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toddg
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  Quote toddg Replybullet Topic: Robe Race 2009
    Posted: 08 Apr 2009 at 5:53pm
I've been getting more & more emails & calls about this .. so I guess it's time to announce Robe Race 2009 & start soliciting race teams & volunteers.

At the moment, we're targeting the weekends of May 9, May 16, or May 23. Not sure which yet. To a certain extent, it'll be dependent on what feedback the racers weigh-in with on the timing of it. And to a large extent, it will be based on the weather over the next couple weeks. It will be a one-day thing -- either Saturday or Sunday -- on one of those weekends.

So if you are interested in participating either as a racer (teams of two), shore support (timekeepers, scribes, safety), or safety-kayaker, please let me know asap so I can start compiling everyone's info. If you have questions or comments, feel free to email me (toddgillman@gmail.com) or just post to this thread.

For those of you new to this non-event, here are a couple links to blogs with purty pictures, so you can read up on the race.

The Robe Gnomes are waiting ..
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  Quote toddg Replybullet Posted: 08 Apr 2009 at 5:55pm
whoops ... links:

http://plungepool.blogspot.com/2008/04/robe-race-oh-eight.html

http://therangelife.blogspot.com/2008/04/robe-race-08.html
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  Quote hutchm Replybullet Posted: 08 Apr 2009 at 7:57pm
I am planning on racing again and likely to keep the dibs on the robe gnome.

Should be good times again.
Yaris power baby
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  Quote jP Replybullet Posted: 09 Apr 2009 at 1:43pm
I'm thinkin I wanna race but it's dependent upon what my potential race partner thinks, ect. Plan on lettin you know soon.
 
jP
 
-I just hope them Robe Gnomes have mercy on me! They've been 'lil tricksters lately! I flipped below T2 the other day and One of them grabbed my stern and was dragging it along a wall while another was repeatedly punching me in the shoulder. Those 'lil buggers GANGED UP ON ME! I think the one must've hitched a ride on my boat, because when I flipped at the bottom of Faceplant he started hitting me again!
I'll tell ya...
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  Quote toddg Replybullet Posted: 27 Apr 2009 at 8:58am
The date for the showdown in gnome-town is set for May 16. More details here: http://therangelife.blogspot.com/2009/04/psa-robe-race-details.html

I hope to see some folks from PP this year at the race!

If interested in racing or volunteering (timekeeping, safety boat, shore safety, etc.), please get in touch with me.

thanks!
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  Quote jP Replybullet Posted: 27 Apr 2009 at 4:14pm
Does anyone hear anything? What's that sound?
 
--Oh. wait. It's my knees knocking together again!
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  Quote xanthopb Replybullet Posted: 12 May 2009 at 1:26pm
Levels should make this event sight to be seen.

I'm getting fired up to see Hugo there.
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  Quote James Replybullet Posted: 12 May 2009 at 1:57pm
Ohhh EEEE


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  Quote James Replybullet Posted: 12 May 2009 at 1:57pm
Anyone making practice laps this week?  
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  Quote Fish Replybullet Posted: 12 May 2009 at 1:57pm
The Robe Gnomes will make their presence known, no doubt.  I'm hoping to sneak through with offerings of good will,  and river karma.   
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  Quote ALCOHOLIC Replybullet Posted: 12 May 2009 at 8:45pm
what time does the race start???????
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  Quote toddg Replybullet Posted: 13 May 2009 at 11:05am
copy/pasted from an email i just sent out to group of racers & volunteers:

Hey everyone. Race weekend coming right up! And, looking at the forecast, it appears as though we'll have plenty of water. I've gotten several emails from people concerned that we may have too much water for the race, or at least, for those folks to race comfortably. I'm proposing we call it right now that Saturday will be a practice day &/or a "wait & see" day & plan to hold the actual race on SUNDAY, when flows promise to be lower.

If the current forecast is to be trusted at all, we'll see convergence zone with lots of rain in the Everett zone & flow spike tonight & tomorrow ... & then receding water levels Friday through Sunday, hopefully putting us in the upper-mid 5's on Sunday for the race.   

How does the gang feel about that?

In other news, I have two 6-barrels (small kegs) in my garage that will need to be emptied after the race. And, the embroidery on the robes should be finished at the last possible second. Which brings me to the next thing ... I am going to tuck my tail 'tween my legs & ask for a one-time race donation of $10 up to whatever you're comfortable with, to help cover the costs I've incurred in the one-time "set up" fee for the embroidery .. which was surprisingly expensive. Last year, some ppl took it upon themselves to "pass the hat" & I am super grateful for that. It covered the cost of robes, stop watches, some beer, etc. This year, with the embroidery, my out-of-pocket expense went through the roof. I don't expect to cover the whole expense, but if I could help offset it a little, i'd be very stoked. I'm bringing some kegs of beer this time, so hopefully that will justify a small cash donation from the participants? No pressure, if you're strapped financially though


I just sent that email an hour ago. Haven't gotten many replies yet.

We met at 9am sharp last year & it worked out well.

Robe gnomes .. yeah. Anyone notice the gnome at Garbage? Who's responsible???
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  Quote toddg Replybullet Posted: 14 May 2009 at 10:18am
The race will be on SUNDAY. Flows will likely be perfect & the weather is forecast to be amazing ... sunny & 70's. So even if you're not racing or volunteering, please feel free to come out & hike in on the Old Robe trail where you can watch some of the best action. Bring a friend.

