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La Conner Heads up
Reivers Dustin
Jan 31 #25951
Over on FB race director Rod says he is working out alternate routes due to forecast conditions. I'm taking my phat boat and all my best safety stuff. I have never seen this stretch of water when things get large.
One thing Rod says is kinda cool. Don't get locked into race tunnel vision. If you get out there and it looks sketchy, turn it back around early and save your enthusiasm for the soup. That outside leg is exposed and I'm hearing from locals that with counter-flow (ebb current against West wind) it gets real jiggy.
Life is like a box of paddlers.
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John Rybczyk
Jan 31 #25952
Also, the rivers are very high (flood watch for the Skagit) and the race starts at about high tide…and it's a high one, + 8.5 feet. I was working down in Padilla Bay today and I think the Samish River and Edison Slough were about as high as I have ever seen them. I don't know what the heck that all means for the race, but be careful out there.
johnr
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Duncan Howat
Jan 31 #25953
Remember the year it was like this and it worked to just run it up the slew around a bouy or boat and back. Just like paddling the nooksack . But that was before Reivers was born.D
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Reivers Dustin
Jan 31 #25954
Was that the year of the logjam and whirlpools? I was born, but still very young back then. Had to use blocks on the pedals so I could reach.
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Nicholas Cryder
Jan 31 #25955
Can we pretty pretty prettttyy please have a race out into the conditions if we have the skills and sign away our life insurance policies??? I’m so sick of races getting neutered.
Also, three of us (Reavley, Klein and myself) did a run in the last hour of the day today as the conditions cranked up and it’s was glorious gun smoke from minute one. Maybe a little sketchy on final approach to the chocolate factory, but hey… enemy at the gates. Not sure why we went so hard, other than it being yet another powder day on the bay.
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Nicholas Cryder
Creative Director / Founder
Faster Farther
C: 253.219.0000
12 Bellwether Way, Suite 209
Bellingham WA 98225
Instagram.com/fasterfarther
fasterfarther.com
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allipp@…
Feb 1 #25956
“Due to the strong winds forecasted, Saturday’s race course may be modified to stay in the protected waters of the Swinomish Channel.”
Hmm, I'm tempted to stay home and get in a DW before the wind turns too westerly.
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Michael Lee
Feb 1 #25957
The race director is responsible for keeping paddlers safe. If a race is run in challenging conditions, inevitably someone will overestimate his/her ability and get into trouble.
If you prefer bumps over flatwater, hit the bay for a downwind run. Just don’t rag on the race director for making the safe call.
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allipp@…
Feb 1 #25958
Unless his name is Peter Marcus and he's running the Bellingham Bay rough water race! Just kidding, just kidding.
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paul clement
Feb 1 #25959
I will donate awards free of charge to Alan and Nicholas’ upcoming downwind race. Shoot me a date and I’ll get on it.
Paul
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David Scherrer
Feb 1 #25960
Sitting here at Marine Park and man the waves are big breaking mixed and from the west. La Conner slew may be a good place to be presently. I imagine there could be plenty of debris. Look forward to race report. Heading for boat launch and the protection of Fairhaven bay. D
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David Hooper
Feb 1 #25961
Clearly I waited too long. Looks like a washing machine out there on the Post Point webcam. Have fun and be safe, David S.
iKitesurf shows it's blowing 43 from the West at Fidalgo Island. More protected at La Conner, perhaps, but wow. Maybe Lipp and Cryder should go catch the falling tide at Deception Pass. I'll bet that will get them their ya-yas.
DH
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Nicholas Cryder
Feb 1 #25962
I think Wilson and Co. are at Deception Pass and I expect it to be bonkers. Ya-yas for all!
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Nicholas Cryder
Creative Director / Founder
Faster Farther
C: 253.219.0000
12 Bellwether Way, Suite 209
Bellingham WA 98225
Instagram.com/fasterfarther
fasterfarther.com
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This message (which includes any attachments) is intended only for the designated recipient(s). It may contain confidential or proprietary information and may be subject to the attorney-client privilege or other confidentiality protections. If you are not a designated recipient, you may not review, use, copy or distribute this message. If you received this in error, please notify the sender by reply e-mail and delete this message. Thank you.
