Well the 2015 Avon has been run and won as they say and now it’s time to try to put the last
couple of months into words.
A little over two months ago I sat with Ben Dallin having breakfast after a Saturday morning training
session at the Ascot Kayak Club. He was encouraging me to form a K3 team to buy their K3 from last
years race and compete against his then team of Matt, Cam and himself.
I asked how they’d been going in training and he shared that they has each set themselves training
goals to achieve in order that they were all at the same level of fitness. I was impressed by their level
of commitment and how they’d figured out that in a team boat paddlers need to be evenly matched
to perform well.
I set about ringing a few guys to see if forming a K3 team was possible but they’d all already made
plans for the race.
I wasn’t bothered as I hadn’t planned on racing anyway. I was race fit from the marathon season and
building my training for the remaining marathon season races.
I thought that Ben and his team mates training routine was a good opportunity to train with a group
of guys keen to do longer distances so asked them to give me a call when they were training.
A couple of weeks later I got the call that they were headed to Ravenswood for a 34km paddle at a
moderate pace in their K1’s. Great, another long training paddle in the bank with someone to keep
me company.
The paddle went well and we found we all had a similar cruising speed when doing wash leads.
A little over a week later Ben called again and said that Cam had pulled out and was I interested in
coming onboard? I didn’t really need to think much about it, I jumped at the chance to join them.
Our training as an actual K3 team was not really possible as Ben lived an hour north of me and Matt
lived about 2 hours south of me. Each of us had our own training regime already and the only
adjustment I made was to start paddling my ski more often as it was wider and heavier than my K1,
more closely mirroring the paddling action in a K3.
Matt and I caught up for a paddle one weekend, just the two of us in last year’s glass K3. This was
good to establish that I had problems with the seat in it sending my legs to sleep.
Our first real test as a team came when we did the Middle Swan Race. The last race of the marathon
season, about 24km in distance. The new Kevlar K3 arrived the previous week and Matt came up to
Perth that weekend so we could train the day before and iron out any issues. During this paddle we
discovered that we were hitting one another with our paddles quite regularly, so we had to do a lot
of reorganising of seating to get sufficient room between each paddler. We also thought that by
using a lower profile PFD with the ability to store the drink bladder in the front pocket would buy us
some more space. Hence the decision to go with the Mocke PFD.
The next day we lined up in pouring rain, which we hoped was a good sign for the Avon some 6
weeks later.
We had a cracker race, working well together and despite pushing into an incoming tide managed to
set a new race record. This was a big confidence boost for the team as we knew we had good boat
speed.
One other issue I brought up was that we were all using different paddles. Ideally we should all be
using the same paddle so that should be break a paddle during the race we would all be able to use
the spare without any issues. So we went to a tried and trusted white water marathon paddle maker
from South Africa, Carbonology, for their CS3 paddle, a Gamma shaped blade that has a strong catch
but is very forgiving in the rough stuff.
After that race an angel came in the form of WA paddling legend Robby Roll. I had told Robby of my
leg problems in the K3 seat and he said he’d had the same problem and would lend me his K3 seat.
The seat made all the difference and allowed me to get my leg drive happening without fear of dead
leg.
The teams plans over the period leading up to the race were to get some tea tree runs in and some
runs of the river below bells to practise steering the boat but record low rainfall had meant that
there was no water to train in.
The social media talk in the weeks leading up to the race were of whether to cancel the race,
shorten it, move the date such was the anxiety around the lack of water.
Even the weekend before the race, support crew took photos of K2’s where one person paddled and
the other ran alongside as the depth of the water would allow both of them to sit in the boat!
The weekend prior we had to content ourselves with a very rough training paddle in the Walyunga
to Middle Swan section. The organisers had decided if there wasn’t a significant amount of rainfall
Walyunga would be the new day two start. Running around all the rapids and figuring out the most
effective way of getting in and out of the boat and running with it…..it really was hard to get our
head around.
With all the support we had as a team we wanted to do well but with the then water levels we had
to question whether we were about to destroy a new boat and still not complete the race!
On the Monday prior to the race the organisers announced the low water contingency was to be
activated, effectively cutting 50km and most of the races rapids from the event.
We knew not only every paddler but all the Wheatbelt farmers were joined with us in praying for
rain…. and rain it did. 100mm fell in some areas nearby the start line!
The waiting game then started as there was a big question mark over how quickly the rain would
make its way into the river.
It is unprecedented to have rain so late turn what was a trickle though a stony valley into a foaming,
roaring cascade!
Despite having made media releases and appearing on TV explaining the decision to shorten the
race, after seeing the gauges sky rocket and seeing more rain on the way the organisers reversed
their decision and the full race was back on.
Matt, Ben and I with the help of our support crew decided a tea tree run (10km section at the end of
Day 1) was needed on the Friday before the race.
