02/11/2003

Paddled Last Week (archive 2000)

These are some short reports of what we paddled. Sorry if some reports are only  in Dutch, they 're meant to be quick little stories, so not much editing, straight online.

Iets leuks gevaren vorig weekend ? Wil je er iets over kwijt, een kort leuk verslagje ? Laat eens iets horen, en misschien vind je het terug op deze pagina.

Here are some short reports: 

Paddled Last Week 2001

16-17 December 2000: Prüm, Irreler Wasserfälle(G) and playspot in Donchery(Fr)

Prüm, Irreler Wasserfälle(G)

Hye there, just got a great weekend. I arrived a bit late at the Wasserfälle to join the Fokiwa team. They had just started there second descend. The first one was kind of spectacular 'cause Mike playboated himself under a tree. I don't know exact what happened, but it ended well. You can see pickies of the event on the Fokiwa site.
The Prüm was at a level of about 114cm, which is pretty high, parts of the rapid are pretty close to being grade IV. But most of the rocks are still popping out of the water which wasn't the case last year at Christmas. I joined the Fokiwa's for a last descend, a bit quick but great, very powerful currents, nice waves, great playholes but stay concentrated, the water powerful.
Finally we paddled the Prüm all the way down past the ending of the Nims. Ies found a nice wave there, while was he was looking for a lost paddle. So we ended doing some surfing. Very stable wave for endless surfing but too flat for any moves.

That evening we went back to Belgium to sleep at the Camping Chalet Weekend.

Playspot in Donchery(Fr)

Sunday was playboating time. The wave in Donchery was great as always. I had never seen the water this high and the wave had become almost totally green. A local said that the day before the water was even higher and that the wave was almost totally flattened out. No surfing possible. Apparently the water had gone down a bit but the wave was still very fast, just one meter was a bit broken. But because the water was this high there was a very big eddy along the wave, great. At lower levels, the wave is more broken, more retentative, but the eddy is small and turbulent.
First up was the Disco, the wave was too fast, only in the broken part you could keep it on and spin. All the other boats, Riot Prankster, Dagger Vertigo, Infrared, Ultrafuge, had no problem surfing the fast wave.
Ies, EJ, Eric, Tom and I, all managed the spin 180° without much problems but fluent 360's were seldom done. I managed to spin the Vertigo 180°, backsurf a bit, very controlled, and then use the broken part to spin back, greeeeaat. But no 360° flatspins like the week before in the Vertigo and the Zwo and almost the Kendo.
The wave wasn't steep enough and very fast. But still f*cking great to surf on. This all untill I tried Tom's new Dagger Ultrafuge. It was incredibly loose, you can't imagine how. This thing didn't stop spinning. You could fluently do 360's and go on 720, 1040, both left and right, on the green wave. Of course I was a bit lucky being so light, EJ wasn't and he kind of had to struggle a bit staying on, making him very jealous, so now has gone pluck my feathers :-)
But the thing I enjoyed the most was my first 360° CLEAN flatspin, followed by a dozen others, both left and right. A clean flatspin is, giving only one paddlestroke to engage a spin and then put the paddle above your head and spin 360°, just ffffffooooooookiwaaaa. Even a 540 clean spin wasn't far away.
The others also succeeded in doing some blunts but that wasn't easy. Anyway, Donchery, we 'll definably be back soon.

Pictures of the Prüm and Donchery on Fokiwa.com

hope to see you all soon Ies, Eric & Kim, EJ & Jolanda, Tom and Mike.
By Birdy

More pics of the week before in Donchery by Baudouin, 10 dec.

13-15 augustus: Rews Club Weekend aan de Canche(Fr)

Naar jaarlijkse traditie trok de Gentse club naar Beauraingville aan de oevers van de Canche. Zo'n clubweekend is gewoon gezellig samen zijn en varen op de Canche, op zee en een enkeling ook op de Somme. 't Is niets extreems, wat  varen, soms ook zwemmen, een glaasje heffen, vertellen over de voorbije reizen, ...   een leuke afsluiter van de zomervakantie. Velen waren afgekomen met het hele gezin, dus veel kinderen aanwezig die voor een gezellige drukte zorgden.

