Natty Cordon
  • Home
  • About Me
  • Photos
  • Videos
  • Blog
  • Kit Reviews
  • Get in Touch

Tryweryn   Festing

30/7/2015

0 Comments

 
I can thoroughly recommend the Tryweryn Fest to anyone considering the event for next year. Loads of events, reliable whitewater, shuttles, showers, food, and party time. What more could anyone want?
Picture
Picture
Picture
I was proud to come in second place in the Extreme Boater X event, and to thoroughly lose the even more extreme cardboard boat race.

Super thanks to Wave Sport, AT Paddles, Canoe and Kayak Store, and Paddlers First for keeping me floating, propelled, warm, dry and merry throughout. Roll on next year!

Thank you to David Steen and Iain McConnell for photos.
0 Comments

Three  Simple  Reasons  Why  Cardiff  International  Whitewater  Centre  Is  The  Place  To  Be

31/5/2015

0 Comments

 
It’s not exactly the most glamorous of kayaking locations and you’re never going to win any gnar awards at Cardiff International Whitewater Centre (CIWW), but over the years I have grown to love it. Here are three simple reasons why it’s the place to be:

A rain dance just for Natty

Posted by Ronnie Rogan on Friday, 1 May 2015
Those of you who know Ronnie from the Cardiff branch of Canoe and Kayak Store, will know that sense of crushing devastation when you turn up at CIWW and Ronnie is nowhere to be seen. Ronnie is quite simply where the party’s at. Aside from giving superb kit advice, technical help, and providing a great range of demo boats and paddles, Ronnie is one of the most helpful and cheerful people you will meet. If you haven’t yet experienced the full effect of Ronnie Time, get over there and give it a go!


2. Practise  Territory

Whether you are an out-and-out playboater, a river runner or someone who likes to dip their toe into both disciplines, the timetabled, reliable and variable flows as CIWW have a lot to offer.

For those who are just starting to venture into the world of whitewater, the 4 cumecs sessions are a great opportunity to practise breaking in and out, ferry gliding, surfing waves and getting stuck in holes!

The 4 cumecs sessions are often followed by 8 cumecs sessions which allow aspiring dare devils to start to push the envelope a little more.  

For the seasoned playboater, the features for the 8 and 10 cumecs sessions are changed on a fairly regular basis so that you can practise a range of moves.  
Picture
Picture
Picture

3. Anti-Dirtbagging

Dirtbagging from time to time will have its own attractions, but in the end, sometimes you just want to relax with a conveyor belt to carry you back to the top of the course, a lovely hot shower, a cup of coffee, and a bowl of hot soup in the café. I’m all for enjoying the wilderness, but if you’re going to paddle in a concrete river in the first place, then you may as well make the most of your urban location. 
So CIWW will never have the attraction and the cult following of the sacred Dart or the Fairly Glen, but it still has a lot to offer, irrespective of your paddling ability. Why not give it a go sometime, even if only for the Ronnie Time!
0 Comments

SCOTTISH  SHENANIGANS

19/4/2015

0 Comments

 

It's fair to say that we weren't blessed with fantastic levels on our spring trip to Scotland, but we made the most of it by getting up to no good!

Think of this as an instructional video on how to squeeze the most fun out of a river trip.
0 Comments

NEW  YEAR'S  PADDLEUTIONS

31/12/2014

0 Comments

 
I’ve never really engaged with the idea of New Year’s resolutions. Instead, I have always believed that if you want to change something or push yourself, you probably shouldn’t wait until January. Or perhaps I have always made the wrong sort of New Year’s Resolutions: trying to lose weight when I don’t really want to, going to the gym more (an activity that I loath). 

So this year, I thought I would make some New Year’s Paddleutions based around things I really want to do, rather than things that I feel I ought to do.

I have compiled this list of suggestions in case you fancy doing the same:

Picture
This year's resolution was to paddle in Norway... That was easily met ;-)

Complete   your   rivers   A-Z

I have never tried this myself, as I didn’t want my paddling to become a sort of tick list, although I can see the obvious benefits using your list as an excuse for going on expensive holidays. The phrase, “but I need to paddle the Zambezi” could work.


Do   something out   of   your   comfort   zone

This one should probably be accompanied by a disclaimer and a health warning. I’m not saying go mental and do something outrageously dangerous, simply get your adrenaline pumping a bit. This will mean different things to different people but could include: paddling for longer, paddling harder or faster, competing, going higher or even paddling with new people. 
Picture
My first race on the Rio Palguin
Picture
Dirtbagging in Voss



Spend   at   least   a   week   without   your   phone

This is surprisingly difficult given that we increasingly rely on technology to arrange our paddling adventures but you’d be surprised at the spontaneous fun you can have by camping next to your favourite river and leaving your technology behind. Dirtbag it for a while.



Learn   a   new   stroke   or   move

It doesn’t matter which discipline you are keen on or how good you are, there will always be something to improve on or something new to learn. 




