OC nationals

yarnellboat · Post by **yarnellboat** » Wed Jun 15, 2011 8:14 pm

Jan, That's exactly what I used to moan about here in BC (no events of any kind for OCs), so, I started a slalom a race, and now we've got the Tamihi Five-0 Open Canoe Slalom every September. We've been getting something like 30 participants from around the region, with lots of potential for more. I'd like to believe the T50 has contributed to geting more people interested in improving their paddling, and more people from a wider region getting together to paddle.

Maybe you can start a modest event in your region (and others elsewhere who wish they had one)? Then instead of moaning that you don't have an event, you can moan about having to organize it.

Some "regular canoeists" from BC, having been introduced to slalom at the T50, will make the drive to nationals in Colorado, and help up what will likley be a relatively high turn-out of "local" non-racers, but they probably wouldn't drivemuch farther. Moving a nation (international really) event around makes sense to me.

A better question might be: why is the organization getting such little interest (so few bids) for hosting it?

Pat.

Alan B · Post by **Alan B** » Wed Jun 15, 2011 9:37 pm

Pat, I sent you a pm... I would be interested in carpooling with anyone from BC going to Salida. Please pass on my contact info.
Thanks.

FullGnarlzOC · Post by **FullGnarlzOC** » Thu Jun 16, 2011 1:52 am

I don't think you guys should be comparing driving to ALF vs driving to OC Nationals... it's not even close...

ALF is a 9 day canoeing fest with over 200 OC1ers from around the world in a location that has something for everyone all week long...

vs

A multi-day race event...

....here's a question - what percentage of paddlers out there actually race slalom? There's two ways to look at this... 1) having OC Nats in a location like Colorado might grow the sport in that area... then theres the flipside... 2) If you have OC Nats in a location central to a lot of OCers, then perhaps 'slalom' would grow.

...It would be nice to see OC Nats in an area central to most paddlers for the next few years, in an attempt to grow slalom canoeing to the numbers that it used to be...then spread out the locations

Craig Smerda · Post by **Craig Smerda** » Thu Jun 16, 2011 2:34 am

[img]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/c ... copter.gif[/img]

FullGnarlzOC · Post by **FullGnarlzOC** » Thu Jun 16, 2011 2:47 am

What is it smerda? 2% ? .....Don't you think people that are capable of slalom would be more likely to participate if it were closer?

The way I see it...ur gonna have a set number of people that are going to travel and compete close to every year... past that, it's whoever its close to

By the way... ROFLCOPTER... is so 2002.

Larry Horne · Post by **Larry Horne** » Thu Jun 16, 2011 3:08 am

local events are for growing the sport ....

.Nationals are a championship. If you aren't a racer you shouldn't care where they are.. If your a serious racer you'd be stoked to travel and race (and play) someplace other than the same old venues...

Craig Smerda · Post by **Craig Smerda** » Thu Jun 16, 2011 3:37 am

Tommy, Tommy, Tommy... remind me again first why you didn't race last year in your own backyard???

You saw Dooley & Eli there too right?

I was out there with a torn up gut and it hurt to paddle... but I had a ball and got to see a lot of folks I hadn't seen in a few years, got to put faces with names and went down the Upper Yough with Jeremy on his first OC1 trip... wishing I could do the same this year... Nat's is a great social event much like ALF is and everyone I know that's going is racing and "goin' boating" while they are out there. Colorado has so many cool runs to offer I probably wouldn't want to leave... would you? I have a buddy who'll be out there in a couple days (if he's not already) and he won't come home until the water runs out. He'll be at the race as well as the usual gaggle of Midwestern boaters.

On a separate note... a slalom race as part of ALF would be interesting. You realize Louie's son Chad was a pretty good slalom C1'er right? Andrew & Carole Westwood, Mark Scriver and even Paul Mason run the sticks too... heck... almost all of the best paddlers I know have some sort of slalom background or have at least participated in it. Psycho, Frankie... heck the list of great paddlers names I've met through slalom is a virtual who's who of the canoe world and I'm fortunate to call so many of them my friends.

