extreme race. Primo.

I am back to base in Brats now and the world championships begin in 8 days.

Boom.

2011-08-25T05:06:00.001+12:00

It has been some time since my last update, the days are flying and I have been head down, training hard here in Bratislava. This course is host to the 2011 World Champs and Olympic selection, hense why I am spending so much time here.
I am learning more and more each time I paddle on the white water and am dialing in every feature and move so I can be ready for whatever course they decide to set for the event.
This weekend I am heading to a race in Lipno, Czech republic for the Czech nationals on a legendary white water course that flows only three days per year. It is a well attended event and as you can imagine I am excited to paddle here and to take a break from Bratislava for a few days. Mike and Louise are also attending.
Temperatures here are dancing in the high 30's, low 40's and being someone who thrives in the modest conditions of NZ, this is quite hard to cope with at times. The air conditioned mall has been serving as refuge to the heat between sessions as my apartment replicates a sauna.
All is on track to the worlds,
Luuka

Prague World Cup

2011-08-15T08:37:00.002+12:00

Charles Bridge, Prague. Awesome shot from Ciaran Heurteau

I turned up to Prague on Wednesday and boosted into training and race mode for the final World Cup.
I missed the semi final. Yep - bummer.
Learning curve: Commit more to certain moves and stop hitting the gates!!!
Positive points: Fast enough

Karen, Mike, myself Carl and Samara at MTB World Cup

Weekend Highlights: Vavra winning the World Cup infront of his home crowd. Mike and I watching Carl racing in the Mountain Biking World Cup in Nove Mesto, followed by dinner and Waiariki rendezvous. Katie and Samara were also ripping it up in the morning but we missed their racing. Was awesome to watch the MTB World Cup, such a cool atmosphere and big respect for this sport!!

Back in Bratislava now for more training and Worlds focus.

Chur.

The below article FYI. Some sub par gate judging kept Mike out of semi final.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=10745120

Bringing it home in Bratislava

2011-08-05T01:02:00.000+12:00

Finally arriving in Bratislava feels like I am on the home straight. It is a month to the World Championships and besides leaving for a few days to race the World cup in Prague, this will be my home base until the pinnacle event. I have located a cheap apartment in town and it is refreshing to know I will be here for a while. Putting my clothes in drawers and establishing a daily routine of nutrition, training and recovery is refreshing.
Its game on from here. I am learning all the features of the challenging course which consists of a small waterfall at the end - just what you need when you are dealing with large amounts of lactic acid at the end of a race run! Nevertheless, I am super confident in my Jane Borren training programme and know that all the work we have been doing over the last year will build to put me at my peak for this race.

I head to Prague on Tuesday for the world cup finale.

25th London Test Event

2011-07-31T20:22:00.002+12:00

This race drilled into me that a 100sec (+/-) race leaves no room for error and certainly no room for incurring 6seconds of penalties. Despite feeling like I was paddling pretty well, these costly errors along with a timely mistake at the bottom put me just outside the cut off.

Mike Dawson dominated the elimination race, breezing through in 8th position. He was on the $money again in qualification, but a touch and a dilema in gate 15 put him out by .8 of a second, finishing 16th.

Here is a video of my race, run 2 so you can get an idea of the course.

Chur

London

2011-07-26T08:52:00.002+12:00

The kettle was boiling upon my arrival into a place that likes to brand New Zealand as one of its colonies. Yes. England.
I have to hand it to them. The British have done it again, crafting a world class facility in a white water course that challenges the best in the world. It is most certainly the cleanest, with chlorinated water that hints turquoise when the weather is right. Its a slalom course that causes feelings of excitement before every session and my arms to burn with fatigue afterwards and will play host to the canoe slalom event at the 2012 Olympics. The prospect of racing here at the games next year definitely ramps up levels of motivation.
The white water is challenging and the race this weekend will be testing as it is technically and physically very demanding.
Louise and I are staying at a homely British residence not far from the venue with our friend Paula's mother. We are so grateful for her hospitality and it is nice to feel 'looked after' after fending for ourselves in Europe for a while now.
I will fire up the digital camera tomorrow with some crafty photos of the facility.

A big Happy Birthday to my Grandparents in NZ!

Below is a video of one of the British paddlers if you would like some visual insight into the course.

Keeping things fresh in Czech

2011-07-19T06:38:00.003+12:00

New Caiman Storm. Primo.

The importance of having a good slalom boat is key seems it plays a fairly important role in transporting oneself down the white water course. The boat I raced in the world cups was not incredibly watertight and so following the series, I was provided with a new one. With this new boat, comes a new colour scheme. White is very common so I decided to roll something different.

Downstairs in the boathouse. Spot my kayak ....

I am currently in Prague staying in the boat house hostel at the course. Convenience is the word as I am required to walk a mere 30 metres from my bed to the start of the slalom course. Living and breathing slalom? Probably definitely.

I am receiving some crucial coaching input currently and I feel my skills base expanding. It is also a bonus that the world cup final will be held here in less than a month so its a relevant place to be training.

On Thursday I am hot footing it to mother England to paddle and race on the Olympic Channel. Whilst this is a race I want to do well in, I will not be fresh or 'peaking' as training through it is more important with the focus being the world champs in September.

Pop the kettle on London. I will see you soon.

Berlin and Karlovy Vary

2011-07-14T18:48:00.004+12:00

It would have been a crime not to visit the capital city of Germany when we were a mere two hours away. So off we went with a German and an Aussie in tow and soaked up Berlin in a day and a night. We visited the Jewish Memorial, saw pieces of the Berlin wall and experienced the social atmosphere of a city renowned for it's nightlife. Early the next morning I dropped our rental car in Prague and headed to Karlovy Vary to recuperate until Friday. I have been sleeping so much and have realised how mentally draining three weeks of racing can be. I am hanging out with my flatmates Katie and Carl here in KV. Great to catch up with them again and crazy to think we have been able to co-ordinate being in the same place given the size of Europe! Prague tomorrow for some solid days of training. Gaaaaaaaame on!

Jewish Memorial.

The incredible feature wall where KT and Carl are staying in KV.

