SUPing with Steve West
2012, Blue Chip will be holding another
Steve West Paddle Clinic.

• The Venue: River Thames

• Meeting place: TBA

• The Date Sunday TBA 2012

• The Time: 10:00 - 16:00

• The cost £30

NOTE: This Paddle Clinic is designed for competent paddlers (not beginners). Steve will be trouble-shooting and honing our paddle technique on the Thames.

We intend to spend a small amount of time on land, covering some basic paddle techniques before paddling up stream under the scrutiny of Steve's all seeing gaze to a convenient riverside pub. Mandy West will also be there to lend a hand with the girls and give here feminine take on Steve's paddle technique.

Places will be limited
in order for all individual participants to get the most of Steve's attention during the day

Click here to book your place

£30

Check out the last Steve West Paddle Clinic that we hosted on the Thames:-

A glorious day for a Thames paddle with our SUPer hero Steve West.
The sun shone on us as Steve imparted some of his paddling wisdom
such as that elusive skill of how to balance a paddle on your finger.

And that old chestnut , what is the best way to clean your board.

Steve rounded off his presentation with a demonstration on what to do in drought conditions

Now it was time to put in to practice all these newly acquired skills. So we headed
to the water

And one by one set off to see the difference



Alex had to fight off autograph hunters convinced that he was Johnny Depp

Stuart was still using that old one handed paddle technique he loves so much. Lets
hope Steve doesn’t see him..!

Tommy was trying to work it out methodically in his mind before committing

And then Steve spotted me paddling in the old routine, I was busted and couldn’t hide
so I decided to take it on the chin and promised to try harder

Meanwhile, Nigel and his wife had paid attention and were slowly but surely making
their way up stream in an orderly manner.

The whole group paddled on up the Thames past Benn's Island and on past
Platts Eyot and the Hampton School Boat Club
where Jay and Julian were accosted
by a small group of girl rowers from the Boat Club who insisted that they should have a go.
so after much sole searching (about 2 seconds flat) they said OK

Jay and Julian eventually said farewell to the girls and caught the rest of the group

Jay was trying to pull his paddle out of the water while looking cool

and Ellie keeping pace with Jay on his K15

and then Steve caught me out again and I could see that he meant business this time
so I decided to really try harder and not just while he was looking.

By now we had also past Grand Junction Island, Sunbury Court Island and Rivermead
Island and I could hear the murmurings from the group “Where’s the pub he promised us”
then  Sunbury Lock came into view where we had a short portage around the Lock and
then we could see the Weir, no not the weir as in water, the Weir Pub..!

We made it and arrived at the Pub some 5km up stream from Hampton Court

What a buzz. So many people at the pub, they had to open a second bar for us.
We mused our craft while we waited for the food orders

we all had a great time explaining  to all and sundry at the pub all about Stand Up
and then it was time to head back

down the line to the Sunbury Lock Portage

While the Pleasure cruisers queued up at the lock we slipped down to the lower
side of the lock and headed off.

And before we knew it we were only a short distance from our starting point.

A few of us continued down to have a look at David Gilmour's  Astoria boat house
and recording studio.

What a great day we all had. Great company, Great weather and Great to for everyone
 to meet Steve and Mandy West, without doubt we learnt so much in just one day.