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HISTORY OF THE CLUB
The inspiration for founding Dyffryn Conwy Paddlers in 1991
came from a group of paddlers who had started canoeing on the
'Women Only' open C2 courses run by Jackie Freer and funded
by The Sports Council for Wales. These women wanted to continue
with their canoeing so they and Jackie decided to start a family
orientated touring club, however very quickly the marathon interest,
led by Kevin Coleman, became an important aspect of the club's
activities. Grants from the BCU Marathon Committee and Conwy
Sports Council allowed the club to buy a variety of second hand
boats to expand the range.
For the first two years the club was homeless and the boats
lived on two trailers. Despite this there was a high level of
enthusiasm and members took part in a wide range of events.
The weekly timetrial started in 1992 and a ladies K2 successfully
completed the DW. Then in 1993 the local scout club offered
a share of their building and space to construct a boat compound.
With improving facilities the membership continued to increase
and there was considerable pressure on the boats available.
A large grant from The Foundation for Sport and the Arts in
1995 allowed the club to buy a comprehensive range of boats.
Membership continued to increase, peaking at over 80 in 1996.
Now a well established club, although with fewer members, DCP
continues to operate from the scout hut.
The club is sited just upstream of Conwy harbour, about two
miles from the open sea and with another 14 miles of tidal water
on the upstream side. A tidal range of over 10m produces fast
tides and strong currents but the estuary can also be beautifully
calm. Stable kayaks play a vital role in allowing new paddlers
to experience the estuary and the club can provide boats for
just about any standard of paddler. No two paddling sessions
are ever the same and the variety caused by the water level,
tide and weather changes only adds to the appeal. The area is
famous for wild birds and the upper stretches of the estuary
are popular with trout and salmon fishermen.
Membership has always been fairly evenly split between recreational
and racing paddlers; most of the racers also take part in recreational
events and many of the recreational paddlers end up doing a
race of some sort sooner or later. In the early days the club
was about 75% female but in recent years things have levelled
off at around 50/50. The relatively high female presence compared
to other clubs is probably down to the origins in Jackie's women
only groups. As there has always been a fairly even mix female
paddlers don't feel unusual or out of place in whichever aspect
of paddling they try. It may also be helped by the outstanding
recreational paddling available, which appeals to people who
only have time to paddle occasionally. In recent years the committee
has been largely female but the club does not debate whether
this is because of organising women or lazy men.
The competitive side of the club is predominantly marathon
orientated. Racers compete in the NW England Hasler region as
there is no other marathon club in North Wales. Members also
frequently race at Ironbridge, Worcester and Nottingham in K1
, K2 and K4. Many of these racers do it for enjoyment, even
when they have no chance of winning. For instance two K2 crews
of Div 7 and 8 paddlers entered the Div5/6 race at Ironbridge
so that they could race the longer course over the rapids. Similarly
a crew of stable boat paddlers, with just one K1 paddler, formed
a K4 crew at Worcester. They were last home but still dry. Incidentally
the K2 and K4 crews were all female.
In 1998,99 and 2000 DCP members were included in the Welsh
team which went to Scotland for a week of marathon racing. This
team also entered the Liffey in 1998, sponsored and filmed by
S4C (the Welsh channel 4). DCP members have entered the Liffey
most years since 1992, with results ranging from bronze medals
in Junior K1 and Veteran K1 to several damaged boats.
The new club joined the management group of the older Conwy
Ascent, but gradually the other clubs fell away and the event
has been organised exclusively by DCP for several years now.
This is always an unpredictable event where the weather has
a very strong influence on conditions. Some years the only waves
are formed by the numerous speed boats, other years its a battle
against the waves from start to finish. There are usually well
over one hundred entries, ranging from rafts of GP boats doing
the tour slowly, to some of the country's top marathon paddlers
battling for the finish. Club members enjoy the challenge and
the reaction of other people to 'their' river.
For several years the nearby Plas y Brenin outdoor centre ran
a mountain triathlon which included a canoeing section. This
brought several people into the club as runners and cyclists
who wanted to improve their paddling fitness or learn to paddle
racing boats. Unfortunately the event is no longer run and several
members have been lost as a result.
A few club members have also competed in sprint regattas in
K1, K2 and C1 and the club's most successful paddler, Matthew
Foulger, is currently in the GB sprint team. As the nearest
regatta course is in Nottingham visits are not very frequent
and the club misses the local sprint regattas which used to
be held in Chester. DCP often entered more than one team of
four paddlers as a good way to introduce people of all standards
to sprint racing.
The club is involved in wild water racing and organises one
of the races on the Tryweryn each year. In the past members
have been successful in the Welsh Wild Water Championship and
in various other races. James Wingfield is currently C1 and
C2 coach for the GB team.
With the sea on the doorstep several people have done sea kayaking
in some form - night trips around the Orme can be spectacular
in the right conditions and Puffin Island is only a short crossing
away. The Conwy Ascent race is now a double header with a sea
kayak race the following day, organised by local paddlers as
a WCA event. DCP was also represented in the Sea Kayaking World
Cup in Papua New Guinea in 1998 where Wales won bronze.
As well as the weekly timetrial and recreational sessions the
club visits local lakes, rivers and beaches and organises social
events both on and off the river. It has also arranged coaching
sessions for marathon paddling, entered dragon boat races and
been represented in the Coast to Coast triathlon across New
Zealand, a triathlon across Tasmania and a four day open C2
race in Canada.
