Victorian, and in particular INCC, athletes dominated the National Marathon titles held in Perth over the Easter weekend. Our juniors put in some outstanding performances, with individual gold medals going to Penny Young and Logan Dutton and INCC crews winning the U14 girls, and both boys and girls titles in the U16 boys and U18 age groups. Our older members also came home with plenty of metal in their luggage.

K1

K2

There are hundreds of photos – great that our INCC members wore club uniforms, so they are pretty easy to spot.

The Crusaders are a group of INCC junior paddlers aged between 10 and 14 years. The group consists of 20 paddlers both boys and girls and 4 coaches. The Crusaders train every Saturday afternoon from 2pm to 4pm in Terms 1,2 and 3. The Crusaders was formed in 2010, with the majority of the original participants still paddling either with their schools or the group.  The aim of the program is to introduce junior paddlers to kayaking within a fun, safe and supportive environment. The INCC committee has been extremely supportive purchasing equipment specifically for younger participants and supporting coaches.

Apart from weekly training sessions the Crusaders participate in other activities. We race regularly and over the Cup long weekend in 2012 the group plus siblings, friends and family members totalling 56 people camped at Lake Eildon for 3 nights.

“The Camp” for me was a real highlight it was fantastic to spend time with paddlers and their family and friends in a beautiful natural environment. We loaded the club trailer with TK’s, K boats and even a plastic tub and spent 3 days on Lake Eildon paddling on the Lake often with power boats, jet ski’s etc. Although challenging with metre high waves on occasions our outstanding Crusaders “powered” through and demonstrated outstanding skills. Apart from paddling we had opportunities to fish, go on bush walks, bike rides, horse-riding, water fights, build fires and do other “camp stuff”. One of the Crusaders Sam Madden even organised a treasure hunt.  I always think camping is such a great experience for young people as it is a very free environment and very different from our everyday lives. We are planning to make the Lake Eildon Camp an annual Crusaders event. A big thanks to Lawrie who towed the boat trailer negotiating the Black Spur and to Reka and her husband Pete who also attended.

Racing in 2012 – 2013 has also been a highlight with both paddlers and coaches racing in both Sprint and Marathon events.  The coaches determine what races we attend throughout the year and provide boat transport, coaches, and entry information however a number of our keen Crusaders not only participate in these races but do extras  – which is fantastic. In 2013, the Crusaders have been or will be represented at the following races:  Jan 19^th Sprint 200 Metre Regatta at Essendon, Feb 3^rd Sprint Grand Prix at Nagambie, March 2^nd & March 3^rd Summer Finale Marathon at Footscray, March 23^rd & 24^th Sprint and Marathon All Schools Marathon Championships Essendon, May 19^th Marathon Winter Series Race 2 at Patterson Lakes. It should be noted that the wider paddling community is very supportive of our group and we often receive comments on what a talented and committed group we are.

Finally, at our AGM and Presentation evening held in November, 2012 three Crusaders were awarded trophies for their contribution to the program. Congratulations to Bridget Barnes and Jack Rayner who were awarded female and male respectively Junior Paddler of the year. This award recognises their regular attendance to training sessions and regattas  and competition results.  Congratulations also to Will Camfield who received the Coaches Award this award is based on the paddler’s enthusiasm for the sport, team spirit, willingness to assist other paddlers and general good sportsmanship.

Carol Osborn, Crusader Coach

Photo gallery

Thanks to all those who helped out at the latest INCC working bee and welcome to all the new members who came along.  It was a warm and sunny day with a great turnout from new to not so new members.  Working bees are a great way to meet fellow club paddlers and to ensure the club facilities are in great shape.  Some notable accomplishments for the day:

- The kitchen got a good scrub.

- The committee room was cleaned up

- The clubhouse was swept from top to bottom

- Rob Goodwin and his trusty harness was able to get to some of the more tricky spots

- The garden beds got a clean and the gutters were cleared.

- We were also able to put up the photos of INCC’s two newest life members, Lawrie Chenoweth and Rob Russell.

The club has been offering ‘come-and-try sessions’ over the summer for people looking for a one-off taste of flatwater kayaking. Many of us have friends who have said ‘oh, I’ve always wanted to try that’ but have never got round to coming down to the club. The next session will be held at 1.00 pm on Saturday March 9

The sessions will be led by a Level 1 coach and cost $20. More information

The proud MLC Kayak tradition was further strengthened at the 2012 Murray Marathon, which saw the successful culmination of a year’s hard training and competition. The MLC crew made a big impression at the event with 34 students and 20 adults (including parents, staff and friends of the College), making up our total of 54 paddlers.

Our paddlers ranged from first year rookies to seasoned international competitors. Everyone coped with the fast flowing river, strong winds and heat to finish with excellent results.

Thanks are extended to the Support Crew who looked after the paddlers every need, the Team Managers, Chris Myers, Peter Stathopolous, Sheryl Gross and Bill Eyre, Demi Stathopoulos and the MLC Kayak Committee who organised three great functions throughout the week and our coaches Rob Russell and Lauren Fletcher.

INCC’s MLC parents’ team, the Paddlepops combined with Fairfield Canoe Club to win the Canoeing Victoria Club Challenge in the 2012 Murray Marathon. The team comprising Rob Russell, Suzanne Lipe, Daniel Tencic, Michael Togers, Sally Miller and Deb Bennett (pictured, all from INCC) and Lisa newton and Don Campbell from Fairfield, triumphed over our friends from Essendon Canoe Club.

Daniel and Suzanne also featured on day 4, the traditional ‘red day’ of the marathon….not sure about the undies Dan, but being a MM superhero looks like fun! 

Pro-rata discounts are available to new members joining for the 2012-13 year after December 31. The online system is limited in its ability to handle this, but we have set up a series of ‘extra items’ with negative amounts to reduce the normal fee by the appropriate amount. If you are going to join the club, please read the instructions on the membership fees 2012-13 page carefully. Existing members who have not yet renewed their membership are reminded they are not eligible for pro-rata discounts.

The club will be offering ‘come-and-try sessions’ over the summer for people looking for a one-off taste of flatwater kayaking. Many of us have friends who have said ‘oh, I’ve always wanted to try that’ but have never got round to coming down to the club. The first sessions will be held at 4.15 pm on Saturday December 8 and Sunday December 9.

The sessions will be led by a Level 1 coach and cost $20. More information

In a break with the past, the 2012 AGM will be held in conjunction with a ‘club night’ featuring two guest speakers fresh back from the London Olympics and Paralympics – Jessica Fox and Stuart Tripp. The event will be held at West Ivanhoe Sporting Club, Seddon Reserve, Green Street, West Ivanhoe commencing at 7pm.

We will be presenting our best athletes and rising stars with awards and recognising the contribution Lawrie Chenoweth and Rob Russell have made to the club by nominating them for life membership.

The AGM formalities will be conducted at the start of the night. All the documents are here:

Please email all forms and correspondence regarding the AGM to Gill Hilton and confirm your attendance with Deb Bennett, who is organising the catering. Drinks can be purchased at the bar.

This is a great opportunity to meet other club members and hear two very inspiring stories from outstanding athletes. See you there!

Looking for a team to paddle to Murray marathon with this year?

The Murray Marathon is an exhilarating, challenging and exciting experience. If you haven’t paddle it before or even if you have but don’t feel you could manage the whole 4o4 km on your own then you can join a team! Check out more information about the race here.

INCC usually have teams that participate in the Murray marathon. If you are interested in paddling the Murray as part of a team this year but don’t have one, Deb Bennett may be able to help you find one.