PERTHWHITEWATERPARK

UP‐DATEFebruary2013

SomuchhasbeenhappeningwiththesportofCanoeSlalomthatCanoeingWesternAustral iathoughtitbesttogiveyouanupdate.

Weallremembertheincredibleslowmotionhigh-resolutionfootageofthecanoeslalomeventsattheLondonOlympics.Whatanincrediblesport!

• DidyouknowRobinJefferyandKynanMayleycomefromPerth?Bothstartedtheirinternationalcareersintheirearlyteens,representingAustraliaatJuniorWorldChampionshipevents.• ButLondonwastheirfirstOlympicGames,adoubleforKynanwhocompetedintheC1andC2classes.

PhotosLeft:KynanMaley,C1Right:KynanMaleyandRobinJeffery,C2(photoscourtesySportsceneTV)

Everyyearthesporthasit’sNationalChampionshipsalongwithNationalSchoolsChampionships,hostedinrotationbyNSW,VictoriaandTasmania.

• Western Australia has not been host since theHarvey International SlalomCourse in Harveywas lost to thesport in1998whenWaterCorporationrevokedrights to theuseof thewater,withpromisesofcompensationunfulfilledtodate.

ThisyearthechampionshipswereheldinEildon,Victoria.

WAtooktheshieldasthewinningstateforthefirsttimeinovertwentyyears.Twenty-eightpaddlersrepresentedWA, ranging inage from9 to63 years.Olympians,Robin Jeffery (2012)andZlatanIbrahimbegovic(1972),coachedtheteam–andcompetedthemselves.

ThirteenWAjuniorathleteswereselectedtotheNationalTalentSquadfor2013,administeredbyAustralianCanoeing,withWAnowthedominantstateintheSquad–ourfutureOlympiansperhaps.

Andthisisinspiteoflimitedwhitewater–duetothedroughtonlyoneevent(outofeightscheduledraces)washeldatWalyunga(nearBullsbrook)in2012.ThankfullysomeoutflowsfromWellingtonDaminCollieenabledtraining.

• ButtodeveloptoelitelevelinthesportatpresentmeansrelocatingtotheeastcoasttotrainatthePenrithWhiteWaterStadium.• Wouldn’t i t begreattokeepthemhereandattractothers!

   

PERTHWHITEWATERPARK

UP‐DATEFebruary2013

PhotosLeft:Women’sC2goldmedalwinnersatEildon2013.Right:Havingfuninwhitewater

Weare seeingmore andmore countries around theworld buildwhitewater parks – that offer somuchallyeararoundtothegreatercommunity,fromcanoeslalom(trainingpluslocal,nationalandinternationalevents), towhitewater rafting, tooutdooreducation, toplay-boating, tomovingwaterrescuetraining.Thinkof thetourismbenefits ifbuilt intheright location!Advancesintechnology,designandconstructionhaveseenthesedevelopwithincreasedefficiencyandsmallerfootprints.

As you would know, four years ago the State government committed $5 million towards theestablishmentofasimilarfacility.EithermoregovernmentfundingorajointgovernmentandprivatedevelopmentisneededurgentlytodeliverthisexcitingvenueforPerth.

• Copy this link toCardiff InternationalWhiteWater for a tasteofwhatwe couldhave inPerth:http://www.vp360.co.uk/CIWW/index_standalone.html• New Zealand’s proposed white water centre includes cultural and educational facilities:http://wero.org.nz/?utm_source=Wero&utm_campaign=41def0fedc-Wero_Happy_New_Y

In2012theDepartmentofSportandRecreation(DSR)engagedGHDtoprepareanArchitecturalBrief.ThiswascompletedinSeptemberandhasbeenissuedtotheSportsMinister.ThenextstepistohaveanewBusinessCasepreparedforwhichweappeartohavenocommitment.

Stay tunedas the newwebsite site is created andbe on the lookout for our Facebook page, allaccessiblethroughCanoeingWesternAustralia’swebsitewww.wa.canoe.org.au

Therearecurrentlyover13,000FriendsoftheWhiteWaterPark!Let’snotdisappointthem.

Thankyouforyoursupportinthepast!

 

 

 

 

Photo:Artist’simpressionofGlasgowPaddlesportsCentre,Scotland,courtesyEngineeringPaddlerDesigns(EPDUK)