As I told Joel at the start line, "I'd like to try to make it into a pure guts race. If it is, I'm the only one who can win."
http://www.justrunners.com/Steve-Prefontaine-Poster.jpg
Well, it didn't turn out that way; Benn won.
But there's always Montreal in '76 . . .
Alden
Slalom Nationals 2008 Recap
Moderators: kenneth, sbroam, TheKrikkitWars, Mike W., Sir Adam, KNeal, PAC, adamin
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John Coraor
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Okay, so here's the deal; Alden and I raced C-2 in an old, but decent, boat of Dave Kurtz's. Due the varying size and skill of the paddlers that use the boat, it is extremely loosely and minimally outfitted. A square block of minicell for a saddle and low thighstraps. That's it. No hip contact and no back to the saddle--very loose.
Our first run was decent. We 50'd one gate, I think, because only one of us made it through. It was fairly successful considering that we had only taken the boat down the course twice and I don't think that either of us really ever paddle C-2.
Second run was feeling better than our first. We made the gate we had previously missed, and smoothly at that. When we peeled out of gate 10 (an up very high in the eddy on river right just below the big drop--A-feature--I think it's called) we flipped upstream (unfortunately on my low brace) and almost saved it. We tried one roll, but Alden started before I was completely set up and we missed it. I went for a second roll, and came up, realized something was wrong, and realized that I was in the boat, but there was no one behind me. Alden was floating in the water next to me with a somewhat dazed expression on his face. Apparently he just popped out of the outfitting (completely understandable, considering the circumstances).
I pulled the boat over to shore and we just sort of sat there, hoping to be able to paddle down the rest of the course, and watched Jamie and Devin come down that section before the official sitting on shore told us that we were "done."
My C-1 runs didn't go well. I flipped twice on my first run and consequently missed a whole bunch of gates. I was a little bit intimidated by how swirly and boily the course was since I don't get to paddle on artificial waterways much. Oh well, I suppose that this race was a good place to start at in terms of higher level competition. It gives me something to shoot for next year and shows me how much work I have to do between now and then. I am glad I had my first nationals be at ASCI rather than Charlotte.
Nate
Our first run was decent. We 50'd one gate, I think, because only one of us made it through. It was fairly successful considering that we had only taken the boat down the course twice and I don't think that either of us really ever paddle C-2.
Second run was feeling better than our first. We made the gate we had previously missed, and smoothly at that. When we peeled out of gate 10 (an up very high in the eddy on river right just below the big drop--A-feature--I think it's called) we flipped upstream (unfortunately on my low brace) and almost saved it. We tried one roll, but Alden started before I was completely set up and we missed it. I went for a second roll, and came up, realized something was wrong, and realized that I was in the boat, but there was no one behind me. Alden was floating in the water next to me with a somewhat dazed expression on his face. Apparently he just popped out of the outfitting (completely understandable, considering the circumstances).
I pulled the boat over to shore and we just sort of sat there, hoping to be able to paddle down the rest of the course, and watched Jamie and Devin come down that section before the official sitting on shore told us that we were "done."
My C-1 runs didn't go well. I flipped twice on my first run and consequently missed a whole bunch of gates. I was a little bit intimidated by how swirly and boily the course was since I don't get to paddle on artificial waterways much. Oh well, I suppose that this race was a good place to start at in terms of higher level competition. It gives me something to shoot for next year and shows me how much work I have to do between now and then. I am glad I had my first nationals be at ASCI rather than Charlotte.
Nate
Oh, brother. I haven't seen John this excited since he saw that "Fast and Clean" was going to be on TV (without notcing it was showing on Skinemax -- and subtitled "Prison Girls XI").
We even talked trash to Casey and Rick before our run. Yet somehow they still managed to beat us. Sometimes you just throw your hands up in the air.
Alden
It was all good though; after the race I took an "easy ten."
http://www.justrunners.com/Steve%20Pref ... Poster.jpg
We even talked trash to Casey and Rick before our run. Yet somehow they still managed to beat us. Sometimes you just throw your hands up in the air.
