Surfski Knowledge Base

paul clement
09/26/16 #19992

The Salmon Row 2016 really started for us at the Salmon Row 2015. We had been paddling together for a couple of months and thought maybe we were kind of fast. So, at the Salmon Row we had the audacity to think that Juraj Osusky and Peter Turcan would race us straight up. I thought, worst case, we would place second and set a course record. Well, I was wrong. We were schooled and they sat on us and refused to pull then beat us in the sprint. To be fair, I have a lot of respect for their speed and I should have known this was coming. Lesson learned.

This year, Kevin and I had a plan. With a lot of preparation in the company of Austin, we worked on our speed. We also talked strategy because we knew Juraj and Peter were not racing for second. At the start, we drilled it to the bridge, got the dominant left side position and forced Juraj and Peter to work hard to get in our draft. At the bridge, Kevin sent a message by forcing them to the right opening where the shallows and lilies lurked. Nothing drastic, but it set the tone. As we entered the big lake, we slowed to allow them to take the lead and share duties. Now, I have done a lot of racing and it is honorable to take the front and drive the pace when with a well matched opponent, especially one you have beaten soundly the previous year. Frankly, it makes racing more fun and, of course, faster. As we turned South down the lake, Juraj (driving) refused to take the lead. This meant our bow was ahead of theirs and we were going very slow hoping they would come around and help with the pace making. We looked to our left and Eric and E’Lana were passing us. This proved to be inspirational. I figured, if not us then them. That's okay by me. I looked at Juraj and asked him if their race plan was to draft us and out sprint us. He answered yes…

So, Kevin drove them toward a dock. Well, Juraj didn’t like this and demanded room to which I replied that if he would put his bow in front of ours he could have all the room he wanted. His response was to drive his boat hard into ours. Full contact ensued. Kevin was kind enough to leave them just enough room but there was a lot of contact. Still, they refused to move ahead. So, into the lilies they went with more contact with lots to banging and words. Around a rowing shell, more contact. I am not sure who owns their boat but they don’t care what happens to it. At one point, Juraj takes a swipe at me with his paddle as we pinch them again. I have to say, none of this would have happened if they had done the honorable thing and raced with us rather than against us. I was pretty surprised to have them banging our boat and demanding room when racing from behind. Finally, before the first buoy, Kevin stops paddling and successfully forces them to the front. Juraj responds with a weak 7mph pace. Clearly, they are not gamers and represent the worst kind of negative racing. I pretty much resigned myself to letting Austin and Greg catch us so we could race someone.

After the first buoy, we decided to go ahead and drill them a few times hoping to take the sting out of their legendary finish. So, we threw down a few hard efforts but they held tight. Approaching the boat launch turn buoy, Kevin headed toward a lone no wake buoy somewhat off course toward shore. There was a lot of open water around this buoy but Juraj was so intent on the draft that he refused to go to the other side of this non-race-marking-buoy and again yelled for room. For the fourth time he drove his boat into ours and became extremely aggressive. I pushed their boat away and Peter grabbed our boat and pulled it backwards. I was surprised when Peter lectured us that we were required to give room, this after refusing to take the lead or even pretend to race. To which I answered that I would do that on a Wednesday but not on race day when they refused to race with us, especially since they were the faster boat as proven last year. Peter’s response was that, “maybe you are not paddling hard enough Paul.” That didn't go over too well with me so I hatched a plan.

We turned the buoy toward the bridge and I told Kevin to “go left”. I meant like off course toward the shore with the bridge at about two o’clock to our path. We weren’t going super hard and I was prepared to paddle to the South end of the lake if that meant they would follow us there. And they did. It was crazy. Juraj was so fixated on us that he was willing to throw the race and draft us. Since they were on our right they were forced to make a decision. Throw the race or bear off and head for the bridge. Finally Peter pulled the plug and they turned and headed away from us. We continued for a bit to get separation and then dialed up the speed. It was a 2 km drag race to the bridge and we put three boat lengths on them. After the bridge we tacked on another. Kudos to Kevin for some gutsy driving and I guess after all that, we both “paddled hard enough”.

I have to say that I did not really enjoy the first two thirds of the race but, win or lose; it was satisfying driving it hard to the finish without those two assholes harassing us. We will be ready for next year…

lori & beau whitehead
09/27/16 #19994

Great write-up. Having raced bikes with Paul for some 20 years, I can say the other two guys picked the wrong guy to play games with. If it had been on the road they'd be laying in a ditch. Water is much more forgiving.

Beau Whitehead

Reivers Dustin
09/27/16 #19995

Thanks for the straight dope. This is a small enough community for poor behavior to roll back on folks. Years ago there were lengthy discussions on this board about drafting, rules of race etiquette and so on. It's a relatively unstructured sport and we ended up agreeing on typical sailing principles: furthest to the mark has right away, you cannot crash a racer's legitimate line. Non-contact drafting is not something that can be policed. All nice and good.