As we drove up to Toodyay the rain was still bucketing down and we all had grins from ear to ear as
we drove along the road looking at the water flowing in every little creek and brook we passed.
This was to be our first hit out in tea tree in moving water as a team. It was a wise decision to get
this practise in. Within the first couple of kilometres I managed to lose a paddle as it got caught up in
the thick tree and torn from my hands. Shortly after we took a swim when a tree caught me midriff
and turned us over.
We discovered some channels blocked by logs and others with trees ready to flip any craft not on
the right line.
With Matts 16 Avon’s under his belt he had devised a system of breaking the Tea tree up into stages
and memorised the key channels in each section. However each year logs can appear where they
weren’t the year before and water levels make some channels unpassable.
Those couple of hours on Friday spent in the Tea Tree were extremely valuable to our race result.
We went on to the race start town of Northam for race registration and where we had our PFDs and
Helmets checked by scrutineering. We were met with smiles from all the other competitors who
excitedly chirped about possible river levels for the next morning’s race.
After dropping our boat off at the start line to spend the night on the race start river bank we
headed to our host family in Toodyay who had a home cooked Spag Bol waiting for us.
Weeks of stress over river levels, organising race gear and wondering what the actual race would
be melted away and I felt very relaxed and ready to race.
The Race!
Very early on Saturday paddlers were greeted with the expected chilly morning air Northam is
known for in winter. We had planned well ahead and our team had arranged not only warm clothing
but a great memento of our race weekend, Macpac adventure clothing embroidered with our team
name. The riverbank was buzzing with excited paddlers, support crews, spectators and the
background drone of the generators, event announcer and power boat competitors getting set for
the earlier power boat start grids.
Paddlers sipped coffee and mingled as boats were ready, everything had been checked and double
checked and all that was left to do was wait for the power boats to get away so the paddlers could
get onto the water.
The man upstairs couldn’t have timed things better, with the last rains clearing overnight and the
day staying dry for those off the water.
Team Unbrok2n were allotted Grid 3 along with the other K3 and double kayaks/skis in the event.
500m from the start line, paddlers meet the first obstacle of the race. The Northam weir. With grids
only 1 minute apart our K3 covered the 500m fast enough that despite leading the grid we were on,
we caught the previous grid just as they were negotiating the weir. This made for great video and
photos but was quite stressful for paddlers as they are full of energy, adrenalin and keen to get away
to a good start in such a big field that has a narrow river to share below the weir.
We had to back off as we neared the weir due to the congestion and once we had skidded onto the
weir found ourselves stuck amongst the crowd of squirming boats trying to wriggle their way down.
Our driver Matt, leapt from the front seat and pulled us down and away we went.
We slowly worked our way through the slower paddlers from the preceding grids and set about
hunting down the faster paddlers.
Some of the top ten paddlers held our wash as we passed for a while but as we twisted our way
through narrower section of the river they fell away off our stern.
By 12km into the race were left chasing the lead open mens k1 pack of 6.
We set ourselves the goal of catching them by Katrine Bridge, 17km into the race.
As we approached the pack some 2km from the bridge we put on a spurt of speed and overtook
without any of them giving chase.
At the first major spectator point at Katrine Bridge we were met with cheers and applause and it
lifted us.
The next obstacle to be tackled was Glen Avon rapid and it wasn’t a great start for our first rapid
getting hung up on a rock just prior to the rapid and having lost all our momentum, we decided to
pull to the side and portage. This gave the leading means K1 pack time to shoot the rapid and retake
the lead.
We got around the rapid without incident and headed off once again in pursuit.
We chased them down within a few kilometres and once again went to the lead.
At extracts weir, a crowd favourite as the power boats generally have big collisions with rocks there,
we took the safer option of portaging.
The rest of the day up to the tea tree we enjoyed the now sunshine and intermittent groups of
spectators camped on the riverbanks clapping and cheering.
Even though there is tea tree spread throughout the race, the last 10km of the day, coming after
paddling almost 50km is known as the tea tree section as it has thick sections of continuous tea tree.
As we neared the end of the last long pool before entering the tea tree, we stopped paddling,
splashed water on our faces, took a big drink from our drink bladders and powered up.
Our plan was clear, follow Matts steering directions, keep the power on whenever possible, and the
unspoken lesson from the day before was, don’t get your paddle caught in the tree lest it be prized
from your grasp.
Matt drove the K3 like it was stolen, we sliced through the tea tree like it was a highway and yipped
and yahooed with every section we cleared without incident.
After an easy line down Posselts Ford in the high water the last obstacle for the day was Leatherhead
rapid. A quick right, then left turn through thick tea tree, dropped into the foaming white wall, and
we were through the tight rapid and into the clear, we powered on to the line and took day one line
honours by 5 minutes.
Taking into our Grid start time, we now led by 7 minutes….and boy were we happy!