So... that all being said how many people in the Southeast are going to race at NOC next year during Nationals because it'll be in their backyard? Richard? I bet Alex will? Anyone else?

Slalom participation on all levels is in fact dwindling... which is really sad to me because it provides such a good foundation for fundamental skill building that imo so many people so dearly need. Like I said... almost all of the best paddlers I know... slalom.

Off to bed... spent three hours out in the rain hanging gate wires and pull strings for the Juniors that are coming to town next week for U.S. Jr. Slalom Team Trials until it got dark... btw... we're hosting the Jr. Worlds next year here in Wausau. Imagine that... flying someplace half a world away just to run through some gates when they could be paddling something or someplace else... they must all be kooky in the head right???

RodeoClown · Post by **RodeoClown** » Thu Jun 16, 2011 8:29 am

FullGnarlzOC wrote: a plane ticket alone is like 10+ trips to great rivers around here...

If you can't find 10+ epic rivers (better than anything going in the mid-Atlantic during July) around Salida during a high water year, you need to brush up on the art of the road trip. (I'd recommend getting a copy of Whitewater of the Southern Rockies

Every competition I've been do has been more about paddling other rivers in an area away from my norm and seeing friends I might not otherwise see as it is about the competition itself.

doomroller · Post by **doomroller** » Thu Jun 16, 2011 8:22 pm

Are their going to be Options / Ions to test out at Nationals? Would love to get in one.

AJ · Post by AJ » Fri Jun 17, 2011 4:51 pm

Yeah, Colorado rivers and creeks suck. The mountains are ugly and the weather, just a god aweful place to paddle. And we have no Cboaters, Cboaters only live in the East, thats funny.

I am not a racer, but hope to see some of the action and paddle with the open minded paddlers who come to visit!

Cheers,

kaz · Post by **kaz** » Fri Jun 17, 2011 7:18 pm

AJ,
Open minded but empty wallet. Maybe next year.
Have fun!

Jkaz

2opnboat1 · Post by **2opnboat1** » Sat Jun 18, 2011 4:20 pm

Yep Craig I will race at the nanny next year I called the falls my training rapid for about 3 years i live just upstream and paddled it daily. I will be fun to get my but kicked on my favorite rapid in the world. I think i didn't ask the question right So i will try again.

Why did only one location bid on hosting the event, you would think that in this economy that cities and venues would be fighting to host.

Craig Smerda · Post by **Craig Smerda** » Sat Jun 18, 2011 6:42 pm

2opnboat1 wrote:Why did only one location bid on hosting the event, you would think that in this economy that cities and venues would be fighting to host.

I have a few thoughts on this... but not everyone cares for them.

Make a big bowl of popcorn, grab a cold 6-pack and start reading...
http://www.cboats.net/cforum/viewtopic. ... sc&start=0

Creeker · Post by **Creeker** » Sun Jun 19, 2011 2:26 am

if you have the nationals out west or in TN some slalom minded folks could easily run an event at Asci anyway.....or just pick an already scheduled event to OC/C1 promote for turnout. pick one or 2 slalom races as a tune up for the Canoe nationals.

The upper yough area just seems like a crazy opportunistic spot to get solid water on a FANTASTIC OC run like the Upper yough and Lower for those that want a bit less juice. I bet its hard to duplicate water options like that around a slalom course location.

Bob P · Post by **Bob P** » Sun Jun 19, 2011 11:01 am

Having contemplated using a local river for the Nationals (and rejected it) I've learned that running the Nationals presents serious problems in addition to what we have when putting on a club race:

You must have reliable water for a minimum of 4 days. (See this year's change in venue...) While scheduled dam releases seem to fix this problem, you run into conflicts with commercial rafts and local playboating. And many releases can only be for a short duration due to limited water stored behind the dam. See the former Deerfield River Nationals.

The race at ASCI (water pumping) added considerable costs to the project, and made scheduling race runs around commercial traffic a PITA for the racers (IMHO).

You must have many reliable volunteers for course setup and gate judging. Like herding cats. For 3 days.

And lots more stuff that I would probably learn had I actually tried to put in a bid.