THREE members of the same Teesside family made waves in canoe slalom as they clinched national promotions on the same day.

Dad Andy Brown and his son Jake and daughter Ellie paddled up the national ladder for their booming club Tees Tigers with first places at Howsham, near York.

Andy, 43, and Jake, 9, both won races to go up from Division Three to Division Two, while seven-year-old Ellie sealed the unique treble as she leapt from Division Four to Division Three with victory in just her fourth competition.

 “I’m really pleased with them and Jake is progressing really well and has the potential to be awesome,” said Tees Tigers coach Darren Cresser, a British wild water racing international.

“It’s quite a technical sport but he has got a good head on his shoulders. He is a good athlete and he understands it.

“You have to be 13 to get on to the first British team but he has got the potential to do that and be one of the best paddlers.”

Canoe slalom involves a time trial consisting of 18 gates, six of which have to be upstream.

Jake’s promotion has been followed by an invite to a two-day Canoe England talented paddler training camp at Holme Pierpoint in Nottingham this month.

And the promotion hat-trick is part of a major series of Tees Tigers successes, despite the fact that the club have had minimal white water training while the new £4.6m Tees Barrage white water course - which could be used as a pre-2012 Olympics training camp - is being built.

Read more at:  http://www.gazettelive.co.uk/north-east-sport/sport-news/2010/08/18/canoeing-success-is-a-family-affair-84229-27086745/