World Cup, event 1
I was sure this year's World Cup, the first ever, was set to be a big event. 3 competitions on 3 different features in Canada/US meant that international paddlers didn't have to travel for just one single competition. 120 paddlers from 20 countries showed up for the first event on Garberator on the Ottawa river. A good number, but not as many as I had expected, and far less than previous 'pre-world Championship' events. The Canadians and Americans had their big event the week before with their team trials, and only a handful of those paddlers entered the World Cup Event. Perhaps this was to do with the entry fee, or perhaps because 'Rock Island', the 3rd event, is so far away from the other 2 events.
Finally though we had a World Class event on a World Class wave where paddlers could show off the latest moves and not be stuck in the old-style spin (or cartwheel)-to-win. The competitors didn't dissapoint. Every move possible on a wave was seen in the competition so it was a great spectator event. But some of the competitors made it a little too nerve-wracking to watch as many choked and flushed, or didn't go as big as they were doing in practice. Anthony Yapp, was a good example of this; he was pulling the fastest pistol flips and biggest airscrews in practice and got the highest score from one ride in prelims, unfortunately it didn't happen for him in semis and he didn't make top 5. There were others that we expected to be in top 5 but it was a tough cut from 15 to 5 and some had similar rides to Anthony's in semis, not earning them enough points to get them through: EJ, Pat Camblin, Clay Wright. Peter Csonka had the biggest air screw of the competition which helped in his 120+ point ride to win him semis.
The format of finals was 3 rides best ride counts - so much better than knockout finals, especially on a wave where it is easy to flush. So with 2 rides to throw away the guys went off. Stephen Wright stuck nearly every move possible in one of his rides and this gave him the win. Bryan Kirk and Moe Kelleher both put in some big moves to get 2nd and 3rd place respectively.
I wasn't expecting to make top 5, and as there were less than 20 competitors in the Ladies event, we cut straight to 5 for the final. Most of the girls were going big in practice sessions, and I couldn't get my back stabs or right-hand blunts to go consistently (or to go at all). So in prelims I just stuck to what I knew I could do: go left! This was enough to put me in 3rd place, and I was happy to be able to paddle again the next day. I liked the format for finals, and thankfully it wasn't knockout as I flushed straight away on my first ride! But, the girls were obviously nervous, Tanya Shuman and Ruth Gordon didn't get the rides they had been hoping for -both had been getting big air blunts and back blunts in practice. Once again (after my poor attempt at a first ride) I stuck to what I could do and went left, scoring a pan am and blunts. I think I may have even got a righty in their somewhere! This put me in 2nd place (and won me $300) just a few points ahead of Emily Jackson who took 3rd. Tanya Faux was super fast with her blunts and had some awesome rides with big aerial pan ams and donkey flips. Not surprisingly she took a well-deserved 1st place.
There were a few Brits competing, many of them have been in Canada since July. Flic paddled well in the Junior ladies taking 2nd place behind Nouria from France who got some huge blunts.
Ben White took first in the squirt event, which took place in the middle of the river somewhere upstream before the opening ceremony had even taken place!
Unfortunately the Brits didn't do so well in the Men's event, and none of them paddled as well as they had been in practice sessions so they didn't make the cut to top 15.
So, we are now on the black river in Watertown New York State. Unfortunately the wave here is to Garb what the 'wave box' is to Hurley. Micro-roundhouses will be the move for me. Other paddlers are getting blunts and flip-turns. Corey (dagger paddler) has been getting pistol flips, but I think has been the only one brave enough to try - getting it wrong means head connects with large rock just underneath the wave!
I'll try to keep the updates coming.
Flea.
Finally though we had a World Class event on a World Class wave where paddlers could show off the latest moves and not be stuck in the old-style spin (or cartwheel)-to-win. The competitors didn't dissapoint. Every move possible on a wave was seen in the competition so it was a great spectator event. But some of the competitors made it a little too nerve-wracking to watch as many choked and flushed, or didn't go as big as they were doing in practice. Anthony Yapp, was a good example of this; he was pulling the fastest pistol flips and biggest airscrews in practice and got the highest score from one ride in prelims, unfortunately it didn't happen for him in semis and he didn't make top 5. There were others that we expected to be in top 5 but it was a tough cut from 15 to 5 and some had similar rides to Anthony's in semis, not earning them enough points to get them through: EJ, Pat Camblin, Clay Wright. Peter Csonka had the biggest air screw of the competition which helped in his 120+ point ride to win him semis.
The format of finals was 3 rides best ride counts - so much better than knockout finals, especially on a wave where it is easy to flush. So with 2 rides to throw away the guys went off. Stephen Wright stuck nearly every move possible in one of his rides and this gave him the win. Bryan Kirk and Moe Kelleher both put in some big moves to get 2nd and 3rd place respectively.
I wasn't expecting to make top 5, and as there were less than 20 competitors in the Ladies event, we cut straight to 5 for the final. Most of the girls were going big in practice sessions, and I couldn't get my back stabs or right-hand blunts to go consistently (or to go at all). So in prelims I just stuck to what I knew I could do: go left! This was enough to put me in 3rd place, and I was happy to be able to paddle again the next day. I liked the format for finals, and thankfully it wasn't knockout as I flushed straight away on my first ride! But, the girls were obviously nervous, Tanya Shuman and Ruth Gordon didn't get the rides they had been hoping for -both had been getting big air blunts and back blunts in practice. Once again (after my poor attempt at a first ride) I stuck to what I could do and went left, scoring a pan am and blunts. I think I may have even got a righty in their somewhere! This put me in 2nd place (and won me $300) just a few points ahead of Emily Jackson who took 3rd. Tanya Faux was super fast with her blunts and had some awesome rides with big aerial pan ams and donkey flips. Not surprisingly she took a well-deserved 1st place.
There were a few Brits competing, many of them have been in Canada since July. Flic paddled well in the Junior ladies taking 2nd place behind Nouria from France who got some huge blunts.
Ben White took first in the squirt event, which took place in the middle of the river somewhere upstream before the opening ceremony had even taken place!
Unfortunately the Brits didn't do so well in the Men's event, and none of them paddled as well as they had been in practice sessions so they didn't make the cut to top 15.
So, we are now on the black river in Watertown New York State. Unfortunately the wave here is to Garb what the 'wave box' is to Hurley. Micro-roundhouses will be the move for me. Other paddlers are getting blunts and flip-turns. Corey (dagger paddler) has been getting pistol flips, but I think has been the only one brave enough to try - getting it wrong means head connects with large rock just underneath the wave!
I'll try to keep the updates coming.
Flea.
posted by flea at 5:10 PM 
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