Finishing early afternoon was a real blessing, we had time to soak up the result, compare the day
with the leading mens K1 paddlers then head into Toodyay to enjoy a big burger at a local café as the
race crowds walked the towns streets and enjoyed the family festival by the river.
We then headed back to our accommodation where we could nap, stretch and refuel ready for day
two.
Day two was an early start, up at 4.30am, porridge and coffee for breakfast.
We wouldn’t be returning to our accommodation as the next stop was Perth so all our gear had to
be packed in the car then off to the start line. As we arrived in darkness the 2 degrees made itself
felt as we got out of the car. Being off on the first grid we didn’t want to chance being late to arrive
as lots of cars have to get in to a small area with one road in. This meant standing around a long time
waiting for the start. I chose to find a spot by a campfire to stretch and get the body ready as a
steady stream of cares poured into the race start area.
About 25 minutes before the race Matt and Ben sent the support crew out to find me as I lingered
by the campfire struggling to get the aching body ready to commit to the long paddle ahead.
Once on the water and turning the arms over the beauty of the fog on the water, the glow of the
spot lights through the fog, the steady count down of the huge LED display screen and the shouts of
encouragement from the river banks quickly pushed the thoughts of the cold to the back of my
mind.
We were called up to the line, together with the three leading open mens K1 paddlers for the first
grid away. Within 100 metres of the start we are back into tea tree so we make the decision to allow
the K1’s to get off the line ahead of us to avoid an inadvertent collisions.
However soon after entering the tea tree the K1’s head off down a different channel than we had
decided to take on the Friday training run. A few minutes later as the tea tree gave way to open
water once again we came out in front of the three K1’s.
Much of the first half of the valley we led the K1’s through the rapids and occasionally Brendan Rice
came past to lead for a short period. As the rapids ticked by, we eventually noticed they were no
longer behind us and we carried on alone through the valley. The cold numbed our fingers and we
took turns encouraging one another as the sun started to hit our back and warm our shoulders.
As we passed through the major rapids we gave quick whoops and yeehaa’s as the relief from
getting by another potential race ending obstacle bubble to the surface.
The shout that Matt gave as we rounded the bottom turn of Sids rapids told me he had genuine
concern for what that rapid can do, and combined with the roar of the spectators at the bottom of
the rapid gave me Goosebumps.
We were now into Walyunga National Park and there was only a handful of rapids left to tackle.
As we neared Bells Rapids, the natural amphitheatre that is crowded with spectators echoed with
the race commentary.
At the bottom of a big drop we had to try to turn the K3 in a very small space filled with swirling,
foaming water so as not to be pushed into a big slab of rock that claims many paddlers by flipping
them every year. So Matt was endeavouring to line us up to the left of the approach so to reduce the
angle we had to turn out of the rapid. Unfortunately in concentrating on the line to the main drop
we ran up and over a huge rock which slowed our speed and left us pushing to regain momentum as
we hot the rapid. It wasn’t pretty, but somehow we got down and with frantic paddle strokes turned
the K3, narrowly avoiding the slab of rock before being carried into the next section of rapids. While
Matt was expressing relief, Ben and I could feel water at our feet. As we went through the next
series of rapids the boat became heavier and we had decided we needed to stop to empty it after
the last of the rapids over the Bells rapids section.
As we approached the final rapid….for the race Matt attempted to steer us around a large rock,
but…..she wouldn’t turn in time and bang, we went nose first into it. After a brief shudder we turned
and now found ourselves being turned sideways against the rock, extremely dangerous! We quickly
pushed forward and somehow once again escaped disaster, shotting through and clear of the rapid
but with a wounded boat taking on water fast. We could feel water at our calves.
We pulled over to the bank some 150 metres down and set about patching the bow with gaffer tape.
Fully expecting to be caught with the time taken to empty and patch the boat we took off again with
renewed energy to make up for lost time.
With no more rapids to tackle and just a few bends in the river to negotiate we now knew that we
just had to get into the zone and keep our rating up. Our support crew managed to get full drink
bladders to us at Amiens Rd while we kept moving and we now felt equipped to get through to the
finish.
At middle swan reserve 15km from the finish our support crew had a mars bar (chocolate) ready for
us and we enjoyed the taste of something different than gel shots and electrolyte drink to carry us
home.
The last 15km was a great time to reflect on the day, the long stretches of river allowed us to look
back and know we weren’t going to be caught, we could shout out thank-you to the many spectators
enjoying the sunshine by the river calling out words of encouragement and clapping.
During club training sessions that section of the river can feel like it will never end, but for us,
heading to a win, it just vanished before us.
As we approached the finish line we decided to celebrate by jumping simultaneously from the boat
into the river (in my mind it was as if we were thanking the river for letting us wait until the finish
before we swam).
As we regained our feet shared high fives and hugs, we did it, the first K3 to win the Avon Descent in
its 42 year history.
Brett McDonald,