C-Forum

just got back from the closed boat nationals, and sam davis is our 2003 c-1 national slalom champion! again! three cheers for sam, his two runs would have placed him sixth, i believe, in men's kayak!

the US still hasn't qualified a c-1 spot for the athens olympics, but we still have one more chance at the world cup race in athens this spring. hopefully sammy or ryan bahn or austin crane will nail down a spot . . . and then hopefully someone like, say, ME will sneak in and win the olympic trials! ahaha, yeah right!
Alden

I like your 'tude Alden. I do hope the boys pull one off in February, that's when I think the race is. And hopefully you can pull one off if they give you the chance. I visited the Wausau site and saw results yesterday but it ain't like being there. We had an absolute blast at the Open Boat Nationals there in July. Looks like Hanna and Brett did well in the Pan-Am Race. Even though they have twice the paddle and half the brains, they're still from my neck of the woods. So, how was the course, the trash talking and the like. Can we expect you to be smokin past Kaz with the momentum you'll be carrying into the fall? Pat

hey pat, i do want to say that, yes, i will be smoking kaz (and all the 'yaks, of course!) at the riverfest next week, both in c-1 and open boat! i just have to figure out how to go clean in oc-1 . . . the course in wausau was 700 cfs, i heard you guys had 675, so pretty similar, except that they set the gates really really hard! there were tons of crazy offside surfs for me, and lots of 50s for good people. yeah brett and hanna did quite well, they make it look so easy!

hope you're feeling good pat, hopefully see you at the races, I would love to run the NB of the lamoille with you if we get some rain this fall. im planning to write a vermont rivers guidebook, so i'm going to be getting out a lot. if you know of any more good runs up your way, im always game
take care, say hi to your pup for me
Alden

.....actually decked boats ran 850cfs on the "short" course... and trust me or Pat..... he would have given you a run for the money even with your C1 "that" weekend. I actually saw a 2ft wake and smoke behind his boat.. and I bet he has about 20 years on you too boot as well... it makes me sick... and want to actually train.... nah! Best of luck and come back to Wausau again soon.

Craig

PS> I think we had a much more colorful play by play in the announcers booth for OC... right Pat!

...actually, its more like 25 years. And you should continue with those 16 oz arm curls to help with your paddlin, Craig. That wake must have been due to the extra weights Alden's buddies popped into his boat when he wasn't looking. And the smoke - the extra weight must of been dry ice. Seriously, we should play with that idea. I know Randy has used dry ice and strobes to great affect at the St. Louis rodeo. We could make slalom racing look like the Blue Angels when they turn their smoke on. Can you make colored dry ice? and just put a small piece by the stern of the boat in a hydrodynamic way? Alden, you're the bright college man. I expect to actually see smoke from your boats at the Riverfest Slalom. And speaking of my pup, you should see what a lab getting his second set of teeth can do to a new pair of Teva's in 30 seconds. Weel time to train with Guinness.
Pat

Bring it on Birdman!
kaz

kaz, i know it's not going to feel good being beaten in your home state, practically in your backyard, but at least you will have built the winning boat . . .
hahhaa
until tomorrow,
Alden

I "was" referring to Master Kaz... and await the outcome of this event as Pat has set the bait for our young friend. I'm puttin my money on the "old crumudgeon".

And watch out for the Oldest Curmugeon. He only loans out his slowest boats.

I wish I was that fast in the Open Boat Nats...

hey bob -- thanks a ton for lending me the boat! those reaktors are cool. i forgot about the whole "taking on water = tippy" thing, so the first run was kind of tough! but other than that those boats are lots of fun. you looked good out there too, nice runs.

pat, we are definitely going to attach dry ice to your new c-1 so that you will truly be "smoking" when you take off next time.

im definitely going to remember boofing my the bow of bob's open boat up and over that big wave on my second run. very fun! (and i didnt take on much water!)

three cheers to mark and kaz and klaus for setting a GREAT course. that first upstream was a killer. there was a little tiny eddy -- right in your path coming into and out of the gate -- and i definitely used it well on my way out, but NOT on the way in! it got me every time!

kaz paddled amazingly , as usual, and as usual he got the win, although i didn't let him have it without a good fight! it was definitely close than ive ever been to the great kaz, but i still feel like, as Boone says to Otter in Animal House, "I've got to work on my game . . . "

take care all
Alden