Waiariki Where? France. Lou, Me, Katie and Carl in L'Argentiere

WC Wrap and 19th overall at World Cup 3#

2011-07-11T04:13:00.004+12:00

Apologies for my lack of blogging over the past two weeks. The World Cup in L'Argentiere was the second of two world cup performances that far exceeded the realms of disappointment. I had to get my mind together and get back in the game. I was not worried as my major goal this year is Olympic selection in September, quite some time away. It was rather the frustration of not getting my head and body to co-ordinate that was gnawing at my frontal lobe.

L'Argentiere was a well organised world cup and I do not regret my attendance. The course was longer in time than is usually raced in Canoe Slalom and the length of the course meant a relatively open gate sequence was set. This lead to tight racing and little room for error. This realisation was close to home as a mistake at the beginning and a 2second penalty expunged my chances of making the semifinal. The best part of this trip was catching up with my flatmates Katie and Carl who drove over the mountains to visit us after dominating a Mountain Bike race in France.

Leipzig was the third world cup and drew to a close three weeks of travelling and racing. The course reminds me of a mini Penrith, with the shape of a horseshoe and a conveyor at the bottom. The course set for qualifications and semis/finals tested the extent of canoe slalom technique as tight moves and gate sequences saw an astonishing amount of penalties across the board (I had a good few next to my name as well). I had a safe qualification race which put me in the semifinal (finally!) in the strongest world cup field so far and I improved ten spots finishing in 19th position. I will take that, and all that i've learnt over the past three weeks (alot!) and let it settle as I take a few days off before hitting a hard training phase in Prague next week. Thanks to Sandra and Sue for video and help during the race, also to Ziga for coaching us over the past two world cups, appreciated!

It is only three weeks until the London test event and five weeks until the Prague world cup.

Full results can be found here

Ciao for now.

World Cup 2#

2011-06-30T21:44:00.001+12:00

Race fever is ripening as the final trainings for each of the 37 nations took place this morning.
The K1 ladies and C2's do not race until Saturday afternoon so we have some solid time to watch the other categories and get a good handle on the course.

It is roasting and I am sure what snow is left on the mountain tops will be quickly melting.

Callum and Ben Gibb and Shaun Travers will be repping NZ tomorrow and I hope we all put down some solid racing.

Not sure where live results will be posted but will update when I know.

France

2011-06-29T03:25:00.006+12:00

Bonjour,

We have received confirmation of our entry into world cup 2# in L’Argentiere France and this is where I currently am. Staying in ski accommodation, this area is definitely one that would be thriving in the winter more than the summer.

The course is a natural one which I am liking and the water is like ice, even on 30degree days.

We do not have internet so blog posts will be thin this week. Racing for the women start on Saturday.

Word is that the mountain bikers Katie and Carl are only a few hundred Km’s away as they have a race in France this weekend too.

Peace.

World Cup 1#

2011-06-26T05:41:00.002+12:00

A less than ideal performance greeted me in the qualification of the first world cup. Perhaps it was a combination of it being the first big race of the season and increased expectations following the summer’s improvements that added to the mental warfare? I cannot yet put my finger on it. What I do know is that I wont be making the same mistakes again and there is nothing like a bad race to fire you up for the next one! I missed the semi final by one position, placing 31^st.

On the other hand, Mike Dawson reaped some sweet success in making the K1M final (his first world cup final) with a following through from a great qualification run. It was a triumphant and proud moment for the kiwis here today as we cheered on one of our own in the World Cup final for the first time in a very, very long time! (and the first time in my lifetime). It goes to show that hard work and persistence pays off and I am totally stoked for Mike.

We are hoping to get a late entry into next weekend’s World Cup in L’Argentierre as following this race I am keen to get a few more big start lines under my belt. (Louise and I had initially planned to step this one out and head straight to Leipzig for WC3.)

Cutting tracks tomorrow.

Onwards and Upwards.

World cup 1 qualifications today

2011-06-24T19:08:00.002+12:00

The much anticipated first world cup has approached and today is qualification in all classes. There has been a lot of rain in the night so it will be interesting to see how this impacts the water level.
K1M and the C1 classes race this morning and the K1W and C2's in the afternoon.

Live results here

Will try and post results via twitter (right sidebar) if I am able to.

Cheers,

Luuka

Parallel Slalom Action

2011-06-22T18:39:00.001+12:00

Last night we ventured to the centre of Ljubljana city to join the gathering at what is the infamous annual parallel slalom. The difference this year is that I was competing.
Its always an amazing atmosphere, head to head racing, big crowds above and great Slovenian soundtracks pumping through the speakers.
The race consists of two paralell courses in which the paddlers race head to head. The win is determined after each person has raced the left side and the right and the times are added together for the win and advance to the next round.
I won my race in the quarter final and advanced to the semi. The semi proved to be more challenging as I was paired with the current world champion Corinna Kuhnle. I put up a solid fight but she showed why she is the fastest woman in the world. Respect.
She ended up winning with Kate Lawrence taking 2nd place. In the men's Two top paddlers Vavra Hradelik and Peter Kauzer were battling it out with Peter just taking the bling. C2's and C1's were also very hotly contested with French domination in both classes.

Two more days before the World cup kicks off here in Tacen. The sun is beaming and teams are turning up by the van full.

Training and Raining

2011-06-20T00:41:00.000+12:00

Today’s pressing question is... what has happened to the weather??? Last night was a feisty storm and as a result the river was a flowing torrent of brown water and a number of other objects such as trees, tyres and soccer balls. It made for an interesting session!

Training has been going really well, the rest of the Kiwi contingent are rolling in tomorrow and things are heating up (well, everything except the temperature!). I am hoping they bring the sun and that the water levels resume to normal as soon as possible!