Iedereen kwam aan z'n trekken, de toervaarders en de kinderen vaarden in kajaks en kano's verschillende stukken op Canche en zijrivieren. Enkele zeekajakkers zijn de monding van de Authie in zee gaan verkennen.  Op 't golfke aan de camping kon men wat rodeovaren. En voor het zwaardere rodeowerk kon men aan de Somme gaan. Toch was de uitspringer van 't weekend de rodeowedstrijd op de Canche 'by night'. 

---International Rews Canche Rodeo Wedstrijd---

Helaas kwam ik een beetje te laat terug  van de Somme. En het hoogtepunt van het weekend, de 'international' Rews Canche Rodeo wedstrijd was al begonnen. Een kleine 20 'freaks' waren by night te water gegaan om de gekste figuren te maken. Het alternatieve reglement en de originele verlichting zorgde voor een te gek en vooral sfeervol gebeuren.

Iedereen werd gemotiveerd om deel te nemen, groot en klein, beginner of ervaren. Helaas namen er geen locale Fransen deel. Hierdoor was het internationale aspect beperkt tot de Belgische, Franse en Nederlandse supporters. Maar 't was toch te gek om enkele toervaarders in een rodeoboot aan 't werk te zien. Dankzij de security liepen alle zwempartijen goed af. In 't donker alle onderdelen van zo'n zwemmove recupereren, vergt wel enige coördinatie. En eigenlijk was die er helemaal niet, maar iedereen hielp gewoon iedereen toen de kreet 'zweeeeeemmer' over het water galmde.
De wedstrijd duurde een goed uurtje waarin iedereen vrij kon tonen wat hij kon. Tijdens of na elke move moesten de kandidaten een 'Tarzan'kreet slaan om de aandacht van de jury te trekken en deze te imponeren, aaaiiaiaiaiaiaiaiaiaiaiiaiaiiiyyeeehhaaa.  Dit zorgde ervoor dat je je laatste adem aan de kreet spendeerde, alvorens om te gaan met open mond. En dit is niet de ideale manier om je eskimotage op te zetten, hé Pol.

't Water stond nogal hoog dus er was geen gat maar eerder een golf. Deze was niet te hoog en redelijk snel dus om eventjes te surfen moest je wat meewerken. Maar door de krachtige stroming was er wel een goeie keerwaterlijn om soleils en eddyline cartwheels te maken. Ons stuntteam uit Kortrijk en omstreken, dat speciaal overgekomen was, maakte hier deftig gebruik van om de show te stelen. De zwo, mr clean en pinball zagen 'alle kanten' van het water. 'Cisse in de mr clean maakte volgens de jury de mooiste figuur maar toch was het onze kleinste in z'n piranha die volgens de jury de beste algemene prestatie afleverde, proficiat Bertje.

Het gaslampje dat schitterde naast de golf was eigenlijk het gezelligste. Toch waren velen blij toen het langzaam omhoog gehaald werd en dit het einde van de wedstrijd aankondigde. Of waren ze blij om wat erna komen zou., ... dorst, dorst.

13-15 augustus: Rews Club Weekend, Playboaten aan de Somme.

Op clubweekend ben ik ook even van de Canche afgezakt naar St-Valery-sur-Somme. Het getij zat eerst nog niet goed, dus ben ik een beetje doorgereden naar Picquigni om een stukje op de Somme te verkennen. Er is daar een klasse 2 slalom parcourtje en hier en daar ook een smurfgolfke.
Eenmaal terug aan de Somme trof ik nog 3 Fransen aan. Samen konden we zien dat beide sluizen onderaan open stonden, weinig golf dus. Maar er was wel een golf aan de bovenste sluizen. En dan nog een mega-golf met mega-turbulentie. Soms sloeg het gespetter van de stopper tot 2 meter de hoogte in. Van op zij kwam er ook nog een sterke stroming van de 2e sluisdeur die niet volledig dicht was. Dit leidde tot extra turbulentie en een soms onzuivere golf. Niemand zag het zo zitten zich erop te wagen, maar na een tijdje opwarmen probeerde één van de Fransen het toch. Helaas niet zo geslaagd, hij sloeg om en zwom. Maar ondertussen hadden wij wel gezien dat de golf redelijk onschuldig was en uitspoelde, doch zeeer krachtig.

