What’s the attraction of Freestyle?
Freestyle kayaking is a white water sport where the paddler performs a range of acrobatic tricks and maneuvers on a river feature (artificial or natural) such as a wave or hole. The discipline is enjoyed by many as a recreational sport and at the top level by those participating in competitions both nationally and internationally. The sport is constantly moving forward with paddlers developing new spectacular moves.
Constant progression, the necessity to always improve technique, and the possibility of cross discipline development form the crux of what makes freestyle so popular. This coupled with a strong community feel and the possibilities to travel around the world make this amongst the most appealing areas of paddlesport.
Competitions vary slightly in format, most are structured on 45-second "rides" in which kayakers perform as many tricks as they can and are scored by a panel of judges. One example of the tricks performed would be a Helix, this is preformed whilst surfing a wave and involves an upside down 360 degree aerial spin to land back on the wave in a front surf.
Once you have fundamental boat control, progression in this are of canoe sport is rapid and hugely exciting. There are a number of artificial white water courses in the country, these run through the summer months. Winter rain provides an abundance of rivers and man made features to experience.
Why the need for freestyle coaching?
When you start out it is absolutely essential to establish strong core skills. Then as you progress these skills will help you to safely and continuously develop.
At KJO we have established pathways for freestyle development. These are driven by our expertise in this field. This has not only gained our athletes national recognition and world champion status, it has also gained us acknowledgement from the very best paddlers around the world.
Every KJO session recognises the key demands for you’re ongoing performance development:-
- How to get the best out of the time spent with your coach.
- Understanding how to limit the chances of sport injures.
- How to give your performance a boost of creativity.
- How to develop the ability to positively self-analyse.
- Where to gain knowledge on how to perform tricks
- Understanding the mechanics of movement.
- Access to advice on performance conditioning.
- Development support and sponsorship recommendations.
What’s the freestyle scene like?
Freestyles are part of the same community as river runners, and similarly rely on forming social groups to paddle with and push each other to new levels. It’s an open and friendly environment as everybody has a common goal to get the best out of the ride.
