cossie-nutter

iTrader: (45)

Rather you than me buddy!

David_Dickson

Looks like fun.

Sorry to go off-topic, but why the hell, on the BBC website, do I have to watch a 30 second advert for Toshiba before seeing the clip?

Dedrater

You don't

David_Dickson

erm.....i do.

The page loads and before I can view the news clip, I get a 30 second ad for toshiba laptops. Happens with every bbc news item i watch.

Will

Maybe because they are cheap as chips.....Sorry user name sounds like some one else

Dedrater

Probably because you are not a license payer (just noticed you live in France)

scarey

no no no you cant do that you might have fun!!

five live devoted half an hour this evening to how it was irresponsible, so STOP having fun like this or anything else remotely hazardous and stick to wearing slippers in front of the tv!

oh and you often get adverts on the bbc web sites when abroad.

davegtt

Id have a go at that, looks like a giraffe

Leslie

The average white water canoist thinks he is so important that he can ignore the law and does not care about upsetting other people.

Les

SwissTony

iTrader: (19)

That does look like fun

Even better though is the guy who got arrested for filming himself SKIING down an esculator on the London tube

BBC NEWS | UK | Skiing on the underground

boxst

That looks fun (the Kayak one). I would love to do that.

Steve

sarasquares

iTrader: (1)

the first one looked like fun

Dedrater

Who is he upsetting?

tanyatriangles

iTrader: (2)

No-one..........on this one, but he did on the ski-ing one, and just WAIT until he gets into trouble. He'll want rescued for free, no matter what it costs.

555-Shaggy

It's old news, just that now the media have got hold of it.. been done several times on several slipways around the country.. I must admit, it does look cool and I would love to have a go...



Right first things first then.. it canoeist not canoist and they are kayakers kayaking not canoeists canoeing..

Assuming you are having a go at me, even though you don't know me, for being an average white water kayaker, I'd like you to explain why you think that I think I'm so important and that I can ignore the law and that I don't care about who I upset. The only thing I can think of is that you are angler (or fisherman on your book), but that's another story and debate for another thread on another day.

I am a law abiding citizen who pays all my taxes and who happens to care about all my friends and family. I would never intentionally, unless provoked, go out to upset someone. I try to maintain a balance in life and treat people with the respect they deserve and the way in which I would like to be treated in return. I do happen to believe in, and have, morals and standards. I work hard, I play hard the rules are simple.

Coming from the small commuity of canoeists and kayakers, I know that most people involved in the sport also feel and act the same way as I do. Yes we can be loud sometimes, yes we have a laugh with our mates on the river, in campsites and in the pubs but then doesn't everyone - isn't everyone like that? We cannot be singled out for being kayakers.

I have taught many adults and children over the years to paddle, it's giving something back to the sport that I love and to try and increase the popularity of water and paddle sports. I have, in the past, even taken seriously mentally and physically disabled kids out on the water and they loved every minute of it - the sheer look on their faces, the smiles they produced when they are used to spending all day in a wheel chair and being spoon fed by their carers gives you the best warm feeling inside - you would never know how good it feels and how emotional you get unless you have done something similar - does this sound like a selfish, couldn't give a toss attitude that you are talking about?

I'm not even going to mention the amount of charity and community work some of us do through the sport let alone the fact that we clean rubbish from the river and it's banks left by others, including fishing hooks and line which are well known to cause harm and death to may water birds.

I hope I've bought some insight for you and that you change your mind and attitude towards kayakers.....

Now, off to Wales to slide down a slipway

555-Shaggy

Exactly, no one is getting hurt.

Oh, and when he gets into trouble, it'll be his mates that are there doing the rescuing - they have all the safety equipment with them. I'd like to point out that kayakers are generally prepared for a day on the river and very rarely are any emergency services involved in any form of rescue - unlike the amount of calls to mountain rescue for people who decide on a whim "it's a nice day and the sun is out, let's put our trainers on and go for a walk in the hills" type people without a clue how quickly the weather and anythign else can change out there.

My best mate is mountain rescue and a kayaker - he is responsible on the river and I trust him with my life, just like he does me. However, he was called to the local weir a few months ago and ended up searching for a dead body because someone hadn't taken and safety precautions - no helmet, no bouyancy aid, paddling alone.. get the picture, you minimise the risk of anything like that happening and they have from what I can see.

Accidents still happen and I know people who have taken all the safety precautions and are amongst the best paddlers in the world, and they have had to pull the dead body of one of their mates out of a river in Peru - that screws you up for a while an something you never truely get over let alone forget.. he still paddles around the world though - it's what you do, it's what you love.. nothing can stop that.