Slipstream Surf

Jim Walker joins the Slipstream Team!

2016-04-02T05:11:45Z

We are proud to welcome Jim Walker to the Slipstream Team!

Jim lives and breathes Surf lifesaving, a Surf and Stillwater paddler that has reached the pinnacle in both areas representing Australia in the Olympic Games for Kayaking and an Australian Gold medallist in Surf.

Jim will be leading the brand from the front just like he paddles. His passion, enthusiasm and extensive knowledge will flow into the brand, giving you the competitor the edge.

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2014-10-27T01:06:22Z

STELLAR LAUNCHES A NEW SURFSKI TO THE RANGE AND ITS A ROCKET!

2013-07-29T01:43:12Z

Stellar Kayaks has been making in roads in the surf ski market for the last 2 years here in Australia, from a humble beginning with the SE (Stellar Elite) being there only boat. The SES (Stellar Elite Small) followed after finding a need for a lower volume boat for lighter weighted paddlers. The introduction of the SR (Stellar Racer) was there introduction into the entry level market, and would be there most successful boat. Stellar has never been afraid to widen its market range, the introduction of a cross over ski/kayak called the S18S was bought in to tackle the power in sales of the Epic V8. They also launched a SEL (Stellar Elite Low) which fits in between the SES And SE boats. At this stage Stellar Kayaks had put pressure on the other brands by having such a wide range, but if left a massive hole and a huge gap in ability to be able to jump from the SR to the SE range. This gap has seen loyal STELLAR paddlers cross over to other brands with no product available……………. this is now a thing of the past, Stellar Kayaks has just launched the SEI (Stellar Elite Intermediate). This ski is placed in the market to take on the Epic V-10 and the THINK EVO II and Fenn Swordfish, and after my first paddles the team at Stellar has not only met these boats head on, it may have just taken them out of play. Since receiving my SEI Excel (Hybrid lay up, around 12 kg), I have done a couple of paddles, and in varying conditions. a 10 km time trial in Sydney Harbour which had a bit of everything, a 3k slog into a 20 knot westerly in Botany Bay, followed by a heavinly 3k chop chase back and the final paddle was some full on surf work at Sydney’s Maroubra Beach. i feel there was enough there in all those 3 paddles to answer the main questions i have been bombarded with from paddlers all over, I am also in a great position to give my frank and truthful comments as currently paddle the SES in the Flat and in wind chop, but really struggle in good ocean conditions, especially when rebound comes into play. I do feel secure in the SEL in all conditions, but still have the odd brace stroke and swim from time to time. I have been paddling my SR Demo out in the ocean on our Saturday session with my squad (Jimsquad) so i can improve my skills and learn to read the ocean better. So the main questions I have been asked are How does it go ?, How does it compare to the Epic V-10 ? , What are the main improvements/changes from the other boats in the Stellar range? For those of you that narrow your search to a ski that has certain measurements, this blog may not be for you, from my experience measurements don’t make a ski fast or slow, there are only 2 things to consider, are you comfortable in the set up and can you keep it upright.The other requirement, is please take your GPS with you, if your serious and you have been paddling,you know what speeds you pull through the water. the answers to the questions are 1. HOW DOES IT GO? Answer: From the moment i unwrapped the SEI, and was able to see the little tweaks on design, i knew this boat was right on the money in its class. over the 10 km time trial in the first paddle, i punched into a solid 15 knot wind for 3km, this wind abated and swung a little, so only got a little bit of assistance for the last 500mtrs of one leg, then paddled about 2km side on and the rest was in dead calm conditions, i managed to pull 11km/hr average for the paddle, i was happy, i felt i paddled well, but it wasn’t until i dissected the data later and reflect on some paddlers around me was i able to say, this boat goes well. There is no doubting it is a little slower than the SE range, it takes more effort to get it to that speed in the flat, i believe it is possibly a .5 km/hr slower boat than the SE range in the dead flat, but once the water moves, this boat comes into its own, it has more rocker than the SE range, and it runs the wind chop and swell better, this has also led to a huge improvement in the maneuverability of the SEI in bigger conditions.My second paddle was on Botany Bay on a day only Captain Cook would of thought it would be a good idea, but for testing this ski out, i felt it was a good day. i punched into a solid 20 knot Westerly with really close 1ft wind chops, i was holding 9.5km to 10km/hr with no effort,i feel i was doing this because this boat is so stable, so much more than the SES, I almost felt as stable in this as the SR.Once again the added rocker was in play the ski was lifting a little more through the chops, where the SE range would of buried a bit more at time, this was also leading to a very dry foot well area. I turned and chased the runs, and the responsive turning was noticeable. I always had this feel that all Ocean skis re fused to turn immediately and talking to there paddlers on various brands, especially those used to responsiveness of a Spec Ski, that this was normal.The SEI ran well, the wind chops were close together, so not the best but enough was there to get good boat run, cut across and link and looking at the GPS sitting solidly on 14.5km/hr. After this i took it to Maroubra for some out and out Surf work, it was blowing offshore, it was about 3 foot on the bigger ones and glassy, but those that know Maroubra, know its a heavy break.I played in the surf for an hour, in and out and i got snotted on a monster set heading out on one, this was good as it covered 2 important items, the remount and the bucket drainage. remounting any surfski in the bubbling moving water of the surf is difficult, I have issues getting back into the SES, usually taking more than 2 attempts. I was able to remount in a single move, with limited energy loss, even copping a couple more on the lap.

