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weeeeeeee!
Name: Graham Fairweather
Age: 20
University: Strathclyde
Subject: Forensic and Analytical Chemistry
Year of Study: First Year Undergraduate.
Paddling Experience...?
I started paddling over 10 years ago now, because I don't like the thought of my brother being able to do something
that I can't. So I followed Dave into polo, then slalom and then White water, and am proud to say that I’m
better than Dave at all of these...except playboating, which to be fair I’m awful at!
I've managed to get some amazing boating in, generally in Britain and the Alps. My only expedition experience so
far was a few days in a highly unstable hollowed out tree on the Amazon and I am now eagerly looking forward to
boldly boating where others haven’t!
I'm generally found either coaching to try pay for these trips, or next to a random steep burn in Scotland trying to
persuade people that it does go...there is a line...and it would really be better for all concerned if they
went first...
So, when was your last swim?
Ahh, well I’m still a bit bitter about this. It was back in the summer of 2004, on the Guil. About
1/2 way down L'ange Guardian we inspected a drop, chose our eddy at the bottom and off we went. Having
nailed the drop, I relaxed only to find "my eddy" kind of full. So off I paddled to the next one...except
it didn't exist, instead I ended up in a horrible pourover getting beaten. I managed to get out of this; however
my rather expensive 6 day old paddles had broken in half. and 1/2 way down the next rapid, I flipped, decided
enough was enough, discarded my 1/2 a paddle, swam, and vowed that I would start to take up C1.
Two days later £260 came off my credit card for my paddles.
What's your favourite river?
The best paddle I’ve ever had was probably on the Upper Nevis in Scotland. But my favourite experience
was probably on the Ogwen in Wales; I was seriously out of practice and hadn't been boating in a
long time due to illness. But I managed to get up to North Wales when everything was going off. After
knocking off the Glaslyn Gorge, we went off to the Ogwen, if I remember correctly there was about 36 people
getting on, after filling my dry trousers full of the brown stuff, I was one of the 7 left at the end. A shaking
hyperventilating wreck, who knew damn well, he had found the first love of his life.
What was your first boat?
My first boat was a battered old fibreglass polo boat that set me back £20. I also owned an old slalom boat,
possibly an extra by nomad. But my first plastic boat was a Pyranha Sub 7, which has stayed with me since,
and is currently residing in my rather small Uni accommodation next to a Riot Air, and a Dagger Nomad.