Monday 14 March 2011

The Team!

CSCC has lots of coaches. Some you will see every week on the river for summer courses. Others are less regular. All our coaches have a wealth of knowledge, experience and most importantly, a huge enthusiasm for paddlesport!
Between the team we have experience in most areas of paddling including k1 and white water racing, slalom, open canoeing, freestyle and river running. Whatever aspect of paddlesport interests you we will be able to help!

Thursday 29 April 2010

Martin (Hobbit) Harrall

No. Years Paddling: OMG 32!
Random Fact: I got married on the SS Great Britain in Victorian Costume.
About Me: I was born in Bradford on Avon and have always lived in this area of Wiltshire. Worked in mechanical engineering since leaving school. Married Nicky in 1999 just before the turn of the millennium. Early paddling career was all about marathon and sprint racing, with a little whitewater racing thrown in. Had some success with several national championship sprint medals at junior level, and briefly reached division 2 marathon at the tender age of 16 years old before a succession of injuries and the discovery of beer ended my meteoric rise. Later on I tried a couple of seasons of Slalom and some canoe polo whilst beginning to experiment with whitewater paddling. These days coaching and whitewater paddling occupy most of my time on the water, with the occasional return to the long pointy boats. Now a level 3 Inland Kayak Coach, 4 star Whitewater Kayak Leader, and a UKCC Level 2 Trainee Paddlesport Coach.

Sunday 28 March 2010

David Mannering

No. Years Paddling: 23
Random Fact: Don't panic Mr Mannering. My nic name used to be Dad's Army.
About Me: I gave up rowing because I was fed up being run down by the other boats. In rowing you all face backwards. I just love being on the water and enjoy all kinds of canoeing: marathon, sea kayaking, whitewater, open canadians and rafting if I can find anyone to crew.

Thursday 25 March 2010

Darren (Kitmonster) Sutton


No. Years Paddling: 9 (this time) plus lots as a small person
Random Fact: I love generous millionaires, do you know any? Please pass on my details?
About Me: I live in Malmesbury with my wife Karen and my two sons Jack and Tom, Tom is a BCU 2 star and Karen and Jack will also be paddling this year which is great.
Some of my formative years were spent living in Hong Kong, and in the summer I was very lucky and spent weeks windsurfing, sailing, kayaking etc, basically water runs through my veins. Like many other people I had a break and then got back into paddling about 8 years ago after spotting a boat, paddle and spraydeck in a Tesco supermarket advert in Tetbury.
I then found the boat club, with Martin and about two other people. I was addicted. Since then I have had more boats than I can remember and spent lots of time being coached and now coaching, I am now a BCU 4 star white water leader and new level 1 coach.

Other things I get up to are I am an advanced open water diver, runner (slow) and a First Responder for the Ambulance service and can often be found racing round in ambulances or rapid response cars.


Simon Willis (Canoeing Secretary)

No. Years Paddling: 4
Random Fact: Have appeared on TV twice ~ Once on a kids game show and once stage diving at a Machine Head concert. Two ends of the spectrum!
About me: I'm a northern monkey and grew up in Yorkshire. I have lived in Wiltshire now for 10 years and kinda like it here. I graduated uni 12 years ago and am still considering what to do when I grow up... In the meantime I have taken up kayaking and am quite taken by the sport. My time is heavily weighted towards white water river running as it's the best way to perfect your rolling :) I also paddle marathon boats and compete in races. See you on the water!

Wednesday 24 March 2010

Barny Prees

No Of Years Paddling: 3
Random Fact: I have had boats fall of a car I've been in 4 times!
About me: I'm currently in the first year of sixth form at Hardenhuish school doing Geography, Biology, Chemis
try and Maths (silly idea!). Ive been paddling white water for about 1 and a 1/2 years now and its safe to say i love it! I spend most my weekends kayaking and when I'm not I'm either mountain biking or attempting to pass my A levels. I mainly do white water kayaking although I also enjoy playboating and surfing. I hope one day to work as kayak guide / coach but I may end up getting a 'real' job!