Al rap doorkruisten we het gevaarte, soms rechtop, soms anders, soms toch efkes 3 seconden surfen. Figuren maken lukte niet direct, te ongestructureerd. Maar toch, plots bleef ik boven op de stopper hangen, de ideale positie om een figuur in te zetten. En dat lukte ook, een beetje gas geven en afdalen naar 't groene voor de stopper. Zonder veel erg slaat m'n neus onmiddellijk onder en de krachtige stroming katapulteert m'n bootje de hoogte in. Oef, denk ik, chandel en eruit. Maar nee, tegen m'n verwachtingen in maak in m'n aller eerste looping en tot m'n spijt beland ik 'gewoonweg' terug in 't gat.
Een menigte die zich ondertussen op de kant verzameld heeft, applaudisseert en roept luid. Ik heb geen tijd om verwonderd op te kijken want de stopper duwt me om en ik beland ergens in de turbulentie achter de golf. Wanneer ik rechtop rol vertellen de Fransen me dat ze niet veel gezien hebben, ze zagen alleen m'n bootje passeren in de lucht om dan terug opgeslokt te worden door de golf.
Te geeek, daarna volgen nog enkele unintendo's, de golf doet gewoon met ons wat ze wilt. Tot vlak voor 't einde die Fransman die gezwommen had, hem op de golf zet, gewoon een vloeiende flatspin maakt, gevolgd door een simpele cartwheel. Kiiiiccccken. Yoo yoo yoo. Alsof het niets was. Gewoon effe spinnen. 
Hierna besloten we er maar mee te stoppen, niemand kon dat nog overtroeven. 't Was ondertussen kwart voor negen en om half tien begon de Rews Rodeo Wedstrijd op de Canche (zie hierboven voor het verslagje).

Als er dus 2 sluizen open staan beneden, kan er dus toch nog leuk zijn aan de Somme. Maar hopelijk is er de volgende keer toch één dicht. 

Ondertussen ben ik nog een keer naar de Somme geweest, 26 aug '00, en moet ik deze woorden terugnemen. Er stond minder water, en toch 2 sluizen open. Volgens de waterstand en de getijden was het nochtans niet nodig om 2 sluizen te openen. Dus geen grote golf beneden, slechts wat gekabbel waar je amper kon op surfen.
Maar doordat boven de schuif slechts half geopend was, was daar ook geen golf. Pech dus. Er was wel een zeer krachtige stroming met keerwater. Dus hebben we ons wel geamuseerd met wat te cartwheelen over de keerwaterlijn en ook wat soleils en  chandellekes te maken. Dus toch leuk maar de 250km rit niet waard.

Boat reviews April 2000

I'm currently looking for another boat so I 've been testing some. I had a go in the Centrifuge, Prozone, XXX, Disco, also less recent models, the Mr Clean, Medieval and Pinball. 

I've tested the Centrifuge and the Prozone in Germany on the Erft while team Fokiwa was paddling there. 

I normally paddle the old big Vertigo and if a spot is big enough I can cartwheel, but I'm better in spinning on waves. So when I got in the Centrifuge, it felt really great. Dip the nose, paddle hard and I got it almost vertical the first try. I'm a quite light paddler, 65kg. The wave was too small to do anything on, but surfing went great. The eddy line was better, so my first attempt to cartwheel going over the eddy line went great. I immediately got it right. A bit beginners luck, 'cause the following attempts didn't always succeed. Great little boat. Very comfy. 

