The competition location for a freestyle event is a ‘turbulent standing wave’ or stopper wave which are features that cause water to be re-circulated upon itself. The nature of a standing wave enables a skilled canoeist to retain the position on the wave despite the strong flow of the river.
In a freestyle competition, the competitor uses a very short and manoeuvrable kayak. The boat is flung violently about in the wave and the competitor is judged on his/her ability to perform the most exciting and dramatic moves while still riding the wave. The top competitors harness the river’s energy to enable them to perform cartwheels and somersaults in their kayaks. Freestyle is a great spectator sport.
In the past few years a number of Welsh paddlers have excelled in Freestyle. Paul "Cheesy" Robertson took the Canadian Singles gold medal at the Ottawa world championships in 1997, and retained the title at Full James, New Zealand in December 1999. Deb Pinnegar took 2nd place in KI Women at the World Championships in New Zealand and the Europa cup series. There is a host of other paddlers who feature highly in the British rankings.
Paul Robertson, 4 St Mary's Close, Llanfair Kilgeddin, Abergavenny NP76 9YE