C-Forum

Wow! What a really great time at the USNWC for the Olympic team trial races! My brother went with me to take pics and on the first day, he got 1,500! And that was just the first day. I volunteered the first day and got to run the course from the island-side the whole time, so I got to see the racers a whole bunch. Got to take some video with my digital camera (quality not good) and will see about posting something later. Most footage is of our own Jack Ditty, Joel McCune, and Alden Bird. It was just great to hang out and talk to them and several of the legendary boaters who still race or coach. There were a few women cboaters who took on the competition channel and they had a "bit of a go" with the gates and the channel. The water flow and gate setup did provide a bit of intimidation factor...and not just for the women c-1'ers! Since the racers were seeded slowest-to-fastest, you saw a lot of carnage and struggling early on, but WOW! When the big guns started down the course, you saw a BIG difference in technique and boat handling. There is a big difference between paddling your boat down the rapid and gliding the boat with the currents. You can only appreciate this difference when you are up-close and personal. If you have never seen the competition channel at USNWC, it's got a BIG surprise for anyone who's bombing down the channel. Most boaters call it a stopper hole. Lots of carnage just in that spot below.

This venue also served as the Pan-American Games slalom championships ,so there were racers from countries, like: Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Ireland, Chechnya (is that right? ), Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, and other countries, plus the Aussie c-1'er, Robin Bell. Congrats to Joel, Jack, and Alden. They have been in the top 16 the whole time and they are waiting to make their final run. I gotta give props to "Bill Canoe" for hosting my brother and me for 2 nights and allowing me carte blanche to rummage through his boats and gear in the hopes of getting his slalom boat on the water. Highlight during the drive--when crossing into North Carolina from Virginia, they have Bojangles, "famous chicken n' biscuits"!

Here are links to our "own" cboaters in action:
http://www.charlotte.com/777/gallery/59 ... 07-t3.html
http://www.charlotte.com/777/gallery/59 ... 44-t3.html
http://www.charlotte.com/777/gallery/59 ... 42-t3.html

Fast and clean!

KNeal

P.S. I'd still like to know who was "kind" enough to take my boat out of the grass and put it on the launch ramp for me.

If you are like me, and cannot attend the Olympic Trials check out the www.daveyhearn.com homepage -- check out the link to Live race results, still 2nd runs to go on day # 3.

Click on to Olympic Trials Live Results. Click thru. When the Live page loads, go to the top bar and select the class you want to watch [otherwise you'll just be looking at demo run times].

Team USA just qualified a C1 and C2 starts at the Olympic Games. We also earned an Olympic berth in the K1W and K1 classes. Ashley Nee and Scott Parsons earned these at last year's World Championships. 5 people, 4 boats will represent the USA in Beijing.

Olympic Trials is the best 2 of 3 races. Top 3 USA boats in each class make the 2008 World Cup Team. The top Olympic Team boats are known only after the Augsburg, GER World Cup race this July. Scott Parsons has a slight edge with some points earned from last years World Championships.

Racer blogs are here:
http://www.daveyhearn.com/Whitewater%20 ... bsites.htm

Also check out the 'Breaking News in Whitewater Racing' here for features, slide shows, results, some video:
http://www.daveyhearn.com/Coaching/Whit ... in_08.html

Those are good pictures. Alden's boat must have been nice and sparkly in the sun. Wish I could be there racing.

Nate

Yes, Alden's boat was real sparkley. On such a bright, sunny, HOT day, it shine! It was also REAL easy to spot Joel, though. I haven't met him before so I didn't know what he looked like. However, when the Tasmanian Devil flashed right past me under my nose, there was No doubt.

KNeal

Those are some GREAT images, and some GREAT paddling. Congrats to all that competed and supported for the weekend!!!

It truly is disappointing Isaac was not competing in his cunning new pink boat. Next year though...

It was great having you over

Wilson was fun on Sat

Bill, you really helped make the weekend great for my brother and me, though we were too wiped out Friday night to be conscious enough to drink a few beers with you. Congrats on the solo Wilson run. That was a big step! Paddling it was definitely on my mind. The race weekend was just awesome. Watching Alden, Joel, Jack, and ALL the c-1 and c-2 racers really stoked me up. Watching their moves through the gates got me to feeling like I coulda' done it just as well! I mean, there were 11 and 12 year-olds who were tearing up the course! Though things always look easier when you're standing on the sidelines. Supporting the racers at slalom venues is definitely fun and worthwhile. Glad to have gone and done it.

KNeal

the pink stallion will one day attack the course at charlotte... i was also there taking pictures... i was the USACK photographer, for some of my shots, check usack.org, and that's about it. sorry I missed you kneal, I remember meeting you at Nats...
cheers
-isaac

oh yeah, they are ridiculous about the grass there. no touchy. you can't even walk on it... so what then is the point of grass? i
cheers
-isaac