The Prozone was next and that didn't go as well. I felt like I was sitting higher, that's good for a playboat. But it felt really unstable, a bit trickier. I didn't succeed at all in doing any eddy line cartwheels. Some squirts went well. And even when I crossed the current, I often caught an edge and went over. I also needed a good roll to get up. Sorry, but I didn't feel at easy in it. The Centrifuge was just layback and enjoy for me. I think perhaps more advanced paddlers like the Prozone giving them the best performance, as for the Centrifuge, it hasn't got the hardest chines and is it bit more forgiving and comfy.
But maybe it takes a bit more than just a 15 minute ride to make up your mind. 'Cause when, Eric, the owner got back in the boat, he put on a show in it that would make anyone jealous.

The next up where the XXX and the Disco. I 've tested them in France on the course Isla De La Sierra in Sault-Brenaz.

When I finally got squeezed into the XXX, it went great. Wonderful boat if you can fit in it. Flat wheels succeeded almost immediately. This was the first time it went that easy for me. Then I took it on a 30cm high
wave that was only breaking a bit. It was incredibly loose, felt like I was sitting on a dinner plate and spinning. I also spun it around in a bigger more violent, but very shallow hole. It didn't do as well as the Disco and the Mr Clean, not that it isn't that good, but the low volume ends tended to go under, going more vertical into mc twist and cartwheel. And that wasn't possible in this hole. So I had to work a bit to keep this baby flat. You also need to keep it the XXX  upright to prevent the hard chines from catching the flow. But that was no problem. This was definitely the boat I liked the most, unfortunately my feet didn't agree.

The first thing I noticed when I got into the Disco, is that it's very high and of course short. I 'm not used to pulling my spraydeck up that high. On the first 40 cm high drop I did an easy wavewheel, then I spun it easily on the 30 cm high wave. He's as loose as the XXX, maybe more. They say that is fast being such a short boat, perhaps on a wave, but ferrying between the spots I did had to paddle firm .

I also spun it around in the bigger shallow hole. And this went really great. When the owner of the boat started off things really got loose, blasting, spinning, backblasting. It always went that great that he would start cartwheeling, but then he sometimes hit the bottom and he would need to work a bit to get back in the hole. Really a crazy little boat.  The only boaters that would almost match up to this, paddled a Mr Clean. The Lettman Pinball did also great, 'cause the hole was shallow and it's also a short boat. The Disco is the boat you need when the playspots near you are shallow. On Sault-Brenaz course, it was the best boat you could have.

The ride I had in the disco was very short because the third time I entered the hole, a beginner coming from upstream couldn't stop or avoid me and smashed her blade into me eye. So my first ride in the Disco ended up in the hospital for 5 stitches and a big blue eye ;-(
(Could I ask the paparazzo's, that made some photo's of the result of the crash, to mail me some of their pickies? If the Dutch girl ever reads this, feel free to react.)

Hopefully I can try these boats again in a deeper playspot.
Bleu eyed Birdy

Eastern Weekend April 2000: French Alps

You can find the following report, joined by some pictures, on an separate page now.

We had a great time, lots of sunshine, little rain, great paddling. First we passed by the Goncelin wave on the Isère. Water was a bit low but it did get better in the afternoon. The wave was green and broken, but the broken part was hard to reach. When the water went up and the wave became steeper, up to 80cm high, you could flat spin, 180°, on the green wave and back surf a bit.
Then we went to Bourg-Saint-Mourice. Water was also low, 'cause they were working on the dam and it was open all the time. That natural flow gave us about 20 cbm's on the Isère, low but fun, and not always that easy.
When we finally ended up on the ww-course in Sault-Brenaz, we did some great hole riding, untill ... Monday late afternoon, I was checking out the Riot Disco, great little spinning machine, especially in shallow playspots, when suddenly a Dutch girl, a Europagaai-kayak-course-student, coming from upstream crashed into the hole which I was riding. Because she came so suddenly out of the blur, I couldn't get out of the hole. She being a student couldn't avoid me. She just paddled in without stopping or looking. And I don't know why but all I remember was she sticking her paddle out in front of her, smashing the blade right onto my left eye, and me straight into the hospital. Hé, it's nobody 's fault, just an accident.
Everything went black for a moment, when I handrolled back up, got to shore, all I saw and tasted was blood. The girls' instructor helped me onto the dry. She swam to the other shore and that's all I ever saw of her.
Finally the eye is ok, just a very nasty cut and 5 stitches on my eyebrow, and it is so badly swollen, that I can't open it anymore. It's so blue that's it's really spooky.
(Could I ask the paparazzo's, that made some photo's of the result of the crash, to mail me some of their pickies? If the Dutch girl ever reads this, feel free to react.)

