BY SARAH THORNELY
SUPJUNKIE

Photos:
Supjunkie and
Warwick Redway
@Whateverphotosfloatyourboat

Info:
FB: Stand Up Paddle Board UK and White Water SUP Fest North Wales
IG: @standuppaddleboarduk 
Web: www.standuppaddleboarduk.com 
Tom Westaway: FB and IG @westawayadventures

White Water SUP fest – north Wales

This event has been on my radar for a few years, having dipped my toe in the white water a few times and been thoroughly intrigued and excited by it! Two cancelled events and a busy 2021 for me meant that 2022 was to be THE year to visit.   

The event is run by the whitewater power team of Anthony and Lianne Ing, who are also the founders of Stand Up Paddle Board UK.

Stand Up Paddle Board UK was born in 2011 out of an immediate love for the sport, and the team now provides anything from an intro to flatwater SUP through to coached white water SUP, doggy paddleboarding and SUP yoga. More intensive British Canoeing and Water Skills Academy courses are also available, and many of them centre around whitewater, which is their passion.

WW Sup Fest has been running for seven years now, and from our visit, we could see that there is a very loyal following but also newcomers finding the event through social media and word of mouth. WW canoeing, rafting and kayaking have been around for years, but the new SUP kids on the block definitely impress them with their skills!

When you are new to SUP, your main aim is to stand up – it dominates your thought process as a real challenge even in the most tranquil conditions. Imagine talking to a beginner about standing on fast-flowing moving water. Seeing some paddlers’ skills over a drop or on a standing wave is definitely something to behold. There was plenty of that kind of action on SUPX Saturday!

I had the mindset of not competing – I just wanted to check out the event, location, vibe and people. A simple campsite is included in your ticket price, some ten minutes away and right on the riverside.

Just beautiful. Sponsor flags flying and hay bales surrounding a simple stage greeted us as we arrived on the Friday. It’s a big field, so there is plenty of room for all. Once bedded in and fed, we ended up by the river skimming stones, where we met with like-minded paddlers and realised the event was not just for locals. Czech and Austrian paddlers had made their way over – that’s the pull of the whitewater fun! A couple of ladies talked me into having a go on the Saturday, so for that, I thank them – what could possibly go wrong?

After a good night’s sleep, with a break midway to view the Milky Way from the darkness of the field, we drove down to the TNR Outdoors Centre in Llangollen where the event was to be held and parked up right on the water’s edge. I scoped out the water and obstacles and felt I might be able to have a go.

The weather could not have been better, although I am sure a little more water in the river might have been helpful, but there was definitely enough.

I met up with my old racing buddy Glyn Smith who I have been following on social media; he looks to be constantly on the whitewater and has some serious skills, although he is incredibly humble about it. The racing would start at lunchtime, so we all had plenty of time to get on the water and a few laps under our quick-release belts! It’s been a while since I was on the white water, and it’s easy to forget what to do when you don’t get much practice in – the south coast is not known for its WW venues! So, Glyn was enlisted as my guide – I felt quite nervous and very hot as I was overdressed, but at least I could, and would, get into the water to cool myself off.

the ‘drop’

So, first things first – remembering how to ferry glide and then straight up river to practice our balance skills in the bubbling water. Next stop – the ‘drop’ – we’d been given a head’s up as to the best line to take on the first obstacle, but even so, both caught our fins – we were kneeling for this first drop just to stay safe and assess the correct line. Many others fell, and it soon becomes clear that white water paddling is not just about standing; many pros kneel when they have to, but it’s a controlled drop to one knee – definitely a skill to practice.

More practice and down the flow to a small rock which you had to navigate in either direction and then on to the next, slightly deeper drop. This is where I had my first dunking as my fins caught, and in I went. Quickly back up onto the board and over to the side where you had to touch a rock with your paddle, board or body. The course was really well designed to make the most of your skills. Back across the faster flowing river, then doubling back on yourself and into what looked like the easiest part of the course. Actually, the most difficult as it was shallow and fast flowing, and if you didn’t hug the eddy at the side around the corner and then didn’t get your ferry glide in, you were back down the river and away from the finish line.

