Interview:
Peter Tranter

Photos:
Gav Barker,
Peak PS,
Gradient and Water,
Leif Anderson,
Tyler Bradt,
Jack Ledworth,
Adam Sampson &
Bartosz Cauderna

A chat with… Gav Barker

www.gavbarkercoaching.co.uk
Gav is one of the most recognisable faces on the Freestyle circuit and a seasoned WW kayaker. He has been passionate about paddlesports, both coaching and competing for the majority of his life. He’s been a Great Britain Freestyle Kayaking Team member for 14 years and a triple British Champion. Gav is an accomplished river kayaker with experience guiding and coaching in locations all over the world. Through his coaching, he aims to create an enjoyable and safe environment where all paddlesports enthusiasts can have fun and thrive on the river. Take it away, Gav…

Before we start Gav, let our readers know a little about yourself, your family, your background, etc.
Well, I was brought up in North Manchester and got into kayaking through Bury Canoe and Kayak Club when I was 12. That really was the start of a lifelong journey with kayaking and paddlesports. It’s shaped the work I do, where I live, and pretty much every holiday and trip I’ve been on! I’ve been competing on the GB Freestyle team for 15 years now and love travelling to compete. I have a passion for river running and being out in natural and remote places. I run a coaching business, Gav Barker Coaching, offering bespoke paddlesports coaching and safety courses.

What got you hooked on freestyle and whitewater kayaking?
There isn’t one moment I look on and think that’s what got me hooked; it’s just been a journey that I’ve never wanted to end and always wanted to progress in. In my early days of kayaking on the mighty River Irwell in North Manchester, we had a great group of friends and playboating was the thing to do…when I was 15, Pop-Outs and Tail Squirts in my Acrobat 270 were the radical moves of the time.

Over the next ten years, boat design moved on drastically, and playboating became freestyle; it was a really exciting time for the sport. I’d moved to Bangor, North Wales, for University and was freestyling and river running whenever I could, much to the detriment of my degree. During those years, probably when I was in my late teens, I knew I’d be kayaking for the rest of my life.

Tell us about the spots you tend to paddle the most frequently – where are your favourites?
I’m based in Nottingham now, so I paddle at Holme Pierrepont most frequently. That’s where I’ve done the majority of my freestyle training. It is one of the best venues in the world for learning hole boating, but it’s also very underrated for half-slicing and white water progression. All the eddy lines are deep, and there are loads of holes and waves that you can use in different ways to progress your paddling.

My favourite spots are an endless list of features I’ve paddled around the world. That’s what I love about kayaking… travelling to random places in new countries to find a feature, invariably meeting up with someone you know and having great sessions on the water together. Each place is unique and gives you something new to learn.

Over the years, which freestyle competition has left a lasting impression?
There have been so many competitions! The part of competition that stays in my memory the most isn’t specific rides or results; it’s usually specific sessions during training – a combination of factors come together to make it one of the best sessions of your life.

Off the top of my head I remember sessions in Plattling, at Garburator, in Sort and in Galway where a special combination of friends, weather, location, and expression on the water come together to make an unforgettable session. This isn’t limited to competition; if I think more broadly, I can remember countless sessions across the UK and worldwide where a special combination has come together to make unforgettable moments.

What is your favourite freestyle move?
That’s a difficult one, and it depends on the feature. But if it goes huge, clean, and lands hard, then it’s going to be pretty enjoyable!

What is the hardest freestyle move?
Freestyle has progressed to the point where moves are combined and linked together to make new moves, so the hardest move really is down to your imagination. My hardest move is probably the Back & Cheese (back loop Maczilla-godzilla-Loop), which is a quad combo. There are some five-move combos I’ve thought of but haven’t managed to do… yet!

If you had to choose one last thing you wanted to achieve within WW paddling before giving it up, what would that be?
It would be never to give up. I’ve always wanted to live to 100, and I want to be still ripping a kayak around as close to that as I can get! Who’s the oldest person still looping? Who’s the oldest person to run a waterfall of any size? Who’s that well-old guy showing the kids up at the local freestyle spot?? I plan for that to be me!

Is there anywhere in the world that you want to keep going back repeatedly?
Yes, quite a lot, but a few have managed to make me go back again and again.

Back in the day, Uganda was an amazing place to kayak, with world-class waves, big-volume rapids, and paddlers from all across the globe visiting to get their winter sun. That had me going back many times.

These days, I love to spend winters at Aventurec in Veracruz, Mexico. Veracruz has great whitewater from Grades 2-5, some of which are world-renowned runs. On top of this, there are loads of waterfalls to scout, consider, and eventually run. The atmosphere at Aventurec is amazing, and the local rivers and waterfalls provide a lot of opportunity for progression, so I plan to keep spending upcoming winters there.

Trips are being run from Aventurec, and onsite guides are available, so anyone interested in a winter kayaking trip can get in touch to learn more.

