BUSA No Polo 2008

By Bill Anderson

The weekend of 11/12/13 April saw the annual BUSA Canoe Polo Competition at Hatfield Water Park, Doncaster. It is an event that sees teams of five chasing a ball around a swimming pool sized pitch, the aim to score in the goals suspended two metres above the waters surface.

Canoe Polo is a sport I have not played very much that I do enjoy, mainly because you are allowed to push people in! It does get very competitive and heated at points, especially with the Universities that take the event so seriously. However my University, Teesside, like many others see this event as a social gathering and the chance to compete against like minded Universities. Last year we came joint bottom, playing our first ever polo game against Cambridge (I think) in the first round. We did manage two wins but against similarly poor and drunk teams.

This year we were determined to do better.

However, as we don’t have our own polo boats we were relying on others to lend us their spares. We turned up to the event and contacted the club who were supposedly lending us the boats. It turned out that they did not have enough boats to lend us. We were pretty gutted but still managed to make a good weekend of it doing what Teesside do best. Get merry and party. A cracking 80’s themed party was thrown by the organisers with some awesome costumes seen during the night, my personal favourite Optimus Prime. A fully working Transformers outfit, legend.

We will be back next year (well without me, as I graduate) and are all ready thinking up some schemes to raise money for our own boats.

Stand up paddleboards, canoes and paddling accessories

  • BLACK FRIDAY

270cm / Reef
Delta
Inflatable all-purpose stand up paddleboard (SUP)
$369.99 $429.99

  • BLACK FRIDAY

320cm / Forest
Longshore
Inflatable touring stand up paddleboard (SUP)
$389.99 $489.99

  • Email when available

412 cm / Forest
Oxbow
Inflatable 2-seater canoe
$974.00

  • BLACK FRIDAY

Small / Reed
Haven
Warm and weatherproof insulated changing robe for before and after swimming and activity
$129.99 $169.99

  • BLACK FRIDAY

X-Small
Element Wetsuit Vest [Womens]
Front zip wetsuit vest. Keep warm your way and easy to put on.
$94.99 $119.99

  • BLACK FRIDAY

X-Small
Element Wetsuit Vest [Mens]
Front zip wetsuit vest. Keep warm your way and easy to put on.
$94.99 $119.99

  • BLACK FRIDAY

X-Small
Element Wetsuit Jacket [Womens]
Front zip wetsuit jacket. Keep warm your way and easy to put on.
$119.99 $129.99

  • BLACK FRIDAY

X-Small
Element Wetsuit Jacket [Mens]
Front zip wetsuit jacket. Keep warm your way and easy to put on.
$109.99 $129.99

  • BLACK FRIDAY

X-Small
Element Wetsuit Shorts [Womens]
Wetsuit shorts. Keep warm your way and easy to put on.
$79.99 $99.99

  • BLACK FRIDAY

X-Small
Element Wetsuit Shorts [Mens]
Wetsuit shorts. Keep warm your way and easy to put on.
$79.99 $99.99

  • BLACK FRIDAY

X-Small
Element Wetsuit Pants [Womens]
Wetsuit pants. Keep warm your way and easy to put on.
$109.99 $129.99

  • BLACK FRIDAY

X-Small
Element Wetsuit Pants [Mens]
Wetsuit pants. Keep warm your way and easy to put on.
$109.99 $129.99

Your next reads

Symonds Yat Open Canoe Adventure

Messing about on the River from Alpkit on Vimeo. The sound of the truck made me realise I hadn’t heard traffic for over 48 hours. Being on a...
February 06, 2017

Symonds Yat Open Canoe Adventure

Messing about on the River from Alpkit on Vimeo. The sound of the truck made me realise I hadn’t heard traffic for over 48 hours. Being on a...
February 06, 2017

Plastic Fantastic kayaking event

Plastic Fantastic kayaking event

Plastic Fantastic was held at the Nottingham Climbing Centre on Sunday 1st Feb, it was a mixed discipline competition and also a first for the clim...
February 24, 2009
GBR Freestyle Selections 2009

GBR Freestyle Selections 2009

On the 14th March 2009 paddlers from across the country gathered at Hurley for the selections for the GBR freestyle canoe and kayak team 2009. The ...
March 18, 2009
British Freestyle Championships 2009

British Freestyle Championships 2009

So the 3rd and 4th of October saw the annual freestyle championships at HPP Nottingham. In the week leading up to the event the 2nd hole had been c...
October 19, 2009
Source to Sea - The River Tees

Source to Sea - The River Tees

The weekend started by being dropped off up at Cow Green reservoir by some very understanding friends (at 11 o’clock on Friday night), we then drag...
May 04, 2009
Tyne Tour

Tyne Tour

The Tyne Tour is an event I have been attending for years. It’s an event that gets better and better every time and never disappoints. This year wa...
November 12, 2008
Training has begun

Training has begun

For a while I’ve fancied the idea at having ago at adventure races, not sure why but they do look like fun, so I’ve signed up for one on the 1st Ap...
December 13, 2011
Student Boater X 2008

Student Boater X 2008

Saturday saw the third, now annual student boater cross on the l’argentiere slalom course on the Durance River in the south of France. The event is...
June 23, 2008
Pyranha – Freestyle, fun and Frolics

