User Tools

Site Tools


races:la_conner_2018

2018 La Connor

Reivers Dustin
02/03/18 #22469

Well. First liar never wins, but here goes.

Talked a bit with new paddler Jerome. He drove up from Vancouver, WA. rolled out at 5am and muscled his Epic V-8 around the course. Didn't stay for awards, long drive for this guy. You get extra points for showing up and hope we see you at more Sound Rower events.

Another long distance participant was DK. But Don has friends in nearby places so maybe he didn't drive from Hood River. Rumor has it Don K, Peter T., Steve & Abby S. and a rower were involved in a heart attack finish which might have gone any different ending, but DK stole the ribbon. The Scoggins told me about it at post race soup and they were both stoked to have been in that mix.

Heather and Tracy dropped big power on the race and my only reports are of long distance sightings up ahead and bits of steam rising from their wake. Not sure of finish order, but pretty sure they were fastest surfski paddlers. Fun to hear Hilde and Knut growling away at each other in Norske and laughing their heads off. They must have kept the language clean because Tracy was smiling along with them.

The start gun was a little slow and my own start was typical tortoise mode. Current was different than most years and it threw some folks off their routine. Light wind made for a bit of broadside chop on the outside leg. Also the river silt was built up extra. A lot of folks found bottom with rudders and paddles. We crawled against flow on the outbound with quite a bit of chasing drafts and looking for back eddies. I crawled past Duncan, MG, Peter M and some others and found a ride behind Brian and his partner in a Steller double 'ski. Once past the turn I decided I could do better and went to the north side channel. It was dumb. I looked to South side and saw Duncan working the same ride walking away past me. Nothing to do but stop being stupid and cross over to try and get on that ride. Out at the turn it was broadside chop and I crawled back into contention with the main pack. Some folks had trouble with the turn (as typical) and I made up some more ground. I picked a good line back and managed to gap by Duncan. There was a strong two man rower and young Wilson up ahead. So I put my whiney inner child back in a box and went to work. I got close to Wilson at the turn back into the channel. I couldn't close on him so I started looking for back eddies and current lines. Everything I did made it worse so I just got back out mid channel and grunted my way in. Found out later that Duncan blew up his shoulder again. This time it wasn't his trick snowmobile riding - he was playing soccer with some youngsters and they played dirty (dirtier than Duncan?!!!) Anyway, the chop was causing him to stress the shoulder and he had to take breaks to keep from messing things up worse. Still, it was very rewarding to get past him.

Another story is LB and Mark W. They borrowed LG's double and threw down a decent race. They also found themselves in shallows. But I even though I started next to them, I had no chance for a ride. Just too much for me. Whoa, getting long here. Soup was typical over the top. Huge turnout actually, over 80 boats I think. The post race was in a school gymnasium, so that was different. Well run race with separate starts for SUP, Rowers and paddlers which cleaned up the start a whole bunch. Welcome to 2018 season everybody.

rd

Kevin Olney
02/03/18 #22471

Great recap Reivers! It was a wild tidal change extravaganza with some hot finishes and some boats high and dry. Rod Sternagle did an amazing job as first time Race Director, especially considering the sizable turnout, nearly 100 racers!!

Nicholas Cryder <nicholas.cryder@…>

02/04/18 #22476

R-diddy, per the usual your race write-ups are awesome. Love it.

Sound Rowers: La Conner 2018 | Race results

lori & beau whitehead

02/07/18 #22481

Well it appears that “Jerome” & I tied for dumb-ass awards… while he was driving from Vancouver WA to LaConner, I was driving from Bellingham to race in Kalama. He coulda stayed down there & I coulda stayed up here.

Perhaps some day, the two organizations could have these races on separate weekends or days, I mean jeez, it's the PNW in February, lots of open dates (-:
Kalama had a good turn-out, mostly Portland & Hood River folks and outrigger heavy, but about a dozen skis. The current in the Columbia there is no joke and the only way they can start that race is a rolling start which is pretty fun. On the up-river leg you gotta do the “eddy line/break your rudder OR deep water into the current” gamble.

