Craig Wilment, Tim Howes, Ross O'Donaghue and Graham Anderson represented South Africa at the World Junior Slalom Championships in Lofer from 12 to 19 July.
Slalom is a very big sport in Europe and, as an Olympic discipline, enjoys strong State support. In places like the Czech Republic, for example, it attracts more participants and spectators than soccer! National teams are strongly supported, both financially and physically and the paddlers certainly don't need to worry about buying their own boats, for example. Even relatively minor teams like Japan travel with a full time professional manager and professional foreign coach. The American team had four highly competent coaches and managers supporting them with video play back facility in their van parked next to the course so that their team members could get out of the water and immediately watch themselves and see where they had lost time. All other countries' boats are made out of the latest composite materials and all weighed less than the nine kilogram limit, with weights having to be fitted under the seats to bring them up to the legal weight limit while maintaining manoeverability.
In contrast, the South African team were definitely the poor cousins! With ten year old fibreglass boats, festooned with patches and no coach, it took a lot of guts for them to even practise among the other professional teams. (Even the earnest Austrians couldn't help chuckling at the weigh in when our boats weighed in at up to 13 kilograms and a couple were shorter than regulation from having the noses smacked off in our rivers and rebuilt. We had to build up the noses on two boats to pass scrutineering!)
In addition, when our boys first saw the river it took their breath away. The water was very much bigger than anything they had competed in here and, in addition, the flow was much stronger with eddys and swirls which they had never really encountered. Completely undaunted however, they took to the river with enthusiasm and took every opportunity to master the conditions. At first they struggled to get through the practice gates which had been set up but, by persevering, they got better and by the time the competition came they were looking competitive.
They trained and stuck together as a team and with their matching paddling outfits and South African flags and logos emblazoned on boats and paddles, they made their mark.
The course was set the evening before the race and no competitor was permitted to practise on it. This, too, was new to our boys and they didn't have a professional coach who could analyse the course for them and recommend lines and techniques.
They performed admirably on the race day, however, with Craig Wilment and Tim Howes getting through every gate on each of their two runs while Ross O'Donaghue and Graham Anderson put in great efforts but each missed a gate which knocks even the best paddlers to the bottom of the field.
The results were as follows, with percentage above the winner's time:-
Competed - 92 Individuals from 31 Countries
Wilment - 70th; 40%
Howes - 75th; 47%
O'Donaghue - 80th; 83%
Anderson - 81st; 85%
O'Donaghue, Howes and Wilment competed in the team run the next day. Unfortunately, after two excellent runs the previous day, Wilment had to eskimo roll and he and O'Donaghue both missed gates resulting in our team coming last of those that competed. It must be noted, however, that numerous countries did not compete in the team race and we can consider ourselves to have beaten them. Only 18 of the 31 countries paddled in this team race.
As with the Whitewater team, our Slalom team made friends and impressed people with their positive attitude, competitive spirit, cheerfulness, neat appearance and good behaviour.
They tried their best, they never complained about their inferior equipment or resources and, again, they lost a boat through practising in water that few other teams were prepared to tackle. They came far down the field but they beat some boys with vastly more experience, better equipment and training than they. In an e-mail to me afterwards, the Canadian coach had this to say about our boys, "They showed great courage tackling the course at Lofer. Given the little experience they have, I say they did an amazing job"
(As mentioned, Slalom is a very big sport in Europe. The Americans, Canadians, New Zealanders and Australians also, take it very seriously and had large, well organised and well resourced teams. They're all aiming for medals at the Olympic Games and have the full backing of their Government and National Sports Council.
Slalom is, obviously, where canoeing starts in these countries. Youngsters are introduced to the sport at a young age and learn all the correct techniques and paddle strokes which will stand them in good stead in whatever paddling field they move into later. Obviously, it is a canoeing discipline that, once you have a course, requires less resources than other types of paddling. I have no doubt that, if we could set up one or two permanent courses in this country, Slalom canoeing would become a big sport, particularly in Kwa-Zulu Natal where we have dams, rivers and the gradients that could be combined into good courses. A recent "expo" at Albert Falls dam showed that all the top canoeists would love to get into Slalom if the facilities were there. Importantly, Northern Hemisphere countries are very anxious to find training facilities during their winters and I really believe we could market a good Slalom training course successfully for European and North American teams.
There are a few young men, notably Guy Collyer, Paul Scherzer and Cameron McIntosh who are putting tremendous amounts of effort and time into promoting Slalom canoeing in this country. I think it important that one of them be given an official designation and be encouraged to attend SACF meetings.
In summary, the South African Junior Slalom team represented their country with enthusiasm and distinction. I believe they gave notice to the more established countries that South Africa could produce a real contender under the right circumstances.
Stuart Howes
Team Manager of SA Junior Slalom Team