Meet the Coaches
In alphabetical order
John Cowie aka ‘Mr C’ – is also our Club Treasurer and is a coach level 3 in both Kayak and Canoe and an assessor of Foundation Safety & Rescue Training. John started canoeing at age 40, (a few years ago now!) after watching the Matlock Raft Race on Boxing Day.
“Once I got ‘hooked’ it prompted me to obtain the skills to get Boys Brigade lads in my Company (2nd Chesterfield) into the sport. I am still Company Captain there and today youngsters from our BB company are still in the Club.”
In recent years John has preferred open boating to kayak as a personal choice. “I enjoy everything about the sport and wish I had started in my teenage years in the way new paddlers can today. My best paddling experiences have often included our Club President and Founder Norman Crowson; the most notable being on my first river trip in an open canoe down the River Swale when a rather large tree ‘jumped out’ and ‘ate’ my boat swallowing it underneath a bough and hanging on to it and trying not to let go. Hey ho, happy days too many to name! Having spent more than 30 years in the fire service using water at work and enjoying water in leisure seemed to be a logical pairing!”
Simon (Grandad) Cozens has been paddling for 7 years. He’s a coach UKCC level 1 and enjoys assisting both the senior coaches and the youngsters who come along the club. Enjoys River Running and Playboating.
His most memorable River Trip was the Greta in 2009 which didn’t end well. His favourite trip was the Tryweryn in 2009 which really tested his high brace and rolling skills.
Jonathan Havenhand
Has been paddling for about 4 years and is one of our most capable paddlers. He’s a UKCC coach level 1 and has been a valuable member to both coaches and paddlers alike.
Has a natural flair for paddling generally, but has a particular passion for Freestyle, which he is only to happy to share with anyone who wants to give this discipline a go.
But like all good things they come to a temporary halt.
“It was the end of an era this evening (Thursday 17th June) with having to say goodbye to Jonathan Havenhand. Jono has been an invaluable member of the club and I’m sure an inspiration to alot of the younger members of the group.
I’m sure all the DBCCC crew would join me in wishing you the greatest success with your forthcoming endeavours and I’m sure that all of us can’t wait for that day when we are on that plane and we hear over the intercom…Good evening ladies & gentlemen this is your first office Jonathan Havenhand speaking…and you’ll know we’re on board when a great cheer go up…”
Sam Lomas…started paddling in autumn 2007 after a family holiday beside the river Wye. He is a trainee coach and as soon as he reaches 16yrs years of age will start the official level 1 coaching course. He has a love of freestyle and is often to be found at Holme Pierrepoint practicing his moves. He has represented the club at the National Youth Freestyle series. His most memorable moments are pulling his first front loop and also paddling Back Barrow Bridge on the river Leven on the club weekend October 2010. Sam is the club’s youth coach.
Steve Lomas has been paddling since autumn 2007 when he spent a weeks holiday at Symonds Yat watching paddlers on the rapids having great fun. The most eventful trip he has been on was the infamous club trip on the river Greta November 2009 (ask him about it!). He went back to finish it the following year. He qualified as a UKCC Level 1 coach on a very cold December’s day in 2010. Mainly having paddled kayaks he has a growing interest in open boating.
Rebekah Spackman…aka Bat…Has been paddling for 8 years and in her words spent the first year more in the water than in her boat. Rebekah is a level 2 coach and trainee level 3 coach in both Canoe and Kayak. Rebekah is a great asset to the club and offers great support and experience to the female members.
Her most memorable paddling experience to date is “conquering the Bitches at St Davids in my kayak”.
Chris Tye has been paddling since he was 14. He’s a coach UKCC level 1 and can be regularly found down at Matlock assisting the youngsters with perfecting their paddle strokes or assisting one of the senior coaches.
He also has two sons who attend the club.
His favourite paddling experience to date was the DBCCC Cumbria weekend in Nov 2007, where he successfully paddled the Greta on the Saturday and then the Duddon on the Sunday.
Philip Spackman…
Info to follow
Little Chris Tye has been paddling for around 10 years. He’s a UKCC level 1 coach and is a great encouragement to alot of the younger more daring members of the club. Can often be found down at HPP pulling all sorts of stunts and tricks. Like a number of our group the highlight of Chris’s paddling experience was our trip down the Greta in November 2009 and more recently a great day down at HPP with a couple of the younger members of the club, surfing and pulling some cracking free style moves.
Kevin Tye…
Info to follow