Recovered Sunday with a fun downwind shuttle from Wildcat to MP with Tom, Ana, Alan and Collin.

Reivers Dustin
02/07/18 #22482

Ach! I found out that Jerome is actually *Jerone*. He reads the group so he's one of us. Let's don't start messin with him until he gets on here and protects himself. Heads up: he's a big, fit looking dude with some awesome tats.

Jerone mentioned that some of the OC races aren't always open to all boats. I think this is changing over time, but, uh, beau just maybe he had a good reason for his drive.

rd

Tyler Irwin
02/07/18 #22483

In regards to the OC races being open to all boats, we are really working hard to try to appeal and draw in the surfski and SUP athletes at the PNW-ORCA races. This hasn't been really a priority in years past, but we have found that you start to get a lot of fun competition when more of these athletes start to attend the “OC” races. You also get the occasional crossover paddler (ahem) *Peter Marcus* (ahem).

Also, coming up in a few weeks is the 4th PNW-ORCA race in Jericho on 2/17. If you haven't attended this race before, it is really a good time. Excellent facilities, warm showers for post race, and usually quirky alcohol-related awards. Good times. I will be posting the registration link hopefully as early as this weekend.

-TI

Tyler Irwin
-c- (406) 580-9807
kainalu.24@…

Reivers Dustin

02/07/18 #22484

Thx Tyler for response. I always liked the close brotherhood of OC paddlers. There's never been actual rudeness, just kind of awkward distance and not knowing how to relate. I remember a major event years ago where surfski paddlers did well, but got a sort of “oh by the way” first prize of fake maple syrup.

But these are good times coming. The heavy race by Autumn Rose was a great example of paddle people being very inclusive. Last year at Mercer Island I was dicing with an OC-1 and he was like Gandalf the Grey:, “You Shall Not Pass!”. I went down in flames baby, but I know he felt the burn. I heard him talking about it after the race.

fun stuff.

rd

lori & beau whitehead
02/08/18 #22487

To be completely honest, I would have stayed more local myself, but I found a very nice Hood River surf-skier willing to transport a new SUP for me from Big Winds to Kalama…. Saved me another 3 hours of drive time, so it was sorta smart. Sorta.

Jarone
02/27/18 #22546

I felt as though my ears were burning so I thought I would poke my head in and see what the group was doing. Thanks for the write up Reivers. You’re spelling of my name is closer than most. It’s actually Jàrone. Even Quebecois have trouble with it. I’m 100% creole by lineage and Samoan by upbringing hence the Samoan tatau, aka tattoo. Every line and symbol tells a story. And the 21 hours of pain is just part of that story. I’ll have to tell you some time over some post race soup.

Beau, I can guarantee that that won’t be my last “dumb !@#” move as I am a sucker for adventure and am willing to travel. Plus, how else do I get to meet a good group of people like the Sound Rowers.

The PNWorca website is not friendly to the unindoctrinated individual not already on an OC team. Many of the races I find in my area speak of OC6 rules,and steep entry fee’s but nothing on how an individual can enter. I would certainly like to compete in these venues as some of them are frequented training areas for me.

JB

Reivers Dustin
02/28/18 #22547

whoa. somebody got paddling genes goin on. Great to hear back Jarone. I have a photo of the cabin in Quebec where my great grandpa was born. But he moved to the gold camps in Cripple Creek and I grew up mongrel because Dad was in the air force.

Hope somebody reading this can help you get plugged into the paddling scene down there in Portland. Next SR race is up here in B'ham. You might have less pain getting another 21 hrs of tats rather than drive the run up I-5. But it would be great to see you. I used to have a pad you could crash at for a couple days, but not now.

rd

Jarone
02/28/18 #22549

Thanks rd. Tyler contacted me and I'm going to try and finish out the rest of the PNW-ORCA winter series, starting with one in Portland.
B'ham is definitely a stretch but I've been known to travel to BC and back in the same day to paddle Deep Cove and Victoria.

JB

lori & beau whitehead
03/01/18 #22555

See you in Portland Jàrone(-:
-Beau

races/la_conner_2018.txt · Last modified: 2022/12/05 17:45 (external edit)