The Thumbs up is all that is needed.

Naturally this left the bucket and foot well area full, and if there is a weak point in Stellars, it is the slow drainage issue once full. I found the bucket evacuated the water as fast as any boat on the market, and a lot faster than the rest of the Stellar Range. i caught some gems back in, riding the peak and surfing until it closed out, i never slewed the ski, and a couple time i was about to go, i simply leant back and hit the peddle and the nose came back square,this something i could not do in the SE Range. In my opinion this is a ski that will cover the best part of the competitive market, it will be a winner in the ocean by far, but has enough in the flat for those that only paddle in enclosed waterways of rivers and harbours. 2. How does it compare to the Epic v10? Well in my opinion, its tackled it head on and put it in the cupboard to rest for all round performance in the ocean and in the flat. The Stellar SEI will also be rivaling the THINK EVO II for pure Ocean racing performance. I’m excited when i word this, because it is the first ski in the SE Range that Stellar have produced, that has better performance in the ocean than in the flat.(my opinion) 3. As with the entire stellar range, the SEI is already at the top of the charts in construction, the 3 positioned foot plate is still there and leads the market. Increased rocker has lead to a ski that has improved it maneuverability immensely. the reduced foot well volume allows the bucket are to drain quicker than other boats in there range. they have introduced small cutaways to allow narrower paddle entry on the catch, something THINK and Epic have been doing for a while now.This SEI holds its width to well behind the seat area, this has given a boat that is so stable, but with such great down wind running capabilities. In short this is a boat for the market, Stellar set out to tackle the market leaders head on, they have now done this with the Stellar SEI! For me, its defining and Stellar has arrived for good! For a trial contact your local stellar dealer in Sydney Contact me at Slipstream Surf or Call 0418 442 515 and for more information go to www.stellarkayaks.com.au A big thanks to Fatpaddler for the picture, Dez from Blast for putting on the day and Matt O Garey from Wet fitness for putting on a clinic. yours in paddling Gavin