Slovenja

2011-06-14T06:54:00.001+12:00

We left Prague last night before the planned metro strikes on Monday which would have been chaos.(big thanks to the Hradilek whanau for their extremely generous hospitality). A seven hour drive saw our arrival in my favourite city, Ljubljana. This is where we will spend two weeks training and building up to the world cup. We have superb accommodation near the mountains, away from the hustle and bustle of city life, it feels like NZ. We found a great gym today. Its something easily taken for granted in New Zealand, but on the road you realise that if you land a gym with all of the equipment to do the prescribed exercises, you have struck gold. We were the only girls pumping weights with gym jocks and body builders, it made for some great entertainment.
Its been a busy week of racing for Waiariki athletes with Mike Dawson and Sam Sutton taking out gold and silver consecutively at the Teva games in Italy and XC MTB'rs Katie, Carl and Samara pulling out some solid results at the swiss biker cup. This success makes me especially excited about the upcoming world cup.

Tour De Prague

2011-06-11T05:21:00.003+12:00

Today was a rest day so we seized the opportunity to embark on a cycling tour of the Czech countryside. A trip to a castle in Karlstejn was suggested to Louise by a friend so we set off with a tuna sandwich and an apple for what turned out to be a four hour round trip. The castle is one of the oldest in the country and was build by Charles the 4th who also built the infamous Charles Bridge and Charles University. Apparently he built it as a summer house for weekend retreats - bit over the top if you ask me.

So a history lesson, some scenery and steep hill climbs made it a primo day out on the bike.

New Kayak

2011-06-09T04:42:00.001+12:00

The new craft is glorious! Today was a great day of training on the course and a great place to get used to my new kayak. Its always hard to replicate the exact outfitting and seat positioning of a new boat and this is also a slightly different design. However it turns quickly, feels fast and I am loving it! Louise is stoked with her new kayak and rounded up some local Czech paddlers to help her put in the seat and footrests.

Jetlag is slightly evident but I am busting through and loving training in the warmth and sun. The European champs are on this weekend in Spain and is always a bit event to follow. We will be checking the results as Vavra Hradilek who's house we are staying at will be a strong contender to take it out.

PRAHA

2011-06-08T06:57:00.002+12:00

Touch down in the Capital of the Czech Republic, one of my favourite cities.
Paddled my new kayak today ... buzzing!
Hot day, sunburn and fresh tan lines.
$13 coffee plunger to get us through the jetlag ... bargain!

Korea

2011-06-06T16:07:00.001+12:00

We have just had a perfect stopover in Seoul, South Korea on our way to Prague. Our stopover included five star hotel accommodation and provided a great break to the long haul flight. Its also great to see a bit of Korea along the way.
I woke up at 4.30am this morning so seized the day with a 40min power walk around town before breakfast and a core session following that before returning to the airport.

Looking forward to getting to Prague and picking up my new boat. One 11 hour plane ride to go before we reach Europe!

Time is ticking

2011-05-24T10:25:00.001+12:00

Less than two weeks until I depart and as everybody seems to be hot footing to the European continent, it feels time for me to go too.
My Flatmates Katie and Carl have moved out of the flat taking the majority of the kitchen essentials (including the cheese grater) and leaving behind a great article in the Daily Post - branding them as Mountain Biking's new power couple: http://www.rotoruadailypost.co.nz/sport/news/mountainbiking-carl-jones-and-katie-oneill-head-to/3952616/

Mike Dawson is on the sunny side of the world, departing last week to start is Euro campaign.

Johann Roozenburg is repping NZL finishing 15th in the latest ICF ranking race in Tacen, two seconds off the final in a strong international field. Big Ups.

Video by Mike of Mangahao WW Course

2011-05-16T21:29:00.000+12:00

Mangahoe Whitewater Center Full Run from Kiwi Creations on Vimeo.

Training Camp Wrap

2011-05-16T19:08:00.003+12:00

Louise Jull at home on Otaki Beach

Jane Borren's Sports Mad, written for the Daily Post (below) summed up our training camp. It ended well with Katy Perry blasting on the sound system during full length runs. I look now to Europe and maximising the last three weeks of training in the homeland before hitting the international race season. My Ski Jacket has become an essential for surviving the approaching winter. I don't function well in the cold. Its definitely time to head north.

Sports Mad 16-5-11

Jane Borren, Manager Academy of Sport, Waiariki Institute of Technology

In three weeks time the majority of Waiariki’s NZ Canoe Slalom paddlers will be on the big bird to Europe, training and racing the World Cups and World Championships, and chasing the all important spots for the Olympic Games 2012.

Two paddlers, Johann Roozenburg and Brent Bastin, have already departed on an extended overseas campaign. For the remaining five, it was time to pack up the kayaks and head to the whitewater course in Mangahao, just out of Palmerston North, for a five day training camp.

Training camps are fun. They are also intense, as you live and breathe every aspect of your sport. Ultimately, a great training camp builds in momentum. You need to finish it having nailed training improvements and outcomes, as well as having ticked off non-physical sessions that either educate or prepare the athletes better.

The camp had a cracker start. We left behind the rain, and arrived at the course on Day 1 to a clear sky, a river at race flow, and a multitude of gates erected. This course is packed full of features that tests the skills, power, and endurance of our best paddlers. At dusk on Day 1, we hopped off the water and headed back to base for food, video review, and a session on electronic training and race monitoring.

Back to the course early the next morning, on arrival we discovered three race boats belonging to Luuka Jones, Mike Dawson, and Louise Jull were gone. Time to split into two camps – those with boats needed to train, and those without needed to find them. The latter group liaised with the police, the course administrators to review security video, and the media. Once done, it was time to re-jig the training plans.

We took to the ocean in borrowed surf skis and dialed up in and out efforts over the waves. We took to the gym and covered lifting techniques. Late on Friday evening, we got the call from the police to say the boats were found. We headed straight to a residential address and picked them up, still unsure how these people got them in their possession. No questions asked, we were just happy to have them back.

Day 3 dawned. Five paddlers with five boats, time to up the ante. We set tough thirds courses and hooked up loud beats to the course P.A system. The valley was rocking, the paddlers were buzzing.

The camp momentum was back.

Stolen Kayaks!

2011-05-14T13:49:00.002+12:00

Filing a Police report with the Shannon police

Day two of our pre Europe training camp played host to an extremely unexpected event and something that no paddler ever wants to encounter... the theft of our slalom kayaks!!
We (Mike Dawson, Louise Jull and myself) put them in a safe place at the course, padlocking them together for the night and to our surprise, the next morning they were gone!!

