Open canoe slalom is awesome for many reasons.
1) It's fun to race
2) It helps your boat control and makes you a better overall paddler
3) You can push yourself with low consequences (hitting a gate versus flipping in a class V rapid)
4) It's a big social event where you get to hang out with lots of other canoers
5) You get to paddle others rivers in the area.
I'm not going to race this year because I tore my shoulder up creeking. I'm putting off surgery for another month or so. I may try to go to colorado. I've got a cortisone shot so my shoulder is good enough to ride a low brace down Oh Be Joyful creek but not good enough to hammer for 2 minutes through the gates at the moment.
I will be at the Nationals next year at NOC for sure (unless I get another injury... unfortunately that part of a sport like this)
I hope everyone has fun at Nationals this year. CO sounds like a great venue. NOC will be a great venue next year because we should have record attendance by being in the southeast and actually getting to race through the falls. Folks can hit the Green, Ocoee, Pigeon, Chattooga etc while they are down. If we get lucky it might even rain and the Cascades and other local runs will go off around the races.
-Dooley
OC nationals
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