C-Forum

So I was looking over all the slalom rules for OC nats and had a few questions.

It looks like, as a non-racer who has never participated before, I am only eligible for the citizens race? Is that the case?

Second, I noticed there was a rule that says boats cannot have over 1.5 inches of sidewall foam glued in. My prelude (yes, I would be racing my prelude as it's the only boat I own ) has 2 inch sidewall foam glued in. Do they enforce this rule for the citizens race? Cuz I ain't gonna remove my outfitting...

It’s been a few years since I’ve been to Nationals, but the only class exclusions were age, gender and boat type. The Citizen class is to encourage new racers, but you aren’t forced to enter it. I don’t read anything in the rules that state otherwise.

I suggest asking to use an Ocoee from Al, Jeff, or Bill. I’m going to be borrowing a solo boat.

I think it's likely they will overlook the small amount of extra foam. As you say, it's a "citizens" or run-what-you-brung race.

I was never a boat inspector for the Nationals, but I was for the Southeasterns for many years. We had a cruising or citizens race class for both slalom and downriver. It was hilarious how bent out of shape some people would get when someone brought their *own* boat, and that boat happened to have an advantage over others. For example, someone would register for downriver in a composite fast tandem. Not a boat anyone would race in championship class, just a fast tandem. And people paddling Explorers or Trippers would complain that wasn't fair, I should throw the rascals out.

Similarly, someone would enter a then-new Royalex solo, maybe a Sunburst, in slalom cruising class. People paddling OCAs would come to me, complaining that Steve Scarborough had run the Sunburst protype stripper in Championship a year or so before, so how could I allow such a ringer? It was a race boat !!

And I always told them, one always knows a race boat when one sees it, they weren't race boats, and I always let people run whatever ordinary craft they paddle in cruising/citizens class.

I can't predict what the Nationals crew will say. Back about '75 or so, I saw them rule the Moore tandems out of the downriver because Moore ran afoul of an obscure rule forbidding any concave surfaces on the hull. The Moores had a concave flare molded into the gunwale, rather than gluing stuff onto the gunwales to throw back waves. It was totally irrational, but rules are rules.

Cadster,

The "citizen" rule is written as follows:

Non-championship classes
A non-championship Citizens Race shall be held at the annual national slalom competition. A Citizen is defined as a
person who has never raced in our annual national slalom competition before or has never placed 1st , 2nd or 3rd in
the Citizens Race at two previous annual national slalom competitions. This event is open to any nationality, and
Citizens awards will be presented to 3 places. Citizens Race classes will consist of OC-1 Open, OC-1 Women,
OC-2 Open, and OC-2 Mixed.

Maybe I am misinterpreting, but the bolded part implies that if you haven't placed 1st, 2nd, or 3rd in previous nationals, you are only eligible for the Citizens class.

As far as the extra foam goes, I won't worry about that - Ez, you basically confirmed what I figured. I'm just doing it for fun anyway. I might try to borrow a boat (Al and Michael both offered up their Ocoees) - but since I've spent zero time in an Ocoee I think I might be better off just paddling the tank.

It doesn't mean that you would be "only" eligible for the citizen's class. It means that if you have placed high in previous slaloms, you would *not* be eligible for the citizen's race. They are trying to reserve the citizen race for relatively new paddlers, rather than pot hunters. Anyway, you qualify.

Great! then I'll stink up the Rec class too!! Thanks for setting me straight.

Is the foam on the inside? Hip pads? or on the outside to shed water?

Personally, I would let it go in the citizens class, but would leave it to the designated chief judge and boat inspector to make the call. If it were a regular class, I would reluctantly say that the rules should be adhered to, preventing any potential meltdowns.

The question has been informally brought to attention to the available committee members and if issues come up, I'll post it here.

Michael Cook
Open Canoe Slalom Chairman

Thanks for the response Mike.

The foam is on the inside for water displacement to help with rolling - not hippads.

Read this:
http://ocs.whitewater-slalom.us/oc-2011c.pdf