Meet at 9 a.m. at the Granite Falls parking lot (take out) so we can have a brief competitors meeting & volunteer coordination meeting. After the race, we'll go to the park on the Stillaguamish that is better known as the take out for Canyon Creek. In Granite Falls, go North on Jordan Rd. (at the light with the Subway store), then it's your 1st Right after crossing the river. We'll drink some beer & do the awards thing.

For volunteers/spectators, here's a link to a map that shows the trail systems around the canyon: http://www.robecanyon.org/Images/robe_canyon_map_line_drawing.jpg
Best spectatin' happens from a short hike into the canyon on the Old Robe Trail, where you can watch the start of the race as well as the first half-mile of whitewater. Finish line timekeepers will need to hike in on the Lime Kiln Trail, which takes about an hour if you're moving quickly.

Not many people have confirmed to volunteer, so I haven't been able to delegate duties or make a list of who's doing what. So if you're into helping or if you can bring some people who want to help, then let me know. Otherwise, as Rumsfeld sez, we'll go to war with the army we got ... & we'll know what that looks like on Sunday morning.

thanks,
todd
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  Quote jP Replybullet Posted: 14 May 2009 at 7:04pm
Rummie was one of my early paddling mentors. Until he took up waterboarding. Then i didn't think he was cool anymore.
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  Quote James Replybullet Posted: 14 May 2009 at 7:39pm
Waterboarding? Is that the sport that jimmy buffet does with a surfboard and a paddle?



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  Quote zenofww Replybullet Posted: 15 May 2009 at 9:57am
Looking forward to Sunday! It looks like flows and weather will be perfect! Planning on bringing a stove and foods and do a bit of cooking at the canyon creek take-out. Oh and definately drinking beer.

I just got a glimpse of the new robes...SWEET! looking forward to taking one home.

I hope to see a bunch of peeps out there.
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  Quote Liz Replybullet Posted: 15 May 2009 at 11:02am
[QUOTE=James]Waterboarding?
 
Paddleboarding.  The boards are usually a bit longer than surfboard, and companies make special long paddles for them now too. 
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  Quote jP Replybullet Posted: 15 May 2009 at 12:11pm
What?! Jimmy Buffet has been torturing people with Donald Rumsfeld? That does it. I'll never be able to listen to "Margaritaville" again. I shudder to think about what he has in mind with his "Lost shaker of salt"!
 
But seriously, some stout flows persist on the 'ol Robe! gonna be some action out there this weekend!
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  Quote Fish Replybullet Posted: 15 May 2009 at 12:26pm
I'm hoping local paddlers will volunteer  for safety and other duties, given the great flows.  Either way the race will go down,  gnomes will be fiesty,  shit will be talked, and good beer will get drank!  . 
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  Quote justin Replybullet Posted: 15 May 2009 at 3:47pm
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  Quote PowWrangler Replybullet Posted: 15 May 2009 at 6:22pm
Wish I could run boat safety again this year but seeing as how the kiddo has sapped my paddling time, I'd be a liability to others going in there above 5.5.  Or maybe there'd be a safety crew for some of the safety crew? 

Should be sweet though, heard some of y'all are doing three laps a day in preparation. 

Saw Rob today, he's rockin old school ankle high climbing shoes for the portage.  Nice.





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  Quote The OAC Replybullet Posted: 16 May 2009 at 12:27am
I'm not going to race this year, but I'm thinking of pulling safety and/or doing the run.  Anybody into a more casual run following the racers?
 
Jeff
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  Quote jP Replybullet Posted: 16 May 2009 at 8:50am
Flows are looking high. Forecast indicates flows greater than 6' all weekend.
It may be an interesting weekend!
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  Quote dave Replybullet Posted: 16 May 2009 at 11:16am
Why did everyone go to the Wenanchee when the Robe race is tomorrow??
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  Quote toddg Replybullet Posted: 16 May 2009 at 11:48am
As of Saturday at 11am, we have 6 ft .. & with the sun & very warm temps today looms the threat of higher water tomorrow .. Is that a certainty? Not exactly, so we'll just have to watch flows throughout the day/night .. & make the call early in the a.m.

I am considering calling 6 ft the "cutoff" (but if it's 6.1, we go .. since the tangible difference between 5.9 & 6.1 is truly indistinguishable). But that tactic will only work if we have a critical mass of teams excited to race. For the purposes of the race, 6 committed teams will be the critical mass. So if 6 teams are willing to race at 6 ft, then the race is on. Racing with fewer than that, while a neat demonstration of who's the tuffest/ballsiest, is contradictory to the whole point of this non-event. If it turns out we don't reach critical mass, then I'd rather wait for lower flows & get full participation & have an awesome party with lots of people involved.

So, with that in mind, I really need to get commitment levels from from race teams. What I need to know:

1. Do you have a water level in mind above which you will not race? (What level?)
2. Is it critical to you to have on-water safety / safety kayakers in order to race?
3. Are you willing to postpone the race to a future weekend &/or play the waiting game?

As a racer, my own answers to this are:

1. 6.1 feet
2. No, it's not critical because the point of a team race on Robe is to feel secure in my own skills to run the river safely & to perform rescue/safety duties for my partner .. & vice versa.
3. Definitely

If you could get back to me with your thoughts on all this stuff by this evening that would be really helpful. It's super difficult to plan an event & pull together all the moving parts when the majority of the participants are silently noncommittal. So please let me know your thoughts on this asap.

thx,
t
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