History of Slalom boats

[sandylaner]

In 1976 P&H produced a stiletto kayak (name ???) to compete with the Gaybo/Letmann 'Perfekt' (swordfish in GRP). The P&H version was particularly ugly and had droopy points (this was well before the invention of Viagra). I remember a juvenile Richard Fox paddling it at Augsburg 1976. Regardless, it did not sell very well. Wasn't there also a kayak called a stiletto? P&H also made the Phaser II - which was like a Phaser but with 'wings'.

Re Fibo: the Epee would have been 1973 or 4, and the Epee XS 1976.

Thanks for the updates ... would that P&H pointy boat be the Hartung or Sting??

Stiletto, was made round by us by Avoncraft and is on the list ...

Thanks for the other updates ... all added.


Any more memories out there ...?? still missing a lot of dates ...

The STING was a Prijon design, manufactured (not for long) by Gaybo. Dave Mitchell won at Llangollen paddling one of these around 1975/76, and passed it on to me.

[sandylaner]

There was a radical slalom kayak called the 'Treska' (aka Trashcan) in the early 70s - but cant remember who made it - White Water/Hawksworth? (maybe thats the same one Malcolm refered to above).

And lastly wasn't there also an 'Olympia' by Letmann (as opposed to the Olymp series).

The "Treska" was a design out of Chester. Back in the 70's, there were actually TWO canoe clubs in Chester - the main Chester Sailing & Canoeing Club, and the upstart club that was part of Chester YMCA.

The guy that ran the canoe section at the YMCA (Tony somebody I think) designed and manufactured the Treska. It was a piece of junk in my humble opinion - bad design and even worse construction. They would often be seen in pieces littering the banks of the Trywerwyn. I don't think the design was ever licensed to any mainstream manufacturer. Thank God.

It was Tony Young from Chester YMCA who was responsible for the Treska.

[Terryg]

Wadham Stringer (the car dealer) marketed a slalom kayak called the 'Hustler' in 1973.

[philipn]

I had a "Connoisseur" new around 1973 or 1974 which was a larger volume version of the "Tempo" which came out a year or two before. Can't remember the manufacturer of these but might have been P&H. I also had a Gaybo Isere which must have been made around 1970.

I have a strong memory of the Olymp being made by Prijon in the 70s. Was it made under licence by Gaybo?

Alan Byde at the Riverside centre in Oxford produced the Ox-1 of which there were quite a few around in the area - it had two pronounced ribs running up the back deck in a V. I don't know whether it ever saw commercial production - there were a lot of home-made boats around and several clubs made their own boats.

Not strictly a slalom boat, but the Alan Byde produced a string of "Bats" from the Bat-1 which I understood to be the originator of the concept and must have dated to the late sixties, Bat being an acronym for "Baths Trainer". The Bat-4 ~1972 had a highly dished stern.

[Terryg]

Mention of the Tempo reminds me of the Loisach, which was around at the same time. Anyone remember the manufacturer?

[Solonova]

This is a very emotive thread! My first ever kayak was a Toledo. Other Tyne designs at the time (1975/76) were the Scorpions. Moved on to a Meister 80, my fave boat of all time! There then followed many more: Elektra, Hydro,Extra, Concept Revolution C1.....
I seen to remember that the Loisach was via Kirton, but as to whether they built it or just imported it, I am not sure.

[Terryg]

Yep, your right, the Loisach was Kirton. Lots of memory jogging going on. Had forgotten about the Toledo.

[surfkayaks.com]

The Loisach was a Klepper design, primarilly manufactured at the "Canoe Centre" in Twickenham
It was their attempt to compete with the all conquerinbg Isere, Hull shape was "Very" similar
Malcolm

[Gilli]

Hi I was browsing the Internet trying to get some info on my Kayak, I am new to Kayaking and was told upon purchasing that my Kayak was very good and an Olympic model??
Anyway I own a Gaybo International Meister Slalom Kayak, not sure of its age though and I would like to know...
Its a Gold fleck paintwork model really nice :D

[andya]

Hi Gilli, and welcome to paddling.

The Meister comes from the late 1970's. A Lovely boat. It was replaced by the Meister '80, which had a very long pointed nose in about 1978, I think. At the time Gabyo were renown for their quality of construction .. almost the Rolls Royce of boats.

Enjoy!

[Gilli]

Yes my kayak is extremely long :D but a lovely Kayak and I shall enjoy thanks :D

[Blonde Wendy]

If I helped you, everyone would know how old I am.
Does anyone remember the Gaybo Perfekt?

[Terryg]

The Perfekt is on the list in the first post =1975.

I don't think we have had the Gaybo + (Plus) yet.

