*|October 2019 Newsletter|*

Welcome to Paddle Pulse, the community newsletter for paddling in Australia

Paddle Australia is delighted to be relaunching an e-newsletter to keep all of our existing and new members up to date with everything that's happening in our paddling community.

Discover stories of inspirational recreational paddlers, places to explore, helpful safety and education tips, and the latest news from around the paddling world in our monthly updates delivered to your inbox. Reading this first edition really highlights the diversity and excitement of paddling. If you have stories or photos to share, please send them to us at info@paddle.org.au.

We look forward to keeping you informed of all the great things happening within the paddling community.
Until next time, all the best in paddling!

LATEST NEWS

2019 ICF Stand Up Paddling World Championships, Qingdao, China.
Photo credit: Georgia Shofield Photography

SUP Debuts on Paddling World Stage

Stand Up Paddling has become more and more popular in recent years, leading to the first ever ICF Stand Up Paddling World Championships in Qingdao, China, over the weekend.

Congratulations to all those Australian paddlers involved in the event. The great results, and the background of those that achieved them, again reinforces that SUP is very much a paddling discipline, with all our medallists having strong kayak and surf ski pedigrees.

In recognition of this, the board of Paddle Australia recently agreed to the formation of a SUP Discipline Committee. We look forward to working closely with those involved to support and encourage SUP as a part of our United Paddling Community. If you'd like to know more, please don't hesitate to contact us!

Click here for a wrap of the 2019 ICF Stand Up Paddling World Championships >>>

Watch the interview with Michael Booth, Australia's first ICF SUP World Champion, who explains how his love of paddling led him to trying, and excelling, in a range of disciplines.

Paddle Australia is delighted to become part of Sporting Schools. Paddle Discovery and Paddle Ball will now be included in the list of sports programs offered by more than 30 National Sporting Organisations. Being part of this program will enable secondary school age children to experience the sport of paddling, many for the first time.

Sporting Schools supports the delivery of attractive and relevant sporting experiences to children in a wide range of sports and activities. Paddle Australia is delighted to be part of such an important program. We look forward to introducing more children to the unique benefits that paddling offers.

Watch our website and social media feeds for more information very soon.

Ready Steady Tokyo

Nine months out from the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, Paddle Australia has travelled to Tokyo with four canoe slalom paddlers to test the waters after the Tokyo 2020 canoe slalom venue opened its doors for the first test events.

Paddlers from 28 countries have made the journey to Tokyo, with the slalom venue also attracting interest beyond the paddling world.

Paddle Australia’s canoe slalom athletes also welcomed high profile visitors at Kasai Canoe Slalom Centre with Australia’s Governor General His Excellencies General the Honourable David Hurley and Mrs Hurley visiting the team.

>>> Read the full story here

MEMBER UPDATES

New Membership & Events Portal Now Live

Paddle Australia is delighted to announce that our new Membership and Events Portal, GoMembership, is now live for all members of Paddle Australia, our State Member Associations (SMAs) and Affiliated Clubs.

“Paddle Australia’s [and the SMAs] initiative to implement the GoMembership platform should be applauded,” says Mark Bretag, Secretary of Newy Paddlers. “There are many benefits, no one more important than uniting the paddling community with a consistent message that paddling is a sport to be loved and enjoyed."

"As a club we are particularly excited with how it will streamline administration and give us the ability to customise what we want and how to communicate with our members. The end result is more time on the water, which makes us all happy”.

Read more here

TIPS, TRICKS & HANDY TOOLS

Know Your Weather When You're Paddling

Weather and water conditions are essential factors in how safe and enjoyable your paddling will be.

The Bureau of Meteorology has put together a blog with lots of useful links so you can make the most of your time on the water.

Spring is in the air and with warmer weather on its way, many of you will be enjoying a paddle - the best way to explore our diverse waterways.

Know your weather: kayaking, canoeing and rafting >>>

Looking for More Places to Paddle?

The Waterways Guide is a community-based online paddling guide which provides maps, photos, real time weather and river data, access points, trails and camping spots.

>>> Click here for more information about the website and app!

Refresh Your Skills

Refresh your paddling skills with the help of some great online resources!

Check out this series of webinars for some handy pointers on kayak stroke and rescue techniques.

View more >>>

PLACES TO EXPLORE

The Whitsunday Islands

The Whitsunday Islands are a treasure trove of sea kayaking experiences. The visit to Paddle Bay on South Molle Island is a family friendly/novice excursion that can be a day trip or a week long holiday.

Click here for more information >>>

EVENTS

Recent Events

2019 ICF Canoe Marathon World Championships (14 - 20 October 2019)

View a wrap up of the event here >>>

Hear Kate Leverett at the ICF Canoe Marathon World Championships talk about her love for canoeing and how she juggles paddling with a newborn and a toddler!

Upcoming Events

2019 Paddle Australia Annual Awards

We are looking forward to celebrating the year's achievements together with our paddle community at our 2019 Paddle Australia Annual Awards Night on Saturday, 9 November 2019.

Click here to view the full list all of our deserving award finalists >>>

PADDLE TO TOKYO

First Tokyo Olympic + Paralympic Quota Spots Confirmed

Following a strong international season, Australia's canoe sprint and canoe slalom paddlers have secured Australia the first round of quota spots for next year's Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

In canoe sprint, Australia secured six quota spots in the Olympic men's events, four in the women's events, as well as four Paralympic quota spots.

In canoe slalom, three quota spots for next year's Games have been secured in the women's K1, C1 as well as men's K1. Jessica Fox secured two of these spots however an athlete can only earn a quota for one event, meaning that she is amongst the athletes having to relinquish one of their tickets. However, Fox may still be able to compete in both the C1 and K1 in Tokyo.

Click Here To See & Subscribe to "Paddle To Tokyo" Newsletter

FEATURED PHOTO

River Canoe Club captured some great views of the Balloon Festival while down in Canberra for a weekend of paddling earlier in the year.

So... How Did We Go?

What do you think of this newsletter? What would you like to see in future editions?

All comments and feedback are welcome and will help us to make sure that we're providing the updates that you care about most!

We would also love to hear about what paddlers are getting up to! Send in your photos, videos or stories to be featured in Paddle Pulse.

Please contact us at info@paddle.org.au.

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