Marathon regatta tests endurance
Warm sun shone down on paddlers taking part in the Fort Langley Canoe Club's annual competition
May 22, 2012
Chris Cupp with Tom Pritchard, and Mike and Cam Fitzmaurice battled for second place as they complete a turn in the last stretch of the 20km race.
Three different races were run that day - two, six, and 20-kilometre distances - with athletes ranging from eight to 60-plus years of age.
Over the course of two hours, the marathoners paddled a total of 20 kilometres and portaged their boats up onto the Brae Island beach twice, all while enjoying the start of stunning summer-like weather.
Also showing their determination, several eight and nine-year-old paddlers raced two kilometres, which for some of them was their very first competition.
The six-kilometre race comprised of paddlers aged 13 to 18, many of whom are preparing for this year's competitive kayaking season.
Brian Malfesi from Maple Ridge took first place in both the two-and six-kilometre races; Eric Fast from Burnaby placed second in both races, as well.
In the 20-kilometre race, Jim Nosella from Burnaby came in first. Mike and Cam Fitzmaurice - a father-and-son team also from Burnaby - placed second.
Aiming for Gold
Muench a two-sport star
From the Langley Times February 08, 2011
In a perfect world, they would create an event which combined Colton Muench’s two passions: kayaking and air pistol shooting. After all, the Winter Games has biathlon, which combines cross-country skiing with precision target shooting. “That would be cool,” he responded when asked if he would love a hybrid of his two passions.
The 17-year-old Muench excels at both sports and eventually down the road, he will have to choose which one he wants to pursue. But until that happens, he will continue to excel at both. Last July, during the B.C. Summer Games held in the Township of Langley, Muench won five gold medals in sprint kayaking. He also won silver at the national championships.
But over the next two weeks, his focus will be on something else: helping Team B.C. win gold at the Canada Winter Games in Halifax. Muench will do so in target shooting.
His introduction to the sport came through his uncle and after Muench found a passion for it, he pursued it. This was five or six years ago, and Muench has shown as much potential at the range as he has on the water. When it actually comes down to the competition, they are totally different (sports),” he said. “With shooting, you have a relaxed mind set; paddling is muscle and drive.”
Unsure of which one he will pursue exclusively, Muench trains feverishly for both, spending about six to eight hours a week at the Langley Rod and Gun Club, where he is a member, and then training twice a day, six days a week for kayaking. This involves sessions on the water as well as cross-training. Muench is attending this summer’s western Canadian championships and is working towards earning a spot on Canada’s junior national team for kayaking, as well as qualifying for the Pan-American championships and world championships in target shooting.
Success at the Nationals 2010
Del Muench, Sebastian Foellmer, Nicholas Foellmer & Colton Muench win Silver in the men's 1000m K4.
SLALOM RACING arrives in FLCC
DEL-ivered on Time
Del Muench had a great race in the Annual Historic Half Marathon held here in Fort Langley. Del had an amazing race – running 21 km (13 miles) in 1 hour 25 minutes and 48 seconds, placing 22 out of 1140 participants. That meant taking a staggering 15 minutes off of his 2009 time. Del is only 15 years old and has been an active member of the sprint team for a number of years. Great race! |
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Elliot wins CKBC Scholarship
Congratulations to Elliot Hoyt on his scholarship award by CanoeKayak BC. Pictured below is Elliot and Grant Rawstron.
Canada Summer Games
The 2009 Canada Summer Games were an amazing event to attend.
The multi-sport nature of the games meant that we could meet athletes not only from all over the country, but also athletes from other sports, which was a great experience. Competing against the best in Canada was, as always, a challenging task but I feel like the BC Team did a very respectable job, especially considering the conditions - a harrowing head/side wind and foot high chop - where the races became less a test of pure speed and more a test of superior boatmanship, as evidenced by some unfortunate athletes having to abandon their race to save their boats. Despite the conditions, the Men’s Kayak team, of which I was a part of, managed to come home with a bronze medal and 5 fourth place finishes, including my K-4 1000m, helping the Men’s Canoe Kayak team to finish 4th overall. Overall, British Columbia finished second for the overall flag points of the Games. Elliot Hoyt.
Fort Langley Paddlers Named to Team BC
8 August 2009
As the festivities surrounding the 2009 World Sprint Canoe Championships in Halifax, Nova Scotia wind to a close, our attention turns our sprint paddlers competing in the Canada Summer Games. Prince Edward Island is hosting the two-week sporting event and our paddlers will go for the gold on August 24th to 27th.
