Slalom Races

[FarPastGone]

I remember seeing a Facebook group or some information on some slalom races around Arkansas last year. I just got a slalom boat last summer, I havent had the opportunity to use it a ton, but was hoping to go to a race or two to see inside the world of slalom. Will there be any in Arkansas in the spring? More specifically in April-May?

Any info is much appreciated!

- Matt

[sig]

There is a FB group called "Arkansas whitewater slalom racing".

If you want to see a race that will happen for sure on a certain weekend look up the Missouri Whitewater Association, they have a race coming up in a couple of weeks on the St Francis river. Friendly people, good camping nearby, lots of competitors, etc.

The weekend before the race is when they hang the wires and some of the gates. After the hanging, they run a mini-clinic on how to race slalom.

Here's a blog post from when we attended in 2013: http://ourpasttents.com/kayak-slalom/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Roger]

In the mean time, if you get to paddle some streams then turn that into an imaginary slalom course as you work/paddle your way down the stream. Think about making moves that you wouldn't make in a "normal" run.

Even in the flatwater.

[paddledog]

We will be posting soon on a couple events coming this summer to the WW park in Siloam Springs.
Stay tuned for further details........

[gannon311]

^^^^^^. What Steve and Brian said. If you can make it down to San marcos, they have gates set up.

[mgood]

Matt,

There are some movers and shakers trying to get some gates set up at dierks. I think there are a few areas set for poles; some volunteer work could get this stuff done within the next year. Heath knows way more than I do, but dierks will probably be the best slalom area in the state in the future.

[Flapjack]

So Matt did youget a glass boat or did you find a plastic replica. All the answer are good in the above post, especially if your in the Texas area San Marcas would be the place to go to give it a try. We are working on getting something going around here and people have been working on it for the last few years. As of right now SSPP is the best spot for a slalom coarse. Dierks problem is you deal with the COE, which has a lot ot red tape with it, as Heath will attest to. So if you really want to race you will have to go to the St. Francis in southeast Mo. Dennis

[FarPastGone]

Thanks for all the responses guys!

Dennis I got a pink Fluid Donsa. It is real fun and was the most affordable new kayak I have purchased. Supposedly it conforms to all international size and weight restrictions for international events.

For what it's worth, I am from San Marcos and paddled it a bit in the boat in the fall but it was before they had set gates up. I just want to try and get to paddle some gates! Hopefully they will still be up when I am back in the area in spring.

- Matt

[okieboater]

I read this thread and it brings back a lot of good memories.

One is of the "old days" when our friend and every one elses as well, Max Wellhouse, championed slalom racing and in fact ran many clinics. I seem to remember events at Big Piney take out.

Recently the efforts down in Dierks come to mind. Now we have the Siloam Springs Facility to work with. Big Piney is still there!

Bottom line, I hope we can all get behind and support some sort of slalom program for our area.

I think working on gates is a excellent way to improve our general boating skills.

Roger posted on working out on any stream and even flat water. One of my coaching comments is "most any rapid can be run by most any log, it takes a well trained boater to gracefully run a rapid from spot to spot making it look easy". To this day the best boaters I know do hard moves on what they consider safer spots to improve their fun on difficult runs.

Over the years I used the concept of attempting difficult moves on easier water to improve both my student's and my own tool box of technique.

Not a whole lot of class three training spots where I live. But lots of flat water. I got the concept of "English Gates" from a NOC clinic. Set my own course up using milk jugs as floats and spent many summer days at the lake working on control and rolling technique. Used those same floats to set up my little line of floats and made those slalom type turns on my boats edge using the "boating on the edge" techniques. Google English Gates and set them up yourself.

By the way, took a week long Creeking Clinic at NOC. Monday morning we met at the NOC slalom course. Spent hours working on our posture in the boat, learned what effect that posture had on our boat's performance.

Spent most of the day in our creek boats running that slalom course. Learned a ton from that time. There were some olymipic grade C-1 boaters running the course and on our first run we attempted to match their speed. Our instructor Tom DeQuir if memory and spelling correct, laughed and then explained we had all the time we wanted to set up and run each gate, but we had to put the boat exactly where he said on each gate. Very important to creek boating to hit the line and ole Tommy imprinted that on our minds that day. We ended up running lesser Wesser over and over under Tom's watchful eyes until we aced it then we moved to boofing on river left. The bottom line is we learned just how important slalom training and making hard moves on easy water is to a boater having fun and doing advanced moves on hard creeks. The rest of the week we spent on area creeks and had a great time.

My purpose here is to explain why I think slalom training is so important to all us boaters as we work on better skill sets. And, to pass on flat or easy water techniques to improve our own skill set. Please remember the more you practice bad technique the harder it is to correct to better technique. Recommendation here is get quality instruction as often as you can to improve your foundation. For me, I spent a lot of vacation time at NOC some times taking the same course over and over. Where else can you boat quality runs, instruction from olympic level boaters, transport to and from those runs and good food? I used NOC because I lived a few hours drive away, but there are other high quality outfits all over our country.

Bottom line, I hope we can all work for and get a slalom program going for our boaters.

[Flapjack]

Matt where did you find the boat at, Nick H. is looking one for Hunter. It's areally good looking boat. Dennis

[FarPastGone]

Dennis I bought it direct from Fluid. It was a blem so I think it cost $500-$550 new and that was shipped to my front door.

Matt

[gannon311]

That's a smokin deal!!! When we get the races going , I might be looking to replace the reflex!!!

[MaxTexan]

The Drago Rossi SL 350 is another plastic choice. You have to order from Italy. My experience with them was great. The boat was about the same price but $300 to ship to my door. The SL also comes in a max size for fat a**es like mine. The outfitting is awesome.

Gala sport sells plastic toro but I found gala sport difficult to deal with and ended up buying a glass boat from a Slovenia. A different experience from gala sport.