Surf, slalom & shooting stars – The Palm Groms big weekend
Over the August bank holiday weekend, a group of young paddlers travelled across the UK and beyond to come together and live their best lives in South Wales. These paddlers were hand-picked to attend the first official Palm Groms get-together. Over five days, they tried slalom for the first time, surfed the infamous Bitches tidal rapids, and bonded as a group of young people united by their passion for kayaking.
THE PALM GROMS MENTORSHIP PROGRAMME
The Palm Groms Mentorship Programme brings young paddlers together on the water with year-round, personalised support. One early piece of feedback from an original Grom was clear: it’s powerful to paddle with mentors, but they also craved time with kids their own age.
This Groms meet up answered that call by pairing skill growth with peer connection. The goal was to inspire kids in paddling by bringing them together on the water. You can read more about the Palm Groms Mentorship Programme in an article I wrote previously.
PALM GROMS GET TOGETHER
A Palm Groms kayaking meet-up has been a long-held dream. When Andy ‘Chips‘ Kettlewell stepped into the Groms Programme lead role in place of Bren Orton, who was heading up the programme, he helped turn that dream into a first-ever Groms get-together. This get-together was about more than just coaching – it was about confidence, community, and connection.
PLANNING THE GET TOGETHER
Chips and Joe Rea-Dickins, with the wider Palm team, designed a weekend that made the Groms feel part of something bigger. They emphasised not only technical skill but also mindset; how to be a positive member of the kayaking community, to celebrate each other, and to centre joy on the water.
The schedule balanced two contrasting disciplines – learning slalom and surfing the Bitches. Slalom stretched most Groms beyond their comfort zones, as it was a new skill to most of them. These sessions turned out to be one of the things that the Groms told me they loved the most about the weekend. Challenging yourself to learn a new skill is always good fun!
The Bitches, a paddling location close to Palm’s heart, offered a new, iconic place to explore. Palm has a long history with the Bitches, and it means a great deal to many people there. Palm made a great video about this a few years back, which I have linked here if you are interested. Dates were set for the August bank holiday, and both newly invited and current Groms were welcomed to join.
Introducing the new Palm Groms
SOPHIE MACKEN
A 15-year-old freestyle paddler, Sophie Macken, loves exploring new places and meeting new people. Fresh from the GB Freestyle team’s world championships, she named slalom and meeting everyone as her weekend favourite parts. She has dreams of one day paddling the Zambezi.
RILEY WILFORD
At 14, Riley Wilford has sprint roots, now focuses on slalom, whilst also mixing in freestyle and river running. Kayaking is his happy place, an escape from his daily life. His favourite river is the Mellte, and the Rio Claro is on his wish list. He loved being on the water this weekend with everyone and hopes for a repeat soon.
DAVID MAY ZURITA
At the age of 15, and from Chile, David May Zurita started paddling at eight on the Futa with his dad, Ben. He loves the adrenaline rush of white water and the variety it offers. His top rivers are the Palguín and the Futa, and he’s already campaigning for the next Groms meet-up to happen in Chile!
CAMERON TICKNER – THE OG
At 17, Cam Tickner is the oldest Grom and an ‘OG.’ He relished meeting peers from different countries and disciplines, and he’s keen to host a future meet-up in Scotland to share his favourite runs.
BRING A FRIEND!
Each Grom brought a friend – Tilly, Eva, Charlie, Ross, and Sam. Each of whom jumped right in and added even more stoke to the weekend!
Celebrating the graduating Palm Groms
OLI COOPER
Oli played a hybrid role this weekend – coach, mentor, and biggest kid on the water! He loved seeing slalom progress with the other Groms this weekend and, yes, ‘chucking kids off the pontoon.’ Having benefitted from mentoring with Chips, he’s eager to give back and show the next generation his favourite places.
SIREN SÆTRE
From Kongsberg, Norway, Siren fell in love with kayaking at first sight after watching some kayakers walk back from a pool session. Raundalen in Voss is her favourite river. Mentored by Joe, she cherished meeting the other Groms and named the sunset paddle back from the Bitches as her standout moment of the weekend.
