Paddling at Pinkstone

No 2 Son warming up!

On your marks, get set

Go!

Back in August our club, FCAG, had an evening jaunt over to check out the new whitewater course at Pinkston in Glasgow. For anyone who doesn't know about Pinkston, It's an artificial white water course where there is a flat water area for warming up, playing polo etc. Then there is the whitewater course, where the volume of water can be adjusted via 3 pumps. There is a short (30m) and a long course(100m) with the course features being able to be adjusted through movable bollard things (technical term!).

1st swim

CWW surfing

Cheese!

 When we arrived, there was junior slalom training going on, with all these little people making the course look incredibly easy all with the added hazards of slalom poles!

Still dry - just

Nearly an oops moment!

Sorted!

Phew, survived the first drop!

 We had booked 30 mins on the flat water for warm up, reminded me what a small boat was like! We were then on the white water bit for 90 mins. We started off with a single pump running, still masses of water! It wasn't too long before the 2nd pump was switched on - masses more water! By now it was getting quite dark, so the floodlights were switched on. Then the 3rd pump was on - lots more masses of water!!! Having more water didn't really mean the course was getting harder, it just changed the features a bit, having waves that weren't on the single pumps.

KP flat spinning

 

Although we were only on the WW course for 90 mins, it was a hard paddling, tiring, but good fun 90 mins. I managed a roll and only 1 swim (I was knackered by then, I'm definitely not as young as I used to be!)

Paddling by floodlight

 

No 2 Son surfing

Frothy man

Hubby dear flat spinning

No 2 Son trying out the Burn

 It was then time for a lovely hot shower.
We used to have day / weekend trips down to Teeside, although we haven't been down since it has been changed, but having Pinkston so close at hand is fantastic. An even better reason for having Pinkston, the water quality is checked regularly and is clean! - unlike Teeside where drinking bottles of coke was always the order of the day to kill of any of the dreaded lurgy which was in the water!