I ll' put some pic's online in the coming weeks, and in the meanwhile no more paddling for me.

Bye One-eyed-Birdy.

Sunday 16 april 2000: Erft near Neuss, Germany and Luik/Liège

Paid a little visit to our friends Team Fokiwa last sunday. They were paddling at the Erft(G). Lots of paddlers, lots of sunshine, but only a bit of water, ...  nevertheless great atmosphere. It was a while since I had been there and also since I 've seen Fokiwa. But they 're still the same happy bunch of anarchistic playboaters paddling the newest types of boats. The water was rather low, no big wave at the top, but great eddy lines. The hole below is always great  for a bit of  playboating and smashing up each others lips when it's getting crowded, hé Nils.

Due to the low water, I couldn't do much in my voluminous Vertigo. And seeing the Dagger Centrifuge and the Piranha Prozone tumbling, squirting and wheeling around, made me really get depressed. Finally I had a go in both of them, the centrifuge was sublime, squirts, no problem, even did some off-vertical wheels. The Prozone was a bit trickier, not so forgiving, didn't roll that easy either. A bit to much for me, but once Eric started off, any move was possible. 'Thanks ies and Eric. Sorry I didn't stay for the drink afterwards.'

But instead I headed for Luik/Liège(B) to check some spots. I didn't meet any paddlers there anymore, apparently everybody had left or they didn't show up. But it was getting late and it started raining. So I didn't paddle anymore but had a look and this is what I saw.

16 april 2000
 -1-The big automtic weir in the center of Tilff is up and dangerous. -2-This means that the water can flow along the old weir at the former canoe club. This isn't a rodeospot but 300 meters of ww grade I-II. So if you want your girlfriend to learn how to take her first eddy while the sun is shining brightly in summer, this might be the spot. Maybe you might squirt a bit during these lessons... 
-3-The automatic weir near Embourg, 1 km  upstream from the Club Mava, is still down, but water is low. It isn't breaking anymore, the stopper is gone and it's totally green, but endlessly surfing is possible, blunts, cartwheels will be very difficult.
-4- Mava in Sauheid was great, a very powerful hole. After the drop there still is a bit of a wave and then a powerfull stopper, just like the old pickies I once made. So cartwheel mania and enders that make you flip to heaven.
-5- Finally I went for a new spot, the big weir on the Ourthe when it enters the city of Luik, after the Vesdre (polution??) has joined in. When you're in Luik, follow the signs 'Ardennes', this will lead you to the highway A25. Just before you leave the center and get on the A25, you will pass the shopping center 'Belle-île', follow these signs. At the shopping center, follow the water upstream 'till you see the weir. 
The first  wave is seems to be a small innocent one. It 's a great breaking wave like La Roche, Barveaux or automatic weir near Embourg. I don't know how powerful and deep it is, but it's 20m wide. Great surfing, spinning and, if deep enough, wheeling possibilities.
-6- A bit further upstream are some big concrete boulders and the big weir. Left and right a gates, in the middle a big wall. Two gates on the right bank were pulled up a bit and the water came crushing out violently underneath. When this speedy water bumped into the slower water, it formed two big waves.
One was very fast wave, a bit of a stopper, I guess 40 cm high. Behind it enough time to roll before bumping into the boulders and a big eddy along the side. (May: I've heard both spots are to shallow to be fun, also considering the risk.)
The other was a bit bigger, also speedy but it had a giant stopper, definitely 3m wide and 80 cm high. The problem was that it was situated next to the big wall forming riverbank, so no exit there, just some smashing up. There is no eddy along that side. And if you succeed to get out of it, the powerful current will get you between the big concrete boulders in no time. So I think it's interesting to have a very fast roll. I've made some pickies of them, but as usual they won't be online 'till next week.
Nevertheless I don't really know if these last two waves are any good for playboating and I certainly don't know how save they are. I didn't feel like checking them out solo, but they did look teasingly tempting.  Next time I'll visit them with the locals, so Vincent and Jacques, see you soon.