BRODIE DOMINATES THE BEST IN NEWCASTLE

2013-01-13T23:24:56Z

Slipstream Surf Paddler Brodie Moir claimed victory in the second round of the Professional Ironwomen series in Newcastle over the weekend, Her second pro series win of this seasons series and off the Back of her Coolangatta Gold, World Championship and Opening Round Victory in Perth at the end of last year. The Event was an Eliminator format, dropping contestants through out the day with the final 6 left to battle it out in the final. The surf wasn’t as big as last year, but there was enough to make a difference, from the out set it was Clear Brodie was on a mission, Ski was the opening leg in the 1st race and the girls knew they were up against it, Brodie hit the sand first on her Slipstream SurfX and Opened a massive lead on the board before the pack jagged a wave to draw level at the beach, Brodie battled on in her weakest leg the swim and took the win. The winner was rewarded with the option of choosing the format for the next races, Brodie continued to pick the Ski first and continued the winning streak through to the final. It was no surprise Brodie kept the format the same into the final race, she lined up against Olympian Naomi Flood, Glamour girls Candice Falzon and Courtney Hancock, training partner Alyce Bennett and Maroubra’s Tara Coleman rounding out the red hot field. All day Brodie was getting in and away in her ski, and it was no different in the opening ski leg, she turned in front, pulled a nice little runner and landed a wave in front of the chasing pack. She headed onto her favoured Board leg and opened the gap with a great wave. She went into the swim with a commanding lead and looked to have it all but sewn up. Alyce Bennett was the first to make a move and had swam away from the pack and was closing the gap, as the girls headed for home, Alyce Bennett had pulled up onto Brodies feet as the girls hit the wave area, the wave Brodie had ” dialled” came and she was off to claim her second pro series win and her amazing winning streak continues. The Series now heads to famous break of Portsea in Victoria, Brodie now has a commanding lead in the Series, but is well aware how the cruel the surf can be down there.

BRODIE CLAIMS GOLD, BUT X-PECT MOIR!

2012-10-15T01:13:10Z

Slipstream Surf paddler Brodie Moir yesterday, etched her name alongside some of the greats in the Iron-woman world by claiming her first Coolangatta Gold victory in almost perfect conditions on the Gold Coast yesterday. Brodie’s victory is set to ignite the flame in her rivals, but the North Burleigh Star now has the confidence and knows how to win. Brodie wrote in a blog for us some months ago a very bold statement, “She is training to Win the Gold”, this statement caused mixed reactions and calls that she was a little arrogant in her approach. Yesterday Brodie swept aside the remarks, which was merely her goal, to over power champion iron woman Courtney Hancock and her Sister Bonnie in the final run leg to Coolangatta to claim the prestigious Coolangatta Gold Title. The day started with the ski leg, Brodie who is coached by former Australian Champion Nick Crilly out of the North Burleigh surf Club, was never out of lead pack,she had her Slipstream SurfX on the sand 1st as she headed off on the run prior to the swim leg. Brodie the weaker of the swimmers in the lead group, has been working overtime on her swimming in the winter months in preparation for this years Gold and Nutri Grain Iron-woman series, let the lead slip to rival Courtney Hancock, but hit the beach knowing her board paddling prowess would pull back little advantage Courtney had gained. The pair we inseparable at the final transition, Brodie and Courtney headed for the finish line in Coolanagatta, like two prize fighters going into the final round of a title bout. Brodie was to land the killer punch in the closing kilometers and opened up a 40 second gap and powered onto her first victory in any form of iron-woman racing.

“Winners are Grinners”

Last year Brodie wanted a podium in the professional series, through winter it was the Gold Victory, Both has now become reality, The Slipstream Surf Paddler will be a force and will go into the shorter format of the Nutri Grain series as a major chance. We at Slipstream are very proud of Brodie’s achievements in the race along with the many paddlers we had there yesterday, it was great to get so many texts and emails from clients, filling us in on there own achievements. Keep up the good work and look forward to catching you guys on the water, don’t forget to get onto our Facebook Page and follow us on twitter to keep up with all the latest.

