Entries by aivasyuk

I'm not particularly competitive with regards to my kayaking. Sure, I like to show off the few moves I do have, but I never really considered what it would be like to actually compete in an event against other kayakers. So yesterday I decided to enter my very first Maryland Chute-Out, which is held on the Potomac the last Thursday of every month during paddling season.

The afternoon started off well enough, I showed up at Angler's around 4:30 and registered, then went over to the Maryland Chute to check out the level. It had been dropping all day and looked like it was around 3.3 when I got there, which isn't a bad level. I was getting some nice rides in, with spins, blunts, cartwheels, and backstabs. It was a good warmup.

The only problem is that by the time the competition actually started around 6:30 the level had dropped even further and it was actually getting difficult (at least for me) to do many moves and stay in the hole. So the competition was 2 30-second rides. My paddling is usually very relaxed, very "zen", and I like take the time to set up moves and do them smoothly. There is a lot of internal focus on getting the moves right, since I'm still just learning most of them anyway. However, given the low water level and the time pressure of the competition, I actually found it hard to concentrate on giving my best moves, so I did what I could. I got a couple spins, blunts, and backstabs, but found it difficult to set up for any cartwheels. I also didn't get that much variety in; that 30 seconds just goes by so fast.

I wound up placing 3rd out of 6 competitors in my class, missing 2nd place by one point. If only I had one more spin, that would have clinched second place. First place went to Jim Hubshman of PotomacPaddlers.com, and it was well-deserved especially since he managed to do it with hand paddles. I think he got some extra style points for that.

So then I got the chance to sit on the rocks and help with judging the "A" class, which consisted mostly of the pro paddlers. This is when I actually got to learn about how the scoring system works. It makes sense that when you know how the scoring works you can adjust the moves you do to increase your score. There were a couple of pros who were doing endless spins, because each 180 counts as a point. If I knew that when I started, perhaps I could have concentrated on getting a bunch of easy moves in before going for the harder stuff where I might flush out.
Now I know. We'll see what happens next month.

Next weekend is the annual Potomac Whitewater Festival. There are many events, including paddling clinics for everyone from first-timers to advanced paddlers, the annual Great Falls race, rodeo competitions, and parties. More info here:

http://www.potomacfest.com/

Direct registration link

http://www.active.com/event_detail.cfm?event_id=1228725

I'm definitely not ready for Great Falls, but I would certainly consider going to one of the advanced clinics to see what I can learn.  Maybe I will even be able to talk Barbara into coming along...

One of the reaons I hate going into DC for the July 4th fireworks is the crowds. We've done fireworks on the mall a couple of times, and getting in and out is usually a nightmare.

This is why it's nice to have options. We haven't paddled DC on July 4th in a few years, so we decided that this year would be a good time to give it another shot. Barbara and I went into DC early in the day with our kayaks and parked at Jack's Boathouse. After we met up with everyone else we went paddling upriver and had a picnic, then back down to see the fireworks. It was great!

Of course I stopped to take a few pictures, which are here.

We decided that getting there early and hanging out all day is definitely the way to go.  The traffic later in the day is just horrific, and the metro is really crowded as well.  Doing it the way we did, we had no trouble finding parking and managed to avoid all of the crowds.  It was a great day on the water!

With the LF gauge hovering around 3.0, there isn't much to play at the moment.  What's a paddler to do?  If you're a whitewater paddler and you can't live a single day without being on the water, you can always practice your flatwater tricks or take up sea kayaking.

Or you can take up other sports.  Since paddlers sometimes forget about working their leg muscles, Barbara and I have been doing a bit of biking lately.  Doing 10-15 miles doesn't take much more than an hour and keeps those legs in shape.  Do it 2-3 times a week (or on whatever days you're not paddling) and you're all set.  Rollerblading is also a great workout since it works even more muscles.  Tennis, anyone?

