August 12th, 2008
The Youth Freestyle Series continued with the Boulters Event last Saturday.
The event kicked off with a 2 hour coaching session. The team ran a number of sessions including mental rehearsal for competitive freestyle, refining freestyle technique, performing well on the Boulters ramp and powerful forwards paddling using the ergos!
After lunch the rains settled in, but all the competitors remained in good spirits as the competition kicked off. There was good support from the bank as competitors went in heats of 5, with their top scoring 6 moves counting towards their overall score.
The top scoring competitors showed an accomplished array of moves, including loops, tricky-wu’s and phonix monkeys. Great work guys!
Special thanks also go to KJO’s Coaching Director Dennis Newton. After providing safety cover all afternoon, a special prize was offered to anyone who could make him swim! Top work guys!
Thanks to the YFS team, as well as Tim & Diane Ward, along with all you guys for making the competition such a success.
More details of the KJO youth Freestyle Programme can be found here http://www.kayakojacko.com/performancedevelopment/juniors.php
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July 21st, 2008
If your paddling revolves around a burning desire to seek new rivers in new lands you will love Sweden. There is no doubt that Sweden is the last true wilderness in Europe which makes visiting this destination that bit more special.
I’ve recently just returned from coaching the Swedish national freestyle team and thought I would post some photos to give you a flavour of this great paddling destination;
Heading over to the Peti River which is 3hrs from Lulu Airport.
The Peti River, Toll Rapids (grade 4/5) section runs for 5Km down to our first camp. Due to the endless summer day light we often went for a river run between training to wind down.
Above we stopped for a throw down session on one of the falls (Me performing a pan-am sort of thing - we all had loads of fun here).
Matt’s just one of the team paddlers destined to make his mark on the freestyle circuits (above) performing a Pistol Flip on the pout wave - this was our training site for the next two days before the road trip north to the Arctic Circle. The training venues just got better and better through the week, with all team members collecting as many air-miles as possible in order to get to the worlds in 2008.
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July 15th, 2008
Friday night and rain was falling on North Wales, we arrived at our camp site where we were delighted to find we were allowed a camp fire. Jamie Mr bush craft teacher, set to building a fire whilst making a feathered stick to assist in lighting the wood he slipped and cut is thumb. Rather than driving him to hospital the farmer suggested using the ambulance station in town as he has done this before. We arrived in the rain with no sign of assistance, we tried the police station next door and they called the on duty ambulance and they were happy to oblige on a wet quiet night. This seems to be normal practice in Bala if you have a minor injury you want checking (worth noting if you paddle the Tryweryn).
The course started Saturday morning with a quick walk to the upper grave yard where the eddies took a hammering boats were flying in them a rate of knots. 
Ski jump followed and new lines were presented to the group punching cushions to travel down river left and even having a chance to practice semaphore! Give us a ‘J’
At stone bridge Markus showed us his disappearing act.
Where did he go?
There he is!
Sunday saw very little rain on the upper graveyard and Rob enjoyed boofing with his paddle!
Rehearsal showed to make the first run the best overall performance.
We applied the skills to the main graveyard section with mixed results. Good rolling Arthur!
All were tired but still balance was around the corner, the top section proved a popular choice for rolling and stopper bouncing.
The end was nigh and we all headed off down river.
It was a very intense coaching weekend, massive leaps where made by all. Some may say a step closer to equilibrium was made!
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June 10th, 2008
Broomhall Canoe Club recently joined us for a 2 day White Water Safety and Rescue course in North Wales.
Check out these snap shots:
Dave Luke briefing the guys on creating a Tag-Line to extract people from weirs/stoppers.
Above the guys put the Tag-line to action.
Live bait-rescues are one of the higher risk rescue techniques, but vital for dealing with unconscious paddlers.
For more information regrading our safety and rescue courses click here.
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May 20th, 2008
KJO Equilibrium is all about being balanced and confident in your boat.
Over the weekend we looked at how edge control and the use of keystrokes can help us be fluent, controlled white water kayakers.
We also looked at linking technique with tactics and mental rehearsal of a white water descent.
Well done to everyone, you achieved loads!
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May 20th, 2008
Last Week, Team KJO ran aCorporate Team Building day for Elysium Events.
The group was split into 5 teams, each assigned to a KJO coach.
There were various challenges; testing strength, endurance, initiative and team work.
Everyone had a great morning, with the winners being awarded champagne and medals!
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May 13th, 2008
Have you heard of the Bitches? The site 1 mile off shore is host of a great hole and a fantastic wave.
You paddle out an hour before it all kicks off and that is an excellant time to catch your tea!
Once the Bitches had finished we headed off for some surfing
Before emptying out and heading off home
What a wow weekend!
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April 30th, 2008
A rainy night never dampened the spirts for the Alunburies visit where the club sampled one of KJO’s new Club Active Mini sessions. The session was all about flat water training for white water paddlers.
It was great and everyone went away with new ideas and tired! In fact it was so strenuous that my camera finger could only manage one decent picture - doh
For more details about Club Active and the Mini Sessions and Club Development check out
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April 30th, 2008
The Tryweryn did not let us down releasing on 9 CUMES all weekend with GB freestyle squad and Ladies Female Rafting team on the river we found slots where we could work on the equilibrium programme. We started on the upper grave yard looking at efficient white water kayaking and new strategies for the river running. Tony acquired his pilots licence by flying further than any one else!
By the afternoon we were all flying high, boofs and flares all the way.
The Sunday we started the way we left with perfecting the previous day’s efforts. Tony left the water and nearly cleared the eddy below.
Then with eddy workshops on ski jump, and tuck ‘N’ ducks on Iron Bridge the weekend was nearly over.
The course was full of exciting episodes and the guys felt more in tune with the river when they left looking forward to trying new and exciting ideas.
Cora survived the weekend with out her Dad and John’s allowed away again next month.
John
To find out more about Equilibrium and other exciting courses click here.
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April 29th, 2008
The guys from Tandbridge Canoe Club had their final club freestyle session on Saturday.
It was a glorious sunny afternoon
After brushing up on some fundamentals we had looked at last session, we worked on crossing the radial into the gate by the wall.
We also enjoyed working on some moves - flatspinning, blunting and cartwheeling!
A great time was ad by all! Keep working on what we learned guys, you all did really well.
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