Holme Pierrepont Slalom Div P/1/2/3/4 - May 2026

Seren Dwr paddlers produced an excellent set of results across all divisions at Holme Pierrepont over the weekend, with podium finishes, race wins and two exciting promotions to Division One for Harrison Morton and Izabella Starka.

Slalom Racing at Holme Pierrepont

Set at the National Water Sports Centre in Nottingham, Holme Pierrepont is one of the most exciting venues on the slalom calendar. The artificial white water course combines fast, technical racing with a brilliant atmosphere both on and off the water, especially during sunny race weekends like this one.

Premier and Division One racing takes place on the main white water course, while Division Two and Three races are held on the lower section of the course, nicknamed “The Daleks” by paddlers. Division Four racing takes place on the small lake next to the course, allowing paddlers to gradually progress through the different racing environments.

Many paddlers and families camp on site, with the campsite just a short 10–15 minute walk from the white water centre and set within the surrounding country park and nearby nature reserve.

Strong Results Across the Club

There were strong performances throughout the club across both days of racing.

Rowan Cysewski Light had an outstanding weekend across both K1 and C1 disciplines, taking:

• 2nd in C1 Men Div 2 on Saturday

• 4th in K1 Men Div 2 on Saturday

• 1st in K1 Men Div 2 on Sunday

• 4th in C1 Men Div 2 on Sunday

  
  

Louis Cousins also impressed across both K1 and C1 racing. Alongside finishing 14th and 5th in K1 Men Div 2 across the weekend, he won C1 Men Div 3 on Saturday before following it up with another podium finish, taking 3rd on Sunday.

In Division One racing, Riley Wilford finished 4th in C1 Men Div 1, while Eva Camilleri competed in K1 Women Div 1 after a strong season in Division Two. Evan Tully also took 6th in K1 Men Div 3 on Sunday.

Freddie Davies, Aneurin Friston-Kemble and Ioan Sutherland also put together solid performances across the weekend, while Seren Dwr coach Tavi Murray took on the Holme Pierrepont course in K1 Women Div 2.

Saturday evening also saw wild water racing take place, keeping the action going long after the slalom racing had finished and adding to the brilliant atmosphere across the weekend. Unlike slalom, wild water racing focuses purely on speed, with paddlers racing downstream against the clock through white water features as quickly as possible.

Aneurin Friston-Kemble, Riley Wilford, Harrison Morton, Eva Camilleri, Evan Tully and Ioan Sutherland all gave it a go across combinations of C2, C1 and K1 racing during the weekend, embracing the opportunity to challenge themselves in different disciplines and race formats. Riley Wilford and Rowan Cysewski Light also took on the challenge of kayak cross during the weekend, adding another level of excitement to the racing. Unlike traditional slalom, kayak cross involves multiple paddlers battling head-to-head through white water features and downstream gates, creating a fast, unpredictable and spectator-friendly format that made its Olympic debut at the Paris 2024 Games.

Harrison Steps Up to Division One

Among the biggest moments of the weekend was Harrison Morton securing promotion to Division One.

Going into the event, Harrison needed just five points to secure promotion. Despite being so close, he admitted it brought “a mix of pressure and confidence”.

“I felt like I had to do well, but I knew I had the skills to do it and that most of it was in my head.”

Harrison secured promotion on Saturday after taking 2nd place in K1 Men Div 2 with a best run of 81.0 and 485 points. Less than 24 hours later, he stepped up to race Division One for the first time on the Holme Pierrepont white water course.

“Racing in Div 1 on Sunday felt unreal,” he said. “Racing on the big white water is something I had dreamt of for ages, and actually doing it myself felt like a dream.”

Harrison believes the time he has spent training on bigger water has helped prepare him for the challenge of Division One racing.

“I feel more confident going through features and challenging myself to get gates. Bigger water gives me a challenge and helps make me a better paddler.”

Holme Pierrepont proved the perfect setting for the breakthrough weekend, with sunshine, crowds and challenging white water creating a brilliant race atmosphere throughout.

“HPP is such an exciting place to race because the environment around you is full of people cheering you on and everyone having an amazing time, especially in the sun,” Harrison explained. “The water has lots of different features, from stoppers to waves, and it’s a really good place to build confidence.”

Despite reaching Division One, Harrison says the focus now is still on enjoying the sport and continuing to develop as a paddler.

“My goal now is to have fun, gain experience and maybe focus on some more C1. The goal has been reached and now I’m building up for the next big chapter and looking forward to enjoying it with everyone around me.”

Izabella Secures Promotion

For Izabella Starka, the weekend brought both pressure and breakthrough moments.

Going into the race weekend needing 50 points, she faced a difficult task, knowing she would need two strong performances to secure promotion.

“To be honest, I was quite confident about the fact that I was so close to promotion, but getting third on Saturday when I needed second really knocked my confidence for Sunday,” she explained.

After taking 3rd place in K1 Women Div 2 on Saturday, Izabella returned on Sunday knowing everything was still to play for. She responded with an outstanding performance to take victory in K1 Women Div 2 and secure promotion to Division One.

Her achievement marked a significant milestone after spending the season building confidence on bigger and more challenging white water, something she has previously admitted made her nervous.

“When going on bigger water, I prefer to go down in a plastic boat first since I feel more stable,” she said. “And when it’s time to go in a slalom boat, I always think about the fact that there is school tomorrow and I’ll still be going, because it helps me feel like everything will be fine.”

Izabella says her confidence began to grow last season as her Division Two results started improving.

“When I started getting better positions in Div 2, and when I only needed one more win, I told people that I didn’t want to get promoted, but in reality, I actually really did.”

The moment promotion became reality was one she won’t forget.

“I was with Caitlin Potter, who got promoted with me, and Harrison, who accidentally told me what position I got. I didn’t believe him, so when I went up to check, it was a mixture of happiness, nervousness and excitement all at the same time.”

Izabella also credited her coach and friends for helping her build confidence throughout the season.

“Definitely Raoul, my coach. When I thought I wasn’t able to do something, he would just tell me to do it over and over again until I wasn’t nervous to do it anymore. And of course my friends. They have been such an amazing support team, cheering till their voices go hoarse.”

She also had advice for younger paddlers nervous about stepping onto bigger water.

“If you don’t feel like you are ready, still do it. Take it one drop, one wave at a time and everything will be fine.”

Now promoted to Division One alongside Harrison, Izabella is already looking ahead to bigger challenges later this season.

“I would say getting onto bigger waters, like Lee Valley, Grandtully and even the Tryweryn. I am really excited to see where I will get to this season.”

Looking Ahead

The weekend reflected the continued progress being made across the Seren Dwr squad, with paddlers competing confidently from Division 3 through to Division 1 and two more athletes now stepping up into the next division.

One of the strongest parts of the weekend was seeing paddlers and parents supporting and encouraging each other both on and off the water, whether celebrating promotions, cheering from the bank or helping each other through challenging races.

With so many paddlers continuing to grow in confidence and experience across all divisions, the club is excited to see how everyone develops over the rest of the season and beyond.