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I just want to start out saying I’m super glad the races are around the corner! The question that I have is about the downriver race.
Are we going to start at Fishermens again? I know it’s been like that for a long time, call me old and out of shape if you want but that part sucks LOL!
would there be a way of cutting that part out 🙂 and start at the pavilion hope This message isn’t coming off the wrong way just a question of why put in there and be wore out by the time u hit the features? -
Put your big girl panties on. How far extra is that? Couple hundred yards?
I think downriver should start at 72
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Reminder, Downriver will be on Friday evening. Paddlers’ meeting at Fishermans at 4:30; racers start off at 5pm.
The plan is to start at Fisherman’s. If the river is extra high, in the past we have started at Hwy 72 & run down to Millstream. If we have to change from the plan, we’ll let folks know ahead of time.
Back in the “good old days”, when men were men (and women were glad of it), the Downriver ran from 72 to Hwy D.
(But also, it looks like one year it ran from Turkey Creek to D!)
FYI – Kayak divisions will be 10′ and over, and Under 10′. There is a separate category for K1-Novice, if you’ve never medaled in the Downriver. And classes for OC1-Novice, OC1-Expert, OC-2, C1 & SUP.
Short boats, SUPs & OC2s – please try to finish before dark! See if you can beat my time!
We’re gonna party at the D-bridge Pavilion! Live music. Food. Beer. Fun!
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And remember: “…the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to the intelligent, nor favor to those with knowledge, but time and chance happen to them all.”
IOW, keep paddling! But note that downriver racer winners are determined by fastest times!
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A downriver race is meant to be a combination of endurance (the pools) and the rapids (high river reading skills.) Our coach used to say “survive the rapids, win in the pools”. I have seen races where the leader broke his boat, or flipped and could not roll up. You never know, so you never give up. I also think downriver is a harder discipline than slalom…It is certainly more elegant.
I’ve raced both downriver and slalom races- and the downriver race parties were always ten times better than the slalom…..I hope we can live up to that tradition. I will bring a bottle of Don Julio 1942 Tequilla
Wine Enthusiast- 98Mexico – An exquisite Anejo created to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the opening of Don Julio’s first distillery. Rested in oak barrels for two years. Full nose of vanilla and nuts.
I was going to offer a shot to all who beat me, but I don’t have that much so instead, a shot to all first place finishers.
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Let’s do a mass start at Millstream which ends at the last rapid at D bridge where everyone awaits. Queue the gladiator music and alert the medics that they may be needed. That’s some motivation to get down faster, Chuck! 😉
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For Downriver, no age groups this year. Just Short, Long & Novice Kayak. (and Novice OC1, Expert OC1, OC2, C1, & SUP). M&W classes in all classes (unless <3 in a class, then we may make them unisex).
That was the consensus of comments on the Downriver classes last year. May change again in 2018, depending on how it goes.
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KEEP THE START ABOVE THE POOL!!!
Pain is a beautiful thing, it shows you you’re alive and shows you your limitations.
When you find the courage to fight on, despite the struggle, you gain character. Something lacking these days in our society.
BTW, I just got done doing 203 miles of flatwater in a 120 pound boat in under 8 days (Grand Canyon)…
In other words, bring it, I’ll be your huckleberry!
-RaymondB
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“call me old and out of shape if you want”
@jacobsviper, you are old and out of shape. -
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re: Mass start. It’s been discussed in the past, and noted that if we had a mass start at Fisherman’s Put-in, we might not have any passing on the entire course. Perhaps we should put that to the test. 🙂
But for real, we probably could start some boats in groups & they would string out before Big Drop.
There are running races where they start the “slowest” (oldest, youngest statistically) first, then interval start the “more fit”. Ideally, at the end, they all finish at the same time. Which wouldn’t be good in the downriver.
We could start the slowest groups first (SUP, OC2, OC1, Short Kayaks) and the total time of the race would be shortest. But that might lead to pandemonium in the major rapids, as long kayaks catch up. Which is when we might need those boxing gloves.
Most likely will be a start seeded from (expected) fastest to slowest, as best we can predict based on past performance (allowing for injuries). 1 minute spacing? 30 seconds?
Another goal of the Friday Downriver & Party at the Takeout is to get everyones’ vehicles shuttled before the event, or by non-racers, so you don’t have to miss any party time. So volunteer Friday shuttle drivers are welcome!
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I’ll volunteer to shuttle. Im going to do only the slalom this year. Downriver in a 9ft boat wasn’t enjoyable.
With me being a running coach, wanting to cut off some of the course is like wanting to run 2.1miles because that last mile is too hard. Not going to happen. It’s called train all year long so the full 3.1miles is easy.
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Dan, I can bring you a Dagger Greenboat to paddle for the DR race. It’s even been specially modified to reduce weight.
Let me know if you’d like to have a 11’6″ boat to race down in.
Raymond
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The speeder was raced once before (not by me). The wavehopper is 13 feet. Are 13 foot boats legal?
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I like it! Let’s race mano y mano in speeders. My shoulder is at about 30% but I plan to be over 50% by race day. The best thing is that for the first time in 5 years- there is no real pain. I will be excited to race even up! If you could get a dancer- there would be several of us racing even-up! (I’ll have to get my good yellow dancer back from CEO).
In thinking of the wave-hopper, it is plastic, no keel, and is 13 feet long….but, I was also remembering something about bow configuration. The bow must flare away in a whitewater boat configuration- no VEE at all. A lot of the longer boats are not legal for that reason.
I’ll have to look at my speeder for its bow configuration…I know it’s lots longer than my dancer (which I think has been bitten by old age- long axis stress cracks).
I have several phoenix boats and one is 13 feet long. If speeders are out- let’s just race at 13 foot.
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Now don’t make us come down there & add a specialty boat class… I seem to recall a discussion about too many classes, and too many medals to give out, and that the medals should go to the fastest paddlers, boat be damned.
Now you’re making us think about a category to encompass these special cases, such as boats with motors (electric or gas), glass/composite hulls, foot-pedals, rowing sculls (with a rear view mirror), sailboats, solar power, v-hulls, rudders, skegs, and sit on tops (other than SUPs that you might be sitting on).
This would be in addition to the Belly Yak classes we are considering for Downriver. http://www.bellyak.com Short belly yaks and long belly yak classes, of course.
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so the question is, should the 60+ compete just amongst themselves, or with the 50+ folks? There have only been 3-4 folks in that category, in which we award 3 medals. Frisch, Wellhouse, McHenry, Tansil, Wentz (different folks show up different years). So the thought was, increase the competition. So the same folks may still win, whipping up on the 50-59yo folks…
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All this chatter has got me for the first time training for the down river race even though I think slalom is more prestigious and elegant. What I really like about training for the Missouri Whitewater Championships is not only do you need to build your strength endurance and skill, but you need to maintain your alcohol tolerance, which is real nice after a day of paddling mountain biking or trail running especially if your transitioning to old guy status, or are all ready an old guy kicking 30 year old ass.
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