Jane, Mike and Lou Checking surveillance cameras at the course

We scouted the river incase somebody had thrown them in, contacted the police and looked through security footage from the carpark but with no leads. The next step was to contact the media to spread the word in the hope somebody would see and return them.
I was super gutted at the prospect of having no kayak to train in until I leave in June and also the disruption to this highly anticipated training camp!!
After having spent the most part of the day searching for them, we trained at the Otaki surf club and gym as an alternative to our planned white water sessions.
Late that night, after we had started to come to terms with the fact that we may never get our kayaks back, the Palmerston North Police called to advise us that somebody had seen our story on TV3 and had our kayaks. They claimed to have found them in the long grass and had taken them back with intention of dropping them at the Levin Police station the next day.

We went to pick them up straight away, super stoked to get our kayaks back and to be able to finish our training camp and build to Europe. Thanks to the media and shannon police for their help!

BOP Champion

2011-05-09T12:24:00.000+12:00

A good race, made better by the increased volume of water flowing down the Tarawera. I won the race and made the most of the opportunity of paddling on the river by doing another session afterwards. There was a medium turn out but overall good fun.

Results can be found here

BOP Champs

2011-05-06T09:05:00.001+12:00

BOP Champs are this weekend (another great opportunity to go to Kaweru again ...). Canoe Slalom BOP is hosting a series of winter races during the cold months, this is the first. I wont be here to race all of them but I think it is a fantastic idea to give paddlers much needed race experience and training check points through the year.

Upcoming: A training camp in Mangahao is on the cards. Excitement levels are high in an opportunity to paddle on our best canoe slalom course in NZ which will be perfect before I depart.

A lot of Waiariki Athletes are heading away to other continents to compete. My flatmate Tyler Lock and co-golfer Landyn Edwards are leaving for the UK next week. My other flatmates Katie and Carl are heading to Europe along with Samara Sheppard to compete in the cross country mountain biking world cups and world champs.

It will be sad leaving the mighty Rotovegas again as it's been putting on some cracking weather and summer sun in the Autumn months. Even though I am currently inside watching the rain plummet down and my washing dripping wet on the clothesline .. I trust this downpour is only temporary!

For Sale

2011-05-01T16:06:00.001+12:00

Canoe Slalom boat for sale,
Caiman Torero - top construction (the one I am currently paddling and paddled in Beijing)
No leaks, has had a lot of love.
Available from 4th June.
Message me if you are interested. $1300.

Bliss Stick Specialist for sale
Near new
$700

Double Dutch paddle for sale $200

Contact me on luukayaker@hotmail.com if you are interested in any of the above.

DAILY POST ARTICLE

2011-04-30T17:54:00.001+12:00

WIT SHINES IN AUCKLAND

By staff reporters, sport@dailypost.co.nz | 30th April 2011

Waiariki Institute of Technology have shown they can mix it with the best winning three golds at this year's Super City Uni Games.
In a double triumph for Waiariki, Scott Green and Samara Sheppard took out the men's and women's cross country.
The pair obliterated their opposition on the 7km track at Long Bay Regional Park Auckland.
Despite being accomplished cyclists, the pair showed they could foot it with the best taking gold, Green said.
Green and Sheppard had managed to take a bronze and silver respectively at the cycling criterium earlier in the week.
Sheppard, who is studying communications at Waiariki, said she only entered the running event after the cycling road race was cancelled.
She finished five seconds behind Green, who won with a time of 29min 14s in wet and slippery conditions.
There had been no respite for Sheppard also playing netball.
Meanwhile, Waiariki's waka ama crew made up of Luuka Jones, Nick Chater and Dale Thomas have taken gold in their event.
Battling AUT University and Auckland University in the 3km, 500m and 200m races, Waiariki won all three.
Chater said with the team only having one training session together they had no idea what to expect from the competition.
Jones, an Olympian white water kayaker, said she found a lot of her skills to be transferable to waka ama.
Jones said while the choppy conditions had other paddlers concerned, Jones was accustomed to them.
The race took place in wet and windy conditions on Lake Pupuke on the North Shore on Thursday.

Uni Games 2011

2011-04-29T19:28:00.002+12:00

What better way to spend the week than competing against other tertiary students in the 2011 University games in Auckland. Team Waiariki boosted out of vegas and up to the big smoke to do some solid representing and bring home some bling.

Samara and Scott dominated the cross country and took gold

A few no shows and late pull outs meant we were a bit short in the Rugby 7's and Netball teams so we rallied a few waka paddlers, cyclists and kayakers to fill the gaps.

A small institution in comparison to others, Waiariki did not hold back, winning 4 gold (cross country, waka ama & squash), a silver and a bronze (Cycling) out of the eight sports we entered.(others were table tennis, lawn bowls, netball and rugby 7's).

Two hospitilisations showed bodies put on the line, with a torn achilles and a knee injury. Despite this, spirits still remained high made for a fun games in Auckland.

It was a great week and I enjoyed being a part of the winning waka crew and playing (Yes .. Luuka Van Dyk) in the netball team (which is definitely NOT a non contact sport!).

MEDIA RELEASE

TOP ATHLETES PADDLE TO VICTORY

Thursday, April 28, 2011

A battle ensued when a number of our country’s sporting representatives packed into boats today to compete in the Waka Ama racing for the 2011 Super City Uni Games.

With only three teams competing (Waiariki, AUT University and Auckland University) in this sport it could be assumed that the competition would be lessened. But with several nationally ranked sportspeople in two out of three crews an easy win was far from reality.

Crew members for Waiariki Institute of Technology include Luuka Jones who competed at the Beijing Olympics in the K1 Slalom, Nick Chater; a member of the New Zealand Men’s Rafting Team and Dale Thomas who is the Junior Women’s Long Distance Champion in Waka Ama. ... read more

Daily Post Article

2011-04-29T18:58:00.000+12:00

Sportzhub Article

2011-04-25T20:23:00.000+12:00

Luuka Jones and Mike Dawson have retained their National Canoe Slalom titles over the weekend. Jones for the 4th consecutive year headed off the competition with a winning margin of 6.23 seconds over NZ teams mates Louise Jull and Nikki Whitehead.

