Canoe sport for forester
From the Summer 2006 edition of Bush Telegraph Magazine.
Wauchope forester Mick Wilson is taking a step back in time with his latest sporting interest of outrigger canoes.
Once the staple fishing craft of the Pacific islands, Mick has made this his chosen sport to hone muscles for the firefighting season.
“Forests NSW sponsorship enabled me to compete at Coffs Harbour recently,” said Mick.
“Confronted with white caps at the start of the event, I think no one would’ve argued if they called it off but we still took off on a course from Woolgoolga to Coffs Harbour.”
“The leaders just flew out of sight. I was doing well for nine kilometres, surfing the runners and staying upright, when I changed sides and the wind blew my paddle out of my hands.”
Fortunately a support boat was nearby and retrieved it, saving Mick $300 needed to replace it.
“I surfed a bit more, started to get a bit tired, fell off once or twice and lost a bit more time on the pack,” Mick said.
“I redeemed myself, and caught some great runners until a support boat got a bit close and I lost concentration and flipped.”
“It is such a fine act that just moving your head can unbalance the whole boat.”
“So, with my event filled race, I finished fourth in my division, 35th across the line out of 40. There were a few who didn’t finish and one outrigger broke in half on a wave.”
”Historically outrigger canoes were made from wood and weighed much more than the sleek, modern vessel.”
Mick competes on a state-of-the-art, composite Kevlar craft which weighs less than 15kg but still relies on timber in different ways.
He has a selection of paddles used for different conditions, his favourite being a finely crafted, laminated timber blade with a distinctive curved shaft.
Public Affairs & Media, Coffs Harbour