Picture

And   teach   it   to   someone   else

You supposedly learn 20% of what you hear, 50% of what you hear and see, and 90% of what you teach. Coaching can be really rewarding both for you and for the people you paddle with.


Do   a   course

This one isn’t for everyone, but I can thoroughly recommend booking onto a course or getting some coaching. It’s always worth brushing up on those first aid or safety and rescue skills or getting a different perspective on a skill or technique you are trying to improve upon.


Blog   or   log

Again, this isn’t for everyone, but I have found it really rewarding using my website as a paddling diary this year. I am constantly reminded of what an amazing year I have had, and how fortunate I am to have spent it doing incredible things in incredible places with incredible people.


So there you are, a range of New Year’s Paddleutions for you. When you choose your own, make sure you personalize it, truly care about it, and want to put the time and effort into achieving it. I may well have lost weight since January 2014 but I don’t know, and frankly, I couldn’t care less. Don't let your Paddleutions follow this all-too-common pattern.

Finally, don’t get disheartened if you fail. I always enjoyed Samuel Beckett’s quote, “Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try Again. Fail Again. Fail Better.” Perhaps you miss your time frame or your resolution is unrealistic, keep working at it. In the meantime, look back at all of the other amazing adventures you have had that year. You’ll probably find that you haven’t really failed, you’ve just been too busy fulfilling your other dreams.  

It's been a great 2014. Wishing you all a happy and paddle-filled New Year!

Thank you so much to Wave Sport Kayaks, Adventure Technology Paddles, Canoe and Kayak Store, Paddlers First, and Surf Plugs for your support this year.

0 Comments

How  To  Survive  Norway

17/7/2014

0 Comments

 
Whether you have been to Norway or not, you will either know or have heard about how incredible it is, so there’s not much point in me telling you that. Rather, I feel it is better to sum up my trip through a series of hints and photos which will give you some idea of what we got up to, as well as helping you to make the most out of your own trip.

Tip  1   -  Wildcamp

You can camp on pretty much any public land in Norway so make the most of it. With lakes and mountains everywhere and loads of roadside rest areas with picnic benches you’ve got everything you need.
Picture
This was our favourite place to camp in Voss... You can see why

Tip  2  -  Take  A  Rugged  Car

So many of the roads in Norway are privately owned steep, gravelly toll roads. Good traction and clearance will dramatically reduce your anxiety and will make you less bitter about having to pay to use a road that is ruining your car. Having a rugged car will also stop you from having to do the car-based equivalent of a walk-out with all of your kit.
Picture

Tip  3  -  Use  Newish  Kit

Your boat and paddle will probably take the most intense and long-lasting battering possible, so make sure it’s in good condition before you leave, and wherever possible, take spares.
Picture
Luke proved that a good boof is not always a good plan

Tip  4  -  Take  Food  And  Booze  From  Home

People tell you that Norway is expensive, but nothing will prepare you for the reality. It costs about £4 to by a normal bag of Haribo. If you’re on a budget, simply avoid shopping.

Tip  5  -  Stay  Safe

Get a spraydeck that will stay on your boat and a good helmet that stays on your head. If in doubt, simply avoid running things on your head or face.
Picture
What's the line?... Just don't run it on your face

Tip  6  -  You  Will  Get  Moist,  And  Stay  Moist

We were very lucky with the weather on our trip, so don’t watch the video and be fooled by the glorious sunshine, it rains in Norway. Even if your weather is kind to you, the excessive splashiness of the whitewater will keep you wet for weeks.
Picture
Moist

Tip  7  -  You  Will  Get  Scared

Make sure that you recognise this and accept it from the start. Grade V whitewater should be scary and you may occasionally find yourself suffering from Acute Gnar-crisis, a condition in which all confidence is lost and even Grade I looks terrifying. Fortunately, treatment is effective by either continuing to paddle the gnar or by becoming jealous of other people paddling the gnar. Beware however that symptoms may be exacerbated by the overwhelming presence of Professional Boaters and God Boaters in Norway.
Picture
Coming this close to running a burly rock slide on your face will give anyone a touch of Gnar-crisis

Tip  8  -  Make  Everyone  Else  Jealous

Kiwi Supermarkets have free Wifi, toilets and water taps so you can make your friends jealous on a daily basis by telling them how much fun you are having. You are also highly likely to bump into other kayaking bums which can be useful for networking purposes.
So if you love the gnar and you haven’t been to Gnarway, you had better get planning. It is, without a doubt, the most beautiful country I have ever visited and is home to some of the most varied, continuous, exhilarating and scary rivers on earth. I will eagerly await my invitation.
0 Comments