After an inspiring week watching the best paddlers in the world fight for a place on the podium, our Team BC paddlers, including FLCC member Elliot Hoyt, gear up for Canada’s top multi-sport games. Elliot and his teammates will continue to train on Lake Banook for the remainder of the week, after which they will travel to Prince Edward Island for their final training “peak.”
Years of hard training and months of team selection races have paid off for FLCC sprint kayakers Elliot Hoyt, Jordan Traas and Josh Plankeel. Elliot, Jordan and Josh were named to the Team BC men’s kayak team in early July and spent much of the summer training in crewboats in Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows. Ranked seventh and eighth in BC, Jordan and Josh provided invaluable training support and crewboat experience as the team alternates. Both Jordan and Josh enjoyed the experience of working with the Team BC paddlers and plan to support their teammates by watching the coverage from home . . . training hard and waiting for someone to break an arm!
Elliot’s journey towards the Summer Games began when he joined the Fort Langley Canoe Club’s sprint program at age 14. Tammy Leuba and Ben Muench helped Elliot into his first boat, and he has never looked back.
The Fraser river proved to be the perfect training place for Elliot, helping him learn the balance and co-ordination that has enabled him to earn a place on the 2009 BC Team. Training seven times a week in the winter and ten times each week in the summer, Elliot has built on his natural endurance and fought hard to improve his flexibility and strength. Balancing paddling, running, weights and swimming with school, family and friends, Elliot has managed to excel as both an athlete and a student.
Elliot’s dedication and determination are matched by his training partners, a inspiring group of athletes who train with heart and soul each day in pursuit of their paddling goals. Help support Elliot and all our sprint paddlers by coming down to the club to watch a practice and chat with the athletes & be sure to check out the Canada Games coverage.
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BC Disability Games a Great Success
July 31, 2009
Wow what a great success! Fort Langley, Pitt Meadows and Ridge have pulled together in the true spirit of a Multisport Games to ensure that the sport of CANOE/KAYAK was well represented at both the PMPC and RCKC venues.
What a vision it was to see volunteers from all three clubs descend upon Ridge to start off the event with a Canoe/Kayak event on July 24th that featured in excess of 30 participants from the disabled community enjoy an evening of kayaking. Our green PADDLEALL shirts allowed all participants the opportunity to know who could help them and our huge pool of volunteers ensured no disappointment. A huge thank you to all of our volunteers! Many of these volunteers are our high performance athletes and it is so rewarding to see each of you giving back to the community and sharing the sport that you love.
Saturday we moved on to the Pitt Meadows venue for 28 paddlers to experience the discipline of dragonboat and have a tour of our Alouette River in 2 dragonboats that vied for the position of the #1 boat. Athletes from blind sports, deaf sports and members of our extended local disabled community had an experience that will hopefully be replicated with a return visit.
Sunday we challenged ourselves by scheduling events at both the Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows venues at the same time and again we met with great success. Both clubs had close to 30 people on the water 'Celebrating the Spirit' of the Games.
A special thanks to Rick Hammer, Virginia Kuran and Emma Visser for all your help in making this event a success.
Western Canadian Canoe Championships
July 21, 2009
Racing at the Western Canadian Canoe Championships this past weekend, the members of the Fort Langley Canoe and Kayak Club helped revive the intense competition and bond of sportsmanship between the Western-most provinces. Elliot Hoyt, who recently earned a spot on the 2009 BC Team for the Canada Summer Games, Josh Plankeel and Jordan Traas, both nominated as alternates for the BC Team, Colton Muench, Del Muench and Brodie Muench put forth phenomenal performances in singles, doubles and fours events on the Glenmore Reservoir.
Highlights of the weekend include Hoyt’s 7th place in the Open Men’s 500m singles race, and the phenomenal teamwork of Hoyt, Traas, Plankeel and Ridge partner David Nykl in earning third place in the Open Men’s 500m K4 event. Traas’ 4th place in the Open Men’s 1000m singles race showcased his tremendous powers of endurance, and Plankeel’s 5th place in the Open Men’s 200m singles event was a testament to his speed and power. Pairing up for the K2 200m race, Plankeel and Traas narrowly missed a medal, finishing a respectable fourth amongst extremely tough competition.
