Green River Locals Day 2006
Otherwise known as the Green Race. It's the best day of the year. This year was again amazing, the crowds were out in record numbers, the racers entered in record numbers, and some record times went down on the results!!!
I headed down from Boone Thursday evening to pick up some fresh Riot boats from Chris Gragglefunk's house. Met up with some dudes, Mark and Kelsey, who flew in from B.C. for the race. You know it's good when folks are coming that far just to race. My race took an unexpected turn that night at the Culcuta after the LVM Premiere, I was bet on by Mefford Williams for $21. He then realized that I was not paddling a long boat, and demanded that I did. Wilson then made the situation better (...or worse) by saying he had a Perception Pirouette that I could use. And this is how I ended up paddling in the Ironman.
The Ironman is racing the Green in both Short Boat and Long Boat Classes. Notice the guy being rescued below Pencil Sharpener/ above the Notch.
Here's Chris Gragtmans on his way to 4th place overall.(Photo by Jenni Miehle) Chris also competed in the Ironman. Congrats to the rest of Team Riot who competed. Dave Finny held his own, while Nasty Nate and Chris G tied for fifth in the short boat class, making the Magnum the holder of half the top six spots!!!
The Magnum also took top two in the head-to-head, with Nathan sneaking ahead of me with some quick lines.
I paddled the Pirouette on Friday, felt surprisingly good for being my first time in a long boat on the Green. Race day was a different story, I got thrown around, and struggled to keep the massive thing on line. I spun out super bad on the race line at Zwicks, and was beat coming into Gorilla.
Here's a nice shot that Leland took on Scream Machine.
All in all I guess for my third time ever in a long boat it turned out OK. I finished with a time of 5:21. On the way back up Clay Wright gave me some great tips he'd noticed about where racers were losing time below Gorilla, my parents were there to provide support, food and water. Thanks to both Clay and my folks, both efforts helped me recover.
I hiked back up to above Frankenstien, emptied my boat and was ready to go at it again. This time, I was calmer and more focused on smoothing my lines instead of going fast through the rapids. I also had a brand new Riot Magnum under my bottom which made going over and off rocks feel like butter. I had the run of my life and posted a 5:09 placing me in 4th place in the Short boat class!!!
Here's Jonathan Shanin who squeezed into 3rd two seconds ahead of me in short boat.(Photo by Jenni Miehle)
This year's race was very special to me because one of my best friends, Will White, raced for his first time. Willy and I basically learned how to kayak together, and he put alot of effort into dialing in race lines this year during training. Congrats on your first race Willy!!!
Willy hucking the G Munk.(Photo by Jenni Miehle)
Thanks to everyone who came out and showed their support. The crowd was bigger than ever, and the feeling you get when you charge over Speed Trap and 500 people roar over the river is unreal.(Photo by Jenni Miehle)
Congrats to Keith Sprinkle who defened his title in the hands paddler division while he was sick, and still won. Keith probably got the biggest roar from the crowd when he was announced the winner Saturday night.(Photo by Jenni Miehle)
Scott McCluskey and I built slalom gates this summer at the whitewater park, and he gets mad props for cleaning up the C-1 class with a time of 5:06, that's sik!!! Andria Baldwin has made a name for herself as a local chick who's running some shit, and now she has a Green win to back up all her sweet pics in THE local guide book, NC Creeks and Rivers.
And of course, A big Congrats to the man who made the biggest splash at the 2006 Green Race even before he got there, Pat Keller. The wonderboy put down a winning 4:36 in a boat he designed, then hiked back up and set a course short boat record at 4:54. Pat you are the MAN!!!!(Photo by Jenni Miehle)
The Hommies...Rob, Willy, Jah Will, me and Rich. Thanks to Rich for paddling the Magnum out for me!
Will Mac getting inside racer's heads above the Notch.(Photo by Jenni Miehle)
See everyone again, November 3rd, 2007!
