Tommy Hagg "The Gnarls Canoe Movie"

Creeker · Post by **Creeker** » Mon Sep 20, 2010 5:13 am

Yup I was about 10 feet away shooting the room of doom flip yesterday. BTW- a pretty understandable flip IMHO. Who takes a prelude out for a test drive and goes for the full gnar right away? Maybe not the most prudent move but Tom does what he believes he can....usually he's spot on....so I've learned to cut him some huge slack in all but the most critical calls. From my perspective It was a very hard roll to pull given the down current in that spot. I was not shocked at all the roll didn't come for Tommy but i thought it might have on the pillow right at the end.

Since you guys don't know my MO I'll just let ya know I hord video for a long time and then put something out. You might not see another video for quite some time(months)....not even clips. I very easily spent 20 hrs sifting though shots, editing and tweaking audio for "the gnarls canoe movie". I don't get inspired to jump on the editor like that very often. I'm in the middle of a serial of about 25 15 minute grand canyon videos. Thats my real interest this fall.

I'm glad you guys enjoyed tommy's video. I'm a big fan of vidoes that do more than just show a 30' slide/waterfall or steep rapid. I like the video because you see tommy working it out actually absorbing what steep creeking really is, what it means to him, what it does to his gear and the boat. It's like you're on the trip feel.

As far at Tom possibly not knowing the consequences as a poster mentioned.....your concern is well founded for class 4-5 and appreciated. I do think tom has a handle on it though. I think his level of risk reward is probably not the norm (but is typical of a class 5 boater)......so we shouldn't expect him to be anything but himself. Dooley and others are themselves and we should welcome everyone to push it and put it out there their way.

FullGnarlzOC · Post by **FullGnarlzOC** » Mon Sep 20, 2010 2:15 pm

room of doom. sounds about right. it seems alot cooler sittin at home on the computer. thats the EddyMcGnarlz line....anyone can catch the eddy upright...

Louie · Post by **Louie** » Mon Sep 20, 2010 2:48 pm

It is called virtual boatin, not done by a lot of people on here like it is in the Kiddy pool but still too much of it goin on.

Lost Tribe will be on the Ocoee on Sunday Oct 3rd and two weekends later a Canoe race down here also. We got room if you can get gas money.

Real pleasure to boat with you and again doin the Upper Gauley your first time in a Prelude says a lot, but don't worry we won't tell you Mother or any potential in laws

FullGnarlzOC · Post by **FullGnarlzOC** » Mon Sep 20, 2010 3:04 pm

Hah thanks Louie. It had a great time. was nice to finally meet alot of you guys. Glad I could be apart of the statement all us OBers made on the water that day. Dead my arse...

Would love to make it down... I'm going to try and work something out.

iRolled · Post by **iRolled** » Mon Sep 20, 2010 3:15 pm

Tommy, good to meet you. Remember that look I gave you when you told me it was your first time in that Prelude, on the upper. We'll, glad we booth made it out alive. and Thanks for not runnin off with my paddle.

You have to make it down to ALF newxt spring, or if you get a chance, in a week or two. We have a few events coming up. The more the merrier.

Creeker · Post by **Creeker** » Mon Sep 20, 2010 3:36 pm

hey tommy shades

Time to retire FullGnalzOC?....your cover be blown. Just say'n man.

Einar · Post by **Einar** » Mon Sep 20, 2010 4:10 pm

You got more out of that Detonator than I ever did out of one.
From an open boater take the compliment- That was some mighty fine canoeing, gonna watch it again.
...and maybe again.

Excellent video production, thank you for the tech info. I have just jumped up a grade and bought a Panasonic Lumix DMC-Ts2 and have started repushing my limits. HD is definitely inspiring to watch, it really kicks the viewer love up a notch.
Any comments on new ideas, successes or good ideas gone wrong are appreciated.

markzak · Post by **markzak** » Mon Sep 20, 2010 7:00 pm

video from Eddy McGnarlz' run on Pillow Rock from our Upper Gauley run on Friday 9/17.

http://www.vimeo.com/15127914

Not nearly as wild as what happened on Saturday I hear.

markzak · Post by **markzak** » Mon Sep 20, 2010 7:02 pm

oh yeah... i hope this guy has a sister!

FullGnarlzOC · Post by **FullGnarlzOC** » Mon Sep 20, 2010 8:50 pm

wut a lame butt line.... didn't even get to the splat. 0-2 on Pillow... let's hope its not like tommy's hole on the UY, where I went 0-6 until i started stylin it.

