Hurley - 21/22 May 2005 (Swimmer)

As you probably know Hurley went up to a low two gates on Saturday morning (as predicted!). None of the front pages updated from one gate but given the rain we chanced it and were duly rewarded. Level was a very low two gates but possibly the best two gates level we've ever seen. Both gates were super-retentive, probably as retentive as it is on three. Rick and I basically had it to ourselves for about three hours on Saturday afternoon/evening. Was very sweet indeed. A slight aside, as I went to leave I put my boat against the barrier above the little concrete step to the river left of gate one (i.e. the closed gate). I then turned round to talk to Rick for about twenty seconds, looked back, where the £*$% is my boat, agghh! Bearing in mind that it was dark by this time and my boat had presumably got sucked round and through the open gates and washed down the river. Obviously I don't have airbags in my boat. Cue much panicking that my boat's never going be seen again. Rick has a look and can't find it. I tell him to look again and eventually he finds it bobbing around in the eddy on river left. I was very relived. That would have been a really really stupid was to loose your boat.

Anyway, moving on to Sunday. We went down again and met up with Rich Smith and Matt Pyne. Level was still really good and we had paddled for absolutely ages, something like five hours. My body currently hurts, a lot. We messed around on the wave, attempted some loops (and got trashed), Rick starting to look good on the blunts. Anyway, after about five hours both Matt and I were totally screwed and were getting off. Rick wanted 'one more go', fair enough. So we're getting back into our boats and we look round to see Rick in mid flow trying to hand roll. He half hand rolls (wasn't really close to coming up) once, twice, three times, and a bail! Matt and I wet ourselves to see Rick's head pop up away from the boat. Hurrah, Ricky takes a swim, Matt and I could barely contain our glee. We duly rescued his boat and paddles (which he'd failed to keep hold of) and put him back in his boat, asked if he was okay, not too cold and other patronising questions. First swim in nine years I believe. I'll invite Ricky to offer his explanations/excuses for this shocking behaviour but it was something to do with letting go of his paddles (doh!). Anyway, just thought you'd like to know this little nugget. To those going to Alps I daren't think what kind of absolution a sin such as this would require, I suggest a run down the Salmon course, a funnel at the end, a run back up to the top, another run down it and then another funnel at bottom. The guilty must be punished