Plankeel continued to demonstrate his teamboat skills when paired with Colton in the K2 500m race. Earning a silver medal, these two athletes have the makings of a legendary K2 team. Colton, teaming with Del, were edged out of a medal position by a tenacious crew from Regina, and finished fourth in the Midget Men’s K2 1000m. In one of his best performances of the year, Del was a model of efficiency in the Midget Men’s K1 1000m race, finishing in 6th place. Del also demonstrated his versatility, joining paddlers from Kamloops to compete in a 1000m four person canoe race. Teaming up with his cousins Brodie, and Colton, Del also joined Ridge paddler Alex Lepianka to earn a silver medal in the K4 1000m. Brodie, competing in the Bantam category for the last year, won gold in the K1 1000m, the K2 1000m and the K4 1000m.
Perhaps the most exciting events of the regatta – besides the harrowing thunderstorm on Sunday – were the unique 4-2-1 races organized by the Calgary Canoe Club. Teams of four paddlers raced a 1000m loop first in K4s, then in K2s and finally in K1s. Each loop was separated by a mini-portage in which the athletes docked, ran up a hill to the staging area, retrieved their next boat, and continued down the hill to the exit dock. These races provided much hilarity for the spectators and some great competition between the athletes. Next year’s Western Canadian Champs promise to be even more exciting!
Drop in Kayak Lessons
July 17, 09
Once again we have started our drop in kayaking lessons. Our Drop-ins are on Saturdays from 9:30 to 11:00am and 1:30 to 3pm. The deadline for registration is the Thursday at 6pm prior to the drop-in. We need to have at least 5 people to run drop-ins so once the numbers are confirmed you will receive an email on Friday letting you know whether or not the drop in will run. If you have a group of 8 and more, contact us for details on group bookings.
Members pay only $10. The cost for non – members is $17 for adults and $15 for teens. We meet at the cage at the campground. All equipment is supplied.
If you have any further questions or would like to register, please contact our instructor,
Alex at email Alex
Adult Technical Kayaking Drop-in Lessons
July 17, 09
These sessions are designed for paddlers over 18 who are looking to improve their technical skills. Paddlers should be comfortable in a marathon master-style boat, or working towards this level. We will work on posture and stroke mechanics with the goal of making participants more efficient, competent paddlers who will have the option of competing in a local regatta at the end of September. Sessions are held on Wednesday nights from 6-7:30, on a drop in bases. Cost is $17 for non –members and $10 for members. Please email Sara with Adult Tech in subject line by Monday night to confirm your spot. Meet at the boat house.
Regatta Ready! Youth Intro to Racing
These sessions are intended for youth ages 12-18 that have completed a beginner kayak paddling course and looking for a competition experience. We will focus on balance, stroke technique and fitness in these lessons. Regatta Ready participants will be on track to compete in a local regatta at the end of September. These drop-in classes are on Tuesday from 6 to 7:30 pm and are $10 a session. Please email Sara if you have any questions, sara_hopkins@hotmail.com. Please meet at the boathouse.
Drop-in Kayak Fun
13 July 09
Come join us for a fun kayak paddle on Bedford Channel.
Starting Monday July 20th there will be a dropin kayak paddle for members only.
Where: Bedford Channel – cross the bridge (Fort Langley) and walk along the path to the compartment where our kayaks are housed.
When: Monday nights 7:00 – 8:30pm
Cost: Free (for members only)
You must confirm by Monday 1200 by emailing Carol Ann at carolann_quibell@yahoo.ca or call her at (604) 888-0037.
These are not lessons. We will be having a fun paddle together and enjoying the river.
If you haven’t paddled before we recommend you sign up for lessons with the club.
We are looking forward to having you join us! Carol Ann Quibell & Alice Pucek
Details of lessons can be found at Kayak Lessons
Canada Day Regatta
July 7, 09
FLCC was well represented by their Sprint Team this past week in Regina at the annual Canada Day Regatta. This is a competitive regatta with entries from all of the western provinces. FLCC was represented by Jordan Traas, Josh Plankeel, Elliot Hoyt Del Muench, Colton Muench, Brodie Muench, Nic Todd and Chelsea Routley The athletes all preformed admirably and demonstrated great sportsmanship.
Some of the highlights were Brody getting first in the 4K and partnering with Alex from Ridge getting a 2nd in the 500 metres race. As well, Brody posted some of his fasted times yet.
Chelsea broke her 6k personal time and did well partnering with Emma from the island in the K2 races. Jordan picked up a silver medal in his new K1 in the 1000 metres and set a personal best in the 500meters. Colton and Del, partnering with Burnaby, also took silver in the K4 1000 metres. Del also finished 6th in the gruelling 6k. Nic continues to impress with his ability to race both in the canoe and kayak.
