Welcome to the October edition of our newsletter as we gear up for the exciting spring and summer season of 2023. While the temperatures are expected to soar this summer, we have made the seasonal adjustments to our training times to ensure everyone’s safety and comfort. Please take note of the following changes:
Training Time Changes:
- The morning training session will now start at 6:30 am instead of 7:00 am to beat the summer heat.
- The 5:30 am group will remain unchanged.
PQ Awards
Our club shone brightly at the recent awards presentation ceremony, and we’re incredibly proud of all our nominees and finalists. Congratulations to the following winners:
Alyce Wood, Canoe Sprint Open Female Paddler of the Year
Zale Outram, Canoe Marathon Open Male Paddler of the Year
Elke Madlener, Canoe Marathon Junior Female Paddler of the Year
Pierrick Cartier, Ocean Racing Junior Male Paddler of the Year
Annette Dawson, was presented with her medal from the Virtual Series.
Nicky Donaldson, Club Coach of the Year (second year in a row!)
Maroochy River Paddle, Event of the Year
Maroochy River Paddle, Video of the Year. The club acknowledges Buck Rogers who filmed the video and donated it to the club.
All winners now progress to the Paddle Australia (PA) award nominations. The 2023 PA Annual Awards evening will be held on Saturday 28 October at the Twin Towns Clubs & Resorts in Tweed Heads.
YF2023
Our young talents from the You for 2023 intake have been training diligently over the school holidays, aiming for the State Sprints in November. Under the guidance of Nicky Donaldson and assistant Delia West, they are showing remarkable dedication. Learning to paddle, especially in a K1, is no small feat, and we applaud their persistence.
Sharlene Kelly has organised visits from our Olympic and upcoming Olympic members, fostering inspiration within our club. (see attached photo of Alex Clarke and the group). Sharlene has also successfully raised the profile of kayaking with 7 Local News features in recent weeks.
Come & Try
The come and try group are progressing well and ready to extend the amount of time they spend paddling. Next week the adults will go further around the water ways!
October Time Trail Results
Congratulations to Nicky Donaldson and Lach Kent for achieving an impressive time of 40:56, surpassing their target of 41 minutes. Delia West also achieved a remarkable time of 45:55, improving upon her September time by 37 seconds.
SCPC AGM
Our Annual General Meeting (AGM) is scheduled for 4 November at 9 am at the club house. Official documents will be sent to you shortly. We encourage you to consider contributing to the club by offering your time, identifying areas for improvement, or providing feedback to the committee. Please send your ideas to us via email at sunshinecoastpaddlesportsclub@gmail.com We understand that this date coincides with the Island Ocean Paddle event and wish to acknowledge that this clash was not our intention, but unfortunately, it was the only available date for our AGM.
Club Christmas Party
Mark your calendars for the Club Christmas Party on December 9 at the club house. The meal will be catered, with an approximate cost of between $10-$15 per person. Don’t forget to bring your own drinks. Please let us know if you plan to attend for booking purposes.
Setting Up Your Leg Length – Kayak
Place the kayak on an even surface with the rudder either supported off the ground or hanging free over a slope. Gently sit in the craft and put your feet on the foot plate. Your knees should be just above (1-2cm) the cockpit combing. To adjust the seat or foot plate, undo the wing nuts and place them in the bottom of the kayak so as not to lose them. Move the seat or foot plate forward or back a notch or two. Try the length again before doing up the wing nuts. Once satisfied and comfortable with the positioning, replace the wing nuts. Please note the process is different for skis. One benefit of belonging to our club is the wealth of collective knowledge. Members are more than willing to help newbies, so don’t be shy, just ask.
Upcoming Events
October 5 @ 2:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Sea Kayak Skills – Paddleology Workshop
Sunshine Coast Paddlesports Club Fishermans Road, Maroochydore, QLD
Paddle Queensland is running another four hour skills course and this is focused on sea kayaking. Book through the Paddle Queensland website event calendar.
October 14 @ 8:00 am – October 15 @ 5:00 pm
Big River Canoe Club Whitewater Weekends
Port Macquarie and Mann River NSW
In preparation for the anticipated Redlands Whitewater Centre for the Brisbane 2032 Olympics, Paddle Queensland has started discussions with the Big River Canoe Club to participate in a range of whitewater weekends with the first being October 14-15, 2023 at Port Macquarie area. Additional come and try on 18-19 November at the Mann River NSW.
October 15 @ 8:00 am – 5:00 pm
Chinderah Chinderah Bay Rd, Chinderah, NSW – see Currumbin Creek Canoe Club website for entries.
28 – 29 October 2023
Hawkesbury Classic Paddle
Get ready for an unforgettable night of full moon paddling down the picturesque Hawkesbury River. We wish Annette Dawson the best of luck as she prepares to compete in this race once again.
November 4 @ 7:00 am – 5:00 pm
Sunshine Coast Paddle Shop Island Ocean Paddle
Mooloolaba Beach QLD
This 16km ocean paddle will be conducted on the 4 November 2023 from Mooloolaba Beach. Depending on wind conditions, participants will head around Old Woman Island and back to Mooloolaba. Registration/Check In will be from. 7.00-9am at the spit on Mooloolaba Beach. More details available on the Paddle Qld event calendar.
November 10 – November 12
2023 Canoe Sprint School and State Championships
SYC Oxenford Watersports Centre 33 Watersports Lane, Oxenford, QLD
The 2023 Paddle Queensland School and State Championships will be held at the SYC Oxenford Watersports Centre. Paddlers from eight to eighty (and beyond) are encouraged to be part of a great weekend of a racing.
Sponsors
Our club has some ongoing sponsors that provide services to the club. Please consider using these companies should you need their services.
| Sunshine Coast 4WD Centre | Office Works Maroochydore | Accurate Pest Management |
| Westaway Electrical | ||
The Maroochy River Paddle 2023 Sponsors were:
| Perren & Penny, Civil & Plumbing Contractors | Paddles (formerly the Paddle Shop), Warana | Alexandra Headland SLSC |
| North Coast Frozen Foods | Noosa Paddle Shop | Future Plus Environmental |
| Viking Trucks | Carruthers Contracting | More Smiles Dental Practice |
| Gara Paddles | Buderim Guardian Pharmacy | Clint Robinson Paddling Clinics |
| Pure Paddling | Caloundra Skin Cancer Centre | Heads in the Cloud Salon |
We are also grateful to be the recipient of grants from the following local, state and federal units:
| Sunshine Coast Council | Qld Government, Dept of Sport & Rec | Australian Government, Dept of Business & Industry |
Please don’t hesitate to contact us with your ideas, concerns, or suggestions anytime. You can find my phone number on our Facebook page, and we are always responsive to club emails.
On behalf of the committee, I want to express our gratitude to all of you for making our club an outstanding place to be. Together, we’re achieving great things.
Please feel free to forward this newsletter. Alternatively our newsletters are uploaded to our website for viewing.
Warm regards Delia, president; Doug, treasurer; Paul, secretary; Tim and Lach, general committee members, Matt Media and Facebook; and I’d like to welcome Nicky and Tom as advisory people for club coaching matters.