Stroke ahead

Clevedon Paddling Club is raising money to createchoice conditions for paddlers of all types. Rowena Orejana describes the club's strategy.
Just below the bridge on Kawakawa Rd in Clevedon, at the parking lot beside the fire station, Kirsten Corsen carries her kayak from her car to Wairoa River.
The river is brown and muddy with little bits of dried leaves floating on its surface.
But it forms a pretty picture with the architectural structure of the bridge, the trees and the spectacular blue sky. It is a summer day snatched out of time as winter looms.
Awkwardly,  Corsen puts her little boat on the river.
"This is why we want to fundraise. It's hard to get into the water, and if you don't watch it, you can end up waist-deep," she says as she  positions the kayak and gets in.
Corsen is a member of Clevedon Paddling Club, which is seeking a site at Clevedon Landing Reserve to build a headquarters and boatshed in which to store their gear. "Unfortunately, we can't start applying for grants until we have the site allocation," she says.
However, the club is opening fundraising activities in a big way with athlete Ben Fouhy, Olympic silver medallist in canoeing and Halberg Sportsman of the Year.
Fouhy will demonstrate the rights and wrongs of paddling as well as giving tips on more skilful paddling.
The club was set up informally about five years ago. It was incorporated only last month and, within three weeks, already had attracted 50 members.
"In the next six months, we may well have over a hundred."
Corsen says interest in kayaking  is because of  the Auntsfield Four Legged Race. Participants in teams of four do 25km of biking, 20km of kayaking, 10km on horseback and 15km of running.
"When the race was set up we realised that, in Clevedon, there were lots of mountain bikers, horseback riders, runners, but not a lot of kayakers."

To encourage more people into the sport, the club plans to buy single and tandem kayaks so members won't have to buy their own.
"The tandem kayaks are to encourage parents to go out with their kids."
Clevedon Community Board is considering the club's request for a site.
"We just want to make the sport accessible to all people.
"We are not just into kayaking, we welcome waka ama and canoe paddling. We try to keep it as broad as possible. We are all just here to paddle and have a good time.
"We are all quietly competitive."
Learning curve

What: Paddling Techniques Seminar with Ben Fouhy
When: 18 May, 7pm
Where: Clevedon Cafe
Cost: Members $40, non-members $50
Tickets: at Clevedon Cafe or email: clevedonpaddlingclub@xtra.co.nz