In an act of betrayal and secession, I recently indulged in the boating sport – kayaking. Continuing my never-ending quest to find a sport I enjoy and stick with, I signed up for a beginner’s kayaking course, run by Cambridge University Canoe Club. Even as a relatively inexperienced rower, I have rowed between the boathouses and Baits Bite Lock far too many times to keep track.
Passing the same landmarks along the river can get quite stale, quite quickly. It was therefore refreshing to venture upstream of the iron curtain (Jesus Lock) towards Grantchester Meadows, where the canoe club is located. The novelty of the sport combined with the novelty of the stretch of river was a welcome distraction from the overwhelmingly repetitive aspects of rowing.
Entering the rowing rabbit hole in Michaelmas of first year and never leaving it can easily make you forget about the various activities on offer beyond, even just on the river. With just 24 weeks of Cambridge life remaining for me, I feel increasing pressure to make the most of my time here, which means finding ways to escape the clutches of the rowing bubble. “Without the pressure of consistency and razor focus upon me, I felt at ease to frolic and meander around how I wished” Immediately upon getting in the kayak, I realised that moving from one point to another would by no means be a direct trip.
My initial attempts to paddle in a relatively straight line were quickly interrupted by prolonged periods of spinning around .
