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jP
Rio Banditos
Diddle Fuerte Diablo !
Joined: 15 Oct 2005
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 Topic: Cedar River Slalom Race Tomorrow... Posted: 13 Mar 2010 at 8:56pm |
Gonna go to the Cedar River Slalom Race tomorrow (Sunday). Got a slalom boat I should be
able to borrow for my race runs.Slalom is cool. More of you should
check it out. It'll make better boaters of you: More precise and accurate,
with better timing and more fluid lines when you paddle challenging
water. A little slalom on class III- opens up endless possibilities for
running class V as if it is only class IV.
But just as you want a playboat for surfing on the Wenatchee, you
really need a slalom boat for running gates. They were designed for
each other. Used slalom boats aren't hard to find and can be quite
cheap. Slalom boats are fun to rip around in on runs like the Sky, BTW. You don't need gates to shred up the river. And they are fun in powerful, pushy water, too.
Anyway, that's what I'm
doing tomorrow. Someone should come out and join me and Throwyamittsup. it's a great local option for boaters who only want to duck out of town for half a day. Registration is between 9 and 10 am by the bridge, I think. If you show up and are friendly, we can probably find a slalom boat you can try out.
Call me if you think you are interested. 206-755-2336 jP
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Jed Hawkes
Rio Banditos
Joined: 24 Aug 2008
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 Posted: 13 Mar 2010 at 10:45pm |
Wish I had known ahead of time about the race. I would have busted out the C-1.
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The line will become apparent
978-273-7723
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dragorossinw
WW Industry
Joined: 31 Aug 2007
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 Posted: 15 Mar 2010 at 10:44am |
Saturday was super fun, record turnout for the downriver sprint and pretty darn good weather too. The next race in the Slalom Series is in Bend OR March 27-28, check out The League's Website for details. Hope to see you out there there!
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Tony Z
dragorossinorthwest@yahoo.com
www.nookiekayaking.us
www.dragorossi.com
www.donkeyfIip.com
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James
Admin
Sum Dum Guy
Joined: 31 Dec 2004
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 Posted: 15 Mar 2010 at 10:55am |
Hot dang tony, your going out to Bend? That trailer is doing some serious miles this year aeh!
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dragorossinw
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 Posted: 16 Mar 2010 at 12:29am |
Originally posted by James
Hot dang tony, your going out to Bend? That trailer is doing some serious miles this year aeh!
Not even close to the miles I spent in the drivers seat last year to CO, UT (x2), ID (x3), MT, WY, OR++, WA+++++. But yah, I am planning to hit as many local events as I can, its all good fun.
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Tony Z
dragorossinorthwest@yahoo.com
www.nookiekayaking.us
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jP
Rio Banditos
Diddle Fuerte Diablo !
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 Posted: 16 Mar 2010 at 1:08pm |
right on- If you go to the Salmon La Sac race, let me know- I'm planning on attending that one (June 5 & 6), flows depending. It woul;d be cool to check out that Dragorossi plastic slalom boat-it's the first Slalom boat I've ever seen in plastic that actually looks like a real slalom boat.
but yeah-I didn't find out about it till the last minute- if not for Mr. Pernick, I would have missed it!
Thanks Brian for going out there with me. We both borrowed an old Slalom boat and raced in it (not at the same time  ).
Man, it was humbling. I thought I had at least one good run (the one with no touches), but it turned out somehow that my second run was actually faster, even though I hit three gates (three 2 second penaltiies= 6 seconds added to my time). I was way more tired out on the second run.
Pretty much all of the WKC racers in glass boats soundly kicked my ass!! I know it isn't the U.S. team trials or anything, but all of those guys (and girls) look good out there on the coarse. They were fun to watch.
I just raced against myself. I'm going to try to at least make a showing at one or two races each year, because it complements my boating skills. One of the next kayaks on the list to get is a modern slalom design so I can get used to it enough to race somewhat competitively in these local races. Its fun.
Maybe we need a couple of used slalom boats lying around to entice PP folks to come out and check it out---
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dragorossinw
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 Posted: 16 Mar 2010 at 2:23pm |
Originally posted by jP
right on- If you go to the Salmon La Sac race, let me know- I'm planning on attending that one (June 5 & 6), flows depending. It woul;d be cool to check out that Dragorossi plastic slalom boat-it's the first Slalom boat I've ever seen in plastic that actually looks like a real slalom boat.
JP, I should have the Slalom Boat with me during all my travels, so I am sure I will meet up with you at an event. I had a lot of interest for the SL350 at the Cedar Race, its perfect for intro and training.
