@bilbo
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Wavesport is a division of Confluence, a holding company that also holds Dagger and Perception brands, among others. Wavesport decided 3 years ago to market only to Europe and Asia, and as I also heard recently want to come back into dealers in the US, popularity growing in their current market.
What made them decide to leave was 3 years of over-molding when they were based in the US, to the point that they had twice more of a previous years stock than their competition had current year stock. Other companies work on a JIT schedule (just in time) and review their molding schedules quarterly.
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The only place where cobalt is mentioned as a contaminant is OU5, but that may also not matter if this is a new mine.
https://cumulis.epa.gov/supercpad/SiteProfiles/index.cfm?fuseaction=second.ous&id=0701102
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Chuck, thanks greatly. I talked to you about this during the races, but it needs to get out.
The races are about the MWA, not individuals within it, regardless of volunteers with decades of tenure. I really don’t care if a sign was donated or not, a sign for an MWA event should never have an individual’s name on it, only the organization, as it is an asset of the organization. What has gone on for two years is self serving and obvious at that. And to have any year-specific assets created other than milestone years such as 50, is just frivolous and again, obvious.
Autonomous as the race committee is by charter, the myopic nature of certain continuing groups within the committee, regardless of who directs, should in fact open up to not only the board, but others that will take the responsibilities in the future, with consideration of how other like groups are handling the changes and challenges of whitewater participation, and racing. If decisions continue to be made that have the potential of putting the MWA in whole in a bad light, then the autonomy should be rescinded.
For those outside looking in, the race process averaged over a decade (actually much longer) has not made money for the club but has been a tradition worth supporting, at the expense of clinic revenues and general membership. It is not the first time that the club has had to look at spending in a new light, as printed newsletters and printed signage and printed anything had much to do with traditions that may have needed to give way to new methods, and better fiscal responsibility. The club is in no way insolvent and rationalization has always been upheld to fund the races. That does not mean, however, that the race committee should be able to dominate volunteer and funding resources without question, and in unsustainable ways. The autonomy that shows obvious cronyism, frivolity and self service must stop, and much more attention should be towards service to the racers.
Many of us watched the aftermath as a young paddler who had been in the “staging pool” for possibly over an hour was told that he could not race because a memorial service was being held and the timing tent said only four more racers could go before the cutoff. There were only five total left to race, and the starting crew should have at least relayed that to the timing tent, but in the hierarchy that is well assumed regarding operations, no one had the courage to question the timing tent. Egregious.
On a side note, I have just been asked to help out, or at least advise, a decision to upgrade the PA system for the races that was purchased in 2000. I was told that the board approved upgrades last year. Hmmmm, I have been the board member at large for 2 presidents and was not a part of that decision, else I would have promoted a whole new idea of incorporating timing and PA to WiFi repeating, this technology showing the most development and the greatest pricing reduction for a given method compared to FM or Bluetooth.
“You must be present to win” where physical board meetings are concerned is a concept of the past, in our world of instant communication and networking. It tends to be impractical as well, outdated as much as our MWA charter is in whole. The folks I target as the problem will deny the problem, because they are in too deep and only look backwards and not to the sides or forward.
I regret that I need to resign as board member at large, because I am not communicated with unless something needs to be fixed, most times with notice too late to do much or anything about it. It is indeed a protest decision, because I see a widening chasm between the actual active boating community, regardless of age, and organizations such as the MWA, who do not evolve continuously but rather operate on charters developed before 1990.
Race committee, you may operate in autonomy all you want. You may also fix all that you have bought.
Bill
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David, good job, you legitimately beat me by 14 seconds and won the short class downriver. That is way cool. Seriously!
I have my own opinions of the way the races are held now, and how the organizers are considering themselves more important than the racers, and my opinions are immaterial now, because the race results are locked in. I say the MWA should spend more money on banners that are only good for the year printed to regale the race committee who has been in power since the 1990s. NOT. I have better ways to spend my dues and my race registration money.
David, you rocked it on a low water run, and should be proud of that. Sorry to bring your post into this discussion, but you know, downriver has apparently been considered the component to change the way that the MWC has been conducted historically, and not slalom. Friday night downriver was great for the 50th anniversary, but is too costly in every resource to maintain going forward. It involves trying to predict 3 days of good weather and good water, no other event including the clinic requiring that. It involves organizing food and volunteers to be present for safety and timing, and now apparently judging responsibility to disqualify lines. A great band can also play on Saturday night and coexist with the medal ceremony. Going back to Saturday afternoon downriver would be inclusive of young people who do not have the luxury of taking off work or school for such an event held on Friday, and would give us old coots a much better run for our money. Why on earth is a 59 year old guy taking second in downriver short class anyway? Should not happen, in a realistic competitive field of boaters.
Whitewater is an assumed risk sport. The race committee did not consult the MWA board on their decision to change rules of downriver racing to DQ a course line, and I am not aware of any route disqualification decision being made historically on any MWC downriver. There are differing opinions on safety where Cat’s Paw’s straight route at low water are concerned. Those who cannot flare a boat should probably not take that line, but rather than forbid the line, the race meeting should have alerted the racers to the condition, and allowed the choice based on the skill level of the paddlers. That is what happens in the rest of downriver racing. Hazards are disclosed. That is all.
I challenge anyone to take over the timing and scoring myopia. It needs young and fair representation. Qualified criticism of bad decisions on the part of the race committee does not deserve being responded to by a form letter open invitation to volunteer, as has happened. It is a complete cop out and unaccountable. The status quo has absolutely no vested intelligence towards what it takes to run a downriver race and has no interest of comparing what is done in the rest of the world beyond their governance and willingness to observe. Step up, young’ins! It is a good race and a good time. It absolutely needs to perpetuate, but in a new fashion, that evolves as the sport has!
Bill
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