Cooper
I headed down from Boone Thursday evening to pick up some fresh Riot boats from Chris Gragglefunk's house. Met up with some dudes, Mark and Kelsey, who flew in from B.C. for the race. You know it's good when folks are coming that far just to race. My race took an unexpected turn that night at the Culcuta after the LVM Premiere, I was bet on by Mefford Williams for $21. He then realized that I was not paddling a long boat, and demanded that I did. Wilson then made the situation better (...or worse) by saying he had a Perception Pirouette that I could use. And this is how I ended up paddling in the Ironman.
The Ironman is racing the Green in both Short Boat and Long Boat Classes. Notice the guy being rescued below Pencil Sharpener/ above the Notch.
Here's Chris Gragtmans on his way to 4th place overall.(Photo by Jenni Miehle) Chris also competed in the Ironman. Congrats to the rest of Team Riot who competed. Dave Finny held his own, while Nasty Nate and Chris G tied for fifth in the short boat class, making the Magnum the holder of half the top six spots!!!
The Magnum also took top two in the head-to-head, with Nathan sneaking ahead of me with some quick lines.
I paddled the Pirouette on Friday, felt surprisingly good for being my first time in a long boat on the Green. Race day was a different story, I got thrown around, and struggled to keep the massive thing on line. I spun out super bad on the race line at Zwicks, and was beat coming into Gorilla.
Here's a nice shot that Leland took on Scream Machine.
All in all I guess for my third time ever in a long boat it turned out OK. I finished with a time of 5:21. On the way back up Clay Wright gave me some great tips he'd noticed about where racers were losing time below Gorilla, my parents were there to provide support, food and water. Thanks to both Clay and my folks, both efforts helped me recover.
I hiked back up to above Frankenstien, emptied my boat and was ready to go at it again. This time, I was calmer and more focused on smoothing my lines instead of going fast through the rapids. I also had a brand new Riot Magnum under my bottom which made going over and off rocks feel like butter. I had the run of my life and posted a 5:09 placing me in 4th place in the Short boat class!!!
Here's Jonathan Shanin who squeezed into 3rd two seconds ahead of me in short boat.(Photo by Jenni Miehle)
This year's race was very special to me because one of my best friends, Will White, raced for his first time. Willy and I basically learned how to kayak together, and he put alot of effort into dialing in race lines this year during training. Congrats on your first race Willy!!!
Willy hucking the G Munk.(Photo by Jenni Miehle)
Thanks to everyone who came out and showed their support. The crowd was bigger than ever, and the feeling you get when you charge over Speed Trap and 500 people roar over the river is unreal.(Photo by Jenni Miehle)
Congrats to Keith Sprinkle who defened his title in the hands paddler division while he was sick, and still won. Keith probably got the biggest roar from the crowd when he was announced the winner Saturday night.(Photo by Jenni Miehle)
Scott McCluskey and I built slalom gates this summer at the whitewater park, and he gets mad props for cleaning up the C-1 class with a time of 5:06, that's sik!!! Andria Baldwin has made a name for herself as a local chick who's running some shit, and now she has a Green win to back up all her sweet pics in THE local guide book, NC Creeks and Rivers.
And of course, A big Congrats to the man who made the biggest splash at the 2006 Green Race even before he got there, Pat Keller. The wonderboy put down a winning 4:36 in a boat he designed, then hiked back up and set a course short boat record at 4:54. Pat you are the MAN!!!!(Photo by Jenni Miehle)
The Hommies...Rob, Willy, Jah Will, me and Rich. Thanks to Rich for paddling the Magnum out for me!
Will Mac getting inside racer's heads above the Notch.(Photo by Jenni Miehle)
See everyone again, November 3rd, 2007!
Cooper
posted by Cooper Lambla at 6:04 PM
2 Comments:
Cooper, you're my hero. Amazing.
Coop, without you I would have never been out there. Thanks for all the help and encouragement, a friend like no other.
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