[Philq]

Great fun

Also missing I believe & made by Gaybo/designed by Prijon would be the Olympia - an Isere with a different/more shapely deck and the rare Olympia S a higher-volume "contemporary" of the more popular Olympia H. The S is probably my fave boat of all time - anyone out there still have one?

[surfkayaks.com]

I have money waiting for an "Isere"
someone must have one!!

Malcolm

[nigelwyn]

When I was in school in Llandysul in the 70s we used to build our own boats. We thought people who bought manufactured boats were soft.
First we built Apache's. I never owned one but the first boat of my own was a self built Snipe. I wasn't the best at building so it was held together with 'carpet' tape.
In uni at UWIST I paddled a Cobra which I think was made by P&H, though I can't be sure. I remember it having pointy ends, unusual at the time. It had no straight speed but turned well.
Then, blaming the Cobra for my inability to get out of Div 4, I splashed out around £100 for a Pyranha Elite with kevlar reinforced ends and cockpit. I remained in Div 4 for the rest of my slalom career.
I used that boat for everything, a trip to Augsburg, sea tours, surfing and 'freestyle' which consisted of sitting on a wave until the bow sunk. Eventually it was stolen from my parents garage only to be recovered sprayed dark red with car primer. Eventually sold it for £35.

I was in Llandysul again last weekend and had a look at the Div 1 and 2 slalom competition. The boats weren't that different form my Elite as far as I could tell - equally as uncomfortable. For every competitor run there were 2 or 3 people running alongside the river shouting such advice as 'paddle' and 'push,push,push'.
I can't say I was envious.

[Coach]

A picture database would be great!

Hi. I have a photographic website with a gazillion slalom images on. I have also started a section and gallery there on slalom in the 70's (when I was in my prime!) If people send me images of boats, I would be happy to create a photogallery/database. My boats were:- Trylon Ox (made with the school in 1971), P&H Augsburg 72, Pyranha Vedel (No.11 I think!), Krakatoa Cosmic (sponsored boat), JC Streaker (sponsored boat), then a long break of many years lol, Prijon Becker, Caiman Ranger and Double Dutch Virus.

:-)

[surfkayaks.com]

Please point us in the direction of your site with the 70,s slalom pics.
Malcolm

[malcolm27]

The Treska was made by Tony Young and he was based at the Chester YMCA canoe club, the actual canoe club was run by my father Ray Taft for many years when my Father left the club it was not long before it closed I paddled the Gaybo Isere and the Olymp mk 5 and the Treska the last boat was the cosmic so many good memories of the seventies

[malcolm27]

There was a radical slalom kayak called the 'Treska' (aka Trashcan) in the early 70s - but cant remember who made it - White Water/Hawksworth? (maybe thats the same one Malcolm refered to above).

And lastly wasn't there also an 'Olympia' by Letmann (as opposed to the Olymp series).

My first post on this board - almost got tears in my eyes with the waves of nostalgia washing over me!

The "Treska" was a design out of Chester. Back in the 70's, there were actually TWO canoe clubs in Chester - the main Chester Sailing & Canoeing Club, and the upstart club that was part of Chester YMCA.

The guy that ran the canoe section at the YMCA (Tony somebody I think) designed and manufactured the Treska. It was a piece of junk in my humble opinion - bad design and even worse construction. They would often be seen in pieces littering the banks of the Trywerwyn. I don't think the design was ever licensed to any mainstream manufacturer. Thank God.

Gaybo did manufacture the Olympia range - there was an Olympia "S" and an Olympia "H". The "S" stood for Sattler - as in Norbert Sattler, and the "H" stood for Horn, as in Siggy Horn. Horn and Sattler won the Gold and Silver medals respectively at the Munich olympics slalom at Augsburg in 1972.

Mike Thomas (Manchester) paddled the Olympia "S" I recall, and the only person I can remember paddling the "H" was Paul Wood of Chester. Mike Thomas was famous for manufacturing the "MT" spraydeck popular in the 70's. Paul Wood was famous for being a thug. (He gave up slalom to take up Ice Hockey - says it all really).

The Ymca canoe club was run by my father Ray Taft for many years it was because of him that many under privaliged children were introduced to slalom, the Treska was designed and built by Tony Young who lived at the YMCA as for Paul Wood he was one nice guy and not a thug he just knew how to look after himself and stood his ground, The Mike thomas spraydeck was a very well designed spraydeck and one that I used, the Traska was one of the boats that I paddled and found it to be a okay slalom kayak for the lower divisions a good cheap starter Kayak, if my memory is correct it was one of the first slim line and low cut boats of that era but nothing like the Kayaks of today, the Olymp mk 5 was probably the best slalom kayak that I paddled my first Slalom kayak being the isere the Gaybo Isere.

