INNISFAIL – Kayakers and polo players from across Alberta rubbed shoulders with some of Canada’s best athletes and coaches during the Cottonwood Kayak Club’s annual slalom and polo tournament.
The one-day event included a slalom race and a canoe polo tournament at the Innisfail Aquatic Centre on Jan. 18.
The event welcomed kayakers and polo players of all ages and skill levels.
Members of the Alberta Canoe Polo Association and Alberta Slalom Canoe Kayak were also on hand to share skills and participate in the annual tournament.
“This is the very first event of the year in Alberta,” said Morgan Minty, president of the Cottonwood Kayak Club. “It’s a great opportunity for everybody to play.”
About 40 kayakers and polo players from across Alberta took part in the tournament, including 20-year-old Trevor Boyd of Calgary.
Boyd has participated in the event for several years and was named to the National Slalom KW1 Men’s team this year. He has also been a member of the U-23 and the National Junior Slalom Men’s team for several years.
“I come up here every year for this tournament,” said Boyd.
“It’s great to see so many people here participating. We’ve got a great turnout today.”
“I was in Australia for about two and a half weeks. It was for the Olympic team selection (process),” said Boyd, noting he was one of three kayakers on the national team invited to try out for the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics. “For me it was a great learning experience. My goal right now is to prepare and train for the next four years (for the next Olympics),” he added.
Mike Holroyd is the head coach for Alberta Slalom Canoe Kayak and has coached several local kayakers, including Innisfail’s Darius Ramrattan and Colton Minty.
He was also on the National Slalom Kayak team for 10 years and has coached for 12 years. He has competed in three world championships, 30 World Cup events and was an alternate twice for the Olympics.
“This (tournament) is part of our provincial program to keep things going through the winter and keep everybody entertained when it’s cold out,” said Holroyd.
“I’ve been to Innisfail many times. We love coming back. It’s the first tournament of the season and it’s a great way to start off the year,” he added.
Minty also noted the opportunity for kayakers to learn from and compete against some of the best.
“It’s always good fun to watch the slalom (racers) play polo and the polo players compete in slalom,” he said. “There’s a great opportunity for those young kids to play with people who have competed in several world championships. The kids get so much experience and exposure to the sport.”
The Cottonwood Kayak Club holds drop-in sessions at the aquatic centre every Friday from 7 to 8:30 p.m.
“Anybody is welcome to come and learn (about canoe polo),” said Minty. “Every Sunday we have a drop-in for people to learn to kayak from 4 to 5 p.m.
“We supply everything. All you need to do is bring a bathing suit. We’ll outfit anybody that wants to learn how to kayak, and we’ll make sure that they’ve got the gear that’s going to keep them safe and having fun,” said Minty.
For more information contact Morgan Minty at 403-896-2972 or visit the Cottonwood Kayak Club on Facebook or visit www.awa.com
