Kelly's Canter 17th October 2010

6th overall and a medal for the first local!!
Well the annual “Kelly’s Canter” running race in Palmerston was on the 17th of October. Having grown up in Palmerston as a youngster I have been up and down the hill more times than I can remember. The race is a bout a 4km course fro the main street up around the monument at the top and a fast and steep descent down the face to the finish down at the main street. This year prior to the start there was a bit of a rain shower so the green grass became pretty greasy. The race started and there is a pretty hot pace set from the start. I headed off in the front 4 and made my way up the paddocks to the start of the top steep section where I was passed by 2 others. Up around the top of the hill and down to the descent – I pulled out my speed weaponary at the top –my old motocross gloves, these are the key to sliding and jumping your way down the steep face over thistles, rocks and drops in the ground. I made up to 4th place on the descent through my out of control descent, great fun but a bit borderline on injuring myself, coming off this slope with a few nasty scrapes and bumps on the old back side! Anyway a fast blast down the paddocks to the finish I was overtaken again by the two guys who had got me on the top slopes. A pleasing blast up and down the hill and completely spent.

Andrew Sloan - Dunedin WInter Kayak Series Race 6 - 26th September - 2nd Fastest Individual

Well after having the 6th and final Kayak race of the Dunedin winter series postponed due to 140km/hr winds on the Otago Harbour, we had the final race on Sunday 26th September. The course was changed from the original course set to paddle the length of the harbour due to the tides. Anyway we started from Vauxhall Yacht Club and the course was down the Harbour channel, around Goat Island at Port Chalmers and then the return up the harbour to complete the 22.5km course.

Having raced and competed well in 4 of the previous 5 races (race 1-6th, race 2-6th, race 4-3rd, Race 5-10th) I had earned myself a rather large handicap start time for this race. I was to wait 54 minutes before heading off for my race. There was an outgoing tide and a slight tail wind so the paddle down the channel to Goat Island in my trusty UFO was pretty quick and good speed was maintained for the efforts put in. However once heading around Goat Island and starting the return back up the harbour the full force of the outgoing tide was felt, this combined with a really strong wind that had picked up on the way down made for one mission of a paddle back to the finish! I had managed to pull in a couple of paddlers and close the time gap up on the early starters. I was caught and passed by the 6 Man Waka Ama boat and Daniel on his ski who started behind me on the return leg. I kept a solid paddle stroke and tried to maintain a good chase but by the time I reached the finish I was completely spent and had given this last race all that I had. I finished with the 2nd fastest individual time for the day in 2hr 22min. (The Waka 6 and a Waka 2 had some solid times ahead of me along with Daniel on his surf ski). All in all a great winter series and one that has some quality paddlers turning up making for some great winter racing. The overall series results worked on a points system and too your best 4 races, this put me 4th (I think I just missed on 3rd) overall in the series points system, a result I am stoked with. No photos from the race on Sunday but my Son Oscar (11months) was more than keen to help/play when I was rinsing my boat at home after the race.