|
|
| |
Date: Feb 24, 06
From: Paul Glassen
Club: Nanaimo Canoe & Kayak Club
Title: Last Place Victory
|
| |
Probably few people have ever been so pleased and proud of a last
place finish. Two different paddling club staff enthusiastically
responded to my email inquiry and encouraged me to come out for this
event today (Shack Attack, Feb. 19, 2006) for my first ever
competition - having bought my first canoe less than two years ago at
close to 60 years of age. In hind sight, maybe I should have taken
that as a warning. I was skeptical that there would even be any
other recreational canoes in the "anything else" category listed
after the Surf skis, OC-1s, OC-2s and kayaks. (I paddle a Wenonah
Voyager touring solo.) But I supposed at least the largest category
would be made up of the ubiquitous sea kayaks.
I arrived to find an impressive display of surf skis and OCs being
off-loaded from vehicles and arrayed on the park lawn near the
beach. Altogether, solos and tandems, I think there were 18 entrys.
I wandered around talking with paddlers about their sleek, racy craft
and getting "a sense of the competition". All seemed very
knowledgable and experienced. One fellow did come over and express
interest in my open canoe. He allowed as how it would have been a
good boat for that expedition he completed in the Yukon. That was
just before solo kayaking down the coast of British Columbia from
southeastern Alaska to Port Hardy! Eventually I did finally see one
(!)solo sea kayak arrive on the beach.
I went to the registration desk and started to make my reservations
known that maybe I was just a little outclassed here(!?!?). They
wouldn't hear of it. I admitted I had tried to pre-run the course on
Thursday without managing to complete the return from the turn around
point. One of the surf ski paddlers spoke up to say, "at least you
got there in those conditions. I tried it Thursday and after finding
myself in the water, I gave up!" Well, fools rush in where angels
fear to tread, so I registered for the day's race.
The safety boat operator, a fellow named Chris, one of the
encouraging club emailers, was most supportive and kept me in sight
despite my being well behind from soon after the start. I was within
a few hundred yards of the turn around when the first of the surf
skis passed going the other way. They were followed by the OC-1s and
OC-2s. Conditions were perfect with very little wind and less tidal
current than I had feared. I was able to cut the rocky headlands
very close and take the shortest route everywhere. My pre-run
knowledge gave me confidence.
There were few boats still on the beach when I finally finished. As
I was rinsing the salt water off my boat a club representative came
along to say they would be starting the awards ceremony shortly in
the park facility. Someone with a GPS said the out and back distance
was 6.35 miles. Unofficial results: first surf ski in something over
50 minutes. First OC-1 within a minute of one hour. Yours truly in
the lone open canoe: somewhere between an hour twenty-five and an
hour thirty. I'm not displeased. Besides the difference in
equipment, most, but not all, contestants were young enough to be my
children if not my grandchildren. There was one remarkable grey hair
who had been pointed out with awe by another competitor. I think he
took second in OC-1, four minutes behind the winner!
And yes, the lone kayak and the lone open canoe were each awarded
water bottles containing clever little chocolate canoes. And I won a
paddling cap in the draw. Are my shoulders and back sore? You bet!
Do I love it? You don't have to ask. I finished strong, feeling
like a lot more of an athlete than I have any right to. That hour
and a half was not longer than I have done before. Nor was it the
hardest effort I have done for shorter periods. But it was certainly
the hardest I have gone for such a distance. I guess that is part of
what competitions are all about, an inspiration to go a little
further, a little harder, to do our best. I'm a happy paddler,
grateful to the club and their forebearance with my last place
victory.
|
|
|
|
|
)