Join Our Slalom Team

And have fun with one of the most exciting sports there is; at the top level slalom involves paddling down rapids, whilst manoeuvring a canoe or kayak through s set course of gates (poles hung above the water). At entry level you move the boat through gates on flat water and as your skill builds up and you get promoted through the divisions you paddle on rougher water, with tougher competition.

To get started, you do not need any experience as we will teach you and we will provide you with all the kit you require. We use facilities at Harefield, which have been recently revamped and have previously been use by a number of British international paddlers, including gold medal winners at the Olympic games.

The Sharks have a number of paddlers who take part in slalom regularly and we want to build this number. During the Summer months we train at Harefield, this has usually been on a Monday, we have also used the Lee Valley course; the site of the 2012 Olympics.

Every year The Sharks hold a national ranking division 3 and 4 (entry level) slalom event at Harefield this year it will be on the weekend of August 16th and 20th, in 2017 we are also going to hold a division 3 and 4 slalom at Shepperton on 16th and 17th September.

For more information about slalom canoeing visit their website.

Slalom Canoeing

Slalom Canoeing is an Olympic event that The Sharks take part in, and it is something that Britain does rather well at having got the current Olympic Gold medallist in C2 and a long record of world champions in this discipline.

We hold slalom sessions at Harefield every Monday evening during the Summer months (April – October) and on Saturday mornings during the Winter months, a site which has been used by many of Britain’s top paddlers for training. If you would like to try your hand at slalom canoeing then get in touch; on 07951 770241, or email; canoeing@thesharks.org.uk.

Slalom canoeing involves negotiating a course marked out by gates (poles suspended above the water) on moving and often very rough water.

Paddlers start out on slow moving streams and as they improve they get promoted through the national ranking divisions, where they will find the water gets tougher as well as the standard of competition.

Slalom is competed in Kayaks and Canoes K1, C1 and C2, for both men and women. There are five divisions; Premier, Division 1, 2, 3 and entry level is at Division 4.