International Rafting Federation
Its about rafting around the world

Newsletter top banner

Newsletter - late Jan 2013
Race Rules – explained
Posted: 20 Jan 2013 10:09 PM

We’re launching a series of short articles that will bring you in closer touch with the IRF Race Rules.

We’re hoping that these articles will help you become more familiar with the rules and maybe explain why some of these rules are there. Here is the first article -

DEFINITIONS USED IN THE RACE RULES: 

These definitions are there so that we all end up using the same terminology for the same things and so prevent confusion and create a better understanding.

Event = Any IRF recognized competition Level  = Used to distinguish Events by level of  importance -  A, B, C, D Open = for our adult open division (16yrs +) Division = Used to distinguish an Event by age or ability – Youth, Junior, Open, Master Category = Used to distinguish a Division by gender – Men, Women, Mixed Development Phase = rules are set to be more flexible . . . → Read More: Race Rules – explained
    
Weirs – nice to play in? Or deadly – can you tell the difference?
Posted: 17 Jan 2013 11:50 PM

Neil Newton Taylor | Swiftwater Rescue - Although many weirs are perfectly safe to slide over or play in the stopper formed at the bottom, many are not. Telling the difference can be very difficult.

“Weirs are either straightforward or they kill you” – Franco Ferrero: Author Whitewater Safety & Rescue

This statement is born out by the facts – 41 fatalities from only the five largest weir accidents in Europe! Almost all multiple fatalities in rafting, kayaking and canoeing are due to weirs.

Accidents involving Weirs in Europe 2008 – 5 soldiers drown rafting on the Kander river in Switzerland 2008 – 13 people drown in a weir while canoeing on the Sava river in Slovenia 1999 – 4 UK tourists drown commercially rafting on the Salzach river in Austria 1993 – 9 German tourists die rafting on the Inn river in Engadine, Switzerland 1975 – 10 soldiers drown . . . → Read More: Weirs – nice to play in? Or deadly – can you tell the difference?
    
Information for WRC 2013 in NZ
Posted: 17 Jan 2013 08:55 PM

Welcome to the first newsletter from New Zealand in preparation for the R6 World Rafting Championships, November 2013 in Rotorua.

The newsletter contains some important information about:

Dates Rotorua Rivers Rafts Accommodation Visas Registrations and Contacts

Newsletter in English   and in Spanish

If you have any questions, please feel free to ask Raewyn


    
Guide workshops in India and Scotland coming up …
Posted: 17 Jan 2013 08:12 PM

SCOTLAND

6-day Raft Guide Training Course Saturday 23rd February – Friday 1st March 2013 Instructor – IRF Assessor Steve Thomas Contact SRA  for more info

INDIA

Raft guide training course and assessment 28th to 31st of January 2013 Ganga River, Rishikesh. Contact IRF Instructor Eneko Yarza
    
Luuka Jones; advice from a slalom Olympian on how to become a team member
Posted: 10 Jan 2013 11:50 PM

 

Nick Harding | Sportscene - Only recently, SPORTSCENE talked over the challenges of being an individual extreme athlete and a competitive rafter with Sam Sutton. Slalom Olympian and fellow New Zealander Luuka Jones further expands on this issue many multi-event athletes face.

In the same Okere Falls location as Sam but on an alternative coffee occasion, Director Rob caught up with Luuka at The Store.

Luuka, who was the first female to qualify for New Zealand in Olympic K1W slalom, she finished 21st at Beijing and 14th at London when she was only 23. We have high hopes she can further improve her ranking at Rio 2016. She was also a proud Silver medallist at the 2010 World Rafting Championships in Zoetermeer, The Netherlands; this was her first major raft international, she took part in the 4-person event. Now she has branched out into 6′s, even though she finds 4′s are “easier to . . . → Read More: Luuka Jones; advice from a slalom Olympian on how to become a team member
    

Youth / Junior “Pre-event” in NZ in April 2013
Posted: 10 Jan 2013 08:29 PM

All Youth and Junior teams have an opportunity in April to check out and race on the 2013 World Champs course in New Zealand if they wish. New Zealand will be holding their Youth and Junior National Selections then and have opened the race to all Youth and Junior international teams. Details are:

Location: Rotorua and Kawerau on 13th – 17th November 2013.

