Treverton Preperatory and College  had the privilege of hosting former South African Olympic paddler Cyprian Ngidi this past weekend, who ran a slalom paddling course from Friday afternoon through to Sunday.

Cyprian Ngidi

While the primary focus was on the four paddlers selected to represent South Africa in Poland this July—Jayden Davis and David Dent (Treverton), Hannah Trower (TWC), and James Gotte (Maritzburg College)—we also included a group of paddlers who have been showing great interest and promise. This is part of our ongoing effort to grow the discipline of slalom paddling with the future in mind.

David Dent

Around 12 paddlers gathered at the Treverton College dam on Friday afternoon for flatwater training on the slalom course. As one of the most technical forms of paddling, slalom benefits greatly from flatwater conditions, allowing athletes to refine their core skills.

Jayden Davis

Training then moved to the Bushman’s River at Black Rock on Saturday and Sunday. Once a sought-after slalom venue, Black Rock has not been used for over ten years due to a decline in the sport and safety concerns. However, it proved to be an excellent choice, with strong flow from Wagendrift Dam at a time of year when many rivers are typically at their winter low.

Derek Brown

It was incredibly encouraging to see how quickly all the paddlers improved over the weekend. A big thank you to Cyprian Ngidi for sharing his knowledge, and to the parents who came out to support! Education is an Adventure!