Pictures from
past Slaloms
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After a tough fight to save the releases on the Esopus, the annual KCCNY Esopus
Slalom is a chance to celebrate more than four decades of KCCNY’s paddlesport leadership.
Past races have involved all levels of boaters from class II novices trying to improve
their skills to top-flight racers bound for Olympic glory. Wherever you fall in
skill category come out for a good time on Saturday and Sunday of the first weekend
of June.
The object of slalom competition is to negotiate a course of 250-400 meters defined
by 18-25 gates at least 6 of which must be negotiated paddling upstream. Scoring
is based on the time to complete the course, plus the addition of penalties incurred
(2 seconds for touching a gate [10 seconds for open canoes], 50 seconds for gates
missed entirely).
"I don’t think I'm good enough to compete."
The Esopus course will be designed for intermediate paddlers. It is located on the
length of Railroad Rapids, a class II rapid located on Esopus Creek just west of
Phoenicia, NY on Woodland Valley Road.
Racing provides a great opportunity for all boaters to improve their skills, since
the strokes and technique required to maneuver through gates are the same used to
maneuver through more difficult rapids. Racing helps you develop stroke efficiency
and precise boat & edge control, as you strive to track on the best line through
the gates for a successful run. The beauty is that even if your time is not “competitive”
you will win by the benefit of vastly improving your paddling technique. And there
is no dishonor in swimming if you have competed to the best of your ability.
If you’re interested in learning racing techniques look to the KCCNY events calendar
and look for groups attending racing clinics in the weekends ahead. And the course
will be open as soon as the water “arrives” Friday evening and again Saturday and
Sunday morning until the racing begins.
So you don’t own a slalom boat?
Very few KCCNY members have the regulation slalom boats that are required to be
used by competitive racers. The Esopus Slalom has separate classes for competition
in recreational “play boats.” There will also be club champions named in both a
men’s and women’s division.
How can I help?
The course will be set up during the day Friday and we could use a number of hands
that day to set up the gates. Additionally judges and timers are needed on race
day to see that racers run the gates cleanly and to post times for the racers.
The weekend will also include camping as a group at the Black Bear Campground in
Phoenicia as well as dining together in town on Friday and Saturday nights. If anyone
would like to organize further entertainment for the weekend I will be happy to
accommodate any volunteers.
Hope to see a great KCCNY turnout for the Esopus Race weekend.
John Coraor, Slalom Chairman
(borrowing the words of former Race Director Dave King)
Click for more information
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