C-Forum

Is there anyone in the U.S. building race layup short C1 race boats? If not, where might one buy a new one?

im sure the folks at cze-can imports can help you. they do Gala, maybe another company, i dont know. but here is the website.
www.galasportpaddles.com
or www.galasport.ca
-isaac

Check out this link:

http://www.murkywaterkayak.com/kayakdesigns_slalom.html

davey hearn can get new and used boats. check out www.daveyhearn.com

or www.vajdamr.sk for vajda boats..expect to pay over $2000 for a new boat from europe...

good luck

i forgot to mention prices, but the gala boats are about 965 to 1800 something, depends on lay-up. and boat
I would eventually get a new fast boat, but we'll see.
-isaac

Here are my contacts. Email each of them and see if they can help. Some boaters are cutting down the 4 meter boats which are less expensive now. I got a Vahja for a third of the original retail price.


gojoe@pocketmail.com: associated with Vahja

ryanbahn@gmail.com: Maryland slalom boater

nevaril@hotmail.com: associated with Valley Mill Camp in Maryland. I bought a new 4m boat from him this Spring.

ALso, Louie Lewis' son Chad is a slalom boater. Louie posts on this site frequently

i think chuck has better contacts.
and who is this valley mill, i remember you (someone else?) posted about it when i was buying my zealot, but the sie didnt help any, i couldnt find c-1 data?
cheers
and happy turkry day, i have 2 exams in 3 hours. yay
-isaac :(

Someone might disagree, but from what I hear Valley Mill is the heart of slalom race instruction and training. THe best, Olympians, have started out there.

Martin had a post for a Vajah Novo for sale last Spring. I got in touch with him re the boat. Since the boat was a 4 meter boat it was discounted to $600. THe boat had never been outfitted. I got the complete guts and a slalom spray skirt for $650.

Boaters that I know who got their start at Valley Mill are Joe Jacobi, 1992 gold C-2 (one of the nicest people I have ever met) and Ryan Bahn. Joe's boat hangs on the wall at the Rivers End Restaurant at the NOC. You should see the place. Nobody gets into a kayak there until they have spent time in a C-1.

Everybody that I have met that has any ties to this camp and those who have come from Valley Mill have been most impressive.

Regards,

Chuck

Valley Mill definitely has a good slalom program going right now - led by Martin. Although there are no C-1s in the group right now, it's not surprising because their most serious racers are girls and there is no women's c-1 class obviously, so I can understand. Those little girls definitely tear it up at Dickerson. I was there today at the course and there are all these kids in town for the training camp. I put in and there were like six boaters who all combined didn't even equal me in height or age. One of them was a c-1er from Durango who must be no more than 10 and was paddling Ryan Bahn's C-1 slalom boat down Dickerson. Really impressive. Although Rafal (Smolen, US Team coach) does not give an inch with those kids. I pulled up to the course the other day and he was giving them one of those "if you kids don't stop horsing around, we'll get right back in the van and head back to NOC" speeches. Really spices up the normal routine for me - good times!
Alden

Good subject! I have been searching for a new slalom C-1 for myself as well and near as I can tell, no one in the US makes a short 3.5M - 3.999 M slalom boat. Davey Hearn quoted some prices to me on the phone that were pretty reasonable considering what you are getting and where it is coming from. Also, Sylvan Poberaj is the US distributor listed on the Galasport website. The price is all in the layup. Also, check the "Chat" section of Galasports website and you see some posts reagrding a new C-1 based on Robin Bell's World Champion boat. Sounds like it will be made for the over 90 kg(192 lbs) crowd as well. If you do not like what you see on the Galasport and Vajda sites in terms of design and construction, try the following;

Caiman
http://www.caiman.cz/index_en.htm

or

Double Dutch
http://www.doubledutchuk.com/

They have distributors links as well. Davey may also be able to quote one.

Yeah, so no one the US makes a freaking short, slalom C-1! Does that get under your skin like it does mine? Kinda feeling like I should go make one........

Tom

BTW, Thanks for reference on the C-2 Chuck!

well, boat designing in c-1 isn't completely dead in north america. canadian c-1 national team member tom hewitt is designing a new short c-1 slalom boat. he just finished the plug - if i get to paddle it, ill let you know.

I'm not sure if Tom has come up with a name for the boat yet, but I think he should call it the "I Have a Technical Question" - in honor of the cforum.

Alden

I bet that if about 5 people would give Kaz deposits, he could be inspired to do a new-spec boat.

In Slovakia slalom racing is second only to hockey. Vajha is located there.

If the popularity of slalom racing increases here, particularilty if citizen races were scheduled, can you imagine the interest that would occur.

THere is really no reason why races could not occur on the Nantahala course with volunteers providing safety and timeing. The gates are already there. I am sure that such an event would draw in lots of participants and spectators. The cost would be nothing since we do not need sponcers. You could paddle whatever you could afford or find.

An analogy would be road racing. No one my age expects to win the race. It is the chance to participate. Last week I was discussing how the Olympics used to be where amatures with regular lives competed. NOw with competitors practicing two or three times a day, it leaves little opportunity to have jobs and families and still be able to compete. :

If anyone thinks that having citizen races on the Nantahala sounds interesting, I can check with the NOC and see what permits might be required.

Chuck

Bob P wrote:I bet that if about 5 people would give Kaz deposits, he could be inspired to do a new-spec boat.

My specs -

* Enough volume to float me and my 200# pounds
* Not to pointy
* A squirtable/pivotable stern
* large "Cascade" size/shape cockpit

Not sure about those "Estanguet-like grooves" - how do shapes like that hold up when subjected to shallow rocky rivers?

On my Stinger (a modified Estanguet-style hull), I asked Kaz to put Dynel along the grooves. I'm not sure whether he was able to do it but those areas have held up very well, even after 7 years of abuse.