May 13, 2004

Reno has built a whitewater park on the Truckee River that flows out of the mountains by Lake Tahoe. The river is now flowing about 800 cfs and it hits town where the river splits into two beautiful whitewater park channels. The river right or “South Channel” is a great beginner slalom course that is being used daily by people like Charlie Albright (a racer for more than 20 years) as well as beginners just learning to kayak. The river left channel or the “North Channel” is the freestyle channel. There are several places to play. The competition feature is a river wide hole that you can do most hole moves on. It is very shallow so you loop after hitting your boat hard on the bottom, but the bow does break free long enough to flip it over, sometimes aerial. There is also a small shoulder that you can do blunts and spins on. The kids, and people like Josh Matsel, have discovered “wave wars”. It is simply king of the wave and is the activity of choice for my kids. That is on the last feature of the park after the two channels join together again.

In between the channels is a beautiful park with an amphitheater for concerts and shows and it is right next to the main hole. The city of Reno will experience positive growth, increasing land values next to the park as everybody races to get a quality spot next to the park, and a great outdoor recreational activity right in town. I predict new kayak schools, and lots of kids learning in this new park as the kayakers get in gear and create programs to utilize the park.

We compete this weekend in the “Pro Invitational” event. It is a freestyle competition and will have lots of cool, “shallow water, small hole type moves”

Look for the following moves in my rides:

1. McNasty, oh yea- This move is my creation and is a staple move for anybody who expects to get top three in the Men’s class. Worth 16 points.
2. Phonics Monkey- Named by a Southpark Fan, no doubt, (just as the McNasty was named by a McDonalds fan) it is a retentive pirouette into a front loop. Also, required if you want to place in the top three because it will be another 16 point move.
3. Tricky Woo- Great move for this type of hole and requires skill to get each end vertical and miss the rocks at the same time: 12 points
4. Air Loop- Plug in slow and careful, then your bow smashes the rocks and the second it breaks free- throw it fast and hope to get air-(hope stern doesn’t hit rocks too) 10 points.
5. Orbit- Not the lunar orbit, but still cool- points still undecided, probably 8-10.
6. Felix- like a Helix in motion, but done on the corner of the hole so it is definitely not aerial. Worth 8 points.
7. Back loop, front loop- worth 8 points each
8. Back Blunt- worth 7 points

All clean, super clean cartwheels and splits- worth from 3-5 points each.

I would tell you exactly what my ride will be, but I am still working on it. My goal is simply to have more big moves than anybody, then nail them in the competition to win. Jay Kincaid and Billy Harris have been practicing together and are the stiffest competition from what I can tell. Jay has every move in the book in this hole since it is his two time per day training location. He lives here now. So, naturally, he is the man I want to go head to head with. We’ll see how the competition goes!

Meanwhile here are some photos of the bottom wave. Look for some video of my McNasty, Phonics Monkey, Loop, Trickywoo, etc. on the site soon.