Hey,

My name is Ben Brown, I am a K1M Paddler from the UK and creator of the website www.canoeslalomkx.com and the social platforms @paddleslalom and @kayakcross.

In university, when the inevitable “What sport are you into?” question came up, my answer – “Canoe Slalom” – was usually met with…well, nothing. A blank face, maybe an attempt to try and explain that they too did kayaking once. Sure, some people were intrigued, but there was nowhere to send them to truly experience the excitement and technical mastery of our sport.

As a sport, we lack quality online and media presence. Before @paddleslalom was created, there was no single Social Media page dedicated solely to Canoe Slalom and Kayak Cross. I wanted to create something that other athlete would find valuable, something that represented the sport to its fullest and ultimaley start a project to increase the visibility of Canoe Slalom and Kayak Cross.

The Platform was not made to replace or compete with governing bodies, I simply wanted to create content that I as an athlete would want to see.

On the back of an Olympic year when opportunity for growth is at its peak, there has been no better chance to send our sport mainstream. However, Canoe Slalom limits itself for growth via paywalled content, limited storyline narratives and poor online promotion. Whilst many contribute financial barrier to our sport’s decline, I think the problem lies in media documentation and poor online visibility. How can you expect the sport to grow if nobody even knows about it? If they do happen to discover it, there is nowhere for people to connect directly.

The Social Media pages act as the ‘shop window’. A place people can discover and follow the sport with ease. The Paddlers Network is the ‘shop’. It is a place people can find information, ask questions and get involved.

It cannot be done alone. If you want to support the mission or want to tell me I’m delusional, drop me a message.

Email me at paddleslalom@gmail.com or send us a DM.