Sunday 19 march 2000: Nortern-France, the Canche and the Somme

'Cause the tidal wave on the Somme only was on from 16u00, we first checked out a smaller spot on the Canche. This spot near Beaurianville wasn't good. In summer when the water is lower, there are two small breaking  waves. Now there was too much water, pushing very hard, but not forming a structured wave you could surf on.  The local slalompaddlers had a great time, but we playboaters had to settle for some great squirtmoves-soleils. After having changed boats, I also managed to do some enders in Steven's new Triple X. But my squeezed-in feet did like this a lot.

So in the afternoon we went to the Somme. When we arrived there, I think around 15u30, the wave was already on, and it was huge. Great wave, 80 cm high, with a 2 meter wide giant stopper in the middle. Knowing it only was going to grow, we started off at ease.  The first ride was great, but uncontrolled. The big stopper kept pushing me down, while surfing in front of it. It kept throwing from left to right, very nervously. Only on the side, it was possible to surf,  straight forward, controlled, building up to go for a move. When Steven entered I left. He didn't stay on long, 'cause it was his first time surfing on such a monster and first time in his new XXX.
The second wave was green , no stopper, also very fast. Good for the slalomboats, poloboats and a fly, who also were paddling there. But the short, flathulled playboats had to work a bit to stay on.
Unfortunately when I entered the big first wave for the second time, the stopper had vanished. The wave was growing and growing, finally up to a one-meter,  maybe 1m20-high, but not breaking. It was situated between the walls of the weir but very easy to enter. Once you were up there, you could stay there and I mean stay there. And when Steven  finally managed to get on there, that was what he did, stay there. He 's the new young talent in our club, but "hey Steven, you don't own the wave once your up there".  

You could surf heavenly, endlessly, unfortunately you couldn't go for any moves. You could carve left, right, push down and up and throw everything down again, attempting an ollie or some air time. Perhaps you could attempt spin on a this green wave, but although it was big, it also was narrow at the top and also fast. So we didn't succeed in spinning. And if anybody can blunt on a speedy, 2-meter-wide, green wave, I 'll be glad to invite you and come and show me next time. Eventually we tried another kind of move, something special, the bananatrick. We 've been fantasizing about it for a while, but now we decided to have a go.  Mission: get on the wave, throw the paddle away, take out a banana, peel the banana and finally eat the banana. And you know what, I did it, just when Steven wanted to take a bite, we bumped and I flushed off. During the trick I didn't throw the paddle away because we were between the brick walls, no eddy to throw the paddle in. I just kept the banana and the paddle in the one hand and peeled with the other.

There also was a third wave, halfway towards the turbulence behind the first two waves. This one was one hell of a white breaking monster, big, but not steady.  Every time, more or less on the count of three, it collapsed, eating everything in front of it. And when you were there, you were going down with it. It then first kept you under for a second and then spit you out. So it was the only breaking wave, but so irregularly, that the only moves you could do were unintendo's. We did several enders, squirts-soleils, once a shuvit and a two-second-backsurf, but all accidentally. 