Full Story -

That's more of less what happen the second day. Except add the fact that I'm test driving a prelude for the first time, add hitting a 8ft wave, with my bow pointed at 11 oclock...which knocked me 180degrees... so bad up plan was to pull a ferry, loaded with a good amount of water, in a class V wave train to eddy out in the room of doom(since i was headed for it). Hit the last 8ft wave/hole facing upstream and just couldn't hold on.

Next thing I know I'm in my tuck, waiting to flush downstream, like what happened on the video. I felt water hitting me, but for some reason...it wasn't right, i wasn't flushing, and i couldn't find the surface with my paddle. After 1-2 roll attemps (paddle no where near the surface) I kicked out, and was shot down deep without getting a breath. At this point I think i let go of the paddle and just continued to hold my breath, as that's all you can do. When I opened my eyes, all i saw was two rocks in front of me, so naturally i thought i was just in a sieve or something. After some kicking, I surfaced, got a breath of air, and was pulled around the pillow rock, where i got shot deep again, and had to hold breath again... resurfaced...and same thing at volkswagen...

I was able to self rescue the boat to shore unaided. Just no paddle in sight. Considering I wanted to run a 'Dry' line down the center, just right of the wave train, and just left of the hole at the time... i was pretty pissed at myself for blowing it that badly. There was just nothing I could do once I got hit by that wave. Was also a LITTLE bit shooken up for a good hr afterward. Which is a feeling I rarely, if ever, feel.

So looking back on the situation, is it the worse spot I've been in paddling so far? Eh... perhaps. Colton Falls was a pretty good one too. Now follow me here... see if my thought process is alright...

The positives i take out of this are... 1) the more times a swim like that happens, the more I get used to it, and understand it's apart of what I do, and always lurks the possibility. 2) Getting pulled deep, and being under for a while, was great practice in how to handle the situation. Staying calm, having a rational thought process....Although, I do distinctly remember once I saw the two rocks in front of me, I thought "i am done for. this is gonna be real embarrassing if i die. everyones gonna say i told u so'... then i popped up thankfully. 3) Always be prepared... go figure, the only day I don't bring my backup paddle, was the day I lose one. And lastly.. 4) Just a reminder of how the river has no mercy.

I can't wait to do it like dooley one day! Basically mistakeless. And that's more or less where my head has been at since BeaverFest...Have got to get error free, in everything that I do. I'm looking to slay it all fall. Build more confidence, and clean everything up. Going to take some work, and time on the water, thats all, thennnn I'll start to relax with where i am at. I have watched the movie 10times over, and have really focused in on what I remember that I was trynig to do, and what happened, what strokes i through and why. It's helping big time to see faults.

yarnellboat · Post by **yarnellboat** » Mon Sep 20, 2010 9:02 pm

Video is a great tool, as long as you can actually remember what you were trying to do and what happened next!

So are slalom gates! This weekend on a class III rapid at a friendly level that I wouldn't think twice about running, I could not make the slalom gates down on the class II parts of the river!

If you want to build that confidence and relaxation stuff about your boat control, find ye some slalom gates - it's totally humbling. I guess a deep swim like you've had is humbling too, but in a much different way than using gates for practicing your precision!

Keep it up Gnarlz!

Pat.

oopsiflipped · Post by **oopsiflipped** » Mon Sep 20, 2010 9:50 pm

" I thought "i am done for. this is gonna be real embarrassing if i die. everyones gonna say i told u so'... "

i was trying to stop busting your chops, but really? that was went through your head when you thought you were done for? man, you are really insecure. i'm not even trying to be a jerk for once, but that is seriously messed up, bro.

Larry Horne · Post by **Larry Horne** » Mon Sep 20, 2010 10:54 pm

Pat- I was getting spanked on class two this weekend as well!
Every time I race I realize how much I really suck!

opps don't stop busting his chops! he can take it.

FullGnarlzOC · Post by **FullGnarlzOC** » Mon Sep 20, 2010 11:04 pm

oops. ya cant fathom wuts goin through my head. and embarrassing as in an OC1er who was paddling real rapids bit the big one... "well thats what happens when you paddle an open boat"

there is more at stake here than just my life

and I didnt actually think i was a goner... but I knew i had no control over anything happening. u kno what it feels like.

yarnellboat · Post by **yarnellboat** » Mon Sep 20, 2010 11:40 pm

I have similar thinking sometimes when I'm assessing a river situation or avalanche terrain etc. - if I died and made headlines, would it be an embarassment to me (not that it matters to me at that point), and would my friends say "he knew better" or would my mom say "I told you so", etc.

Sometimes accidents happen, but I find the "headlines test" gives me some useful perspective on situations/decisions.

Pat.

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Tommy Hagg "The Gnarls Canoe Movie"

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