JOOLS & CHARLOTTE
Jools and Charlotte also graduated, though they couldn’t attend this weekend. They were celebrated alongside the group.
Our long weekend of fun
Friday – Day of fun in Llandysul
MEET AND GREET
We gathered at Llandysul Paddlers Centre in glorious sunshine on Friday morning, grateful to Gareth for hosting us all. The Groms, their parents, Chips and Joe (chief organisers), and support from me (and Lowri when she arrived that evening) set the tone: warm, welcoming, and ready to paddle.
AN INTRODUCTION TO SLALOM
With the Teifi slalom course on the doorstep, even at low flows, there was plenty to learn!
We split into groups led by Chips and Oli. For most of the Groms, slalom was a new skill to learn. They threw themselves into the challenge, while the coaches’ passion made it click fast!
AN AFTERNOON OF FUN
After lunch, a flat water slalom session turned into playful challenges; rock balancing, breath holds, kayak swaps, and eventually, full send pontoon antics.
I had a great time launching the kids (and mentors) off the pontoon. I particularly loved a massive loop that Sophie got, as well as a beautiful face splat from Joe. Oli made sure I didn’t feel left out and insisted that he and Joe launch me from the side. I managed to get a beautiful face splat too.
At some point, the Groms were fully picked up and launched to test if they could complete a full rotation in the air before landing.
I returned the favour and insisted that Oli got in his Pocket Rocket for his own launch. Oli can’t hand roll his Pocket Rocket, and Joe made all the Groms promise not to assist him if he couldn’t get up. Amazingly, he landed upright!
BBQ AND BONDING
We were having so much fun that it was only the rumbling of tummies that made us realise it was nearly 19:00 and probably time to get off. We changed and had BBQ food for dinner. Having not thought more than half a day ahead, I had not brought any dinner food, but Amanda (Sophie’s mum) kindly fed me! Thanks, Mama Macken! The Groms enjoyed watching some of the day’s videos and laughing at each other’s lunch fails and successes.
Saturday – Slalom and Bitches session 1
A MORNING OF SLALOM
We were back on the water by 09:00 for more slalom. Chips introduced team runs – tight coordination and quick succession through gates, which provided lots of entertainment!
MEETING SEA KAYAK GUIDES
We headed off at midday to St Davids, where we would be based for the next few days, to paddle the Bitches. After setting up camp and having lunch, we regrouped and met Martin and Tommy from Sea Kayak Guides. They were going to be supporting us as a group over the next few days to introduce everyone to the Bitches for the first time.
The Bitches is a series of world-class tidal rapids that attracts paddlers from around the globe. It is a magical place, but also an environment that is very different to one most white water paddlers are used to. To get to the Bitches, you must paddle out from the Lifeboat Station at St Justinian. This involves paddling up the eddy and then ferry gliding over to the rocks where the wave forms. You can read more about it in the Bitches entry on the UK Rivers Guide Book website.
Martin led the group through a safety talk about paddling the Bitches. As he said, it is an incredible and magical place, but one that demands respect. He led the group through the process of planning a paddle and explained how different conditions would impact the sea, affecting their experience.
With very little sea kayaking experience myself, and also never having been to the Bitches I found it incredibly fascinating. The Groms, too, were completely engrossed in what Martin was saying, and I know they were taking everything on board. This weekend wasn’t just about taking the Groms to the Bitches but about giving them the skills needed to reaccess this fantastic location in the future safely.
PADDLING TO THE BITCHES – DOLPHIN SPOTTING!
We launched from the Lifeboat station with plenty of time and began the paddle over. It seemed we had hit the jackpot with the weather for our first session, and there was virtually no wind at all. The perfect conditions for our first time. This meant that the paddle over to the wave was very calm, and we could chat on the way.
Ten minutes into our paddle, and we had already spotted some seals close by. The Bitches is well known for being a good place to see seals. When we saw the seals, Joe said, “If you think that is good, we’ve seen dolphins here before!” One minute later, and we saw dolphins! Needless to say, I was the happiest person ever, and we saw the dolphins multiple times more as we paddled over. What an incredible experience!
