Big Boat Bonanza 07
By Kate Harris
In keeping with a long established tradition the rain that was forecasted for the days before the Big Boat Bonanza never arrived! However, the entries still poured in, more than 120 paddlers registered to paddle the Jacksons stretch of the Avonmore River in Laragh on the weekend of 10th October in what has become Ireland’s largest white water event.
With to do lists that had seemed never ending, the organisers breathed a sigh of relief on Friday evening, the marquee was up, the sponsors had arrived, the race schedule was finalised, the bar was stocked and the competitors began to stream in. While the majority of the competitors were Irish, a number also travelled from Scotland, Wales, England and a few bodies from South Africa and Alaska who happened to be in the neighbourhood gave the event an international feel. Although the talk in the tent was that the river was unseasonably low with so many paddlers en route, Shane gave the green light; registration opened, beers were drunk and tales were being traded among friends.
Saturday morning rolled around, a little too soon for some. The registration desk re-opened, some eager competitors including several of our English friends were geared up and keen to hit the river, the majority however were just getting to grips with day, drinking coffee and locating the necessities. In an effort to accommodate paddlers who turned up on spec, the event kicked off slightly later than scheduled. Eventually, everyone assembled at the top of the trail for a quick race briefing and to get the running order for the heats. Teams of three raced against the clock and the team with the quickest time won their category. Time deductions were awarded for completing a number of challenges on the way down the course, these ranged from catching the sneaky eddy on Jacksons Falls to proving throw bag and slalom skills. Rescue and river bank shannigans were provided by Brian Keogh, Noelle O’Regan and Co. and with Shane and Kipper on the mic the spectators were kept entertained throughout the day. The club events were run off first with the team from University College Cork dominating the ladies class and a Wild Water Kayak Club team took home the gold in the mens class. The expert classes were hotly contested, and an eclectic team comprising of Scottish boy Ed Smith, Englishman Richard Brooks and local Wicklow boy Paul McCann did the business in the men’s class and Ally Campbell, Lynsey Evans and Bledd Lloyd had a impressively fast time in the ladies expert category that would have placed them second in the mens expert class.
Killian Kelly spent the day cooking up a storm in the marquee and dished up some delicious food for the competitors after the racing. BBB sponsors Palm, Dagger, Pyranha, I-Canoe and MDAC also hosted events and raffles in their tents. Later that evening, in what many considered to be the highlight of the weekend, the legendary BBB party. The theme this year was Hereos and Villians, some really impressive costumes were seen at the party, a host of masked crusaders including the entire Incredibles Family, Polpot, several Che Gueveras and a stunning Poison Ivy to name but a few. A real hero Mark Downey manned the Rough Stuff Bar all night and the band Redwood provided some great tunes to get people dancing. Gentleman paddler and Palm Dagger sponsor, Cheesy Robertson did the honours and took over the decks after the band bowed out.
Sunday began slowly, the broken and shattered remains of yesterdays paddlers were seen trudging up the trail to the race put on. Following a race briefing, where everyone agreed to play nicely, the tiredness was forgotten. Not an inch was given as the paddlers battled their way down the course. The water was low so it was a game of wits, threading boats through narrow gaps in the rock and judging which of the miniscule flows would bring them through Jacksons quickest. A notable mention must go to Ronan Shaw in the Mens Club class who proved that a swimming / running approach was almost as fast as kayaking the course. It was a tough event for the competitors who progressed through each round having to carry their boats back up to the start line. Anne Marie Creavan and Ronan Kavanagh saw off all competion in the Ladies Club and Mens Club categories respectively. The expert categories were dominated by visiting athletes with Ed Smith from Scotland and Lynsey Evans from Wales.
Thanks must go to Shane Cronin and crew, Mike Conway, Wave Sport, Pyrahna,
Rough Stuff, Dagger, Palm, Peak UK, Gene 17 Kayaking, Great Outdoors, Munster Dive & Canoe, i-canoe.com and all those who pitched in over the weekend.
words and photos by Kate Harris
By Kate Harris
In keeping with a long established tradition the rain that was forecasted for the days before the Big Boat Bonanza never arrived! However, the entries still poured in, more than 120 paddlers registered to paddle the Jacksons stretch of the Avonmore River in Laragh on the weekend of 10th October in what has become Ireland’s largest white water event.
With to do lists that had seemed never ending, the organisers breathed a sigh of relief on Friday evening, the marquee was up, the sponsors had arrived, the race schedule was finalised, the bar was stocked and the competitors began to stream in. While the majority of the competitors were Irish, a number also travelled from Scotland, Wales, England and a few bodies from South Africa and Alaska who happened to be in the neighbourhood gave the event an international feel. Although the talk in the tent was that the river was unseasonably low with so many paddlers en route, Shane gave the green light; registration opened, beers were drunk and tales were being traded among friends.
Killian Kelly spent the day cooking up a storm in the marquee and dished up some delicious food for the competitors after the racing. BBB sponsors Palm, Dagger, Pyranha, I-Canoe and MDAC also hosted events and raffles in their tents. Later that evening, in what many considered to be the highlight of the weekend, the legendary BBB party. The theme this year was Hereos and Villians, some really impressive costumes were seen at the party, a host of masked crusaders including the entire Incredibles Family, Polpot, several Che Gueveras and a stunning Poison Ivy to name but a few. A real hero Mark Downey manned the Rough Stuff Bar all night and the band Redwood provided some great tunes to get people dancing. Gentleman paddler and Palm Dagger sponsor, Cheesy Robertson did the honours and took over the decks after the band bowed out.
Sunday began slowly, the broken and shattered remains of yesterdays paddlers were seen trudging up the trail to the race put on. Following a race briefing, where everyone agreed to play nicely, the tiredness was forgotten. Not an inch was given as the paddlers battled their way down the course. The water was low so it was a game of wits, threading boats through narrow gaps in the rock and judging which of the miniscule flows would bring them through Jacksons quickest. A notable mention must go to Ronan Shaw in the Mens Club class who proved that a swimming / running approach was almost as fast as kayaking the course. It was a tough event for the competitors who progressed through each round having to carry their boats back up to the start line. Anne Marie Creavan and Ronan Kavanagh saw off all competion in the Ladies Club and Mens Club categories respectively. The expert categories were dominated by visiting athletes with Ed Smith from Scotland and Lynsey Evans from Wales.
Thanks must go to Shane Cronin and crew, Mike Conway, Wave Sport, Pyrahna,
Rough Stuff, Dagger, Palm, Peak UK, Gene 17 Kayaking, Great Outdoors, Munster Dive & Canoe, i-canoe.com and all those who pitched in over the weekend.
words and photos by Kate Harris
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