Elliot broke his personal best 1000 metre time as well as capturing a bronze in the 500m. Coach Sara demonstrated her commitment to the sport by racing in a K2 with a novice master paddler from the prairies. This is only a sampling of the highlights.
Full results can be found at www.wascanaracingcanoeclub.com
Ted Houk Memorial Regatta
June 16, 09
With the Fraser River swelling under the melting snow packs, the youth of the Fort Langley Canoe Club packed up their boats and headed to Seattle to compete in the 30th annual Ted Houk regatta on June 13th and 14th. Following on their successes at the recent Canada Summer Games Trials, the Fort Langley sprint canoe and kayak paddlers returned to Canada with an impressive pile of ribbons.
Each competing in their first international regatta, Chelsea Routley in the Novice Women’s K1 1000m and Jaden Easton-Ellet in the Novice Men’s K1 1000m, wowed both the spectators and other competitors with their decisive wins. Routley, racing in crews from Gig Harbour and Seattle, showcased her skill and balance in the K4 1000m and K2 500m events. Easton-Ellet, after a difficult start in the Men’s K1 5000m, demonstrated incredible tenacity in the race and gained the admiration of teammates and competitors alike for completing the event.
Our Canada Games hopefuls, Elliot Hoyt, Jordan Traas and Josh Plankeel, had a stellar weekend of racing. Hoyt continued his streak of excellent performances placing 6th in the K1 1000m, 7th in the K1 5000m and 5th in the K2 1000m with teammate Jim Nosella of Burnaby. Jordan Traas and Josh Plankeel worked with teammates Colton Muench and Del Muench to capture silver in the Junior Men’s K4 1000m. Traas and Plankeel won a bronze in the Junior Men’s K2 1000m and narrowly missed a medal, finishing 4th in the Junior Men’s 500m.
Traas, improving on his placings from last weekend’s Canada Summer Games trials, won gold in the Junior Men’s K1 1000m and 5000m events and earned silver in the 500m. Winning a bronze in the Junior Men’s 5000m event and placing fourth in both the 1000m and 500m singles events, Plankeel had a fabulous weekend of racing. In the Junior Men’s 500m K4 event, Traas joined competitors from Maple Ridge to win the gold, but close behind with the silver were Plankeel, C. Muench, D. Muench, and Nicholas Foellmer of Burnaby.
Nicholas Todd, placing 11th in the Juvenile Men’s 5000m event, had a exhausting weekend of racing, competing in both kayak and canoe events. Todd paired with Sky Leuba for both the Juvenile K2 1000m and 500m events, 7th and 6th respectively. Earning a 4th place in the Junior Men’s C1 500m event, Todd capped off his weekend with a silver medal in the Juvenile Men’s C2 500m event with partner Keiffer Johnson of Kamloops. Lueba had solid finishes in his K1 events, placing 12th in the 5000m and narrowly missing the 500m and 1000m finals.
In the Juvenile category, Colton Muench won the silver in both the 1000m and 500m singles events while his cousin, Del pulled out a phenomenal silver medal in the K1 5000m race. Together Colton and Del earned silver in the K2 1000m and with teammates Nicholas and Sebastian Foellmer of Burnaby, won gold in the Juvenile Men’s K4 500m.
Fort Langley’s youngest competitor, Brodie Muench, cleaned up in the Bantam category, winning gold in the K1 1000m, bronze in the K1 5000m and gold in both the K2 1000m and K4 1000m with teammates from Maple Ridge.
Though early in the racing season, the Fort Langley paddlers are showing the benefits of a winter of hard training. Their greatest successes are yet to come!
Drop in Kayak Lessons
June 23, 09
Once again we have started our drop in kayaking lessons. Our Drop-ins are on Friday nights from 7-8:30pm some weeks or Saturdays from 10 to 11:30am. The deadline for registration is the Wednesday at 6pm prior to the drop-in. Since we are starting the season, we like to have at least 5 people to run drop-ins so once the numbers are confirmed you will receive an email on Thursday letting you know whether or not the drop in will run. If you have a group of 8 and more, contact us for details on group bookings.
Members pay only $10. The cost for non – members is $17 for adults and $15 for teens. We meet at the cage at the campground. All equipment is supplied.
If you have any further questions or would like to register, please contact our instructor,
Alex at email Alex