So we had lots of fun after all. We made some pictures, but as usual, they 'll be online in ... a couple of weeks ?(now online)? You can also see some old pickies when we were over there on the new boat page but that time there was a stopper. Hopefully there will be one next time, so we can go for some moves.

Bye Birdy   

Sunday 7 feb 2000: Ardennes, La Roche, Barvaux

As expected, water was low, but there was some. So we paddled  near Houffalize at mini-mini level.
Afterwards we played in La Roche, green and broken wave, great flatspinning, very forgiving, easy surf, lots of fun. The picture shows me surfing on the spot in La Roche. Just on my left is a part of the wave that breaks, you could turn 180° there. There also was a bigger stopper near the left bank.  Sometimes the wave is totally green and no stopper. And when the metal plate is up it becomes dangerous.

Then the wave in Barvaux, which was very unforgiving, and very difficult to get in. It was partly broken and partly green, but certainly ten  times as powerful as the wave in La Roche.  The main problem was that there was no eddy to get back onto the  wave. So we entered only a couple of times which resulted in some flatspins and some enders. I think cartwheeling was possible but by the time I got to that part 'me little candle was out', to much effort was needed to get back in. Watch out, the playspot was left bank, right bank was a dangerous 'rappel', if anybody entered there last weekend, he wouldn't got out of it!

Had a great time with Rainer, Steven and Piet.
Birdy

Zaterdag 22 jan 2000: Zwalm (Oost-Vlaanderen, B)

Rews kayakclub hield initiatie wildwater varen op de Midden-Lesse. Helaas kon ik niet mee, dus heb ik in de namiddag het water iets dichter opgezocht.

De Zwalm, 20 km van Gent, was de bestemming samen met Steven. Maar 't was nu eens niet ver rijden en juist nu begaf m'n autootje het. Hierbij delen wij U het heengaan mede van onze zeer gewaardeerde Grijze Opel Kaddet na 16 jaar, waarvan hij ons 3 jaar alle uithoeken van de Ardennen, Hoge Venen, Eifel en Luxemburg heeft getoond.  Dus na depannage bereiken we de Zwalm. Er stond 75cm in Nederzwalm. Het bovenste stuwke had te weinig water om te kunnen chandellen, maar 't was toch leuk. Spectaculairste wat we konden doen, was nen blast. Dat is ondersnijden, je neus op het stuwke zetten, en dan surfen met je staart onder de stopper, in het gat. Ge kunt dà wel maar een paar seconden volhouden. Dat geeft veel gespetter, dus toch ietske spectaculair.

Het onderste stuwke  vond Steven leuker. Daar kon ge ook blasten, maar vooral zijwaarts surfen en threesixties, maken. Geen echte flatspins, daarvoor waren ze niet vloeiend genoeg. Maar 't was dus heel technisch voorzichtig leunen naar de goede kanten en zo je boot heel subliem, bijna perfect leren controleren. Je kon zelfs heel voorzichtig super clean threesixties maken, dus 360° zonder één enkele paddelslag, ook niet om de rotatie in te zetten.
't Was een klein golfke maar toch meer Steven zijnen tik, in vergelijking met de grote gaten in Tilff, op de Warche en de wals in Donchery-sur-Meuse.
We konden ook ernaast in een mini-rappel gaan hangen. Maar ik vond dat nou net iets minder leuk. Der is daar zo'n rappeleke gelijk aan de Virée Du Gève op de Lesse. Aan de Zwalm is 't iets minder, maar ons bootjes pasten net tussen de stuwmuurkes, of beter ... net niet. Dus ge kon lekker vast zitten, 't is wel maar 10 à 15 cm diep dus geen probleem om efkes uit te stappen en uw bootje der van tussen te sleuren.

Allé, 't Was dus mini-mini-surf op de Zwalm. ( En daarna goeeee douchen...)

(Er was al een verslagje van de Zwalm, volg link. Wil je nog info over de Zwalm, mail me.)
Birdy

You 've got a nice story, mail me.

Birdy

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