The great thing about the day is that you can practice the course multiple times before the race, finding the right line over the drops – the only thing you cannot really practice is that this is a four-man/woman race, and you all set off together, which just adds to the thrill.

Once Glyn and I were happy with the amount of practice, we grabbed a snack and re-checked our gear. I then realised that I had totally sheared off both my fins, probably on the first or second drop – I had a couple of spares, but bearing in mind that this little FatStick board is not whitewater specific, I didn’t want to lose my spare fins. The water was pretty low on the course, and these fins, however small, were not designed for this and needed to be shorter and more flexible. I chatted with Ant, and he suggested a board to borrow; longer, wider and much shorter fins. It was ideal, and I was grateful for the loan.

SUPX competition

So, how does the SUPX competition play out? Men and women race separately, four in a heat, with different coloured bibs. I actually felt quite relaxed about the race with a ‘what will be, will be’ attitude – the start is fun with a mega-board tethered at the side of the river; the four paddlers stand on it with their boards in front of them and on the whistle, they launch themselves, and away they go. I knew that if I tried to jump and land standing, I would be in the water straight away and possibly take a few others with me, so I did my club signature move or superwoman jump! I didn’t know the other girls in my group apart from Beth Kirby, whom I have been following for a while; she would go on to be the ladies’ champion in this competition. Check Beth out; she is an incredible water woman with some serious whitewater skills.

no pressure

So off we flew, I was determined to be on my feet for as much as possible, but you could be on your knees for the whole way if you chose – it’s such a relaxed vibe there with no pressure to perform, just to have an insane amount of fun as is possible.

I was probably a little bit polite in some parts of the race, deferring to those who I thought were more skilled than myself but managed to claw from 4th to 3rd and, on taking the right line at the end of the race, managed to squeeze into second, only to sense the glory, fall in and then finish 4th! My competitive nature just really wanted to race again, though. Only the top two get through, but the silver lining was that I could now take some photos, my other passion.

the champions

Glyn did incredibly well winning his first round but was out in the second. There were some crazy skills and even crazier falls, but the champions were Tom Westaway and Beth Kirby at the end of the day. It’s not all skill, there is a fair amount of luck, but Tom and Beth certainly have the skill!

An hour of rest and then off to a sweet standing wave just down river. I was going to watch others this time, and wow, it was incredible to see paddlers surfing that wave. It was a relaxed competition with ‘best moves’ winning, so we had everything; single, double, multiple board riding, skipping over the leash, headstands and everything in between. Forty-five minutes of jaw-dropping moves and laughs!

Such a cracking event with a super chilled vibe which went on later into the evening back at the campsite. The local taco van, ‘The Dirty Taco’, kept us all fed with their fantastic food, and after the prize giving, the band Alpha China played well into the night. We snuck off early, but plenty of people played hard that night.

Glyn, myself and four others had booked ourselves onto a workshop the next day with coach Tom. We had a ball, learning so much and having a go on the same course but fairing much better as we had some excellent tuition and could practice, practice, practice. Tom at Westaway Adventures certainly is your man if you need some help, whatever your level. Two hours on the water, and it’s finally sinking in. I just need to find some local whitewater …

So, would I go back – absolutely! Would I race again – absolutely! Why would I go back – just because it’s the best fun and so good for your all-round paddling skills? Whether you want to be a whitewater paddler or not – safety is paramount, so I suggest you grab a lesson from someone who really knows what they are doing; it’s a fast-growing sport with some good instructors and coaches out there.

Don’t let these ‘fun’ photos fool you – most of these paddlers are either experts or have all taken a lesson or two or three, and their kit is tried and tested and correct for whitewater. We look forward to heading back next year on the 5th- 6th of August for some more White Water SUPX fun and maybe have a go at that wave!