My first Slalom Chester weir

[andya]

Great photo!

[malcolm27]

Great photo!

Thank you

[malcolm27]

A couple of more photos of the Gaybo Isere and the Kayaks of yesteryear

[Coach]

Hi again and thanks for the enthusiasm to see my site :-) I do not blast away with links in my first post because some forums dont like me doing that! So here ya go!

http://www.clevercaptures.com/Canoeing

There are a couple of galleries there, "Slalom in the 1970's" and "Slalom 1975". I reckon a few here will spot a few names they know (even their own maybe) and will be reminded of some they have forgotten.

Loving the images posted here recently....we have discovered translucent colours and we are NOT afraid to use them! My first "red" P&H Augsburg was more of a wishy washy pink because of that! Kobers for the wealthy and Mitchwood Matchsticks for those less well off....the latter being me who still has two pairs of Mitchwoods, one made in Chester and one made in Bedford by Braybrook joinery who took over the manufacturing of them in later years.

Anyways, my offer still stands to upload a gallery :-)

PP :-)

[malcolm27]

Thank you for the link Coach, a interesting site and great photo's do you have anything from 1976 onwards? the photo gallery sounds like a good idea I am always looking for Slalom kayaking photos especially from the seventies and eighties not many of them around.

[ian sinclair]

what great memories
I had a snipe then a karakato boat part built by chris lovelock finished by me
then pyranha equipes with glitter finish also a derwent blitz.

I paddled from 1974-1988 got to div 1
the pictures of chester, remebering the tide coming in and the poles touching the water
the great places that slaloms where held Builth, llangollen, lynton on ouse, bala
hated the thames weir sites windsor, hambledon and shepperton.

[malcolm27]

what great memories
I had a snipe then a karakato boat part built by chris lovelock finished by me
then pyranha equipes with glitter finish also a derwent blitz.

I paddled from 1974-1988 got to div 1
the pictures of chester, remebering the tide coming in and the poles touching the water
the great places that slaloms where held Builth, llangollen, lynton on ouse, bala
hated the thames weir sites windsor, hambledon and shepperton.

I remember Lynton on Ouse a great site I only ever raced there the once It was a second div course at the time the last step was great for pictures I have some pictures somewhere of me in my Olymp 5 coming down that last step I will have to dig them out, I still think back as to how I lost that race I was leading the race after the first run and entered the second run confident I could improve on my time which I did apart from when I entered the last gate it was a reverse gate in a easy position I had no problem with the gate in practice or in the team event which was held on the Saturday in which we came second but as you know when a gate is easy and you start thinking that something will go wrong and it did, just as I was leaving the gate the side of my kayak touched the gate only a slight roll but the judge saw it and was right to give me a 10 second penalty without that I would have won the event just that split second of lost concentration cost me the race I finished 8th,at the end of that season I was promoted to division 1 and I never raced there again,
would I do it all again of course I would slalom gave me so many happy memories and was a big part of my youth,now my daughter is 12 and wants to start Kayaking especially after watching cine films of me racing and the trips to Bala we have made as spectators so it looks like the fun is about to start all over again even if its only from the river bank.

[Jon352]

This is a very interesting thread; it brings back a lot of memorys of my ten years of slalom between 1977 and 1986.

I can think of a few boats I’ve not seen mentioned, assuming that I haven’t missed them.

Trylon (or possibly P&H) made a slalom K1 called the Solo in the late seventies; we had one in the Hatfield Poly CC.

Krakatoa made a C1 called the Switch, probably in the very early eighties.

Apollo Canoes and Kayaks of Newhaven made a C1 called the Ultra Gil in ’81. This one I’m dead sure about as I still have mine. It was very similar to the Supermax. I bought main to replace a Supermax and didn’t notice any real difference, except it was a much lighter construction. Mine’s the only one I’ve ever seen.

[Jon352]

The following are extracts from the Tyne Canoes/Streamlyte catalogue, circa 1974. My first kayak was a tourer from the same catalogue, and I looked at mean machines like the Dipper with awe, wondering when I would be up to the challenge of paddling something so advanced. I made a KW7 at an evening class at Kings Langley school in 1975, and then started slalom in 1977 in a Cosmic which made the Dipper look like barge in comparison.

As it happens, within a couple of years I was using a Cosmic which made these things look like barges.

[andya]

Apollo Canoes and Kayaks of Newhaven made a C1 called the Ultra Gil in ’81. This one I’m dead sure about as I still have mine. It was very similar to the Supermax. I bought main to replace a Supermax and didn’t notice any real difference, except it was a much lighter construction. Mine’s the only one I’ve ever seen.

Jon ... Evens??