Apply for your bibs!

The start of the season is looming! Please apply for your bibs using the canoe slalom portal where you can also download any promotion certificates gained in the last 5 years. You will need the National Association membership details to hand for each paddler. Expired memberships or memberships which expire in the next month must be renewed before a bib application can be made.

England Slalom Club Support Scheme

A reminder that that the deadline for eligible clubs to apply to the England Slalom Club Support Scheme is 24th February 2025.

The scheme is joint funded and supported by the England Talent Programme and the England Canoe Slalom Committee with money invested by the England Canoe Slalom Committee from the levies paid by Canoe Slalom events hosted in England.

Clubs can apply for funding to act as a financial catalyst to kick start innovative projects, or to support existing projects which drive development within the slalom pathway.

Click here to read more about this scheme and the impact to date. Please complete the application form by 24th February 2025.

Daniel Thompson

Grandtully Easter

Details of how to book camping if you are attending Grandtully at Easter have now been released. Please follow the link for detailed instructions.

IMPORTANT – PLEASE READ THE COMPETITOR INFORMATION CAREFULLY – THE SCHEDULE IS
DIFFERENT FOR EACH MINI SLALOM

The Mini Slalom Series is a series of 3 warm up races in preparation for the 2025 season. The series is handicapped
to allow to any competitor to win the overall race. Each class will have a handicap time in seconds that
will be deducted from your actual race time. Competitors can compete in 1, 2 or all 3 races. Those that compete
in all three races without winning a prize will be rewarded with race mug.

SSCC_2025_Mini1_Competitors_Information_v1
SSCC_2025_Mini2_Competitors_Information_v1
SSCC_2025_Mini3_Competitors_Information_v1

Check out John Gregory’s ICF slalom podcasts

There are 95 episodes which can also be found on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube. Despite the name this is not an ICF product. John came up with the ICFslalom hashtag early in the 2015 season. The podcast started in 2019. This last year there were 58 guests across the 27 episodes. Series 4 were daily episodes through the Olympics and series 5 started this autumn. Lots of British guests and stories.

2025 Slalom & kayak Cross & Sprint and Paracanoe selection policies

The policies are published by the respective International panels and are the result of significant work behind the scenes, in particular the IP’s would like to thank everyone who contributed to the development of the policies through the public consultation process in the autumn of 2024.

Slalom & Kayak Cross Junior, U23 & Senior combined document

The International Panel has also published an accompanying statement which highlights the slalom registration process, announces the final slalom Div 1 Junior selection qualifiers and shares the key themes from the consultation process.

Please take the time to read the policies and familiarise yourself with the processes to be used for the 2025 season.

I have shared this widely with bcc recipients to distribute across your networks as required.

Happy Christmas to everyone and many thanks to everyone who makes our sport so great.

Andy Maddock

Introducing the Slalom Start Box

As announced in October, Paddle UK is excited to introduce the Slalom Start Box, a comprehensive toolkit designed to support paddler recruitment within clubs to increase the number of children and young people engaged in canoe slalom across the UK.

Slalom Start builds on the incredible work that all clubs and volunteers do to introduce children and young people to the amazing sport of canoe slalom. It is intended to help share this knowledge and empower others to engage more people in canoe slalom.

Supporting the recruitment of new participants and volunteers into the sport is a key component of the Slalom Development Plan.

The digital toolkit is now available and supporting webinars are taking place during the winter, sign up to the first webinar.

Applications are open for clubs across the UK to apply for coach qualification costs, free T-shirts for delivering coaches along with flutter flags and banners.

To apply for the support please complete the application form before the 3rd February 2025.

If you have any queries please contact slalom start

WATER QUALITY – Recommendations for the paddling community

With the recent high water levels and the risk of more and more rain, we would like to remind all paddlers, volunteers and anyone spending time by the rivers to consider the water quality and the risk of infection caused by microorganisms in the natural environment.

Please remember the following precautions:

cover any cuts and grazes with waterproof plasters
avoid swallowing river water
clean any wounds as soon as possible

wash your hands with soap and water after any contact with water, and shower as soon as possible if you’ve been in potentially infected water.

If you become sick, contact your GP and let them know you are a paddler, with details of when or where you paddled.

Further guidance and information

Slalom Progress Awards

Last year Canoe Wales and the England Slalom Talent Programme, in conjunction with the England Slalom Committee, presented the new Slalom Progress Awards. We have updated the Awards for this year.

Please Volunteer – Your sport needs you!

We are in desperate need of volunteers. Please contact Sally Atkinson or Matt Crowhurst if you are interested in helping out at Canoe Slalom Div 1 and/or Prem events. It doesn’t have to be for the whole day – even an hour can be really helpful. 

New C2 pairings

Apply direct to the C2 Bib Officer – you do not need to go through reinstatement. Ranked C2 pairs may enter races at any level.