The men's K1 was even closer with Dawson taking his 6th national title by just 1.05 seconds from Aaron Osborne. Third in the K1 went to Australian Olympian Warwick Draper with 18 year old Callum Gibb, finishing third NZ'er. Callum Gibb also won the U18 K1 Men by 3 seconds from Carl Whitehead of Te Puke.

Read more...

National Champion, yeeeeeahh!!

2011-04-25T10:33:00.004+12:00

There were no tropical holiday destinations for me over the Easter weekend as I headed to the mighty metropolis of Kawerau for the National Champs. The pressure was on and everybody was out to throw down their fastest paddling and claim the title.

Callum Gibb U18 K1M

I had some pretty good runs on Sunday, despite a hard week of training and took the title by over six seconds to become National champion and fastest NZ woman for the fourth year in a row. (Louise Jull 2nd, Nikki Whitehead 3rd).
Mike Dawson layed it down in the K1M to prove once again that he is NZ's fastest paddler, ahead of Aaron Osbourne (2nd) and Australian's Warrick Draper (3rd).
Callum Gibb was 1st K1M U18 and 3rd fastest New Zealander overall.
Ben Gibb took out the C1 men's title ahead of Shaun Travers and Shaun Higgins.
More results can be found here

Domestic racing is over for the year. Bring on the international season!!

Nationals

2011-04-17T19:55:00.001+12:00

This coming weekend are the National Championships in the mighty town of Kawerau. I will be out to defend my title to become Open National champion for the fourth year running.

I will also be heading down to K-town this week to help out at the secondary school nationals, doing demo runs on Tuesday and doing a presentation and giving awards at the prize giving on Thursday.

Will keep the blog posted.

Back to the homeland

2011-04-13T20:54:00.002+12:00

Back to the mighty NZL after a great bit of training on the big stuff (white water). HUGE thanks to Fanno and Danbelt who had me to stay for the week I was in Aus. I really appreciate it!

We (flatmates + I)have moved from the infamous Tihi Road Athlete abode to Steve's new house in Lynmore. A lot of good memories from Tihi but im not worried as we have discovered a lot more space and a higher level of cleanliness... suites me!

Uni Games are coming up and Waiariki are heading into tertiary domination. Louise and I will be paddling Waka Ama, joining the pro's from the Academy's Waka squad and Nick Chater (NZ men's raft team) to take out the competition.

2nd in Aussie Invitational Race

2011-04-09T20:53:00.007+12:00

Kate Lawrence from Australia

Today we had a race at Penrith with a strong contingent of paddlers. It was great to do a race after a week of training on the course. I had a pretty awful 1st run and decided to change my tactics in the 2nd run. I went a lot faster (11secs) and ended up in 2nd position 0.58secs behind World Championship finalist Kate Lawrence.

Results here

Swift Update

2011-04-08T11:10:00.002+12:00

Five days of training on the Sydney Olympic course has been fantastic. I am feeling the burn and am glad of my rest day today. Three days after this one before returning to the apparently inclement New Zealand. I have been lucky enough to join in the Australian NCE sessions and have been loving paddling among the Aussies.

Penrith

2011-04-04T13:38:00.001+12:00

All is swell in sunny Penrith, I am really pleased to be here training. The course configuration has changed from when I was here last so it has made things a lot more exciting. The sessions I have done so far have been good and hard and I am anticipating a big week of training gains, physically, technically and mentally.

Crossing the ditch

2011-03-30T08:44:00.001+13:00

Indeed on Saturday I will be flying across the ditch to train in Australia for 10 days. Yes, I am excited to bounce off the Kaituna rapids for a while and test myself again on the Sydney Olympic course. Its important to get a feel for, and paddle on different types of white water to ensure you can practice good form and technique in any place. I will keep the trusty blog updated whilst I am indulging in a change of training environment.

Back to Training, back in the game

2011-03-22T21:00:00.004+13:00

I had a break after the Australian open, put my kayak in the garage and picked up a pen, an apron and a job list. A busy couple of weeks upon my return saw me craft flat whites and lattes at the Green Bean Cafe (Waiariki's coffee mecca), help organise the Waiairki sports awards evening (a success) and catch up on two weeks of study and classes (buzzing). Phew!
The new training plan has been devised and the build up to the world champs have begun. Nationals are in Kawerau next month and following that, a casual 30hour trip to the European continent where the all action will take place.

Stay tuned!!

Australian Open Semifinal

2011-02-20T12:22:00.000+13:00

I made the semi final with a mediocre qualification race, hoping to pull my head back in and put down a run that would warrant a top 10 position in the final. The course was tricky and I started off well. Having a good top section I came down the main drop and rolled in the upstream, Pretty weird seeming I didnt roll in the whole two weeks leading up to the race. It was hard to pull back the focus from there, incurring a few costly time errors in the remainder of the course. I finished in 16th position. Heading back to NZ on Tuesday I am looking forward to getting home but have had a great two weeks of training and racing.

peace.

Australian Open Teaser

2011-02-17T21:56:00.001+13:00

Australian Open

2011-02-17T11:35:00.001+13:00

The past weeks in Penrith have flown and tomorrow is the race. Its been great training on big white water and I feel that paddling is going well. There are over 50 K1W entered and overall a field of 250 competitors racing the Australian open. Qualifications are tomorrow with K1w and C1m semis and finals on Sat and K1M, C2 and C1w semis and finals on Sunday. Results will most likely be posted via the following link

2011-01-30T08:10:00.000+13:00

Yesterday was a great day of racing, with round 2# of NZ selections and the qualification for Oceanias. I had some good racing with a few time losses but overall pretty happy. Kate Lawrence dominated the day’s racing posting a charging time of 100.82. In the men’s field, Pierre from France took the cake and in the C1 another French leader, Denis Gargaud.

Today is a race for the title. Results from yesterday can be found here

I may have been wrong about the live results feed as I couldnt locate it myself yesterday.

