Thanks for stepping up and putting on the race this year Lakota! Glad to hear you got some times to post. I was not looking forward to buying T-Miley a plane ticket to Mexico! Where will the photos be posted?
Gore Race Post-Race Announcements
I want to thank everyone for coming out. We have decided to give all the race prize money to American Whitewater in honor of Beth. Since we obviously had some race finish and timing issues this is what we decided to do instead. But...it looks like we will be able to come up with some race times to at least see how you stacked up. One of the photographers was at Kirshbaum and each photo was time stamped. It will be accurate but will be slightly above the normal finish. We will at least know that the participants were still paddling at this point. This is all I can offer and next year we will make sure the finish is defined for racers and our timer. Sorry for any confusion or frustration, but like I said in the pre-race meeting, it's not all about the race but the experience of the weekend and paddling hard together.
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Thanks Lakota for stepping up and taking on the race, events are not easy to organize and run. As you discovered this weekend. It was a great weekend of paddling regardless of peoples times. My only suggestion, other than getting the timers in the right spot, would be to allow people to paddle in to watch the event. I understand that you do not want to burden the safety crew with rescuing non-racers, but its always fun having folks in there cheering you on. I have also found that often times the spectators provide as much safety as the designated safety crew.
Cody Beach, i crushed you and you know it.
Cody Beach, i crushed you and you know it.
Spectators
Tony, we will be discussing some other options with BLM for next year concerning spectators. We were just trying to deter non-qualified boaters from using our safety. We tried this and it was probably not the best option, but will need to do something, just not sure what yet?
I appreciate the encouragement on running the race! It was really smooth except for the timing which is obviously a big deal. Tony, no matter how the times come out you crushed Cody.
Tony, we will be discussing some other options with BLM for next year concerning spectators. We were just trying to deter non-qualified boaters from using our safety. We tried this and it was probably not the best option, but will need to do something, just not sure what yet?
I appreciate the encouragement on running the race! It was really smooth except for the timing which is obviously a big deal. Tony, no matter how the times come out you crushed Cody.
I have good video of some spectator boaters making the rescue after the safety crew missed 4 attempts to get a racer swimming Gore. I don't know who the safety crew was but they were not qualified in my opinion.
It's a very nice gesture donating in Beth's name and I applaud you.
I watched Tony come through and there was no way he didn't crush Cody.
I have no doubt many lessons were learned running the event this year and it will be better next year.
It's a very nice gesture donating in Beth's name and I applaud you.
I watched Tony come through and there was no way he didn't crush Cody.
I have no doubt many lessons were learned running the event this year and it will be better next year.
Spectators Again
Nathan, thanks for the note. I heard about this from the safety crew at Gore and from my understanding the ones throwing were not our crew.
Many lessons and feedback is welcomed...we learned and definitely looking forward to next year.
Thanks
JM
Nathan, thanks for the note. I heard about this from the safety crew at Gore and from my understanding the ones throwing were not our crew.
Many lessons and feedback is welcomed...we learned and definitely looking forward to next year.
Thanks
JM
Yeah, I can't speak to this year's race, but in the past I've seen a number of important rescues made by spectator boaters. Keeping them out of the canyon doesn't make much sense tome.
My 2 cents:
- Obviously the race was a total bust this year. I think the fix is fairly self-evident there.
- I think the spectating is a big part of the race. I didn't even realize that people weren't being allowed in the canyon to spectate. It's going to be impossible to prevent non-racers from having trouble in the canyon, but boaters tend to be self policing and I think that putting a strong message out it is not a good day for first time Gore boaters to be in the canyon and that the race safety is only designed for racers and not for spectators is sufficient to provide a safe day. I also agree that in my experience, spectators are often more likely to provide an effective rescue than the designated safety crew.
- Tony wasn't even in sight for a good Tunnel freestyle session when I came through, so he must have been fast this year. I was pretty sure with Tim's Remix in hand this was my year to crush jmack but now I'll never know. I figured myself and Brian were first and second respectively since we were the only ones who kept paddling to the new finish line.
- I know that sponsoring the Gore race is a somewhat thankless job, so I do appreciate Lakota keeping it going, and while I'm bummed that it was a bust this year, I understand that everybody makes mistakes.
- Obviously the race was a total bust this year. I think the fix is fairly self-evident there.
- I think the spectating is a big part of the race. I didn't even realize that people weren't being allowed in the canyon to spectate. It's going to be impossible to prevent non-racers from having trouble in the canyon, but boaters tend to be self policing and I think that putting a strong message out it is not a good day for first time Gore boaters to be in the canyon and that the race safety is only designed for racers and not for spectators is sufficient to provide a safe day. I also agree that in my experience, spectators are often more likely to provide an effective rescue than the designated safety crew.
- Tony wasn't even in sight for a good Tunnel freestyle session when I came through, so he must have been fast this year. I was pretty sure with Tim's Remix in hand this was my year to crush jmack but now I'll never know. I figured myself and Brian were first and second respectively since we were the only ones who kept paddling to the new finish line.
- I know that sponsoring the Gore race is a somewhat thankless job, so I do appreciate Lakota keeping it going, and while I'm bummed that it was a bust this year, I understand that everybody makes mistakes.
Please, in the future do not get BLM to close the put in road from 9-1. Very lame. Might as well be all day. We saw maybe 3 vans unloading around 11. Plenty of room for us at the same time. Also, safety was a joke. Nobody needs a bag at the top of gore. Maybe have some bags right above and below scissors. Maybe have someone signal upstream paddlers when there are 3 or 4 ropes across toilet bowl.
Spectators save lives. http://www.mountainbuzz.com/forums/f11/gore-race-accident-report-33084.html. And make the race way more fun.
