By: Claire O'Hara - The 2011 Freestyle kayaking season has come to an end and what a season it has been. 2011 will be remembered as the most successful year (so far) in British Freestyle history after we won 3 gold medals (the Men’s and Women’s Freestyle titles and the Ladies Squirt Boating title), 1 silver medal and 2 bronze medals at the 2011 World Freestyle Kayaking Championships.

The year started well with the opening of the 3 new white water courses in the UK (all great freestyle training venues), the spectacular freestyle kayak displays at the London Boat Show and a number of appearances of GB team athletes on documentaries and programmes on the BBC.

On the international scene we have had an exceptional year. At the start of the year GB team athlete James Bebbington was selected and invited to take part in the world’s first White Water Grand Prix in Canada and in the TEVA Mountain Games in the USA. Then in June, 25 GB Team athletes went out to Germany to compete for Great Britain at the World Freestyle Kayaking Championships.

The World Championships was a very successful event with everyone paddling really well and each athlete achieving a personal best performance during the event.   Claire O’Hara had an exceptional event winning two Gold medals bringing home the World Ladies Freestyle & Ladies Squirt Boating titles. James Bebbington showed outstanding form as he took Britain’s first ever Men’s Freestyle Gold medal and brought home the World Champion title. Jamie Austin just missed out on the Men’s Squirt Boating title (to the USA’s super kid Dane Jackson who won 3 Golds at the event), winning the silver medal, and GB juniors Bren Orton and Gabby Bates paddled exceptionally well against some very strong competition to finish 3rd and bring home the Bronze medals in the junior events.

We have also had a very successful home series with the Youth Freestyle series, Club Championships series and British Championships series. Hundreds of freestyle paddlers came together to celebrate the sport and take part in fun competitions at freestyle venues across the UK . The 2011 British Champions have been crowned: Sam Anderson, Claire O’Hara (K1 & SB), Paul King (C1 & OC1), Kim Aldred, Matt Rodgers and Jamie Austen, and the new 2012 GB Freestyle Kayaking team has been selected to represent the country at the European Freestyle Kayaking Championships in Lienz, Austria from the 25th – 30th June 2012.

Looking forward, 2012 looks like it is going to be another exciting year for British Freestyle. There will be another fun filled Youth Freestyle series and Club Championship and British Championship series. These events are open to paddlers of all ages and abilities and happen at freestyle venues across the UK. A full list of dates and details on how to join in will be coming soon.

The freestyle star awards will be launching in the New Year as will the all new freestyle skills videos from our own GB team athletes and World Champions James Bebbington and Claire O’Hara.

In June the GB Freestyle Kayaking team will be travelling to Austria to compete at the European Championships and a number of athletes will be attending the TEVA Mountain Games and the World Cup Series, in the summer, in the USA and there will be the 2nd White Water Grand Prix, this time in Chile. There will also be the GB Selection event to select the team to represent Great Britain at the 2013 World Championships in the USA in September 2013.

A massive thank you must go to everyone who has helped support the British Freestyle Kayaking scene; to the coaches, judges, organisers, supporters, committee, paddlers, parents, family and friends; to everyone who has supported the GB Team athletes, Youth Freestyle Series, Club Championships and British Championship Series and the club kayakers out there that have freestyle kayaks and a passion to learn; thank you for helping make 2011 such an incredible year.

Watch the complete 2011 World Championships Freestyle. 

If you would like to find out more about the team or how to get into this exciting white water sport check out the official freestyle website at www.gbfreestylekayak.com