Student Boater-X? SlopeJam? What the chuff is it all about then?
Just over 23 years ago, a woman gave birth to Tom Laws. Shortly after that, Tom decided to combine his love for alcohol, sun, bikinis and kayaking and create an awesome event for all the uni paddlers of the UK. Now Tom is busy filling the young minds of the children of Britain with useful knowledge (presumably not just about alcohol and kayaking) – and so the baton has been passed to us to throw one hell of a party in the Alps this summer.
The ethos of the Student Boater X and SlopeJam events is to bring together all the boaters of the UK who come to visit the fantastic Hautes Alpes region of Southern France. Based in L’Argentiere-la-Bessee, just 20 minutes south of Briancon in the heart of the Alps, the events were set up as informal competitions so students can: have a little race on the Durance, do a little freestyle on the falls of the Fournel, and most importantly drink a lot of cheap beer and party like it’s on sale for £19.99! This ethos is still the same today; but with the generous help of various sponsors and companies and the growing reputation of the event in the boating and student community – this years event is set to be bigger and better than ever – with a massive party, more sweet prizes and more merriment than you’ll know what to do with!
Check out the individual pages of each event to find out what goes down!
The Alps is the perfect place for a paddling holiday – with rivers of varying grade on your doorstep (class 2 to class 5); sun and warm weather on tap day-in day-out; cheap beer and vin rouge; loads of like minded holiday-makers to meet, greet and meet again; stunning mountain vistas; a whole host of other activities to have a go at – from via ferrata to mountain biking; patisseries-a-plenty; dry kit in an instant; crystal clear water and so much more! Such a massive change to the scrape-fest and horizontal rain of this country, you’re bound to love it!
If you and you’re uni are planning on heading out to this fantastic region to kick off your summer in style, we know this is the event you won’t want to miss. If this is your first or tenth season out in the Alps as a club or individual and are well keen for SBX and SlopeJam, we’d love to hear from you – please get in touch!
The Organisers
Student Boater X and SlopeJam Organisers – Matt Haydock and Andy Jaunzems
We’re unbelievably stoked to be organising such first class events for all the visiting uni paddlers of the UK – and can’t wait to put together a crackin’ party you’ll never forget along with some tip top competitions with better prizes than ever before! We can guarantee you’ll have the best laugh possible with your mates out in this amazing place, and the most fun you can have with your clothes on (assuming you choose to keep them on)!
Matt and Andy (subtle 3rd person switch there 
) are both ex-Captains of Leeds University Union Canoe Club, have been heavily involved with organising the world’s biggest student freestyle kayaking event: The National Student Rodeo, have been paddling since in short pants (Andy’s pants being slightly longer), been boating in destinations all over the world from Austria to Vietnam and have been tearing up canoe club socials and parties in a way that leaves others bewildered and shocked. You can rest assured we know exactly what you want when it comes to a paddling event and party!
Drop us a line if you’ve any questions about any aspect of the events – studentboaterx@hotmail.co.uk
