GB Team Freestyle Team Training

With the world championships at NOC in America coming up fast the GB freestyle team took to the water for a final training session.  Throughout the weekend the team was working on piecing together their competition rides and putting some final work into making sure that their moves score.

Sal Montgomery Training at HPP
Photo by Ed Cooper

Training consisted of working all the top moves such as space godzillas, McNasty’s, Phonix Monkeys and lunar orbits.  Many of the team were also practicing some of the entry moves they intend to do at the comp .  Once warmed up we started putting moves together trying to link them in blocks of 3 so that the routine is easy to remember and has a high scoring sequence.  Team training isn’t always super serious though, we also ran a fun copycat style session where you have to attempt the same move as the last paddler and then add on your own move for the next paddler to try.  With the standard so high, there really were some amazing combinations pulled off!

The Jed catches some more airtime!

The team is very strong this year and we really are in the running to bring home medals in all the different freestyle disciplines.  Brandon Hepburn and Bren Orton will be out there rocking their carbon Jed’s and working the hole as best they can to pull off some high scores.  The Jed should really excel in a hole like this, being able to pull off all the latest hole moves quickly and fluidly.  You simply just have to watch some of the team paddlers moving this boat around a hole or wave to realise how good the design really is.

With many competitors already out in the US practicing at NOC we really should see some incredible rides and some really amazing routines during the comp.

If you havent seen it yet, check out this video of Brandon and Bren training in Nottingham.

For more info on the world champs visit www.freestylekayaking2013.com

Thanks to Sal Montgomery for the photos and Bren and Brandon for the video.

Good luck Team GB!