The Student Boater X is the biggest unofficial kayaking event on the student paddling calendar and now officially recognised by Bomb Flow it was going to be the biggest so far. With guaranteed sun, cool alpine flows and a huge selection of prize to be won it wasn’t hard to persuade a few hundred student paddlers that a spontaneous inter uni race down the L’Argentiere-la-Bessee slalom course was a good idea. There were five categories, catering for all levels of paddler. With old boys and girls competing for the Bloater X title and swimmers for the Inflatey X title, everyone else found themselves in a fight for the beginner, intermediate and advanced prizes.
Pre-race briefing
Sponsored by; Gene17 Kayaking, Immersion Research, Kent Canoes, Peak UK, Pyranha Kayaks, Rivers Publishing, System X, Ty Nant Outdoors and White Water Consultancy, we had a huge haul of prizes consisting of stickers, tattoos, posters, books, DVDs, t-shirts, sponges, roof bar pads, wallets, helmets and paddles.
Just some of the prizes on offer.
The event started with the intermediate paddlers in a Le Mans style start, boats lined up, racers held back and the first one to their boat onto the course straight down the centre line and to finish a stubby of supermarket value lager was declared the winner. Prizes awarded to the first five to finish. A similar strategy was followed for the Advanced and Bloater X races however they had to eddy out in an eddy with a chewy hole at the top of it. Obviously carnage ensued.
Carnage in the Advanced race as paddlers battle to get out of the hole.
Having heard about the epic event that was going to happen Mr Anton Immler, World Record holder for the Highest Waterfall run in an Inflatable turned up to give the student scene a shot. Even after having his kayak filled with rocks he still managed to win the Bloater X but kindly donated his prizes to the winner of the ‘Best Brown Claw’ competition.
Anton on discovery that his vessel was loaded with piles of fist size rocks.
When the moving water events had been completed the attention moved to the lake where the beginners had a race throwing their paddles between crossed slalom gates. The competitions concluded with the Inflatey X, a mass entry start and paddle across the lake. When everything on the water was tidied up, the party began.
Inflatey X mass start.
Once again, a massive thanks to everyone who supported the Student Boater X this year, we hope to see you next year for an even bigger, better, boater x.
More pictures Here