Live Results

2011-01-29T08:24:00.001+13:00

Oceania and ICF Ranking race. Live Results here

BOP Times Article

2011-01-28T13:15:00.000+13:00

Photo / Stephen Parker

http://www.bayofplentytimes.co.nz/sport/news/jones-dominates-on-whitewater-course/3938139/

The Oceanias are upon us.

2011-01-28T10:04:00.000+13:00

The majority of the week has been spent at the Jull residence in sunny Otaki and training at the course at Mangahao. Spirits have been soaring with the refreshing feeling of paddling on a different river with some great features and new challenges. A strong international contingent has travelled from far and wide to compete in this event, Czech Republic, Thailand, Switzerland (Mike Kurt the Federer of Canoeing), Australia, Cook Islands, Ireland and France to name a few. With world championship and world cup medallists present, the huge quality of the field will make for some spectacular racing.
The three Australian K1W (All of whom made the World Champs final last year), Kate Lawrence, Sarah Grant and Jess Fox are out to defend Australia's current hold of the Oceania title.

Primo.

Selection Race 2# Cancelled

2011-01-23T15:45:00.002+13:00

I woke up this morning to a magnitude of rain pouring down and quickly found out that my flatmate's Mountain Bike race had been cancelled. Turns out this was not the only race to be canned due to the damp weather as I drove to Kawerau (pre warm up on the way) to find out that the river was high and still on the rise. Selection Race two was not a happening event.
Off to Mangahao on Tuesday, on the upside - fears of a water shortage for the race are no longer.

First Selection Race Done

2011-01-23T08:21:00.003+13:00

Camp Waiariki

Yesterday the rain did not dampen the racing (perhaps the gate judges though) as everyone turned out to bust out some fast times in the first selection race.
I had a fast first run with some touches and a couple of small mistakes. Second Run was primo and felt a lot faster although my time was slower so a bit confused. Today I am sitting inside watching the rain plummet out of the sky and wish I had dried my kayaking gear.
Second Race today.

K1 Men's Champion of the day Vavra Hradilek from the Czech Republic

Results can be found here

Races

2011-01-17T07:35:00.005+13:00

Time is boosting and already we are nearing the end of January with the NZ team selection races on the doorstep. This weekend Kawerau hosts the first two out of four races and then I head down to Mangahao for the last two races which also double as the Oceania Championships.
Last weekend I competed in the Andy Duff memorial race, a series of races in different crafts down the kaituna (playboats, creekboats, swimming, sledging and rafting) in memory of paddler Andy Duff.
The main race (creekboats) saw over 70 paddlers cram into the start line and once the whistle went it was game on. Sam Sutton and Mike D battled it out for first, with Mike just taking it. I won the girls race with Louise coming in second. Was such a primo race, loved every minute of it.

Sweet, selection time. Will keep the blog posted.

4.30am surf session

2011-01-04T10:16:00.002+13:00

Summer Snaps

2010-12-29T13:41:00.002+13:00

5am Picnic at the Blue Lake. Coffee plunger on hand

2010-12-26T20:37:00.004+13:00

Thumbs Up to summer Kaituna Training

Kaituna Cup Series Race 1# (Photo: Kenny Mutton)

WAOS Christmas Partae

2010-12-10T11:59:00.003+13:00

Venue: Okere Falls Store

Theme: Tracksuits
Outcome: Glorious

As the 2010 year nears an end, it would have been rude not to acknowledge it with a themed Xmas party at one of our favourite local hotspots. Sam Sutton played a rather incredible santa and had us falling off our chairs as he handed out gifts.

A season wrap from Jane summed up a pretty primo year with some great results (world champions, age group champions and a number of world stage finalists) and those disappointments that make us all stronger.

Its been such a productive year for all of us and its great having a huge team of athletes from different sports to learn from, train with and support. Shot Jane for all the work you have put in to making the Academy what it is today. Primo.

Louise was sporting a neat luukajones.com lylic tracksuit and underneath a luukajones.com striped onesy (suitable for any occasion). With a range of designs available, this apparel is a great gift for anyone this christmas. Get in quick while stocks last.

Carl Jones .....

Update: Boot Camp and BOP Sports Awards.

2010-11-25T10:43:00.003+13:00

Toasting marshmellows on the beach bonfire

It has officially hit summer and a slight sunburn at the recent camp at Thornton beach, really kicked things off. A camp for some of the Waiariki Academy athletes was held to boost spirits, test the bodies and get us all G'd up as we crank into off season training for a big 2011 year. Not officially labelled a boot camp, it did however incorporate some of the defining factors ... carrying tyres, pushing vans, push ups, sit ups, ropes, sandbags and ... a distinct feeling of muscular burn!

Rally Driver Sloan Cox (aka King of the camp) was on form

Each squad did our own sport specific training sessions with the cyclists roaming the roads at full pace every morning, us kayakers racking up the miles and the golfers practicing form on the local greens.

We left feeling tired and exhilirated, having pushed ourselves to the limits, and pumped to nail our training and next year's important races.

Louise Jull & Pat Avery busting it out in the Orienteering

Following the camp were the BOP sports awards. Waiariki hosted the event and boasted an impressive number of guests. We were all there to support Waiariki finalists John Lee, Monique Avery (winner jnr women), Sam Sutton (winner open men), Landyn Edwards, Sloan Cox and the NZL extreme kayak team (winner team). Claiming three of these awards, it was fair to say a successful night for Waiariki Athletes had taken place.

Training is going well, the Kaituna is at a good level and the sun is shining. Primo

Fresh November

2010-11-08T11:19:00.003+13:00

Post worlds, it was back to the motherland and back to Rotorua to start work and slowly ease back into the routines of training. I am back in the boat and navigating the waterways of Rotorua, excited about each day getting warmer as summer edges even closer.

The next events are selection races and Oceanias in January with the Australian open taking place mid February.

We have a Waiariki athlete training camp this week which will be exciting (and challenging!).

Will keep the blog posted from time to time. Below are some photos of Rotorua I took from my mobile phone.