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David Hooper
Feb 1 #25963
We need a web cam at Deception Pass. I can't get there today, but I sure would like to watch. I hope they get some good footage - and share it with us!
D
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Duncan Howat
Feb 1 #25964
Actually La Conner was a fun race,what with a rather very strong current, forcing you to be a river runner, much like doing the Nooksack at high levels. Wind was a factor both ways, and it was blowing.David you missed it as a chance to use those river skills, and yes I too look forward to the Downwinder put on by Allan and Nick with 30++ wind, anyone can sign up, and maybe one safety boat on the bay.Thanks to Rod for a great race and very good soup. That RD , shamelessly drafting me and ready to pounce at the end,but he was a gentleman and didn“t. But in truth I got a ride from John H. It all made a flat race fun. D
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David Scherrer
Feb 1 #25965
Results? looks like there were some fast doubles as well. Sorry I missed it, upstream river conditions add an interesting component. I probably would have tried to hang with you Dunc and ol'Reivers, swapping off color jokes and repeated stories! Heard the soup servings were great!
Big waves off dry dock this morning. Was behind Eric W. and watched him disappear below peaks. Downwind to Woods and back again. Coasties came out and watched us for a bit. Mike G. was out in his Zen and looking fast(er) and solid. Allen and Mike L out on the OC-2 ripping it up as well.
D.
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Nicholas Cryder
Feb 1 #25966
We already did the big downwind race, y’all must’ve missed it, which is understandable because the first rule of winter downwind racing is… Nevermind. Promise to let you know next time, afterwards.
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Nicholas Cryder
Creative Director / Founder
Faster Farther
C: 253.219.0000
12 Bellwether Way, Suite 209
Bellingham WA 98225
Instagram.com/fasterfarther
fasterfarther.com
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This message (which includes any attachments) is intended only for the designated recipient(s). It may contain confidential or proprietary information and may be subject to the attorney-client privilege or other confidentiality protections. If you are not a designated recipient, you may not review, use, copy or distribute this message. If you received this in error, please notify the sender by reply e-mail and delete this message. Thank you.
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lori & beau whitehead
Feb 1 #25968
Hopefully no one broke a rudder cable….
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Reivers Dustin
Feb 1 #25970
I paid stoopid tax at start (facing the wrong way). So there's Big D 1/4 mile ahead. My GPS showed 9.5 most of the first half and I gradually reeled Duncan in. Did another stupid at the turn - the current blew me right on by it. I measured current at the start sitting quiet watching my GPS: 4.0mph. It was really a trick to find back eddies. Some of the time you would get too shallow and even drag rudder on the mud. I reeled Duncan in, but had no beans left at the end.
Those log rafts were no joke. One time Duncan clipped the side of his boat and I got a little mental movie of how that would play if he fell off. There would be absolutely no way to swim out of that shit. Your boat would probably start rolling and your body would get sucked under. So the scenario would be if you can swim down, hold breath and avoid anchor chains well enough in that muddy water to pop out later. Oh yeah. Can you undo a leash while tumbling underneath logs at four mph current?
When I heard about Lampi getting snarled my little movie played over again. His boat is busted and rescue vessel hauled him and boat out. All those great shots of me coulda got wet.
So you wanna be a race director? I just think about the nice people who make this fun: not the big dogs. not the danger hogs. But the regular guys and gals that have the guts to try this crazy thing and don't have arms like the hulk. They don't do the gorge. They don't have swift water chops. They read my dumb posts and laugh and don't often post anything. OK, ok. I've gone into sheepdog mode and will fuss and fret about everyone getting their eye poked out. me shut up now.
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Larry Bussinger
Feb 1 #25971
The log boom scenario reminds me of the Around Manhattan Island (NY) race a while back when the two guys behind me went under the barge at the start in a 4 knot current. They rolled along the bottom and popped up 40 ft later on the downstream side. As they say, there isn't much interesting underneath a barge (or probably a log boom either).
Larry B
