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We started off in San Diego with a big hoo-ra! Hosted by Hanohano Outrigger, and we ended in San Diego with a song and a dance at the Championships hosted by Kai Elua.
In between we had a variety of conditions and decisions, and as I sit here, I contemplate what hat should I wear for this publication as I summarize Part I of our summer racing: SDOCC head coach, our women's coach, the paddler, or SCORA race director/ race day official???

Each perspective offers a slightly different account of what transpires during a given season.
As Race Chair, I am obligated to uphold and enforce a variety of rules, some of them as easy as velcro-ing your shoe, some of them ,apparently, as confusing as quantum physics. None of them are “rocket science” tho... and that’s where it’s cause for pause, and in my best Jack-like impersonation (what would it be called when one imitates their dog? Imcanineation?) I tilt my head to one side, and look incredulously at the speaker, and think “huh?”. You might see me roaming at any race and actually wonder “what does she do?”. In my head, my mind is reeling with scenarios, considerations, possibilities, and probabilities. Not to mention the “what-ifs” and “suppose this..” And ultimately there nags a little voice squealing “what does LOCC have in store for me today?” ( I lovingly jest). Nevertheless, I try to put my best at-ease face on and summon what little stage presence I have as I address my favorite audience: The Novice Steerspeople.

Got to love their enthusiasm, and eagerness. I need to be in their midst so I can remind myself what this is all about anyway. The newness, the adrenaline pumping, the heart rates racing, and all I did was ask them to introduce themselves to someone new. Why? B’cuz you never know 1) who’s team you may be farmed out to next year, and 2) who’s back you may find your ama on.

We talk a little about what I expect each of them to know like “What is the shortest distance between 2 points?”; or “Raise your left hand” – so I know when I ask them to make a left turn around a buoy, that they’re all going the same direction, and then a little more complicated questions like “What is overlap?”, and “At a turn, who has right of way?”, etc. After which I give them the race course details and send them on their way. Indeed at the next race and meeting, their energy is still pumped up, and of course some of them did paddle farther than others as they switch-back/slalomed their way to the finish line, some of them did indeed experience the real deal huli, but they are back and ready to take on the next racing challenge.

As Race Chair, I am surrounded by an awesome committee of extremely knowledgeable and talented people. I would be nothing and races would be chaotic without the support of Billy, Bud, Bobby, and Shag on the water, without Susie, Mishi, Caren, Nancy, Jeannette, Mike, Jeff, and Team Mike-n-Denise on land at set-up, registration, timing, sound and insurance. There are many other volunteers who step up at each race and help the event run smoothly from set-up at o’dark thirty to take-down at what feels like 20 hours later. Thank you to all of you.

This Iron season tested our Officials merit as we were forced to cancel one race due to adverse conditions, and mid-race alter another's course. The Marina race was a-ok up until after the women's race, at which point the swell was too big to navigate and keep canoes from being constantly swamped.

And mid-race at the Pineapple Express, we shifted a turn buoy and cut the men's race down to prevent any unwanted “turnover”. All in all the decisions were definitely the right ones made, and the resulting consequences were that paddlers were forced to hit the beach and bars a little earlier, that’s all.

While the Marina race was being cancelled, I was one day later (earlier? I have no idea)... all I do know is that I was far away and across the globe at the World Va’a Championships in New Caledonia, wondering if I could keep a straight line in a rudderless V1. All I wanted was to not embarrass myself... I suspect I may have saved face on the water, but my attempt to impress the locals with my command of the French language probably set the US back years in international relations. Bonjour to all my New Cali friends!

As the head coach of SDOCC, I must make mention of my novice team's great successes. In no way due to anything I have done, this is SDOCC’s winningest novice year in my 13 year coaching history.

Coach Daisy is doing a stellar job with them, and I pity the women once they move on up to the open team and I get my hands on them.

The mention of ending our Iron season with a ‘song and a dance' was because as part of 'novii’s' induction to paddling, Kai Elua designated a dance contest as part of race–day entertainment. And was it ever entertaining! In addition to the dancing (BTW- SDOCC won that contest too, hey! Im just sayin’), we had expert dancer from 'So-you-Think-You-Can-Dance' fame Mark Kanemura on the panel to judge the finalists. Thanks to Margot and to Kai Elua for setting that up. Good fun!
Our Sprint/Regatta season is just about to end with State Champs in Santa Barbara, hosted by Santa Barbara Outrigger on the 26th. We will wrap that up in the next issue. I just want to leave you with a little teaser to that segment of our season, and leave you wondering about the answer to, “What is a 9-man Sprint Relay?”
See you on the water-Cheance

 

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