Ka Kite Ano

2010-09-18T10:28:00.000+12:00

Photos: Jana Drahalzova

2010-09-14T03:27:00.004+12:00

Jane, Louise and I - 8th in Teams World Championships 2010

Sunday was another cracker of a day as we rocked out with what seemed like the whole of Slovenia to watch the K1men, C1W and C1M semis and finals. Aaron, Mike and Louise were amongst these semifinalists and it seemed a prime opportunity to craft some banners of support. It didnt compete with the German, Slovenian or Slovakian fanclubs in matching tshirts but it was glorious all the same. Mike had a solid, penalty free race finishing in 28th position while Aaron unfortunately picked up a costly 50 second penalty, placing him in the lower half of the field. Louise did not have the run she was hoping for which put her out of the top ten positioning needed to make the final. The finals were incredibly exciting with some amazing racing. Jana Dukatova won gold in the C1W category, taking her medal count to two over the competition. In the fiercely competitve C1 category, double olympic gold medalist and 2009's World Champion Tony Estanguet from France put down a time that could not be beaten and in the K1 men, favourite Peter Kauzer incurred a 50 second penalty, dashing his hopes of defending his title. Daniel Molmenti showed no surprises as he raced to victory, a great end to his extremely successful 2010 season.

NZL 8th in World Championships Team event and the first 2010 World Champions Crowned

2010-09-12T07:33:00.003+12:00

It was a sunny day of excitement as the 2010 World Champions were crowned in the K1 Women and C2 Men events today. The C2 race saw some tight racing as the field of 20 was narrowed to 10. Qualification winners and one of the favourites Tim Baillie and Etienne Stott missed out incurring a 50second penalty, sitting back to watch the final. It was no surprise that Olympic and previous World Champions the Hoschorners took gold whilst French team Fabian Lefevre and Denis Gargaud wore silver and British crew Florence/Hounslow the bronze.

The K1 Women's semi final highlighted the difficulties in the course with a lot of mistakes and penalties being incurred. It was a great day for the Aussie girls as all three made the final and then resulted in a fantastic day for Austria as Corrina Kuhnle took the gold and Vio Oblinger Peters took bronze. Legend Jana Dukatova paddled to a silver medal finish.

Teams racing was in the afternoon and our women's team consisted of Jane Nicholas, Lousie Jull and myself. We were the lowest ranked team as its the first time we have had three women from New Zealand at the worlds to be able to race in the teams event. As the underdogs we faced the huge crowd and headed off the horizon line of the top drop, paddling to an 8th place finish. Really happy with our result it was a great end to the world championships.

I will be heading down to the course early tomorrow morning to support Louise, Mike and Aaron in the semi finals. Go the Kiwis!!

World Championships

2010-09-11T07:32:00.005+12:00

The World Championships were over for me three three days ago but are still pretty fresh in my mind. I made mistakes and did not make the Semi Final, finishing in 35th position. Whilst this is about 20 positions better than my first World Champs last year, I am very disappointed.

I have had a mixed season, some good results and big learning curves. I am looking forward to getting back to NZ and after a small break, getting back into training again. Every year I get so much better and this was my best year of paddling so far.Next year is Olympic selection and a very important year indeed.

Tomorrow I have teams racing with Louise Jull and Jane Nicholas.

Mike Dawson and Aaron Osborne made the semi finals today and Louise is in the semi final for C1W.

I head back to NZ next week

Thank you to everybody who supported me this year. To Waiariki, Nelo, the Lakes, iPaddle and Baytrust as well as individuals, friends and family, I really appreciate it!!

Kidda on World Champs

2010-09-08T08:54:00.001+12:00

2010 Canoe Slalom World Championships

2010-09-08T03:48:00.001+12:00

So tomorrow is D-Day. The start of the 2010 Canoe Slalom World Championships here in Ljubljana, Slovenia. The K1 Women race tomorrow along with the C2, C1 and C1W classes. Results can be found here. I race at 11.09 and 13.09. Louise races at 10.58 and 12.58. Jane and Ella Nicholas race with us in the morning. Brent will race in the afternoon.

Due to the constant rain and changing water levels, the event programme has been changed. I am now racing in the morning Europe time. Its giong to be a primo event and I look forward to racing!

Training Ljubljana

2010-09-05T04:21:00.003+12:00

Photos: Ciaran Heurtau

Lets Talk about the Weather

2010-09-02T07:45:00.001+12:00

We had a few days of torrid rain and dealt with the rising river level and then, the closure of the drop. The temperatures plummetted and I found myself missing the European warmth that I have become so accustomed to. To top it off, a few days earlier I sent a load of kayaking gear back to NZ which included all of my long sleeve/warm paddling gear. Nightmare!
Luckily the sun is returning the much needed rays and Lou and I celebrated with a 40min uphill bushwalk to the top of a nearby mountain. Primo views it was well worth the muscle burn endured in my legs on the way up. Louise also suggested Jandals as the appropriate footwear for an uphill climb.
We have a rest day on Friday that I am very much looking forward to.
Most teams have arrived and like us, are tackling the rapids, learning every feature and gearing up to lay it down at the biggest, most important event of the year.

Its Raining Its Pouring ... the River is Roaring!!

2010-08-30T04:37:00.002+12:00

The hot sunny days made way for heavy downpours here in Ljubljana and consequently the river has risen dramatically. The entrance drop has been closed due to too much water and the tame slalom rapids have turned into some big holes and waves, making sessions pretty fun.Navigating the course at the moment requires some committment to putting your kayak where you want it to go but I am buzzing. The sun is back in force and I hope it stays this way.

Mike is currently off racing the Czech National Champs and doing some good paddling. Ten day count down to World Champs.

Rule Number 1: No Laptops at the Breakfast table

2010-08-27T19:24:00.005+12:00

Yes as the title suggests, coach T M Masuy has crafted a shocking rule ... no laptops at the breakfast table. Don't be fooled by the 'chilled out' facade that the New Zealand canoe slalom team boasts, behind the scenes we stick to an extremely regimented schedule and the above rule just one of the many we abide by.

I arrived on Monday to meet up with a tanned beachy Louise who has been recouperating in Croatia over the weekend.
The house here is great. Seven bedrooms, five bathrooms and two kitchens... I am still discovering rooms in this gigantic building. Big ups to Mike for landing this place.

