Paddler News Feed

 

•	Hotline
•	Destinations
•	Gear
•	Skills
•	Book and video Reviews

< March April 2002
	Hotline
No Skirts, Please ACA Whitewater Open Canoe Nationals Roundup: Slalom Heads to Minnesota; Downriver/Sprint to Youghiogheny

Slalom Nationals

Minnesota, home to 10,000 lakes and 100,000 canoes, was an apt place to host August’s ACA Open Canoe Slalom National Championships. Held on the St. Louis River and hosted by the University of Minnesota Duluth Outdoor Program, nearly 100 paddlers—including those from Canada, Japan and Austria—participated. "It definitely attracted a diverse group of paddlers this year," says Race Director Randy Carlson. "It served all ages and abilities—and everyone wore a smile."

A 22-gate slalom course set below Thompson Dam challenged the field in a variety of classes. In all, 380 race runs were made on the course over the two-day event. John Kazimierczyk continued his domination of the race boat classes, winning the OC1 Premier Medium and Short classes; OC2 Premier (with Dana Henry); and OC2 cadet/senior (with Casey Eichfeld). He also placed second in the OC2 Mixed (with Gail Sheilds).

Thirty-three competitors vied for the championship title in Recreational OC1 Premier, with Dana Henry taking top honors. In Recreational OC1 Master, Harold Deal bested Alan Whittern by 0.14 seconds to take first place. In the OC1 women’s rec class, Carolyn Peterson won with a time that would have earned her the podium in the men’s OC1 Premier class.

The combined event included a four-mile downriver race on a Class II pool/drop section above the dam, as well as a slalom race. Winners in the Rec class included Dana Henry (OC1 Premier), Julie Keller (OC1 Women), Dewey Ewers and Andrew Westwood (OC2 Premier), and Laurie Zen Netzow and Scott Berry (OC2 Mixed). Winners in the Race boat classes included Harold Heal (OC1 Premier), and Gordon Black and Peter Kennedy (OC2 Premier).

At the award ceremony, the Outdoor Program’s Drew Keto summed up the event’s spirit of camaraderie: "I never knew open boaters were so much fun till I spent five days with them."

—Mike Yee Outfitting will host the North American Open Canoe Slalom Championships on the Gull River in Minden, Ontario, July 19-21, 2002. Info: (703) 451-0141.

—Julie Keller

Downriver/Sprint Nationals

The 2001 Downriver and Sprint National Championships were held on the Youghiogheny River in Ohiopyle, Pa., from July 30 through Aug. 2. Champions for both solo and tandem classes were determined during four days of racing through 12 named Class III-IV rapids in the sprint event, and many more in the 8-mile downriver course. "It provided a perfect combination of difficulty, safety and fun," says event organizer Ed Sharp. "What impressed me was the ease of identifying the competitors from the throngs launching kayaks and inflatables. Locals were telling folks that the paddlers with the ‘big’ boats were here for the National Championships."

The sprint races were held on the famous "Loop" section of the Yough, with the downriver races held on eight miles of Class II-IV whitewater on the Loop and farther downstream. Hosted by the Mid-Atlantic Paddlers Association and Riversports School of Paddling, the event attracted 164 entrants competing in OC1 and OC2 divisions. In the downriver events, the fastest times in the F-16 class were posted by Charlie Brackett (OC1) at 55:10, and Garen Stephens and Dana Henry (OC2) at 52:43. The fastest times in F-14 were by John Kazimierczyk (OC1) at 51:12 and by Dana Henry and John Kazimierczyk (OC2) at 48:57. "It was a great event," adds Sharp. "The river hadn’t seen that many canoes in a long time."

—Kirk Havens