The accommodation is not plush, the water can be a long walk
away at low tide, or flood the hut at very high tides, but the
club does not lack enthusiasm or variety. For one of the youngest
clubs a lot has been achieved and DCP are currently working
with the WCA to try and establish Conwy as a centre of excellence
for canoeing.
1991 The Club is founded in October following the women's
courses Jackie ran over the summer. The steering committee includes
Sue Vincent, Jude, Jackie, James and Kevin. Fitness training
happens in Conwy Civic Centre on Tuesdays with various river
tours on Saturdays. Boats are mainly C2s from Kevin's touring
business. Grants are received from Aberconwy Sports Council
and the BCU. A lot of training sessions are organised for white
water, slalom and marathon.
1992 Evening paddling and timetrials start. The first
timetrial includes Pat, Jackie, Ben and James. Katie and Fiona
complete the DW. Their support team includes Pete Bray, who
has just canoed across the Atlantic. Ben and Matthew are both
Welsh National Champions for white water racing in their respective
age groups. Three club K2s enter the Liffey race; two of them
fold on the first weir (Jackie & Kevin and Tom, and Katie) but
James and Jenny make it to the end.
1993 The Scout Hut is in use and the boat racks are
being developed. A team takes part in a Dragon Boat race on
Albert Dock. Again three K2s enter the Liffey but this time
all three finish. Matthew is racing in division 6 while Ant
and Ian are division 7 and Jude is division 9.
1994 Sue Kenwell and Pete both join. Ant, Jude, Jackie
and Kevin go the Puffin Island in K2s. Several people take part
in Colwyn's canoe triathlon and others do the Plas y Brennin
triathlon. Tom & Sandra, Ian, Matthew and James all complete
the Liffey but it is the first of Ant's unsuccessful trips as
he and Kevin fold the boat on weir 2. Matthew is now division
5, Ant and Ian are in 6, Jude is 8 and Sue Vincent 9. The club
has 62 members.
1995 The slipway at The Ferry is lost when the pub is
demolished. The club gets a grant of £10000 from the Foundation
for Sport and the Arts to buy equipment. Several people compete
in white water on the Teifi and dozens attend the Geirionydd
barbecue.
1996 Ian attempts the DW but has to stop at Staines
when his partner's back gives out. Matthew wins junior bronze
at the Liffey but Jude and Matt don't get past the first weir.
James and Ant beat Ant's previous record but have to pull out
at the lake. Jackie hands over the newsletter job to Margaret.
1997 Steve joins. Matthew is now racing in division
3 and is at university in Nottingham. Pat and Denise start doing
the timetrials as a K2. Kevin and Fiona are stopped by the police
for carrying a K2 on a short car without lights on the boat.
Big waves for most of the course make an interesting Conwy Ascent.
Pat, Denise, Kamala and Penny enter the K4 race at Worcester.
They are slow but stay upright.
1998 The first Scottish marathon week is held. Wales
sends a team which includes James, Matthew and Pete. Steve,
Kamala, Jude and Penny take part too. The Welsh team also enters
the Liffey where Pete paddles the second half backwards due
to a damaged bow and Steve sinks in the jungle. James takes
part in a sea kayak championship in Papua New Guinea. Pete is
division 5, Steve is promoted to 5, Kamala is 8 and Penny is
promoted to 7. Kamala takes over as newsletter editor.
1999 Matthew is selected for the British sprint racing
team for the first time. He is also elected Sports Personality
of the Year in the Weekly News. A smaller Welsh team, which
now includes Steve, attends the Scottish series. Jude & Denise
and Kamala & Penny brave Jackfield Rapid and do the Ironbridge
long course. James and Steve enter the Liffey as a K2 but lose
their rudder so don't finish. Matthew is now in division 2.
Kamala is promoted to 7. James is demoted to 4.
2000 Jude leaves us for New Zealand where Matthew joins
her for the winter. David and Sarah start paddling with us.
Steve and James do the Scottish series again. James runs a marathon
training weekend at Pencelli. The website is born. The Conwy
Ascent benefits from a big tide and several records are broken
although there are also a record number of swimmers in the harbour
and a K2 is written off. Matthew races K1 in the National Championship
at Boulogne for the U23 team and K4 at the World Cup in Germany
for the senior team. Pete is promoted to division 4.
2001 Foot and Mouth affects racing and limits the Conwy
Ascent to a race to Tal y Cafn and back. A sea kayak race is
held on the Sunday after the Conwy Ascent. James takes part
in the Masters Marathon Worlds at Stockton. Matthew takes part
in the Sprint Worlds in the senior K4.Steve is promoted to division
4.
ORGANISATION AND STRUCTURE
The club is run by a committee of around ten elected members,
who meet approximately every six weeks. Members are kept informed
through the club newsletter, published every two months, the
notice board in the scout hut, and this web site. Individual
committee members have responsibility for different aspects
of club activities. The main sub-groups at the moment are the
racing sections and the social paddling section and both of
these groups are actively supported. A relatively small annual
subscription is charged, with a discount if members are already
Welsh canoeing association
members. In addition to this there is a charge for the use of
club boats and bouyancy aids, so that those who use the equipment
the most are putting the most money back into the club to fund
maintenance etc. The boat use fees are generally paid on the
night to a committee member but bills are sent to those who
prefer to pay this way. At present the club operates from the
1st Conwy Scout Hut where we have a compound in which to store
the boats.
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