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Dragon Boat Canada


IDBF


Canoe Kayak Canada

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[tiger]

Now that it is over, except for the headache  

What are you thoughts about this year?  What worked for you, what didn't?

My thoughts:

a.  Pretty much on time both days which is different.
b.  Guts and Glory took a long time to get going,  I was ready to go home and then they re-reraced it.
c.  Marshalling ran pretty good, except on Saturday when they called us 2 hours before our race.
d.  Semis were all close.  None were wipe outs like last year.  Finals were pretty awesome, some pretty close races.  
e.  Weather was great for racing not too hot and not too cold (of course my team was not out there in the downpour).

There were not so good things but I have to collect my thoughts about those.

Hopefully the festival reads what we say here  

My Grade for the racing side:  ?  Stay tuned

[funger]

I thought from a organztional stand point it was probably the best one for a few years.  All the races were pretty much on time, the starter for all our races did a good job lining up all the boats and the marshalling area was really well done... I think the longest time we had to spend in that area from the time we were called to the time we actaully got in the boats was like 20 min at the most... in previous years i remember waiting in pre-marshalling for like 40 - 50 min.

The only thing that was a really concern to me and it was more from a safety standpoint was the guts and glory race.  The teams involved in that crash on the home stretch will probably tell how bad it was because i've talked to a few people from shore and they couldn't see what was happening. For example:

1) we got T-boned twice at a pretty good speed from 2 different boats
2) Our boat cracked and actually started to take on water
3) One of the boats just in front of us hit another boat and lost their drummer in the water.
4) there was one 1 6-16 with 2 other 6-16's wedged on top of the front of the boat right around where the drummer is
5) A team right next to us got t-boned and came really really close to flipping.

I think overall it was very well done.  No real complaints, i just think they need to figure out how to redo the guts and glory race just to make it a bit safer for the teams involved.

[Angus]

For once, I honestly can't think of any problems that are worth complaining about, especially on the racing side. The weather was comfy for racing in and even the downpour was entertaining. A bunch of the tents in the racers village got flooded... which was interesting, and I was pleasantly surprised to see Vera's Burger Shack on site!  
A pat on the back to everyone who worked so hard to bring us this year's festival.

[DBWTim]

All in all, I woud say that it was one of the better run Alcan Festivals. Races were on time. We had a bit of everything in terms of weather. Was it one of those festivals? Well.. let's see...

... Roli II beats Roli I... again
Nope.. didn't happen. Congrats to Roli I for their second place in Comp B, earning them another medal.

... Alpha drops their rate to 64 strokes per minute
Nope.. didn't happen. Think the lowest they got was about 86 SPM. Congrats on their Bronze in Comp B.

... Team United finally beats a bunch of kids
Nope.. didn't happen. I believe they were beat by the kids from Kryptic Storm this time.

... A certain paddler is wearing new shorts instead of those inappropriate shorts (ie crotchless ones) for the 15th year in a row
Nope.. didn't happen. At least not that I was aware of.
*edit* I stand corrected

Oh you can edit your original post to say the shorts are now history,
they tried to burn them yet they would not burn, it took half of the
FCRCC Mixed team to tear them apart.  There was definitely a special
bound there between paddler and shorts

... VO2Max makes it into the Comp A final
Nope.. didn't happen. Congrats to them on earning the Bronze in the Rec A division.

... Team Storm gets into a final and actually doesn’t come last
Happened. They made it to the Comp B Finals and ended up 4th. Of course, the difference between 4th and 8th was about 0.67 of a second. Couldn't be the boats since they were in Gemini's and we all know those are all equal... relatively (maybe not anymore after the G&G).

... nobody breaks a carbon fibre paddle
Didn't hear about any breaking. I'm guessing all of them were broken at the Regatta and the replacements didn't get delivered in time. Paddlers decided to try their hands on breaking more expensive items... like Gemini's.

... Pacific Reach finally gets a medal at Alcan
Happened. Congrats to Pac Reach for placing 3rd, edging out SUCCESS by half a second.

... Subaru Legacy finishes a race in their proper lane.
Happened.

... FCRCC Mixed wins the Rec E division
Nope.. didn't happen. Congrats to FCRCC on winning Comp A... and the Mens... and the Womens... and the G&G (even though I think they were involved in that Port Man Bridge re-creation down the home stretch)

... Swordfish hits a dog
Nope.. didn't happen. The SPCA got wind of Subaru's plan on airlifting all the strays in the Lower Mainland and dropping them in the races.

... during one of their waterfights, Synergy swamps a Gemini and puts it to the bottom of the Creek.
Nope.. didn't happen. But apparently during the G&G, one of the Gemini's did get damaged enough to start taking in water.

... the winner of the Guts & Glory has a reflective vest
Nope.. didn't happen. But it would have been nice to have some of the steerspeople go through a Breath-alyzer before going out on the water.

... Greg Lamb is relaxed and mellow
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA...