Nigel (Big Nige) Sheils (Membership Secretary)

No. Years Paddling: 3
Random Fact: I have eaten my own bodyweight in cheese.
About Me: Born in LittleHampton, I am Married with 2 Kids (who unfortunately have no interest in canoeing), I first played on the water in the Sea scouts a few years ago. Left that behind when I discovered other interests. After travelling around Canada, US and Ireland, I finally came back to the UK and found the Chippenham Canoe club. It’s a brilliant club, where you’ll meet some excellent people. After my day job, Canoeing is my #1 past time. Mostly kayaking rivers and surfing.

Andrew Hubbard

No. Years Paddling: 4
Random Fact: I have an 'O' level in Seamanship.
About Me: I am married to Debbie who is also a club member. I have four children; Craig, John, Cerys and Anna. Cerys and Anna are also club members. I have lived in Chippenham since 1997. We have a dog (Lurcher) called Leema. I love the outdoors and camping also.

Ross Tiley

No. Years Paddling: 6
Random Fact: Scared of moths!!!
About me:
I'm in Uni in Cardiff Studying Education + Sport with the aim of going into primary school teaching.
I also work at Up and Under, a kayaking and outdoor shop in Cardiff as well as Cardiff International White Water Centre as a raft guide and a kayak and hydrospeed instructor..
I started paddling at around the age of 15 and was trained up by kayak guru and fellow coach; Martin Harrall! I mainly enjoy white water river running but also love surfing and freestyle. Paddling has taken me all over Britain and also twice to Uganda and Corsica.

Rob Moore

No. Years Paddling: 6
Random fact: I was born on Christmas day!
About me: I'm currently in my first year of GCSE's at Sheldon, studying P.E, Music, DT and Triple Science ( one of Mum's stupid ideas! ). I love all sports and am vice captain for Chippenham Rugby U15's. In my spare time, I am a keen Grade 7 drummer and haven't had any complaints from the neighbours .... yet! In the past year I have been working torwards my Cadet Leader Award by helping out with coaching around the club, although I plan to get my Level 1 Coach once I turn 16. I enjoy white water river running trips and hope to paddle more over the coming seasons.

Rheanna Colyer

No. of years paddling: 8
Random fact: I hate people skipping songs when they're half way through
About me: I started paddling at Reading canoe club when I was 10, where I got into marathon paddling. I joined Chippenham when I was 11, and spent 4 years of membership doing not very much. Nowadays paddling has taken over my life and I try to get on a white water trip every weekend, if there's no water I love a trip to the beach for a bit of surfing. Around the club I do a bit of coaching and have been conned onto the committee. If I'm not kayaking I'm normally either working as a lifeguard at the Olympiad or at school at Hardenhuish

Tuesday 23 March 2010

Tristan Spencer

No. Years Paddling: 5
Random Fact: I can capsize my boat, open a can of fizzy and then one-handed handroll back up without spilling anything :)
About Me: I was born in Cyprus, RAF Akrotiri, and moved to England when I was two. Im studying 3D Animation at Swansea Met University and work in a bar called Idols. I started Kayaking when I was 16 and quickly bought my first playboat, which I can still force myslef into. I love surfing and white water rapids and I am looking forward to going to Scotland at some point because apparently its quite good :P

Monday 22 March 2010

Simon Roberts

No. Years Paddling: 5
Random Fact: I can't eat, or be around anybody who is eating, a sun lolly. You know, the tetrahedronal ones, they scrape my teeth and make me squirm.
About Me: I'm at the University of Bristol studying Physics, hoping to progress to a PhD. Apart from Kayaking, I enjoy cycling, judo, surfing and playing the acoustic guitar. As a paddler, I enjoy river running, with the odd bit of freestyle when the opportunity arises, but tend to spend most of my summer flailing around in the Avon trying to keep my kayak anything other than upright. I would be a qualifed coach, but I nearly died halfway though my assesment due to catastrophic man flu, and could not complete.