Athletes, Coaches & Paddling Community,
Please see CKO Sprint’s events and program updates below.
CKO Sprint’s 2023 Ontario Cup – Ontario Championships August 19-20, 2023
A total of 18 Canoe Clubs from across Ontario participated at the Ontario Championships held in Welland, Ontario on August 19-20, 2023. A record number of 587 competitors challenged for the title of Ontario Champion, surpassing the previous record of 504 athletes set in 2018.
Congratulations to Rideau Canoe Club for winning the Bantam Cup (U12 & U14 Overall Champion), as well as the Overall Grand Championship burgee, finishing the event with 1258 points. Only a small margin separated Mississauga Canoe Club who finished 2nd overall with 683 points and Burloak Canoe Club who finished 3rd with 671 points. A special congratulations goes out to Gananoque’s young paddlers who captured the U12 Overall burgee. Full results and club points can be found on the events page here.
After the races on Day 1, CKO Sprint hosted our first Girls in Sport Crew Boat Workshop where over 40 female U12 & U14 paddlers and 20 Ontario Team mentors worked together to share their knowledge and experience of our sport. A Q&A session was followed by an on water crew boat workshop where participants were paired with mentors in doubles and fours. It was an incredible site to see 6 IC4’s, 10 K4’s, and multiple doubles line up for a fun 50m splash and dash. Thank you to our event organizer, Samantha Stein, and to the incredible Ontario Team mentors for supporting the next generation of paddlers.
$535 of in-competition fees collected over the weekend were donated to Erica’s Wish Blanket Program. MCC’s Erica Scarff (2023 World Championships Silver medalist) blanket program provides SickKids Hospital with blankets to comfort children diagnosed with cancer throughout their tests, trials, and treatments.
Ontario Team Fall Training Camp – Ottawa September 29 to October 1, 2023
Our upcoming Fall Training Camp is taking place in Ottawa for our Ontario Team and Special Olympics Team athletes. Camp details will be provided to the invited athletes and can also be found on our event page here. Coaches, if you are interested in coaching at the camp, please contact Ryan Blair by Friday, September 22, 2023.
Ontario Cup – Long Distance Regatta – Ottawa, October 1, 2023
Our annual Long Distance Regatta is scheduled for October 1, 2023 in Ottawa, ON. The event is open to U14, U16, U18, Open, Masters, Para, and Special Olympics paddlers. Event distances include 5km, 10km, 16km, 20km, and 24km. Full event details will be available on our event page here. The registration deadline is Monday, September 25, 2023.
CKO Sprint Webinar Series and Balance Drill Resources
Last month, Tessa Oldershaw and Nancy Olmsted hosted a CKO Sprint Webinar to discuss injury prevention for paddlers and how to create a winning environment with C-15. Nancy is the owner of Olmsted Physiotherapy and has a rich history in our sport, representing Canada at two Olympic Games (1984 and 1988), and continues to contribute to the sport as a master’s athlete, coach, mentor, and physiotherapist. Tessa is a lifetime member of the sport and owner of Nelo Canada. Tessa shared her favourite memories and some tips from Burloak’s rich history in C-15. Earning 10 national titles in C-15 in a row, Tessa dives into how C-15 improves club culture and how training C-15 translates to other crew boats and improves the quality of any athlete’s paddling experience. Tessa and Nancy’s sessions and past CKO Sprint webinars can be viewed on our Webinar Series webpage here.
In partnership with Balmy Beach Canoe Club, we are excited to share our new Balance Drills series which includes 7 drills for kayakers and 3 drills for canoers. Fall is a great time to hone in on technique and boat skills, check out this series on our YouTube channel here. Each drill includes a video demonstration and step-by-step instructions!