4 FELLA”s OVER100KG’S AND THEIR STELLARS!

2012-08-28T03:15:52Z

We all have dreams of kicking the winning goal or hitting the winning runs, for some its standing on the dias as an Olympic Champion like Slipstream Surf Paddler Tate Smith. As life goes on the dreams fade and we become time poor,other priorities, family and work commitments kick in and the dream dissolves. As the dream dissolves the waist line grows and get ourselves into a false sense reckoning. This blog is being put together for all those that are struggling with there own weight loss demons and share a journey of weight loss sucess, that has been totally inspired by Paddling alone.This isnt about Tate Smith , Hugh Dougherty or Brodie Moir, but 4 everyday people, who decided it was time to get healthy for the better of them selves and there families. The common factor is the growing bond between the Slipstream/Stellar fraternity in paddling to get fit. Case 1 Michael Lieberman 41 Kgs Lighter- A Marine Surveyor by trade and is a big man by his own admission, he was like all of us, thought he was going alright. Michael decided time had come to do something about it, being a waterman all his life and owning a fishing kayak, he decided to start paddling. He started to get really enthused as time went on, then he made the phone call that accelerated the passion or what is now an obsession. I offered him my demo Stellar SR less than six months ago, he came down for a test paddle and i kid you not, he all but sank it. he managed to stay upright and that was all he needed, i sorted him a paddle and his amazing journey was well on its way. Michael is now a regular on the magic waterways of Pittwater, he paddles during the week at Narrabeen and i am bombarded by texts and the regular photos of his paddling destinations on facebook.A Saturday will now be a fun filled paddle of over 15km and so big is the change in Michael’s life, his wife is now into paddling.

Michael on a Holiday That sparked the transformation!

Michael after a paddle today! Amazing transformation.

Case 2 Sean Smith 25 kgs lighter – Sean or his more famous alias the “Fat Paddler” was living behind his brand name and just floating around on Sydney’s waterways, bogged down in the work family cycle that we all get caught in. For Sean it was a proposition and an adventure to do a race in Mauritius with his good friend Nat Bradford that fueled the fire. This all seams nothing out of the ordinary, well in my game fat and racing don’t go well unless its a pie eating competition.The next issue was Sean had never sat on a surf ski, it was just something he always wanted too. A call went out on facebook for a ski to get him to the race and a journey began that is all but amazing in such a short period.Myself along with Stellar Australia came to the party to get Sean on a Stellar SR for the journey, what happened next is well documented at fatpaddler.com, but from my side i saw a big man shrink, his outlook on life grow and his family once again seeing a happy dad and husband. All of this generated by a man and his Surf ski and a desire to live a better life. Case 3 Jamie Power 26 kgs lighter – Freight Powers director was caught in the viscous ways of setting up and running his own business, boozy lunches, lack of sleep making sure world wide deliveries were met this as well as many more demons led Jamie to Balloon considerably. The former Randwick Grade footballer will confess to be being in a very un- healthy state. About six months ago he contacted me after following my own journey on facebook, and living in Sydneys south with great paddling grounds only a down the road, he enquired about a Stellar Surf Ski. Jamie ended up in the Stellar SE, and is now loving the new adventures paddling brings.Jamie like the boys above is now regular turning the paddle over for a 15-20km paddle, this is from the humble beginnings of falling in at the start. Jamie is now looking further and is hoping to complete some harbourseries races and Ocean Series racing in the future. Case 4 Gavin Clark (me)- 15kgs Lighter – My journey came after a wake up call, i was surfing with with my 5 year old son at Christmas and struggled after about 10 minutes of swimming along side him. Dad had to tell his son he was too tired to help his son surf. i was determined that this was going to be the low point in my life and i was going to do everything to reverse it. i signed up to do the Michelle Bridges 12wbt, and about 8 weeks into that my great friend Jim Walker of Mykayakcoach started the paddling squad named Jimsquad out of the St George rowing club that has change my life and lifestyle forever. As in common with the good folk above i opted for Stellar SEL, and my journey began struggling to get out an 8km paddle in an hour, i am no Tate Smith or Hugh Dougherty but my paddling has improved and along the way my whole outlook on life and family is better than its been for the last 20 years. The social side and mate ship that has been forged is also great and another great reason to get you into a surf ski. I just turned 40, 2 weeks ago and i feel fitter and stronger than i could of imagined and i put it all down to the great sport of paddling.

One Day we just may end up paddling like this guy!

In short this is more than a promotion of the Stellar brand, it a showcase of what paddling can do, you don’t have to be an Olympian or and ironman/woman to enjoy our sport, being on the water is the best relaxation mode available, once you have purchased your gear the best places a free to explore. Many of our holiday destination’s are coastal, so there is really no excuses to not paddle. You never know the winning goal, run or Olympic gold medal of your very own might just come your way if you get out and go for it. Mine is being able to surf along side my son and him telling me he is tired!

