All Japan Surfski Champs and Senior International Selection for Worlds

All Japan surfski champs info here:
www.canoe.or.jp/…/informa…/national/2018national_23/
I don`t have any info on ski rental.
2018 OCEAN RACING All Japan Championships
and 2018 OCEAN RACING Overseas Dispatched Paddlers Selection (for ICF Worlds in Quiberon, France)
Date: Saturday, June 9, 2018 - Sunday, June 10, 2018
place: Aichi Gamagori City WestCove Nishiura Marina

Hi Owen Thanks for posting. Have you ever done this? It looks like it'll be flatwater. (I struggled to find it on the site but got there with this
www.canoe.or.jp/events/information/national/2018national_23/ )
Would love to have a crack at it but 700km road trip oneway? Nah I don't think so. Somewhere in the Tohoku would be nice. BTW I did a time trial yesterday and was quite chuffed I qualified. Keep paddling!

Hi Rod,

Great to hear from you.

I`m afraid all the information I have is what you`ve seen. I could be wrong, but this might be the inaugural ski champs? It looks like the main reason for it is because the Japan canoeing association wants to send a couple of representatives to the ICF world ski champs in September. In a similar way, I don`t see ski paddling in Okinawa taking off anytime soon unless it makes the Olympics in the next 20 years.

I know Shun from Amami is planning to drive a van and trailer from his island to the race - which must be a a three or four day adventure. He`s offering to pick up people all over western Japan to share the ride!

I don`t have any info on it, but I`d be surprised if they have a pool of new skis that fit tall paddlers. Still, at least it`s a start.

The course is also an issue. I envisage an ocean race for K1 paddlers, rather than a proper downwind. For a real downwind champs I think they`d have to co-ordinate with the local fishermens' union via a danger-averse city office!

The popular sea kayak marathon in Amami has surfski categories this year - if 30km in a big circle of an inland sea in 30C+ and high humidity floats your boat!

Owen

ps congrats on your time trial result. Also, if every you fancy doing some ski paddling in Okinawa, just give me a shout!