A team of eight paddleboarders from Kingston enjoyed thrills and spills aplenty after taking part in a stunning race in Greece.
Blue Chip SUP (Stand-up Paddleboarding) Club left their base on the Thames last weekend (September 21-22) and journeyed to Greece for a remarkable adventure.
Together they took part in the 9th Corinth Canal 6km race, which features the stunning surroundings of ancient Corinth and the aforementioned canal in its course.
Speaking to the Comet after the team's escapades, team member and former Kingston Councillor Terry Paton described the experience as "incredible".
"It was an amazing place. Really close by you have all the ancient buildings and columns of classical Corinth.
"We sent a team of eight over, and one us — Steve Cudd — won Overall Winner for the First Series Class, we really didn't expect to win anything," he said.
The team's success came via healthy scoops of Hellenic heroism, with a nail-biting dash for the entrance of the canal among them.
"You start in this narrow bay and then have to race for the entrance to the canal, so you're all crammed in their trying to jostle you're way through," Mr Paton remembered.
"I had a lady in front of me and I thought I'd be alright behind her, but as soon as the race started two guys smashed right into her and there was a huge pile up in front of me!
"The water is lovely and warm and to be racing with maybe 95 per cent Greek people in their own country was amazing — they were so welcoming," he added.
The event was well-publicized in Greece, and the mayor even turned out to meet the Kingstonians.
As the increasingly frequent sights of standing paddlers gliding through Kingston would suggest, Paddleboarding is gaining popularity as a sport.
Mr Paton and the Blue Chip SUP team hope to ride that wave, and are aiming to travel again with the sport despite the peak season ending with the summer.
"It's going from strength to strength and there's more and more of us paddling together whether that's in Kingston or Woking or further afield.
"We've paddled through Amsterdam before and are looking at Eastern European races too at the moment," he said.
With the renowned "Battle for the Thames" race due to return next summer under the stewardship of Blue Chip SUP's Brian Johncey, it seems like an ideal time for any Paddleboard-curious residents out there to try their hand at the sport.
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