Throughout the year EUCC is involved in lots of exciting competitions across many disciplines, so there’s plenty to get involved in!

Polo

Canoe Polo is an exciting, fast paced, team game combining kayaking and ball handling skills. Teams of five compete to score in the opposing sides goal within the time limit of the game using their hands or paddle to move the ball. Polo boats are different to river running boats being longer and faster and the players wear full face helmets and body protection as it is a contact sport! Canoe polo is a perfect way to learn kayaking skills in a fun and competitive way. Throughout the year we have two main competitions SUS Polo in the spring and BUCS Polo in summer. There is also the opportunity to play in friendlies throughout the year!

Wild Water Racing (WWR)

Every year, kayakers from all over the country decend on the River Washburn for a weekend of partying, kayaking and camping. As a BUCS competition hosted by the Friends of Durham University Canoe Club, this is a chance for Edinburgh University Canoe Club to show off its skills and bring home some sweet BUCS points for the University!

WWR runs down a small section of the River Washburn, just below a reservoir release. The river is suitable for all skill levels and the aim is simple – first down the course wins. There are four main time trial catagories for you to compete in, Kayak, Kayak (duo), Canoe, Canoe (duo) with race officials scoring and ranking competitors. There are also group events, where multiple people will be paddling simultaneously with the aim being for each person to cross the line within a short period of the others. This adds an extra tension to the races, since if one of your team swims you’re all delayed.

Although kayaking is the reason for the event, we never pass up the opportunity for a good party! With the event lasting all weekend, every night everyone heads for a temporary club held in a marquee until the early hours. This is a great chance to socialise with clubs from other Universities, especially since you’ll probably be meeting everyone again at the next competition!

SUS Freestyle

Usually less well attended by the club but none the less a great opportunity to bring back some shiny metal for the club! Freestyle paddlers use white water waves and holes to perform surf and gymnastic-style manoeuvres and tricks. In competitions, freestyle kayakers gain points for every different rotation they perform (vertical (cartwheels), horizontal (spins), barrel rolls (airscrews) and somersaults (loops)), with bonus points awarded if they can get their boat out of the water and up into the air. Competition runs last for 45 seconds in which competitors have to perform as many different moves as possible. Each different move scores points and the highest overall score wins.

2021 Pres Alex showing how its done

Leny Race

The one and only EUCC Leny Creek race! Competitors race down the river Leny in the Scottish Highlands with prizes for fastest Advanced, Intermediate, and Duo boaters, followed by a big ceilidh afterwards! This is a highlight of the EUCC calendar with the whole club coming together to pull off the event.

National Student Rodeo (NSR)

Hosted every year by Nottingham University, NSR is a chance for the Uk’s Kayaking clubs to meet up for some freestyle kayaking fun! What people remember most about NSR are the parties though – NSR is totally unlike other kayaking competition, just check out their videos to see what we mean!