Having heard that Hurley was on 3 gates, I was very eager to get on the water. With a relatively dry season so far, water time on Hurley has been few and far between, and with Selections in the new year, I wanted to make the most of this. Although the car park had looked quite busy, we were pleasantly surprised as we got to the weir as there was only around 8-10 paddlers in the line up, and many were leaving for lunch.
Once on the wave gate (admittedly missing it the first time), it was an incredible level!! Carving up to the top it was steep and green, and felt really smooth - I couldn't help but grin. With the adrenaline racing, I kept practising blunts and going for a few back blunts too, before forcing myself to have a ride in the hole gate (where Selections would be). However, I was quickly back on the wave, making the most of this awesome level.
However, all too soon, we noticed the lock keeper heading across and knew that actually they were going to change the gates. This year, to attempt to reduce flooding, they are using a system that means water is less likely to be held back, and therefore Hurley will work for less time and less frequently. (Which is bad news for kayakers!)
After lunch, and with the weir now on 2 gates, Nicky, Gabby and I were more inclined to practice in the hole gate. A high two gates was better than a low two, and two gates are still better than one or none, but having had an awesome 3 in the morning, we were a little disappointed initially.
In the end, it was so much fun! Actually dedicating time to trying things in the hole gate meant I actually started to get the hang of the feature, and realised I have too often overlooked this section of Hurley. Cartwheels, split wheels, loops and even roundhouses/blunts were all possible, as well as all the more challenging moves. This has really inspired me to get back down to Hurley and spend more time specifically in this gate as it was really exciting.
Full video: https://youtu.be/W1K3_IxUBaQ
Once on the wave gate (admittedly missing it the first time), it was an incredible level!! Carving up to the top it was steep and green, and felt really smooth - I couldn't help but grin. With the adrenaline racing, I kept practising blunts and going for a few back blunts too, before forcing myself to have a ride in the hole gate (where Selections would be). However, I was quickly back on the wave, making the most of this awesome level.
However, all too soon, we noticed the lock keeper heading across and knew that actually they were going to change the gates. This year, to attempt to reduce flooding, they are using a system that means water is less likely to be held back, and therefore Hurley will work for less time and less frequently. (Which is bad news for kayakers!)
After lunch, and with the weir now on 2 gates, Nicky, Gabby and I were more inclined to practice in the hole gate. A high two gates was better than a low two, and two gates are still better than one or none, but having had an awesome 3 in the morning, we were a little disappointed initially.
In the end, it was so much fun! Actually dedicating time to trying things in the hole gate meant I actually started to get the hang of the feature, and realised I have too often overlooked this section of Hurley. Cartwheels, split wheels, loops and even roundhouses/blunts were all possible, as well as all the more challenging moves. This has really inspired me to get back down to Hurley and spend more time specifically in this gate as it was really exciting.
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