I may be able to help with your gas costs to the Salmon-LaSac race, I have some Canadians who ordered SL350's and I will need to get them up to that race. I'm pretty sure I am out of town the week of that race.
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Tony Z
dragorossinorthwest@yahoo.com
www.nookiekayaking.us
www.dragorossi.com
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jP
Rio Banditos
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 Posted: 16 Mar 2010 at 4:40pm |
Cool, Tony. Keep that option in mind, and we can probably work something out...
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dragorossinw
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 Posted: 17 Mar 2010 at 12:40am |
There are Plastic DragoRossi SL250's around; I have one here near Portland, Matt Kurle has one up your way near Seattle, and Steve Bailey has another out in Spokane. Give any of us a hollar any time anyone wants to check them out.
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Tony Z
dragorossinorthwest@yahoo.com
www.nookiekayaking.us
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dragorossinw
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 Posted: 17 Mar 2010 at 12:41am |
Originally posted by dragorossinw
There are Plastic DragoRossi SL250's around; I have one here near Portland, Matt Kurle has one up your way near Seattle, and Steve Bailey has another out in Spokane. Give any of us a hollar any time anyone wants to check them out.
Typo....SL350's not 250's
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Tony Z
dragorossinorthwest@yahoo.com
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LisaF
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 Posted: 18 Mar 2010 at 5:02pm |
JP, don't be too discouraged if you didn't place well (I haven't seen the results, so I'm just going off your last post). At a certain point, it's not about boating skills, but more about slalom skills, especially on a low-water course like the Cedar. I saw your post last weekend about how running gates improves your boating skills, and I have to agree; however, some courses are more similar to "actual" boating, and some are more about how many seconds you can eke out.
I highly recommend the Salmon la Sac race. There are other rivers to run in the vicinity, so a weekend out there doesn't have to be all about the slalom. And, it's SUPER fun (especially with high water, like last year). Plus, there's always a plastic boat class, so a slalom boat is not imperative (heck, I won the Wausau slalom last summer - rec boat class - in a Jackson Star! About the furthest you can possibly get from a slalom boat!)
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jP
Rio Banditos
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 Posted: 19 Mar 2010 at 3:11pm |
Oh, I'm not discouraged - just honest with myself. The boat I used doesn't really turn all that well (slalom boat though it is). One of these days I'll have a modern slalom boat and I'll get to know it. I'd participate in more events if I had one. Definitely planning on Salmon La Sac- water levels pending: prolly try to borrow Bob's boat again for the race. Also bringing a Creekboat, a River Runner (my pseudo "longboat", the Diablo), and a squirt boat. So most likely no matter what water levels are doing, I should have all the bases covered for a good weekend up in that drainage-- Cooper, Cle Elum, Hell, I'd even consider HIKING up to do the Waptus depending on who might be interested or flows. Just because it's class III doesn't mean it isn't worth hiking in for once to check it out -just my opinion.
Originally posted by IndexRivergirl
... there's always a plastic boat class, so a slalom boat is not imperative (heck, I won the Wausau slalom last summer - rec boat class - in a Jackson Star! About the furthest you can possibly get from a slalom boat!) Yeah, you're right I guess. Personally though, slalom boats and slalom gates go together like peanut butter and jelly. And while I wouldn't discourage folks from bringing plastic, it seems to me that one should at least try to bring a relatively fast boat. It is a race, afterall, even if you are only racing yourself. Racing a tiny playboat to me seems utterly silly. Kinda like showing up at Rodeo Hole for a freestyle comp in a Sea Kayak. Opposite ends of the design spectrum entirely.
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BRoss
McNasty
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 Posted: 19 Mar 2010 at 3:41pm |
this is off topic, but I'd like to run the waptus too, regardless of how easy it may be. I hiked up the waptus to dutch miller gap last summer and the red rocks in the waptus are just awesome. super nice scenery, and such a different feel than the cooper so nearby.
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"That boated a lot better than it looked." "It always does until it doesn't."
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jP
Rio Banditos
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 Posted: 19 Mar 2010 at 4:02pm |
cool, Ben! let's keep each other in mind then as the Cle Elum drainage starts to go off this year- we'll have to be vigilant. Snowpack is hurt'n in them there parts!
I rigged my third and best version of a yak-pak system for the Elwha; it worked great and I wouldn't hesitate to run up that trail to do the Waptus with it-- it's prolly not a "return trip", but certainly a worthy "check it off the list trip"- no doubt the riverbed geaology is unique and beautiful, based on what I've read...
If I run the Waptus I'll be one run closer to my (theoretical) "Run Everything in the Bennett Book" goal.
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