So, its taken a little while but recently after like about 6 months a gunna, shoulda, woulda, coulda, I finally found myself in the same place at the same time as Pete Dorries and one of his coaching clinics. Now for anyone that knows me and has had the pleasure of paddling with me and my......... unusual style of paddling (that is built like a brick, no flexibility and a set of dodgy shoulders) this whole experience was one that I had been frothing about for ages. All of a sudden I would spend a couple of hours with Pete and then all my technique issues would be fixed and I would knock 3 hours off my time trial time, pictures would be in magazines and young women would throw their tops at me as I exited the water each time. I was in for a very rude shock, Pete put me through what can only be described as the wringer. He twisted me, got me contorted into positions that even Yogis would whimper at performing, talked about going slow to go fast, about going slow to go fast, about pausing about moving ankles and stepping around the board.


He talked about relaxing, now let me tell you for the first 1.5 hours none of this made any sense to me at all, but then all of a sudden, and it was only just a little bit, my hip moved at the right time to drive the board forward and up. A revelation, then another all of a sudden the paddle seemed to be making less noise as it speared into the water, after the whole pausing thing and the nose of the board seemed to be gliding more between strokes.

I returned back to canberra a few days later and took what I had learnt out onto our time trial course one lonely morning and 30 seconds disappeared off my PB up to that point. I looked around for any photographers or girls undoing their tops and those things are still sadly lacking.

I did, however, hear in the back of my brain a little voice that sounded a lot like Pete Dorries, whispering 'practice, practice, practice, adapt, apply, and then practice some more'.

So what did 1 technique class teach me? That I need more training and better technique, its as simple as that, did I get a lot out of the first class, Yep, however I think it is fair to say that with all the info that Pete floods you with I forgot way more than I remember. I will be going back to do some personalised coaching when time and location permits it. I also now do the whole practice, practice, practice thing. Its become sort of like golf and either improving your swing or putting, its a never ending search for that next little improvement to come along, its now a game of millimeters not inches.

So a final word, would I recommend some time with Pete as a coach, Dam right I would, it is without a doubt the best dollars I have spent since getting into the sport. So if anyone finds themselves in the same place at the same time that a Pete Dorries clinic is on I reckon you should run to get there.