Alden
It was all good though; after the race I took an "easy ten."
http://www.justrunners.com/Steve%20Pref ... Poster.jpg
Last edited by Alden on Wed Sep 03, 2008 7:27 am, edited 2 times in total.
Nate, props to you for racing your first Nationals. It looked like a hard course and I wasn't even out there. I can't say my first one went well either. We all have to start somewhere. Overall I think you did okay. You got some good experience and now you can build on it. Next time we'll glue Alden in the boat. It did look like a decent run at the top.
Natalie
Natalie
Yes, blame it on the outfitting...
I am sure Alden has accumulated some pretty good adhesive reccomendations.
Nate, I thought you made the most out of all your runs. It was definitly challenging water. You hung in and kept coming back. I am proud of you. Some of the lines where pretty fine and where in areas that mistakes could have some serious time consequences as you found out. I am thinking that the course slightly favored right handed paddlers and your are a lefty. You now have a bench mark to measure progress against for next year. Keep going as everytime you paddle you are progressing. It is a sport that has a long maturation time to it and we all know that. Now, you go get to it.
Note: upon reflection, are you thinking that practicing and racing some hard courses at Wausau was the right thing to do? Good thing we resisted temptation to make things easy for you all...
I am sure Alden has accumulated some pretty good adhesive reccomendations.
Nate, I thought you made the most out of all your runs. It was definitly challenging water. You hung in and kept coming back. I am proud of you. Some of the lines where pretty fine and where in areas that mistakes could have some serious time consequences as you found out. I am thinking that the course slightly favored right handed paddlers and your are a lefty. You now have a bench mark to measure progress against for next year. Keep going as everytime you paddle you are progressing. It is a sport that has a long maturation time to it and we all know that. Now, you go get to it.
Note: upon reflection, are you thinking that practicing and racing some hard courses at Wausau was the right thing to do? Good thing we resisted temptation to make things easy for you all...
There were most definitely a couple of moves best described not as difficult, but rather just weird. Six and seven most definitely fit into this category. Ten through 12 were the same. The moves were on water not really very consistent, especially the exit from 10 to 11, considering the wave changed from Demos to the race as the variable feature was not the same when they set up the course on race day.
Still, there were some really fun moves in the course. One through five I really liked. Then 13 through the finish I liked as well, especially the entry into 13. It was fun to be sure!
I am interested to see what the course for World Series will look like. Does anybody know who the course designer is?
Still, there were some really fun moves in the course. One through five I really liked. Then 13 through the finish I liked as well, especially the entry into 13. It was fun to be sure!
I am interested to see what the course for World Series will look like. Does anybody know who the course designer is?
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John Coraor
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Nate:
Thanks for the blow-by-blow account. As a former bow paddler, I can assure you that it was all Alden's fault. Typically the stern paddler is supposed to control the edging and obviously he screwed up and got his just desserts.
That's probably why he came out of the outfitting, as well - it was karma.
Actually, I'm impressed that you all would be willing to give ASCI a spin with so little time in the boat together. My hat's off to you both - yeah, even you, Alden!
Ditto for your C-1 runs, Nate. From what I've seen of ASCI I would have been debris on the course even when I was in good form in my 20s. I'm sure you'll just build on the experience and come back stronger next round.
All the best; see you at the Penn Cup races this fall.
John
Thanks for the blow-by-blow account. As a former bow paddler, I can assure you that it was all Alden's fault. Typically the stern paddler is supposed to control the edging and obviously he screwed up and got his just desserts.
That's probably why he came out of the outfitting, as well - it was karma. Actually, I'm impressed that you all would be willing to give ASCI a spin with so little time in the boat together. My hat's off to you both - yeah, even you, Alden!
Ditto for your C-1 runs, Nate. From what I've seen of ASCI I would have been debris on the course even when I was in good form in my 20s. I'm sure you'll just build on the experience and come back stronger next round.
All the best; see you at the Penn Cup races this fall.
John
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bearboater
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