Fast-paced thrills and spills at Inter Service Canoe Championships in Scotland
Kayakers from across the military have gathered in Scotland for the interservice canoe championships.
The event – open to both expert and novice competitors – was held at the Pinkston Water Sports Centre in Glasgow for the second year in a row.
As well as the forces' rivalry between the branches, the event is open to competitors of all abilities and is about growing the sport in the military community.
Warrant Officer (Class 1) James Brown of 1st Regiment, The Royal Military Police, said: "It's one of these sports you can dabble at, you can get involved in – it's just appealing.
"It's got a good community as well.
"It's important to get together, but it's rare we get these opportunities.
"Sport is a fantastic way of building decision-making and leadership skills."
Everyone from novices just starting out to the experienced expert paddlers took to the course in a variety of competitions over several days.
Chair of Army Canoeing Colonel Alex Burt said: "We've got ranks from private all the way up to colonel, and that mixture of standards as well.
"With this course here, we're able to turn up and turn down the water, so set the water conditions so that they are appropriate for the standard of paddlers.
"People who are just coming in for a bit of a first-time adventure – the novice event with the Army championships and interservice championships – we will turn the water up, make it a bit more challenging, and make it a bit more fun for that standard of paddler."
But that competitive spirit was still on show – especially in the Kayak Cross event.
An event featured at the last Olympics in Paris, it is a canoe slalom that sees the competitors race against each other as well as the clock on the course and literally battle it out with each other on the rapids.
Officer Cadet Charlotte Fife, of the University Royal Naval Unit, said: "That was quite entertaining – fighting off the Army.
"It's a really good laugh.
"It was really tight between us, got pipped just at the end – but I gave him a good showdown, so really good fun."
"It's just carnage," added Flight Lieutenant Matthew Harris from RAF Leeming.
"I think naturally a lot of people in the services have that inner competitive instinct, and when you bring all three services together, everyone just wants to win."
The Army was dominant in the event – picking up the wins in the inter service and kayak cross events, but the event was mainly about getting those with a passion for this sport – of all ranks and abilities – together.
Related topics
Join Our Newsletter