[tiger]

I think slabby appeared a couple of times on Saturday and Sunday but they had their races mixed up (never in a Subaru race).  I am pretty sure Slabby was parachuted in and went after VO2Max.  The only difference was VO2 finished in their lane and did not come last  

I think slabby also showed up against Roli II on Saturday, hmmmm, is this a mere concidence Lethal?  Me thinks not  

Overall steering was better than at the regatta, I guess that is why they do the regatta (and the vests I think worked well, slabby stayed away from those boats   ).

[DuckMan]

And Congrats to the Drunk Dragons Blue team who placed in Comp C this year.. With a bronze medal no less..




--------------------
Whip me, Beat me, Make me feel cheap.. Drunk'n Dragons
Reach Reach Reach..

[Colossus]

... Team United finally beats a bunch of kids
Nope.. didn't happen. I believe they were beat by the kids from Kryptic Storm this time.

kids?   only at heart!  although i guess if you compare their arms to ours......   hahaha

[Sun]

2 questions:

what is the guts and glory race? sounds like dragonboat derby...

what is the difference between comp and rec? is that like corporate and community teams?

[Colossus]

2 questions:

what is the guts and glory race? sounds like dragonboat derby...

what is the difference between comp and rec? is that like corporate and community teams?

guts and glory is a 2000m race on a 500m "track".  start on one side of a rectangle (three buoys on each side of the 500m), run counter clockwise there, back, there, and back to finish in the fastest time possible.  18 boats at 10 second start intervals this year.  you have to turn around the 3 buoys as fast as possible (maybe 25-50m from one end to the next??).  VERY cool to watch!


rec is recreational, for those that are there for the fun of paddling, not too into it.  sort of a once or twice a week type deal.
comp is WAY more competative (where "comp" comes from), turning out much faster times and practicing multiple times/wk.

[pachanko]

... nobody breaks a carbon fibre paddle

I heard about one breaking, but I didnt see it so I dunno for sure.

[paddleboy]

I think I'm tired & hung over  



 Highlights noted :

 
 - Getting swamped by the VIP boat as we were heading to the A final and watching another team almost go over in the same wave .

  - Being frisked at the padder party by the SPP (Subaru paddle police) .They said something about  lookin for a paddle  

 - Paddleboy and Guido finally shake hands  

 - Paddleboy and old team come face to face    

 - seeing old team make it to the rec A division to show paddleboy how much I p***ed them off    ( good job team)

 - a brown lab coming over to me and asking which way to the Subaru tent . He was a little late so I directed him to the guts and glory race ,which was already under way, just as FCRCC was coming down the back straight

 - The young lady riding the bull topless at the Roli party  

 - and last ..............making the Comp A & mens podium

 

  On the downside :

 - No "Oh My"  girls anywhere to be found

[Photog]

StraightLine and i were talking yesterday on the rocks. they need to put up bleachers for the spectators, like at Indy.
fighting for a spot on the rocks and trying to get a clear view (clear shot in some cases like mine) through the squatting boats is re-darn-diculous.

[VanCity Thunder]

get those boats out of the way....boats were blocking my view when I was by the rocks.

[grifter]

StraightLine and i were talking yesterday on the rocks. they need to put up bleachers for the spectators, like at Indy.

Completely agree...the racing is supposed to be the highlight of the festival, not some sideshow...It should be treated as such.  They should also have a big schedule and more PA's around so people coming to watch their loved ones slop around in sewage would know when they are supposed to be doing it.  I must've had four people in 2 minutes Saturday morning ask me what heat it was, and when a certain team was racing, and I had no clue where to find a posted schedule.  Not very conducive to attracting more spectators.  Also a shame this festival gets only a two paragraph blurb in the paper the next day.

I am pretty sure Slabby was parachuted in and went after VO2Max. The only difference was VO2 finished in their lane and did not come last

Nope, no dog in the water, but our steersman almost was....and a great recovery it was!

I thought that the festival was the best run in the past 3 years (my paddling tenure).  Racing was actually seeded well on Sunday and yielded really competitive heats as a result.  Very exciting stuff.  I wish the distance between racers' tents and the docks were closer though.  Weather was "fun" too.  Nothing like drowning one day, and sunburning the next.  Congrats to all teams...can't wait til Victoria.

[paddleho]

Alcan keeps getting better. It's a bit of a surreal event because it often feels like paddling takes a back seat to the event itself ... and yet the organizers make it fun for us, the paddlers. Competition is fierce and fair and exciting at all levels. Well done everyone involved.

I hate to be a buzz-killer... but what do you get when you take thousands of pounds of momentum, add a generous injection of adrenaline, combine with a weekend's worth of collective exhaustion, and add bravado to taste? For the past 3 years the Guts & Glory has been a major highlight - participants have a great time and it must be a blast to watch. But it's crazy. Not the good kind of crazy. It's structured for excitement - the strongest paddlers bearing down on those in the least stable boats and everyone's paddling for a $600 prize. The start intervals are too short and it's just a big wild risk to life and limb.

I came off the water smiling, but let's face it, the close calls keep getting closer. We're only laughing and shaking our heads today because there were no serious injuries. Safety was compromised, expensive equipment DEFINITELY was, and as a paddling community we have to take a hard look at this event. Instead of heightening the excitement level every year as we have been, how about backing it down a notch so it can still be fun without so much risk.

Very curious to read others' thoughts on this ...