First things first.....
What are your current stat's (height / weight / feet)?
Height - 5'8", Weight -10st, 2lbs, Feet - Size 7.5

Have you been over-indulging during Christmas, partying or working out?
Well, seeing as I spent Christmas in Scotland boating I'd have to say no!  
Although I did manage to get through a few bottles of finest Scotch Whiskey whilst I was there (for medicinal purposes I can assure you), Ben Nevis having the best healing properties of those sampled!  However, I may have over indulged at New Year!  Hey, it was a damned fine bottle of Port! ;-)

What particular items of (HnM) kit are you using? Any feedback?
DragoRossi Mafia, Squashtail and Fish, all in a very fetching shade of red and a very fine set of Kober Carving paddles!

DragoRossi Mafia – My favourite boat, creeking and river running is so much easier and so much fun in this boat!  It’s predictable, responsive, fast, controllable, everything you’d want from a creeker.

DragoRossi Squash Tail – Took a few sessions to get used to it, but that first ride when everything clicks it just blows you away, I crave the next session in this boat as soon as the last has finished.  It was designed as a river wave boat, but I’ve been paddling it in ocean surf mainly and getting on fine with it!  It also performs surprisingly well in a hole and is surprisingly well balanced when on end!

DragoRossi Fish – I haven’t really paddled it much because I only got it a few weeks before the winter season started; I’ve spent most of my time since then river running or surfing!  On the few occasions I have paddled it I have found it to be extremely well balanced on end, ridiculously fast on a wave, for me, loops are big.  I was initially concerned about its volume as it has more than other boats that I had been paddling, but after a slight adjustment in my paddling technique I haven’t noticed the change, if anything I reckon that having slightly more volume has made retaining moves easier.

Kober Carving – I had long been an advocate of another well known brand of paddles and was even quoted as saying that I would never paddle with anything else. So I was understandably a little concerned when I first switched to using Kober’s.  However, after only a few sessions I realised that I was on to something special.  I have found them every bit as good as my last set of paddles, if not better. Mine still look brand new and I have been really abusing them over the winter.  The only gripe I had with the paddles that I used in the past was that they wore down very quickly, but the Kober paddles do not seem to suffer from that problem.

Do you have your eyes on any new toys?
Some Kober Control Platinum’s and maybe a set of Salto's or Spirit's for river running!  Maybe a waterproof digital camera to make taking photos in a watery environment a little less traumatic!

What techy kit are you using?
Canon Ixus 430 Digital Camera!!!
I’m not really into all the techy stuff; I’m much happier getting away from it all!

Playboating or river running?
River running because it gives you the opportunity to get away from it all and get to places you couldn’t normally get to (i.e. the bottom of a gorge in the middle of nowhere).  
I also like the adrenalin rush you get sitting at the top of a difficult rapid or fall and the buzz you get at the bottom having just run it!  
I just don’t really get that from playboating!  Surfing in big surf is about as close as you can get in a playboat (well a Squashtail anyway) in this country to getting the adrenaline buzz!!!

Where do you hang out mostly these days and where do you paddle most of the time?
Over the winter, when there’s been water, I’ve spent quite a bit of time in the Lake District and Scotland (running rivers) and when there’s been no water in the rivers I’ve been surfing in the North East.  During the summer I spend quite a bit of time at Nottingham (HPP) and Teesside and on occasions make it over to the Tryweryn.

So how was 2005-6?
I had an awesome year (boating wise) in 2005; 
Double2D was born, 
I joined Team High N Mighty, 
I paddled loads and with some fantastic people, 
I made lots of new boating friends and was reacquainted with others that I had lost touch with; it really was a fantastic year.  
I’m just hoping 2006 is as good, if not better!!!

Have you enjoyed being part of team HnM?
Yeah, it’s been great experience!

Learned any new moves / paddled any new rivers recently?
Yes, loads of new rivers over the year, the highlights being the Lyon in Scotland, Inn Chute in Austria, Devils Water in the north east and Troutbeck in the Lakes.  
I’ve not really learned any new moves, maybe just perfected a few of the ones I was already doing.  However, I’m learning how to paddle the Squashtail and have begun to unlock some of its huge potential!

And what have you got planned for 2006-7?
I've just booked to go surfing in Portugal at Easter and I’m making plans to spend a few weeks in Canada over the summer!  I’ll also be making a few trips up to Scotland when there’s water and once the weather warms up, I’ll be out playboating again and getting a sun tan!

Would you encourage others to get involved as a sponsored paddler? 
Is it hard work? What are the pitfalls?
As long as it is at the right time for them and for the right reasons and by a product that they have faith and believe in, then yes, sponsorship is a good thing!  
I think that the hardest part about being sponsored is biting your tongue when someone who hasn’t even tried your sponsors products decides to vent a negative view on a product that you really believe in but I guess sponsored paddlers from every company have been doing that for years. 
One of the pitfalls is having an honest opinion about the products of the company you are sponsored by.  People don’t seem to believe you can still have an unbiased opinion!

Who's the best paddler on the HnM team?
The one who is having the most fun, that’s what it’s all about – right???
I have not paddled with all the paddlers on the team yet so can’t really say who is best.  I think that all of the guys on the team have a different area of the sport where we are strongest so choosing the best all-round paddler is always going to be difficult and awkward ;-)

Any idea who on earth this Baciare Miocome is?
No sorry. I think that I might have met his older brother once though!

Are you sure?
Yup!

He's behind you!
Oh no he isn’t!.... ;-)

Penultimate question: Who's the best looking (Jon or Glenn)???
Sorry Jon, but I’ve got to say Glenn... BUT only because he’s bigger than me!

Final question: Any last messages???
Get out there, get in a kayak and have some FUN! ;-)

Well, thanks for that lad.
Keep up the good work and be proud to be different!