NO MORE EXCUSES LEFT TO GET ON THE WATER! THE 18S IS HERE!

2012-07-29T01:43:15Z

As we gather for our usual Saturday Morning Jimsquad Session on a chilly Saturday morning at Malabar, in Sydney’s Southeast, the normal grumpy early morning greetings are more along the lines of , “what is that you are paddling” as they refer to the Stellar 18S We enter the water for our usual session warm up and the taunts continue, the coach making a reference to the Storage hatches, not commonly found on a “Surf Ski”, another asking if i was doing a documentary for the Discovery Channel. All good banter and off we paddle. The conditions are from the South with 1 meter plus swell running, which we are going to head straight into for the first 40 minutes, this course takes us out of Malabar and left past the Golf course stretch of Randwick, The Coast and NSW and across the busy shipping channel that is Botany Bay. For those that paddle this area now it is a tricky stretch of water, sheer rock faces and shallow reefs cause tricky rebound and moving water that can cause the best to use bracing strokes. Adding to this was a 1 foot westerly side chop, which made the conditions extremely tough.

3 position solid foot plate is common on all Stellar Surf Skis

The Stellar 18S was bought into the market to tackle the popularity of the Epic V8 head on, The V8 would be the highest selling Surf ski in Australia over the past few years. Stellar’s entry level boat the SR was always above the V8 in stability, so we found new paddlers not comfortable on the SR swaying to a V8. We also found a huge market for the cross over from touring kayakers, limited to the closed waterways. They can no longer miss out on the superior construction, stability and performance across the Stellar Range with the introduction of the S18 and the limitless destinations reached in a surf ski.

Sleek lines make this Entry level ski perform!

On the first leg into the Southerly Swell, i was keeping a good speed around the 10.5km/hr mark, this was surprising, i wasn’t exerting too much effort, I was concentrating on all my coach had been teaching me in the last 18 weeks with the Squad.Having paddled the Stellar SEL for the all my time in an Ocean Ski, I found I was able to concentrate on form not stability, this was resulting in keeping up with quality ocean men. A comment that never leaves me and i repeat it alot is from Jimmy Walker,”the fastest boat is an upright one”. The bucket and foot well is very similar to the SR, The foot plate is the same that is across the entire range, the 3 point locking system is un matched and provides great structure to launch your leg drive. Being a bit wider at the catch than the SEL i paddle, i knocked my blade quite a few times, but this would be natural, the deck as been raised in this area and a cut away effect made, i would like to see this added to the entire range as it coped very well with the side chop and kept the bucket relatively dry in conditions that would of seen all boats take on water. As we headed across the open channel of Botany Bay, we were greeted with the brunt of the 25 knot and 1 foot side chop, this made for interesting times, i even saw the more experienced paddlers to my side struggling and brace strokes taken.I was able to concentrate on all things paddling and keep consistent boat speed. Check out my little video here Our last leg of yesterdays paddle was down wind, i knew this is where i would want the extra length and acceleration of the Stellar SEL, but in saying that, this boat is for the entry market, i was left behind by the top end of the mob in there high tech Carbon boats, but not far enough, the shorter fatter heavier boat was not embarrassed, it pulled runners well, the shorter waterline length in my opinion has an advantage on the runs at times in certain conditions, I could link runs and do all the things the bigger more glamorous boats could do.

added storage for the tourer at heart, or a packed lunch!