Now, let me say the burning ember I've carried for a long time. Do not hit my boat with any equipment of yours. I'm not talking about those taps when trying to draft me. That's no big deal. My $4,000 boat (when new) has damage from people's paddles. Broken fiberglass damage.

If your vessel does not have more mass abeam forward and does not have a clear line of sail to the mark - your vessel must give way. This includes staying clear of the equipment of the forward vessel (paddles, oars, outriggers, etc.)

OK. I'm not fast enough for this to likely matter in race placing for myself. I have in the past given way just to avoid conflicts. But I know of newer paddlers who have been intimidated (bullied) in this way. I do not care where this dirty paddling came from or how. It upsets me.

rd

Michael Gregory
09/27/16 #19996

Geez, draft your opponent and sprint by at the finish as well as mash-ups at corners are kinda ubiquitous. Not just locally but, goes on right up to international paddle racing. I'm just sayin. It's gonna happen. You can suck it up or aggressively oppose your opponent. Most of us suck it up and mutter under our breath but, when winning a race is on the line emotions have a way of rising.

Etiquette goes out the window and bare knuckles rule. It's racing, in it's most primitive form.

So, if one does not wish a dinged boat or chipped paddle it may be best to not engage. Consider a stout fiberglass boat and paddle, then hand it right back. Kevin and Paul were not intimidated, paddled a ballsy race, and it paid off for them!

Perhaps, Sound Rowers have specific rules that address aggressive racing. If not, then we get “no rules” racing.

Mike.

Shaun Koos

09/27/16 #19997

ICF rules do not require competitors to take or share the lead. They do prohibit pinching an overlapping boat on a dock or driving them into dangerous positions. Providing space around obstacles is a requirement. I know Juraj and Peter well, and have been beat by and finished ahead of both of them. They are hardly assholes.

Shaun Koos

paul clement
09/27/16 #19998

I stand corrected on all counts. Thanks for the clarification Shaun. I guess I was speaking more to the spirit of sport in general rather than the specific international rules. For the record, when I am racing and a person's bow is ahead of mine I will always give way.

Paul

Morris Arthur

09/27/16 #19999

Well-raced and well-told. What a fun, tactical, “all-in” battle. Thanks Paul for taking us there vicariously!

(And for the record, I'm in the “right-of-way for boats in front of me” camp)

allipp01

09/27/16 #20000

Sounds like the grand prix of paddling! Pronounce and take my statement as you choose.

Kevin Olney
09/27/16 #20001

I think this an important discussion. Being relatively new the sport I won't claim to know all the rules, written or otherwise. Peter and Juraj are far more experienced and accomplished than me and I meant no disrespect to them on Saturday, I just wanted a clean hard race. Well, it got pretty ugly, pretty fast. I hoped by making their draft position uncomfortable enough they would fall behind, move sides, or attempt to take the lead. There were no sudden course changes and every danger was very clear well before any contact was imminent. I was quite surprised when they chose a collision over the other options. As Paul described, things escalated from there.

Before I get into specific rules and interpretations let me just say: this stuff has no place at our local races. We should be having fun and displaying great sportsmanship to each other and, more importantly, to all the juniors who are now joining these events. As an adult I can deal with a banged up boat or a bruised ego but I don't want to be setting an example for these kids that “no rules” racing is cool or that winning is the only thing that matters. I have not engaged in that sort of aggressive racing before and I will not do it again.

As far as rules go, I have talked to a number of people since Saturday and there is a wide range of opinions on what is proper/legal/acceptable in different situations. Apparently ICF rules are completely contradictory to general international surfski practices regarding the obligations of a lead boat… I hope those with more knowledge and experience chime in so we can all be on the same page.

All I know is:

•Wash riding then sprinting at the finish is lame.

•Running people into docks is lame

•Not shaking hands and having a chat with your opponent is really lame.

I'll do better next time, I promise,

Kevin Olney

Steve Scoggins

09/27/16 #20002

At least no one can say the Salmon Row is a boring flat water race anymore. Action. Adventure. Full contact.

For the record….ICF rules do not apply at the Salmon Row. In fact there really aren't any rules aside from providing assistance to a paddler in distress. Hopefully, you four boys can work it out, learn to be friends, and race again next year, clean or dirty. If not, the race director will be forced to make all HPK2s do the race as a time trial.

paul clement

09/27/16 #20003

Well said Kevin-
Your last two points are especially important:

•Not shaking hands and having a chat with your opponent is really lame.

I'll do better next time, I promise,

I'll own those.

Paul

Austin Kieffer

09/27/16 #20004

I am not much for arguing or throwing my two cents in, but this is ridiculous.

If you choose to follow someone by sitting on their draft then you are at the mercy of where they decide to go. End of story. If you aren't willing to take the pull and decide the line. You get no say. Either get in front and direct the race or go paddle by yourself. No one made you sit on a wash into a dock. That was your tactical race decision and theirs was to keep you from resting on their wash.