Sunshine  In  Sesia

10/7/2014

0 Comments

 
Italian paddling is famed for that perfect combination of food, drink, sunshine and whitewater, so when I got the chance to spend a week in Valsesia at the beginning of June, I couldn’t resist.
The first day got off to a pretty sluggish start. Having all got a little over-excited by the existence of 10 litre bottles of wine, we found ourselves feeling a little bit precious in the morning. We decided to use the Middle Sesia as a warm up river but things quickly became fruity when all seven of us ended up in one recirculating eddie. There’s nothing like a bit of beatering to clear a hang-over and it’s always nicer to beater with a friend.
Fortunately, over the next few days, the paddling went much more smoothly with clean runs down the Lower Sesia, Gronda, Sorba Slides, Mastelone, Alpine Sprint, Egua, Sermenza and the Landwasser Waterfall. It quickly became apparent however, that the River Gods were replacing our boat-based carnage with a bit of bank-based and kit-based carnage. 
I put in a strong entry for the carnage award by climbing down a bank that I would never be able to climb back up in an attempt to rescue the Shewee I had dropped. Not in the history of mankind has anyone managed to waste quite so much time using a labour-saving device.
Oli arguably had a stronger entry from the carnage award when he somehow managed to acquire three big splits in his boat on a high-volume river. Luckily, he had a ready supply of ‘Back-Seat Welders’ to annoy him and to provide useless and contradictory advice whilst he made his repairs. Unfortunately for Oli, the ‘Back-Seat Welders’ had failed to mention that using a blow torch alongside highly flammable contact adhesive might have some negative consequences. All’s well that ends well. 
Picture
Overall, my trip to Italy was exactly what I wanted it to be: a holiday; a warm-up for Norway; and most importantly, a right laugh. Thanks to everyone involved for showing me such a good time and to Wave Sport and Canoe and Kayak Store for all of their support.
0 Comments

A  New  Love  Afair  With  The  Mellte

12/5/2014

0 Comments

 
Here is a quick edit from our Mellte mission at the weekend.

I have wanted to paddle this river for so long but never got around to it. I was a little worried that my high expectations would lead to disappointment but I couldn't have been more wrong. Such a fun little river. I can't wait to go back when the levels are a bit better.


Thank you to Wave Sport for all of their support.
0 Comments

'Great  Britain's  Natty  Cordon  Crutches  Path  to Silver  Medal  in  Giant  Slalom'

31/12/2013

0 Comments

 
A great race report by David Hughes from Pucon Kayak Hostel. Click Here to read the full article.

"It was a blue sky Chilean day for the 2013 Palguin events... Chile’s Rio Palguin is South America’s most run steep creek for good reason. The Middle and Salto Palguin sections attract top pro-kayakers and wannabe huckers to fantastic clean drops at all-you-can eat heights. A series of class V rapids keep the huckstars challenged."
Picture

"The events began with the Giant Slalom Women’s division. Great Britain’s and PKH guest Natty Cordon with broken foot crutched her way down the canyon as fellow Brit Tony Becker carried her kayak. Natty would notch a clean first heat run while her United States competition Jessie Rice would miss the hard to make second gate taking a 50 second penalty. After Cordon crutched her way out of the canyon exhausted she decided to stick with her clean first run and the pressure would be on Rice to clean her lines. Rice did clean her lines to win the giant slalom and Cordon would finish her day with a silver and later the 70 foot drop of her life....

...Congrats Natty for being a badass and having great lines."


Read More
0 Comments

Chile    2013

15/12/2013

3 Comments

 
Picture
At the very beginning of December, my love of kayaking and the need to run away from Christmas became too much to bear. I fled to South America with 10 other British lunatics.


After a substantial 36 hour journey, 12 missed flights and one lost bag we headed straight to the local supermarket to pick up a few cervezas...


Picture

The following morning, the 'jet lag' was so bad that many of us were very tired, had sore heads and couldn't seem to walk in a straight line. Thankfully, we managed to get all (or most) of the larger out of our systems relatively quickly and were ready to hit some stouts!

We spent the next couple of weeks boofing big on some epic rivers, going deep on the 70 footer on the Middle Palguin, rubbing shoulders with the big boys, consuming many beverages and preparing ourselves for the carnage of the Pucon River Fest.
Picture


Following the start of the fest, a big night at 'Beanies and Bikinis', and some questionable behaviour by some of the group, it was time to race!

Picture

The pressure was on as I was out of the gates first, but I placed a time of 2 minutes 20 seconds which put me second place in the ladies competition, and more importantly, second place in the British competition!

This was my first attempt at slalom, but won't be my last... as long as I can find other races with waterfalls in the middle.

After the race it was time to head for home but I know I will be back. Thank you so much to Team Chile for all of your boat carrying (or boat bitching as it's affectionately know) and to Pucon Kayak Hostel for an epic adventure... I will be back...
3 Comments

    Archives

    May 2019
    October 2017
    August 2017
    April 2017
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    November 2015
    July 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    December 2014
    October 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013

    Categories

    All
    Beginners
    British Boating
    Cardiff
    Chile
    Competitions
    How To
    Kayak Surfing
    Kit
    Music
    News
    Playboating
    Safety
    Trips

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.