Yesterday was the annual Great Chesapeake Bay Swim, and Barbara's and mine first year providing swim support. It was a good experience, and we were both able to help out several swimmers with rest stops and encouragement. Some of the other kayakers had to pull swimmers out of the race, and of course there were some interesting stories, like the one about the very last swimmer in the race who was past the deadline but wouldn't quit. Apparently he needed to be ordered out of the water by police and Coast Guard, and was taken out of the race in handcuffs.

I managed to take a few photos along the way, which are posted at the link below.

http://www.wetexit.com/albums/Bay_Swim_2005/

"Barely a month out of Baghdad, the death of a buddy replaying in his mind, Sgt. Antonio Hamm sat in a borrowed kayak on the stretch of Potomac that is his latest adversary."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/06/04/AR2005060401810.html

There are a number of open water swims that happen throughout the summer here in the DC area. The Potomac swim, the Chesapeake Bay swim, the Patapsco swim, etc. There are any number of swimmers in the water at the same time, and kayakers are the only ones allowed in the swimming lanes. If a swimmer gets tired, hungry, hypothermic, or just needs a little direction to stay within the course bounds, that's our job.

Today was the first official CPA swim support training, organized by our good friends Dave and Cyndi. Since Barbara and I want to start helping out with swim support this year, we thought it would be a good idea to attend.

Besides logistics and other information for kayakers, Dave and Cyndi invited one of the regular swimmers from the Chesapeake Bay swim to talk to us from the swimmer's perspective, which we found very useful. Then we got some actual practice on the water with Dave and Cyndi acting as swimmers; practicing towing a swimmer is very useful if you've never done it before. It especially tests the kayaker's balance and bracing skills. We left the water feeling a lot more confident about our role in the swim support, and we look forward to the actual events.

Depending on the river level, the Potomac either has good play spots or just so-so play spots. I suppose it is this way with any river, but we don't just live next to any river.

Today the level was 4.2 ft (LF gauge), which isn't such a great level. However I needed to get out and get some exercise, so there it was. I didn't have time (or anyone to run shuttle with) so I couldn't go all the way up to Sandy Beach and run the gorge, so I stuck to the usual and went up to the Center Chute ledge, which is just about the only other thing playable at this level within reasonable distance of the Angler's put-in.

I was never a big fan of the ledge, but at this point I'll take what I can get. I guess sometimes it just takes a little time to get used to a particular play spot. To "figure it out". I think I'm finally starting to figure it out. Get in a left side surf, edge the boat and drop the bow, apply a little paddle, and you're cartwheeling. Getting the second end was a little harder, I fell on my head a lot But after a while this unfavorable spot didn't seem so bad any more, it just took some practice.

Unfortunately the Potomac has been at it's 4-point-"ugh" level (based on the Little Falls gauge) where there just isn't much to play other than the Center Chute ledge and maybe Wet Bottom. So after two weeks of no paddling, I finally decided to get some exercise and check out the ledge with my new-to-me All-Star.

The outfitting isn't quite set up perfectly yet, but so far I like the boat. The hull speed is definitely faster than my T2, and the shape is different so I feel like I'm sitting on top of the water or cutting through instead of pushing water in front of me. I have often referred to the T2 as a brick, which the All-Star definitely is not; not that I had any trouble rolling before, but the All-Star rolls a lot easier. After a little practice I should be able to consistently hand-roll again, which I was able to do in my old EZ but only managed to do once with the T2.

The thing that's going to take a bit of getting used to is the short stern. I think the cockpit is placed an inch or two farther back than the T2, so in the current the stern feels a bit grabby to me, at least at 4.1-4.2 levels at the ledge. As soon as I spin around it often gets pulled down by the current and flips me over backwards. Also because of the different bow shape, it's harder to balance in a bow stall, and it took a little extra effort to get the bow down for flatwater cartwheels.

I was still able to spin and cartwheel in the whole and overall it's a very comfortable boat, so I'm sure I will be just fine after I have it trimmed out a little more and get used to the new shape.

I was organizing my bookmarks today and ran across an old Washington Post article about one of the kayaking deaths on the Potomac last October. It's one of the better articles I've read about kayaking in a major paper, so I thought I would add a link to it here.

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