CATCHING THE WAVE FOR THE FIRST TIME
At first glance, the wave was small, but it quickly became bigger! There were many paddlers at the wave on this day, most of whom were in surf kayaks. They paddled out of the eddy onto the wave, making it look easy. Every time I tried, I just couldn’t quite catch it!
Luckily, I heard Oli shout over to me. “Come on, Del – in plastic boats we have to go OVER the rock!” I was in my Firecracker, Oli in his Pocket Rocket, and Sophie and Tilly were also in playboats. We clambered over the rock and got back on the other side. It wasn’t the easiest of get-in spots, but we made it!
We each, in turn, dropped down to the wave and went for a surf. As I dropped in, I didn’t have high expectations of catching it, but I did, and it turned out to be the most lovely of surfs! It was incredible – this beautiful wave in a beautiful place and surrounded by wonderful people. I was really enjoying my surf, but after a couple of minutes, I hopped off to give the next person their go.
It was lovely to watch the Groms all have similar experiences. There were clearly some nerves at the start, but this quickly seemed to evaporate, and they all threw themselves into (and onto) that wave!
A SPECTACULAR SUNSET
As the evening drew in, the sun began to set, and the light was incredible! Sat in the eddy with golden light, a perfect wave and happy kids – it honestly felt magical. I had a few minutes to soak it all in as everyone went for their final surf. Finally, after years of hearing about what a special place the Bitches was, I could fully understand its magic.
The paddle back had a livelier ferry glide, but spirits were sky high. Back at shore, there was just enough energy for gleeful pier jumps before a chip shop dinner and shooting star spotting under clear skies.
Sunday: Ice creams and Bitches session 2
A LAZY MORNING
We postponed the sunrise session to Monday and enjoyed a rare lie-in. I woke early, so Amanda and I shared a sunrise coffee while the camp stirred.
By midday, the Groms wandered into town for ice cream. We adults left them to it – it was lovely to see how quickly they had already bonded and preferred each other’s company to ours!
SUNSET SESSION AT THE BITCHES #2
We headed back over to the lifeboat station mid-afternoon and got on for our second sunset paddle. Having already had one session the day before, people knew what to expect, and everyone seemed a lot more relaxed.
Conditions were excellent again, and the paddle out was easy. We got to the wave and got straight on with paddling it! Now we knew that those of us in shorter kayaks needed to walk over the rock; it was just a matter of doing it.
The rock is really cool. It’s huge and a bit of a faff to get over, but also a really cool vantage spot. Standing at the top was the ultimate ‘I’m king/queen of the castle’ experience. Oli was the chief video recorder today and got himself perched at the top of the rock.
Eva and I smashed out a couple of walks and surfs. Eva was ecstatic as she got that first surf of the day. It was a really lovely moment, and I was super proud of her. She was 13 years old, having paddled for just a year, and now she was surfing at the Bitches!
MEDIA
I was filming the kids and getting their glory moments – surfs, spins, kickflips and more! What was really nice was that the Groms were all so focused on paddling that none of them really cared about getting their social media. It was a pleasure to be that support person and get them each a couple of photos and a little video as a keepsake.
I went to get on myself for another surf and asked Ben, who was sitting on the rock at the time, if he had a camera and could maybe film me. Then I heard Oli shout down, “I’ve got you, Del!” and wave his camera at me. So big thank you to Oli for getting a little video clip of me surfing at the Bitches – something to send my own mum!
SEAL PUPS AND HOLE SURFING
Oli soon got back in a kayak after this and motioned to me and Eva that we should join him on the other side of the wave, where there was a hole to play in. As we paddled up the eddy on this side, Eva goes, “Look, Del!” and points into one of the coves. A huge seal was there with her two pups. We kept our distance, of course, but it was magical to see!
Then came some play time in the hole with Eva smashing some pop-outs. I leaned into the sideline cheerleading of Eva, while Oli kept nudging me to keep trying everything! Unofficial mentoring at its best. Thanks, Oli, for encouraging me as well as the Groms all weekend!
A SUNSET TO BEAT SUNSETS
As the light changed, it was time to head back. It was a sunset to beat sunsets on that paddle back. Looking back across the sea to where we had been paddling as the whole sky turned various shades of red and orange was incredible. I often have moments in kayaking where I just want to pinch myself and say, ‘How lucky am I to be in this sport and access places like this!’. This was definitely one of those moments.
