Novice and experienced Paddlers team up for success at the Gananoque Regatta

Helen Parfitt | Jul 17, 2019

On Saturday, July 6 Sydenham Lake Canoe Club competitive sprint paddlers, Paige Bowes, Kayla Headrick, Claire Swinton, Ashley Headrick and Parker Friendship competed in the Annual Gananoque Canoe Club U14 Regatta. Experienced paddler, Claire Swinton, Parker Friendship teamed up with novice paddlers Kayla and Ashley Headrick to place first in the U14 Women’s K4 200 m race. Kayla and Ashley placed third in their U14 Women’s K2 200 m race. Claire Swinton, Kayla, Ashley all placed third in their U14 women’s K1 races and Paige Bowes placed fifth in her U12 K1 200m race competing again paddlers two years older than her.

All this effort is in preparation of the Divisional Championships which will take place right here in South Frontenac at The Point in Sydenham. Sydenham will be hosting the Eastern Ontario U14 Championships on Saturday, August 10 and 11. The regatta will be an exciting event with over 400 paddlers and their families coming to Sydenham for two days to compete in multiple sprint canoe and kayaking events. Sydenham’s nationally sanctioned regatta course is highly regarded in the paddling community for its fine water quality and clear line of visibility. The younger paddlers with have the opportunity to become Eastern Ontario Champions and older U12+ paddlers will have the opportunity to compete at Ontario Championship in Ottawa and possibly the Nationals in Regina Saskatchewan.

Now in its twentieth year, the Sydenham Lake Canoe Club, a volunteer run organization, is an established part of the region’s sprint racing canoe kayak tradition producing a number of youth and adult Masters competitive paddlers despite its small size. Along with the sprint training for youth and Masters adults, SLCC offers a recreational Canoe Kids Day Camp. The camp follows the skills progression outlined by Canoe Kayak Canada’s Canoe Kids program. Any U14 paddler who has registered for a week of the camp over the 2019 summer season is eligible to compete in the Sydenham EOD Regatta. Program registration is ongoing throughout the summer, so there are usually, but not always, spaces available, if you wish to sign up at short notice. For more information, please go to www.sydenhamlakecanoeclub.com