It was well announced that the put in road would be closed from 9-1. I understand that there would be parking problems if everyone drove a car to the put in. It hadn't even occurred to me that the goal was to close the river to the common man/spectator. I get that you don't want a bunch of first timers getting in the way of the racers, but you need to rethink this idea. I hadn't been in a few years, and remember there being boat trailer shuttles, even for non racers to avoid parking issues in years past. It seems that encouraging carpooling with bigger rigs and a couple rigs with trailers, would mitigate parking issues.
I apologize, for getting in whoever's face when they told me that they wanted to keep the public out of the canyon entirely, but I just found that concept to be way beyond acceptable. I do hope that everyone who wanted to paddle Gore that day actually did, but I'm sure that some were deterred by this.
As much as I like the idea of AW getting all the prize money, some of the Kayakers travel there on a shoe string with legitimate hopes of putting their winnings towards their expenses. Maybe it's premature to assume that viable race times don't exist. If a time can be established via the camera man that is just a little upstream than the appropriate finish, it is not likely to change any but the closest of race placings. I suspect the winners will be fairly obvious from these time stamps...
I apologize, for getting in whoever's face when they told me that they wanted to keep the public out of the canyon entirely, but I just found that concept to be way beyond acceptable. I do hope that everyone who wanted to paddle Gore that day actually did, but I'm sure that some were deterred by this.
As much as I like the idea of AW getting all the prize money, some of the Kayakers travel there on a shoe string with legitimate hopes of putting their winnings towards their expenses. Maybe it's premature to assume that viable race times don't exist. If a time can be established via the camera man that is just a little upstream than the appropriate finish, it is not likely to change any but the closest of race placings. I suspect the winners will be fairly obvious from these time stamps...
I apologize, for getting in whoever's face when they told me that they wanted to keep the public out of the canyon entirely, but I just found that concept to be way beyond acceptable.
Actually care more about Tony vs Cody :grin:
Actually care more about Tony vs Cody :grin:
Just want to raise my hand as a vote to allow spectators/ everyone paddle in. There were 0 ropes at the bottom right side of gore when we came through, the best place to bag folks in my opinion, and then nothing until below pyrite. Isn't that one of the most continuous stretches in the canyon? For professionals who wanted to keep newbs from piggybacking safety, that's a pretty large and dangerous oversight. I am SUPER GRATEFUL for the efforts this year to put the race on, but "closing" the canyon? That's not a move that goes with the spirit of the weekend, especially this year. But hey- live, learn, run it again! That's what we do!
Donating money to AW which was generated by a race that denied access to boaters is rather ironic. Thanks for keeping the race going, but if spectators are going to be denied access, don't even bother.
Ya some mistakes were made, but it's their first attempt at organizing the race. Lakota is listening to the feedback and right now that's all we can expect. I had a lot of fun (also didn't race... phew), and hope this race continues in the future.
Trying to prevent boaters from getting on the river was ridiculous. That's like trying to separate a mama bear from it's cub, but instead of getting mauled to death the organizers just took some verbal abuse and everyone still ended up paddling anyways.
Trying to prevent boaters from getting on the river was ridiculous. That's like trying to separate a mama bear from it's cub, but instead of getting mauled to death the organizers just took some verbal abuse and everyone still ended up paddling anyways.
First off, i think Lakota did a pretty decent job, with one glaring red hot exception. The finish line. The food, beer, registration, shuttle, and race start for competitors were all smooth and well organized.
Saying kayakers can't go into the canyon is futile. We're like cockroaches. We cannot be eliminated. I saw plenty of non racers at the canyon mouth.
So what's the word on the photo timestamps at Kirschbaum? I'm pretty sure I wasn't first, but Definitely beat Ross, Hobie, TK and any other vail pussies.
Sent from my iPhone using Mountain Buzz
Saying kayakers can't go into the canyon is futile. We're like cockroaches. We cannot be eliminated. I saw plenty of non racers at the canyon mouth.
So what's the word on the photo timestamps at Kirschbaum? I'm pretty sure I wasn't first, but Definitely beat Ross, Hobie, TK and any other vail pussies.
Sent from my iPhone using Mountain Buzz
Trying to keep the boating public out one of the most popular public lands with running water is ridiculous. Either have the race with the logistics dialed or don't have a race. Shame on Lakota and the Blm for coming up with this plan. Hope it's better thought out next time.
Plus one.
PUBLIC lands BELONG to the PUBLIC.
It is absolute garbage to try to close that canyon to all but race participants for a day. That is a precious place, and especially so at this time of year, and NOBODY should be able to close it unless there is some very compelling reason.
PUBLIC lands BELONG to the PUBLIC.
It is absolute garbage to try to close that canyon to all but race participants for a day. That is a precious place, and especially so at this time of year, and NOBODY should be able to close it unless there is some very compelling reason.
Hah, race without finish!
So was there actually someone measuring times at the unnamed class III rapid few min below Kirschbum?
If so, the person on the cliff was supposed to have a whistle. And I'd like to know the difference between me and Connor since we were both dedicated to win and paddled all the way.
Perhaps next year we can vote where exactly we want the safety to be set.
So was there actually someone measuring times at the unnamed class III rapid few min below Kirschbum?
If so, the person on the cliff was supposed to have a whistle. And I'd like to know the difference between me and Connor since we were both dedicated to win and paddled all the way.
Perhaps next year we can vote where exactly we want the safety to be set.
I would have been frustrated
Glad I didn't go. .. i've gathered gear in the eddy's spectating in the past. And thrown some good hole rides in ginger too. No rescue needed.
Glad I didn't go. .. i've gathered gear in the eddy's spectating in the past. And thrown some good hole rides in ginger too. No rescue needed.
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