So Tacen ... Home waters of World Champion Peter Kauzer. A glorious course with a steep ramp at the top and some tricky features which makes for some difficult sessions. Yesterday I got a beat down in the top hole and as if it wasnt enough, my second attempt resulted with a roll and a rock slide - hitting my elbow on the sharp concrete and fighting back the tears.

Its to be expected here, im taking the lows with the highs and am glad I still have two weeks of training to learn the features and dominate that top drop.

Check out video below of Peter Kauzer paddling at Tacen

19th Pre World Championships

2010-08-23T00:41:00.009+12:00

Qualifying through to the semis in 14th place, I found myself in a familiar position.. One Run to pull out a top ten placing and make the final. I went out hard, not wanting a repeat of yesterday's painfully careful and pedestrian course negotiations. The top quarter of my run was mint, fast and high in the ups.. then it fell apart, I had to go back for a gate and pinballed through the middle section incurring 6 seconds of penalties and losing valuable time on the way. Finishing in 20th disappointment was the emotion but a valuable race to have had before the worlds. Three weeks to tweak the race tactics and unwrap the goods to put it down at the World Champs. Slovenia beckons and I head there tomorrow to start my build up.

Mike and Aaron qualified through to semis and racing well finished 12th and 26th respectively. More info on slalomnz website

The Austrians dominated in the K1W field and the Germans in the K1M. C1 saw a non - European Victory with Japan's Takuya Heneda laying it down and the doubles class of C2 had France on the top of the podium with Slovakians on either side.

Full results here

Slovak Open and Pre World Championships

2010-08-21T02:27:00.009+12:00

This week in Bratislava I have been staying in an apartment above the Palistinian Embassy with Canadian team members John Hastings and Jess Groeneveld. The days have flown and as Friday comes to a close with demo runs, I look forward to racing the Pre World Championships which kick off tomorrow.
A solid line up will make for some tough competition and excellent racing.

There is a possibility results will be posted online via the following link

Here is a video of the left channel of Bratislava kindly produced by John for your information and amusement.

Austria's Vio Oblinger-Peters (Photos; Johann Roozenburg)

New Zealand's Aaron Osborne

Bratislava, Slovakia

2010-08-18T17:54:00.004+12:00

After the torrid trip - a sleepless night (at the airport), excess baggage dramas and rental car mayhem - I made it to Ljubljana to catch up with Louise and grab some much needed zzz's before another 4-5 hour drive to Bratislava.
Now I am here it is good. All the New Zealanders are here in full force and there is a new stretch of white water to paddle on. The course here has two channels, previously it has always run on the right but now the left is open and will be used in the world championships next year.

Boat, Boarding Pass, Bratislava.

2010-08-15T01:42:00.008+12:00

My final week of training in Nottingham has come to an end and much to Tim Baillie's relief I have packed up all of my stuff (some has been at his house for years) and am heading to Bratislava for the Slovak open. I'm paddling my new Nelo boat and buzzing, feeling good and ready for another Europe escapade. Four weeks until the worlds, this year is flying. The European championships are on at the moment, it will be an exciting day of semis and finals tomorrow.

New Nelo Boat

2010-08-12T19:38:00.003+12:00

My new sponsored Nelo boat arrived this week and taking it for a whirl on the course yesterday I really like it. So sweet. Turns like a dream.

And then Drama ...

2010-08-02T18:48:00.002+12:00

Misfortune struck Louise Jull in Ljubljana last week as she toppled from her bike and hit the ground hard. On initial evaluation, the accident hurt and her shoulder was sore but on assessment from the physio, it seemed Louise's fall from the bike had caused some damage.

The diagnosis is a shoulder impingement, a common injury but takes a while to heal. Back to the physio for a final screening today, I hope it comes back with some positive news and she will be taking on the white water again in no time!

Nottingham Training

2010-07-28T05:42:00.006+12:00

Watching the final stages of the Tour de France last week filled the gaps between training sessions and highlighted the fact that biking to the course in Nottingham is a walk in the park. I proudly watched Julian Dean finish in the top of some of the late stages. Super cool watching fellow Kiwis do well on the world stage!
Drawing inspiration, I have busted through a tough training week, very much looking forward to taking a day of rest tomorrow.

Meanwhile, in Ljubljana, Louise Jull has been throwing herself off big ramps (instead of rafts) in the latest big air competition. Check out her blog for a few photos of her airborne antics and the World Championships site in Slovenia.

New Paddles

2010-07-22T08:46:00.003+12:00

My first session back today was a very joyous one - spent trying out my new white G-Power paddles. To top it off, I was blinged out in my new Waiariki kayaking kit, the British sun was on full beam and I was surfing waves to get used to the general feel of being back in a slalom boat.

Training starts again now and I am good to go!

Put on the Kettle, im back in the UK

2010-07-20T09:37:00.005+12:00

After a very successful world championships, it was time to deflate the raft and head back to Nottingham for some slalom action. I am here for four weeks of solid training before meeting up with the rest of the team for the Slovak Open in August. Louise, Brent and Johann headed back to Ljubljana with the Slovenian support bus – good times. Mike’s back is in action again which is great news.

Us kayakers aren't the only Waiariki athletes competing around the globe. Cross Country Mountain Bikers Carl Jones, Katie O'neil (my flatmates from Rotorua) and Scott Green are training in Canada through to the Worlds in September. Follow the links and check out what they are up to.

4th Overall at the Rafting world champs

2010-07-18T01:22:00.009+12:00

The saying goes - 'save the best till last'. This was NOT the case today as we endured the final event of the World Champs - the down river. 30 minutes of flat water, white water, and running up stairs, it was no easy task. Eight teams started at the same time so it was carnage off the start. A battle to the finish, we jostled for position, overtaking the dutch team to finish in 5th position.

This put us in 4th position over the entire competition. I’ll take that.

The Kiwi boys had a great race and placed in 3rd in the downriver, scoring a bronze medal at the rafting world champs!! They finished 9th overall. A great result in the tough field.

Tomorrow I journey back to Nottingham. Change of river, change of boat, change of focus.