Surfski Knowledge Base

(This message was posted between various messages concerning the upcoming 1st Think International Surfski Challenge - 2 race, point total competition between local and Vancouver area (and environs) paddlers)

Re: Look Ahead…….Secret weapon
Larry Goolsby
04/23/08 #4283

Recently we had a paddler move here from North Carolina. As soon as
the moss started growing on his back, he ordered up a Huki S1-X
Special (lime green) and found a wing paddle in someone's garbage
can. His name is DJ (no vowels)and he has been paddling a ski for
almost a month now. He was interested in this upcoming Lake Whatcom
Classic, so I decided to show him the course. The wind was rockin'
the lake with 25 knt winds, so DJ stuck his 4“ credit card rudder on
his Special and took a couple of swigs from a Mason Jar (a clear
flammable liquid) and said “I'm ready to go”.
As we headed down the lake, I was amazed at his stability. We were
getting hit with a NE wind and the expected whitecaps were almost
perpendicular to our beam and he was in total control. I asked him if
the Special felt stable. His reply was “Like a barge on a dry lake
bed”. As we headed for the island, I filled him in on the upcoming
Think Evo Challenge and how the Americans were going head to head
against the Canadians.
“Whats a Canadian?”
“It's an American without a gun.”
“Why do they want to race us?”
“Because we are their only neighbors.”
“They don't have other neighbors?”
“We are the only ones that would live next to them.”
“OK, that makes sense.”
So we paddled to the island and I showed DJ that it was important
that if he did the Classic, that it would be wise to turn north once
you reached the south tip of the island (he's from the south so I
drew him a picture). As we headed upwind, DJ suddenly started pulling
away from me. I was already making two strokes for each one that he
made. I ran my pulse up to 180 just to get on his draft and I hung
there long enough to ask him “what's the hurry?”
“An American without a gun? That just ain't right.”
“That's why we call them Canadians.”
“It still ain't right.”
At the end of that phrase, DJ kicked it into 4th gear and away he
went. I tried to keep up but it only took 10 minutes before he became
a spot on the horizon. He has only been paddling a ski for a month
and I predict that in another couple of weeks, he is going to start
lapping us on our Wednesday night races.
Look out Canada.
LG