Viking Kayak Club is an open, community-based, multi-disciplinary club and is now one of the foremost canoe and kayak clubs in the UK. The club offers a broad range of paddling opportunities from easy recreational paddling to competition in canoe slalom, canoe racing and canoe polo and is active in encouraging beginners into the sport. Viking was founded in 1961 and celebrated its 50th Anniversary in 2011. Its clubhouse is at Batts Ford on the north bank of the River Great Ouse in the centre of Bedford, England.