And boat on boat violence should never be the answer! These are expensive, fragile boats and paddles!!!

Wow first whatcom paddlers discussion weigh in. Now I am really a part of the community.

waterbornewarrior

09/27/16 #20005

I have a couple of thoughts.

1. Paddle downwind! No drafting required.

2. Intentional boat and paddle bashing bad. But note that around the world, inadvertent (and maybe semi-intentional) bashing seems to be much more common and accepted. So are cheaper and more resilient fiberglass boats.

3. Discussions of drafting often sound like, “My opponent should be racing me on my terms.” Egocentric much? It seems accepted in other sports that competitors have different strengths. In biking, do folks complain about the sprinters or the hill climbers drafting in the flat / early parts of a race? Juraj and Peter are pure flat water sprinters who have adopted distance racing because that's what we do around here. Why shouldn't they race to *their* strength?

4. If you're determined to break a drafter, then do it. I've been lucky (or unlucky) enough to be drafting Greg B a few times, and he just keeps throwing down 30 second surges until you break. And he trains for this, doing 12 x 1000 meters at 10k pace, with 2-4 sprints thrown in each piece.

DK

lori & beau whitehead

09/27/16 #20006

I realize I started the cycling analogy, which is a bit like apples & oranges here, but your cycling analogy doesn't quite hold water (paddling pun)…
In that kind of a cycling race, the sprinters and climbers who are “sitting in” and waiting for the finish are doing so because they have a squad of team mates doing all the early work so they don't have to. That's how that game is played… not even close to a good enough analogy for Pauls race. Paul and Kevin's race is more akin to any small, 2-10 person break-away in a cycling race, where one or two guys sit there, never doing any time at the front, then sprint by at the end. That does not fly, is considered unethical and usually becomes an issue in the parking lot after the race. Everyone quickly knows who the culprit is when that happens. It's not seen as cunning or crafty. It also sets a sad example for the junior racers, wether cycling or paddling. But I'll stop make cycling analogies here, this isn't Whatcom Peddlers after all.

duncanhowat
09/27/16 #20007

As Hillary said,“one down two to go, for the Be'ham Boys Can't wait for round two at the Sausage pull in two weeks. Now I'm going to have to do the long course and start early to see the action. Although very early forecasts are calling for a Arctic front possibly that weekend. Last time I looked, Steve didn't put up lanes around Lake Samish. And I think the lake is at least 1/4 mile wide,so if some one is drafting by side waking and docks etc are coming up I would think you would just go to the other side and keep your mouth shut. Real men and women would. There really is no free lunch in the end. I guess Paul and Kevin the only thing I might have done different is, after you won, seek them out, and with your usual smiles say “Boy the was fun, can't wait to do it again” But thats just hind sight. Other analogies: Stock car racing: Brush back pitching in the majors: RD, was that 30 years of inflation dollars you put on the value of The Historic S-1-X of yours? Does it have a name ? Is it on the National Listing of Historic Objects. Just jealous I guess, seems like I can only keep one for about a year, always thinking it's the boat, not the motor.BWD

Lame or Not
Dennis Mowry
09/28/16 #20010

Sitting on a draft with the intention of sprinting at the finish, refusing to race is lame.

I will confess to drafting then sprinting to finish yet I don't claim it as legit and concede the win. If I can pass and pull I will but usually I'm doing all I can to just keep up. I appreciate the motivation I wouldn't otherwise get without it. Often I'll try to pass and can't so I'll sit on the draft. I need all the help I can get. Sprinting to the finish is fun even if getting passed from a draft. If I get out sprinted at the finish from a draft I'll have to do better next time. Pulling is honorable and I'm flattered when I'm drafted. Your welcome to draft me if I can't ditch. I believe drafting is a legit strategy yet I aspire to best my times unassisted.

I've also clashed some paddles and bumped some boats, mainly in trying to keep my position (usually on a draft) or getting squeezed. If I attempt to take over someone on their draft I will be careful and give the right away. When drafting I can say I don't usually bump although sometimes it happens, especially on turns or sudden slowing. I have thought about running someone off course, yet consider that to aggressive. Taking an inside line forcing someone to outside is different.

I respect and appreciate the effort everyone takes to put out their best effort as well as their equipment.

I do apologize when being out of line or often oblivious.

Lame or not?

Dennis

Reivers Dustin
09/28/16 #20014

You are not the guy Dennis. I've raced tight with you lots of times. I've never known you to bash-race and just plain drafting is not the discussion. When we race from one point to another, there is no way to avoid wash. That means any kind of rules or laws of drafting easily become silliness.

Folks. We need to focus on threats to people or property. Not which color of ribbon somebody gets. Especially regards beginners in the sport. Don't be thinking, “this is ok at world marathons, no big deal at a Sound Rower race”. If this is your train of thought, I want to know.

rd