Monday: Bitches session 3 and coasteering
04:30 ALARMS ARE WORTH IT FOR PADDLING
Monday was our day for a sunrise session. We needed to be on the water at 05:15 at the latest, which meant setting an alarm for 04:30. Having been almost too excited to sleep, I was wide awake when that alarm went off.
It was very bizarre being in the car park at 05:00, changing into wet gear while looking out to sea with its incredible backdrop of stars. I was incredibly excited, as were the Groms.
As we got into kayaks and did a quick head count, you had to really appreciate what a novel but cool experience it was. 05:00 on a bank holiday morning, I am sure that the rest of the UK was sleeping, but not us! We were out there living our best lives.
PADDLING OUT IN THE SWELL
Today’s conditions were quite different from the previous two days. There was quite a bit of swell and wind to keep us on our toes. The waves were much bigger on the ferry glide over, but everyone managed really well. The light was spectacular on this paddle as well, and by the time we got to the wave, the sun was just beginning to rise.
CHOPPY CONDITIONS
The wave was pretty similar to the previous days, but the eddy was not. There was a lot of swell, and this made getting in and out of kayaks (especially carbon ones) a little more challenging. Luckily, we worked as a team and managed to get everyone onto and off the rock who wanted to.
After a few surf attempts, I spent some time on the rock with Cam and Siren, filming the others and enjoying being in the moment. The sunrise had been stunning, and the kids were still full of beans.
David was doing some very impressive kickflips over the waves, and Sam just didn’t run out of energy for the entire session! Ross had some incredible surfs, as did the rest of the group. The Groms were all keen to play in the whirlpools as well, and there was some impressive downtime during these moments!
OUR FINAL PADDLE BACK
We paddled back for the final time, and I’ve never seen so many smiley faces. To see so much progress in just three days was incredible, and I know each of the Groms will be back for another Bitches session one day.
SHOWERS, FOOD, AND CHILL TIME
We headed back to the campsite for showers before walking into town for some food. An extremely hungry Oli led this. Breakfast and coffee were very welcome! We ended by having ice cream, which made it feel like a proper seaside holiday!
Back at the camp, it was time to chill. In the afternoon, there was an option to go coasteering with Martin. We decided to let the kids take the lead, so they went off to do this themselves, and we adults stayed at camp for a lazy afternoon of chatting and media work/napping.
A FINAL EVENING TOGETHER
Our group had thinned by Monday night, but those remaining enjoyed an easy pub dinner before turning in early. On the walk back, a friendly black cat attached itself to the Groms. By the time Chips and I arrived, the kids had formed a circle around their new mate, now dubbed Steve, who seemed perfectly content with the adoption.
Tuesday – departure
An alarm that was accidentally set at 04:30 woke me up early again. On a sleepy wander, I found Steve waiting, and we shared a quiet cuddle while a rainbow arced across a stormy sky.
After goodbyes (including a wave to a very sleepy Chips), I headed off on the six-hour drive home, buoyed by the stream of grateful messages in the group chat and that content, soul-deep tiredness that only a great paddling trip delivers.
Final reflections
This weekend was more than coaching. Thanks to Chips and Joe’s hard work and Palm’s support, it was a weekend of connection, positivity, and shared joy. Parents backed the energy, mentors modelled generosity, and the Groms’ attitudes were exemplary. I’m incredibly proud of them all and can’t wait to see where they take their paddling next.
I was honoured to be involved and can’t wait to see what the Palm Groms get up to next!
“Being invited onto the Palm Groms mentorship scheme and then attending the very first Palm Groms get together has been a great experience. I’ve loved meeting other paddlers my age and getting to know them better over the weekend.
“Learning how to paddle slalom was really fun. It is completely different from freestyle, and I enjoyed the challenge of it. I’ve even been practising my up-gates since I’ve been back at HPP! Paddling at the Bitches was SO pretty! The wave was uniquely cool, but what I really enjoyed was getting to play in some of the holes and whirlpools.
“Thank you to Palm for the opportunity and to everyone who attended the weekend for making it so good.”
Sophie Macken
