Solent Skiers Association Wight StuffÂ
On Saturday 04 September some 60 personal watercraft (PWC) and up to 120 riders will be heading to Lee on Solent, Hampshire to take part in the annual event, supported by the RYA
The event, which is the biggest recreational PWC event in the world, will see the mass of riders take part in a day long blast of some 60 miles. Heading off from Daedalus Slipway, Lee on Solent, the fleet will ride clockwise around the Isle of Wight with quick stops at Sandown and Yarmouth for break, fuel and food, before heading back to Lee on Solent from where the probably quite weary riders will be able to share their adventures of the day with fellow competitors at the after event party …Â Details
Many wave riders have already witnessed this new sport in our oceans. It’s called Surfski.
Basically, it is an open kayak specially designed to get the most of wind and waves. It can reach 25 km/h.
The IC Surfski World Cup 2010 – Nelo Summer Challenge will be held in Azurara, Vila do Conde, Portugal, between 27th and 28th August  … Details
Regular readers of my YachtPals column will already know that before getting involved in ocean rowing and sailing, I started out in water sports as a paddler, when kayaks and canoes led on to a longstanding ‘career’ in dragon boat racing. For those who haven’t heard of dragon boat racing before, it’s a traditional Chinese sport and over 2,000 years old. Which kind of gives the Chinese a bit of a head start! I started paddling aged 16 in school and later qualified for the Great Britain team on every attempt over a 10-year period, winning 25 world and European medals and setting two world records. Â
Dragon boat racing is quite simply an awesome team sport, with up to 20 paddlers sitting side by side, a drummer at … Details
Every sport has its great rivalries. Whether it’s the Lakers and the Celtics or Kelly Slater and Andy Irons, we find our finest moments when two equally talented and driven individuals or teams square off. And in the islands, where six-man canoe paddling is king, that great rivalry occurs when the Tahitians and the Hawaiians man their canoes and race. And this year, Hawaii is stacked from stern to bow with the strongest paddlers in the state and is thirsty for a long-awaited victory over their Tahitian counterparts.
Historically, the professional Tahitian teams have been a dominant force in the paddling world, claiming victories left and right. But last year, with an all-star team of Hawaii’s best paddlers on board  … Details