Pyranha – Freestyle, fun and Frolics

The sun shone and the skies were blue for the 1st British Freestyle league event of 2010. This was also the 1st of the events counting for selectio...
April 28, 2010
Hurley selection event and GB squad 2010

Hurley selection event and GB squad 2010

The last 2 months has seen the 3 selection events for the GB team 2010 for the European Championships which will be held in Leinz Austria June 2010...
December 03, 2009

Sunday Lunch - Open boat canoeing on the Ling Holme Windermere

Each year I look forward to getting up to the Kendal Mountain Festival - we may catch a film or two, but really it is a chance to catch up with old...
November 25, 2014
Old Dogs, New Tricks

Old Dogs, New Tricks

We were at Holme Pierrepont in Nottingham to support the British Freestyle Championships last weekend. It is a place where both Col and myself used...
October 08, 2009
Monday Mission

Monday Mission

At the Festival of Freestyle I was receiving phone calls the whole weekend from friends out on rivers throughout the country so I thought Id take t...
September 18, 2008
Work hard, canoe home

Work hard, canoe home

Over the years of commuting to and from work in Ilkeston team Alpkit has driven, cycled, bused, walked and run, but there was one mode of transport...
September 02, 2011
The end of one year and the start of another!

The end of one year and the start of another!

2009 was a pretty good year for me, and it finished on a high getting selected for the GB freestyle kayak team. This has been my goal for the last ...
January 20, 2010
BUSA No Polo 2008

BUSA No Polo 2008

The weekend of 11/12/13 April saw the annual BUSA Canoe Polo Competition at Hatfield Water Park, Doncaster. It is an event that sees teams of five ...
May 07, 2008
Introducing PFAKS

Introducing PFAKS

We have to admit we are a little outside of ‘the scene’. Despite early ambitious attempts Ilkeston has failed to become the extreme capital of the ...
June 01, 2008

Chips on the canal. Canal boat trip for youngsters with additional needs.

"I had such a good time. It felt like I was going on a trip round the world!" Often youngsters requiring extra support can come up against obs...
November 13, 2023

3 Lakes Challenge video paraplegic kayaker in Broken Body of Water

Back in 2018 Andy Sutton took on the 3 Lakes challenge,a ‘Go-Canoeing’ initiative which has become a renowned test of endurance and stamina that ta...
February 06, 2019
Festival of Freestyle

Festival of Freestyle

After a summer travelling around Europe paddling on beautiful blue water with mostly nice sunshine getting back to the UK was a bit of a shock. We ...
September 14, 2008
The Mighty Nene

The Mighty Nene

A sunny September weekend saw paddlers from all corners of the UK heading to Northampton for the ever popular Nene Freestyle event. The course and ...
September 24, 2008
Rev'in it up in the wind

Rev'in it up in the wind

I picked up a Pyranha Rev last week to test before we order them for the Alpkit team. I’ve paddle it a couple of times just down the road at the Na...
April 21, 2008
Washburn PFAKS

Washburn PFAKS

The 2008 freestyle kayaking season kicked off with a short journey from Teesside to the mighty Washburn River. The Washburn is a fast flowing, shal...
May 27, 2008
The sun is shining, the rivers are high, and we're getting spanked!!

The sun is shining, the rivers are high, and we're getting spanked!!

The day started well. We’re up in the alps helping Jason (editor of Canoe Kayak Magazine) photograph the Guisane. The upper was much longer than we...
June 30, 2008

Canoe Tripping in the Lake District

With the nights drawing in and the weather turning chilly, I remember mentioning something to my better half "we should spend atleast one weekend a...
November 20, 2013
NSRRRRRRRR 2008

NSRRRRRRRR 2008

This weekend saw the National Student Rodeo 2008 at Nottingham. The biggest freestyle event in the world, with student paddlers from all over the c...
March 10, 2008
Getting my kayaking video skills up to scratch

Getting my kayaking video skills up to scratch

Having a few big adventures planned for 2012 I’ve decided I want to get my video and editing skills up to scratch! With this in mind I thought I’d ...
December 20, 2011
Pyranha Rev

Pyranha Rev

With Jim offering us a go in Pyranha’s new playboat, the Rev, Nic and I eagerly headed to Alpkit’s Nottingham headquarters to pick them up. With no...
May 07, 2008
A Gentleman's Adventure

A Gentleman's Adventure

The plan was to circumnavigate Anglesey, like all best laid plans, the weather had something to say about this! On the drive across from Nottingham...
April 28, 2008
Warm weather training kicks off

Warm weather training kicks off

New Zealand is an adventure paradise and the adventures just have not stopped since I arrived here four weeks ago. After the incredible few days at...
April 12, 2013

Claire O'Hara defends the Playboating World title

Time is disappearing as we quickly approach the start of the World Championships. I have now been based back at the NOC for 2 weeks and paddling al...
August 21, 2013

Accessible Sailing for people of all ages living with with Cerebral Palsy

Social exclusion and isolation are huge issues faced by many with cerebral palsy from physical to emotional impacts, which can be extremely detrime...
January 05, 2024

Peak Paddle kayak pool training help youngsters take to the river

Over at Paddle Peak one of their projects is working with groups of local youngsters attending regular kayaking sessions on the Cromford Canal and ...
December 22, 2023

Leave a comment

Please note, comments must be approved before they are published

=