Check out Wesley Echols review from the other side of the globe As we turned into Malabar Bay, its a long flat 1km stretch to test the mind at the end of any hard session, this is honestly the only time i wanted my longer, lighter boat and it was noticeable. Yes i was tired, but i had to remind myself its an entry level boat and the boys were knocking me before the session. With all this Said and done i paddled the Advantage layup the build quality sheet has it at 16.4kgs,its 18 ft in length and 21 inches in width, i managed 12.3km in 1 hr:09 min in testing conditions, that’s an average speed of over 10.5km/hr. So on the data alone i would have been happy with those figures on any given session in my Stellar SEL. This boat packs a few little features not available on any surf ski on the market, the fwd and aft storage areas will appeal to the touring kayaker looking for a little extra, or as yesterdays demo later in the day,an old salt looking for something to get in , get fit, throw his lunch and a six pack in and head to a remote beach, read the paper and just enjoy being on the water.The S18 also has the flexibility of the installation of a flip up tail hung rudder in seconds, for the tourer at heart. It has front and rear carry handles fitted also. In addition to this it carries on the quality you have come to expect from Stellar in Manufacturing, and the 3 position foot plate locking system is just a comfort available only on the Stellar range. In conclusion, this boat is exactly what the team at Stellar needed, its a little shorter, its stable, its comfortable, it performs, it is the STELLAR S18! Yours on the water Gavin Who am I? I’m a boat builder by trade who has designed and Built his own range of Australian Gold Medal winning Single and Double Surf Skis and Mako Surf Boat. I returned to Paddling with a group in Sydney called jimsquad run by mykayakcoach.com founder and Olympian Jimmy Walker. I was never a good paddler, i could sit on a ski thats about it, I and am just enjoying the benefits from returning to a better health through paddling, my journey started in February this year when i peaked at 97.5kgs, i am now hovering around the 82kg mark and loving the water and life again. I hope you get something from my posts and i can get you in the right surf ski or on the right track to a better life!

BRODIE SETS HER SIGHTS ON GOLD!

2012-07-18T10:46:05Z

Brodie Moir is Slipstream Surf’s Pin up girl, She showed in last season’s Pro series that she is is amongst the fastest Iron-women in the land on her Slipstream Surf X Surf Ski. Brodie has resumed her hectic schedule of training and like last season has set her goals high, in addition to this she has been working on her own projects, below is a little from the STR Paddler herself. Well my off-season is clearly over as my alarm has being getting a work out with the 5am buzzer. I am now back into training, it’s always a struggle at the start to get back into training and routine when its winter and your unfit!! (and not to mention very pasty from the lack of sunshine. My main focus right now is the Coolangatta Gold on the 14th October. It will be a good year this year as the whole Gold course has change location. My goal is to take out the Coolangatta Gold- it will be a massive challenge but I think it can be done!

Brodie in a recent Kozii Swimwear shoot.

Re-capping on my 2011/12 season, I look back and I think i’ve had a great season! of course we all have a couple of shocking races but the highs definitely weighed out the lows. I finally got my first individual medal at the Australian titles and also got on the podium at the last round of the Iron-woman series in Noosa. I finished up 5th overall in the point score and automatically re-qualifying again for the coming series. I just have to add that I am so excited already for the Iron-woman series and the year events to come.

Just before I go, during the off season I had been working on setting up my new website www.brodiemoir.com.au the website is not live just yet but I will be doing my very best to keep this up to date with blogging, videos, my favourite recipes, photos, up coming events and more..

Stay tuned friends……

Brodie, well just being Brodie!

Slipstream Surf & Paddle 2 Fitness join forces in Queensland!

2012-06-13T06:40:29Z

On the eve of State of origin 2, Paddle 2 Fitness’s Head Coach, Julian Norton Smith, will be taking on the dealership rights to the Slipstream Surf X range of surf ski’s in surf life saving’s heartland of Queensland. The move to appoint the Paddle 2 Fitness team to sell and promote the Slipstream Surf X Surf Ski products in Queensland is the first in what is going to be a nationwide roll out of dealers in each State, with the vision of making the Slipstream Surf brand more visible and accessible to all. The season ahead is a big one for surf lifesaving with Aussies being relocated and with Rescue 2012 being held in South Australia. Slipstream Surf Director Gavin Clark “finds the timing right, we have made key decisions not to over distribute our products early. We have made our company sustainable and financially viable during a tough period for manufacturing in Australia”. It is only fitting that it happens as we launched or Join the Winning Team Campaign. Slipstream Surf X surf ski range has been at the fore in recent times claiming many State and Australian Titles, and securing the services of a long list of champion paddlers including ironman Hugh Dougherty (Tugun), iron woman Brodie Moir (Nth Burleigh) and Duel Olympian Tate Smith (Northcliffe) to name a few. Julian Norton Smith who is the founder of the Paddle 2 Fitness franchise, based on the Gold Coast and with his first off shoot now operating out of Coffs Harbour, has established a large paddling base from beginners right through to the elite. As well as teaching paddlers better technique, Julian also holds coaching clinics, runs events and is at the fore in promoting and selling gear. Paddle 2 Fitness is now ‘First Contact’ for a lot of new athletes wishing to enter the paddling world which has made the brand one of the most recognized in Australia. This new partnership will not only have paddlers on the best surf skis but will also have you paddling at your best.

