Paddlers into their work

ON THEIR TRAVELS: Poverty Bay Kayak Club members (from left) Alicia Hoskin, Britney Ford, Zac Ferkins and Quaid Thompson, with club head coach Alan Thompson, prepare to race at World Cup 2 in Duisburg, Germany. Picture supplied

Poverty Bay Kayak Club paddlers are into their work in Europe.

Late last month, Zac Ferkins had his first taste of open competition, at Poznan, Poland. He qualified with an all-under-23 crew for the B Final and placed eighth.

Britney Ford and Alicia Hoskin were in the u23 K4 500m crew, and Hoskin raced in the K2 500 with Danielle Watson, of Mana.

Ford and Hoskin also paddled in the mixed K2 500, with Ashton Reiser and Kurtis Imrie respectively.

Although none of the crews managed to progress beyond semifinals, the experience was invaluable.

Last weekend those three Poverty Bay paddlers were joined in Duisburg, Germany, by Quaid Thompson, for the second World Cup event.

Thompson qualified for the semis in the K1 1000 from a field of 58 paddlers. Hoskin and Ford raced in the K2 500 and also qualified for semis, as did Ferkins in the K4 500. However, none of them made the finals.

Ford and Hoskin were in a K4 500 crew that placed third in the B Final — the highlight of their World Cup experience.

Thompson raced the K1 5000 and finished 21st in a 41-strong field.

The paddlers were happy with their early-season form, and now look ahead to the u23 world championships in Romania in August and the senior world champs in Hungary later that month.