The Carnage Report / Green training up to now
Forum: BoaterTalk
Date: Nov 04 2009, 15:37 GMT
From: ClayW
Man, getting to the Green and getting a couple runs in feels great! The parking lot talk tells another story, though: the high price of so many people charging 250 feet in a half-mile is breaking boats, paddles, and body parts. Here are some of the stories I heard today:
BD - ripped a second huge hole in a Green Boat and re-injured a shoulder here recently. I watched the broken boat get snatched up for repairs be a newly arrived racer.
MF - downstream flip in Scream Machine results in severely broken wrist
GC - popped his shoulder out at the notch and dropped the monkey upside down..stick shift arm so he'll be staying for the race.
CG - Center approach Go Left gone wrong causes swim from hole down through the next rapid - boat still not recovered, lots of guessing on where it could be and most guessing still in Go Left. Some say making the hole worse?
WL - dusk practice goes wrong when bow of old boat rips off and hike out goes after dark.
?? - Passed a Green Boat being roped out from 'Piton Practice' at dusk and heard there are 2 boats in Nutcracker right now, plus saw 2 more on the bank along the river last night, but don't know the story.
In other news - ferocious event organizer/ 2x winner Jason Hale is en-route from San Fran, 6x winner Tommy Tsunami gets in tomorrow from CO, 3x women's winner Shannon Carrol came in from CA and just borrowed a long boat, Arnd Sheflein is in from Germany, 08 dual medalist Eric Deguile comes in from France soon, and Team Pyranha, Wave Sport, Dagger, NOC, Liquid Logic, and my Jackson Kayak rig are making laps on I-26 covered in plastic all day.
Kinda gruesome to mention the injuries, I know, but just in case anyone thinks racing the Green is really safe with so many people around, and that they should just come out and give-er without knowing the lines - its not and you shouldn't.
That said - I do hope everyone that CAN race the Green will! The entry fee is right, and the thrill of just 'being a part' of this amazing procession of kayaks down these world class rapids is a feeling you won't soon forget. If you may have to catch an eddy or 2, fine. If you might decide NOT to spank the monkey if you aren't feeling it... so be it. And if you just want to hike in and see the best paddlers in the US a bit out of control as they drop the most impressive dam-release rapid around, you won't be disappointed.
Safe lines, and see you on the river!
clay
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