Age groups:

Youth = Under 19 (includes the year they turn 19) Junior = Under 23 (includes the year they turn 23)

SCHEDULE: 6th April – Tarawera River Kawera Township

8am Briefing. 8:30 am – Sprint start 10 am – Head 2 Head start 1:30 pm Slalom Course open for practice. 2:15 pm Slalom Briefing 2:30 pm 1st Slalom Run 3:45 pm 2nd Slalom Run 5:30 pm Results Announced at Tarawera River

7th April Rangitaiki River Jeffs Joy middle section to take out

10:15 am Briefing for Down . . . → Read More: Youth / Junior “Pre-event” in NZ in April 2013
    
Updated Race Rules for 2013 racing season
Posted: 07 Jan 2013 11:45 PM

Each year we find we need to update the IRF Race Rules. With the addition of the Junior division – this year was no exception. So please take a read of the new rules recently modified by the IRF Sport & Competition Committee:

Updated Race Rules in pdf version Old Race Rules WITH the changes marked in red using “Track changes”

The process used to update the rules is as follows:

Suggested changes are taken in from event organisers, federations and Judges throughout the year. This is specifically important for A and B level events These suggested changes are collated and put onto the IRF Forum for open discussion After the open discussion the results from that are taken and put into a formal proposal to the Sport & Competition Committee (S&C Com). The BOD is also kept involved especially for rules (like new division) which have an overall impact . . . → Read More: Updated Race Rules for 2013 racing season
    
Class 3 Guide course and assessment – end of Jan in Turkey!
Posted: 03 Jan 2013 08:19 PM

Want to do a guide course in an interesting location? Join Vedat VURAL of Alternatif Outdoor Specialists for a 9 day course on the Melen River in the North West section of Turkey.

The course will run from the 26 Jan to the 3 Feb. You will have an IRF guide Class 3 certification at completion.

Its open to all, maximum capacity is 20 people.

Contact Vedat for more information


    
Extreme kayaker and professional rafter; Sam Sutton’s rival mindsets
Posted: 03 Jan 2013 08:03 PM

Nick Harding | Sportscene - In a gig-venue and shop named The Store near Okere Falls, Rotorua, New Zealand, SPORTSCENE Director Rob has a morning coffee with extreme paddling poster-boy Sam Sutton. A little bit on Sam before we get into his dual personalities.

The Adidas Sickline extreme kayak triple World Champion (2010, 2011, 2012) was born a 2km-drive from the Kaituna River in the centre of the North Island. Sam had an excellent opportunity growing up there paddling every morning and evening around school. As a result he progressed quickly in playboats, but never really got into slalom sport.

“In my opinion slalom is a practise sport that has been turned into an Olympic sport, slalom gates were made to make difficult moves in easy water”

Having said this though, he still respects the vigorous training that slalom athletes undertake and admits even having had thoughts about giving it a go . . . → Read More: Extreme kayaker and professional rafter; Sam Sutton’s rival mindsets
    

Invite to new event testing at Lee Valley – London
Posted: 01 Jan 2013 09:19 PM

In late December Great Britain held their selections on the Olympic Lee Valley White Water Course in London. The result means that familiar faces will be present at the worlds in New Zealand with the favourites – Peak men’s team and the Palm ladies team – both taking solid 1000 points.

During the competition we added a new event as a trial run. It was a 4 team head to head race and with a sailing start. A video of the ‘Hero H2H’ will follow shortly.

The Lee Valley White Water course would like to open it’s doors for an international training weekend on the  23rd  and 24th of February. On this weekend teams can train on the challenging artificial course. The white water course will be running for 3 hours a day on Saturday and Sunday. Training on the flat water can be done at any time. Besides . . . → Read More: Invite to new event testing at Lee Valley – London
    

Member organisations - please send this newsletter on to your members. Thanks.
Partners
Quick Links
 

 
Email: media@internationalrafting.com
Website: www.internationalrafting.com