Apart from freestyle and river running – are there any other areas of paddling you would like to explore?
I’ve always thought I’d get into surf kayaking at some point in my life. I do own a surf kayak and have been on a couple of trips with it, but one day, I’d like to really get into it. I love being in the sea and the feeling surfing gives; with my current skills, it should be an area of kayaking I could progress in relatively quickly.

You do like your waterfalls; what in particular attracts you to them?
Waterfalls are a part of kayaking that still needs me to progress. Being based in Mexico over the winter months gives me a great opportunity to work on this, improving my technique, slowly pushing my comfort zone, and running some drops that I was never sure I’d feel confident enough to do.

Waterfalls are much more technical than people might realise, and all of the techniques to get it right need to happen in just a few seconds…The feeling of being able to control yourself while falling is really quite addictive.

Have you ever feared any river or waterfall?
Yes, often! With scarier rapids and drops, I generally only ‘go’ when I’m confident there’s a high percentage chance that I’ll make the line and look good. This can often mean portaging the first time I’m there and scouting. Then, when I’ve had good time to process the rapid, if I feel confident with the line, it becomes something that I want to do, and the fear or nerves turn into confidence in my ability to nail the line.

I’ve found that strategies and processes that I use for competition can be very useful on the river when something seems scary. For example, I might go through my warm-up process before starting the river so I know my body’s ready to react how it needs to. I might go through a mental rehearsal before running a rapid to help remove any distractions and focus on the task at hand.

Coaching plays a big part in your kayaking life – who are you training for now, and for which competition?
Yes, it does now. I’ve started Gav Barker Coaching, which is my main work. I’m involved with the GB Freestyle coaching setup, and in the run-up to the World Championships in mid-June, I’m coaching a group of freestyle athletes to help them get as prepared as possible.

In addition, I offer bespoke whitewater and freestyle coaching to individuals and groups anywhere in the UK and, obviously, through the winter in Mexico. Check out gavbarkercoaching.com and get in touch if you want to find out more.

What’s the one river you haven’t paddled that would be on your bucket list?
The top of my bucket list at the moment isn’t one river… it’s Norway. I’ve never been, and there are a whole bunch of rivers and rapids that I really want to paddle. Hopefully, I’ll get there in 2026!

Has anyone in the sporting/paddling world influenced you?
Over the years, numerous paddlers and sports athletes have inspired me. It really is a long list, whether it be down to their attitude, work ethic, commitment to paddling, or style.

I watch a whole range of sports and often find myself inspired by older athletes who are still going strong and have managed to stay at the top of their game!

What’s in the pipeline for the next 12 months?
Well, the next few months are geared toward coaching and training for the Freestyle World Championships in Platting, Germany.

Then, a summer in the UK, coaching and spending time in Notts, North Wales and Scotland. The British Championships and Eurocup in Nottingham in September. The GB Selection in October for the European Championships in Finland in 2026

Then, back to Mexico in November for a winter of river boating, coaching and guiding! 🙂

What one piece of advice do you give to young paddlers
just starting out in freestyle?
The most important thing when you’re starting out is to keep having fun. Just play around with features and do whatever you enjoy and feels good. Develop your own style. When you’re comfortable playing around and going over features, then start playing with recognised moves.

Quickfire questions:

If you could paddle with anyone in the world, dead or alive, who would it be?
It would probably be Kurt Cobain. I mean, I’m not sure how into paddling he’d be, but it’d be fun.

If your kayak had a name, what would it be?
While I do love every one of my kayaks, and I like to think that if I look after them, they’ll look after me, IMO, naming them is a step too far!

If you could only paddle to one musical track’s beat, what track would you choose?
Hmm, that’s a difficult one. There’s so much to choose from. Right now, I’m kind of feeling a bit of Bloc Party again. I reckon ‘Blue Light’ would get me into a good flow!

Favourite social media platform?
Argh, I hate social media; I’m so bad at using it! But I’ll say Instagram because that’s where I post the most! Give me a follow @realgb

What is an ideal night out for you?
It’s probably a night in with friends…BBQ, music, a few drinks, maybe some games if we need to keep entertained—that kind of thing!

What one luxury item would you take with you on a desert island?
I am very fond of my mocha pot at the moment…even on a desert island, I’d need coffee to get moving!

What would I find in your fridge right now?
Annoyingly, probably that we’re out of milk!

What would you prepare for us if we came to your house for dinner?
If I were trying to impress you, it would definitely be fish-based, perfectly cooked, and with a crispy skin. If not, you’re getting fajitas!

If you could be a superhero for one day, what superpower would you choose and why?
I’d be able to stop time…, and then I could sleep for as long as I like and not be late!

What is your favourite sports team?
There’s only one sports team… Manchester City!
(A fine choice – Ed)

Who are your paddlesport buddies?
That’s a long list. One of the best things about kayaking is that you get buddies all over the world, and as long as you’re still paddling, you’re bound to keep bumping into them!

Any final shout-outs?
Yep, big shoutout to the friends and companies that have supported me over the years: Peak PS, VE Paddles and Prijon Kayaks.

Huge thanks, Gav, for all of your help on this and for taking time out of your busy schedule – we really appreciate it.