Saturday Morning I stopped by Tacoma's Dragon Boat Festival, the large Asian Canoes somewhat similar to a Hawaiian Outrigger, also popular here in the Pacific NW. I believe the crowd was largely Cambodian, the kids looked like they were having a lot of fun. Mayor Baarsma spoke briefly to a sparse crowd. In the Baarsma style he gave a quick speech, and he seemed a bit uncomfortable in front of the audience.
Curiously, I mentioned my Baarsma impressions to two other people I ran into that same day, both of whom had Baarsma Dragon Boat stories. Hmmm...
More importantly though in Beijing Whitewater Canoe Slalom was being contested at the 2008 Olympics.
This is my sport, and unlike the endurance of flatwater long distance boating Whitewater Slalom is a sprint, and very much an art. The amount of power in a river is incredible and your blade is the way you interact with that energy, maintaining as much control as possible.
It has struck me that whitewater sport is something very amenable to the philosophies of various martial arts. It was an idea of mine to get to China this year and do a little bit of primary source research on the subject while attending this event. Alas, that was not be, perhaps that is an opportunity that is still open to me.
A couple of lessons from this sport towards that same end:
1. Always know where you are going on the move after your next one
2, No matter what you do, you are going to be going downstream.
Deal with it!
My particular class was Single Decked Canoe - an estoteric specialty. I was good, but certainly not of international medal caliber. My biggest distinction was being the first team member from the West Coast, ever. Personally though my training marked the transition from being the unathletic geek to being pretty buff. After all, controlling your own life is the most important thing, isn't it?
Here's the Video of the top 3 finishers in this same class, from NBC:
Beijing Whitewater C-1 Video
(approx. 15 minutes)
The American in this class was a newcomer, Benn Fraker, from Georgia, who placed sixth. Heather Corrie of America placed 8th in the women's kayak class, while the male kayaker, Scott Parsons, did not make the final.