Julian Norton Smith on his way to Bronze in the Masters Competition.

Julian paddled the Slipstream Surf X Surf Ski at the Australian Masters and took out a bronze medal in his age group on the Adjustable Surf X as well as a silver at the Queensland Masters. The Paddle 2 Fitness group will be the owners of a new Slipstream Surf X Double ski, which was paddled to victory in the Open Men’s Double surf ski event at the 2012 Aussies. Queensland will now have access to the full range of surf skis including the new all round X-cite which is proving to be the most versatile surf ski on the market catering for the beginner to intermediate paddlers and with the easy adjustable foot plate a must for all surf clubs.

Dont forget our Join the Winning Team offer ends June 30, 2012

If you would like to know more, head to the Slipstream Surf website www.slipstreamsurf.com.au and to www.paddle2fitness.com.au Don’t forget we are on Facebook and Twitter and be sure to sign up for our newsletter where you can take advantage of deals that will only be offered in this publication.

GETTING DRILLED

2012-05-15T21:45:32Z

Over the past 8 weeks i have returned to the sport i love, Surf Paddling.I have joined a squad and am reaping the rewards of having a structured program and a competitive bunch of like minded and time poor paddlers around, one session a week is dedicated to drills.This goes for Surfboat Rowers as well, and further on Olympic Rower Ben Dodwell explains why and what they did and a drill your crew can work on. In this specific session we don’t cover the usual 10 -12 plus km in the hour,we are lucky if we strike up 5 km.Our coach believes this is the most important session of the week. Why ? Well its pretty easy really, imagine you get the time to not worry how your performing against others in your squad,imagine being able take the the important phases of the paddle stroke, and get them right individually. At times you feel like your a one legged duck during some of the drills, but over time you start to think about these steps and implement them into your stroke. for me personally it has hit home in this being the 8th week, not only did i do my best ever average speed for a session, I felt myself getting leg drive instinctively.This is with no doubt credited to the Thursday drill Session implemented by MyKayakcoach in our Jimsquad sessions.

Matt Goble and Luke Morrison of Moana, Open Double Ski Champion's

In a recent conversation with Olympic medalist Rower Ben Dodwell, He backed up Jimmy Walker by saying in there run into the Sydney Games they did 2 drill sessions a week, he said in a team boat situation like a Surfboat , it is even more important, and he likens surfboat rowing to the four he rowed to a silver medal in the Sydney Olympics. Ben went on to describe a drill that he would add to everyone’s weekly training sessions. It allowed his crew to have confidence in each other and knowing all there efforts and energy was sending the boat in a straight line. He adapted this drill from his days and it goes like this. Ben has also rowed surf, and understands variable come into play, but the logic remains the same. Naturally all drills are done in the flat water. 1.Have your sweep sit on the back deck with his oar out of the water 2.Begin rowing at an easy tempo 3.The boat will head in a direction with either a pull to Port(left) or right (starboard) 4.Try to build on from 30 seconds to 4 minutes ( in the run up to the Olympics they managed 3kms and ran out of a straight stretch of water) from this your sweep will adjust either your bow person or Strokes catch or power to ensure the boat is pulling as straight as possible. Getting this right ensures 100% of the energy you are putting into the oar is being transferred into making the boat go forward. Ben also recommends this is done during different stroke ranges, so if you were to power on to get over a wave or onto a runner, the same confidence is gained.Remember every time your sweep put pressure on the oar or corrects your direction, he is slowing you down! for more on ski paddling drills, check out this video on the mykayakcoach , you believe you will find them very helpful. I hope to hear from you guys doing drills, and reaping the rewards with improved results like me. yours on the water. Gavin