Bring it Home

Laurie, Jen, SkinDog, Gavin, Mike B., Les H. and the rest of Team USA.......

You guys are great. We have enjoyed reading the blog and seeing the pictures. Most of all we all want you to know that we are all pulling for you back here. Many of us wish we could be there.

You make us proud!!!!

Remember that you must believe that you are the best paddler, for that bench, on the water that day.

Larry

Day 1 of races done

Day one of races is over. Team USA has mad a great showing so far and the PDX paddlers have been bringing it like nobodies business. Of all the other countires here I would have to say that the Iranians are by far the friendliest. I am helming for the Masters Mixed and Womens crews and we have done great so far. The women are gaining ground on the Hungarian women each race. The mixed crew has taken a third in every race giving the Germans a fight for second and leaving Canada in the dust. The mens team has gone of course in two of their three races and had a tough day. (just for the record it wasn't me on the back) I am the only female helm in the mixed division so I am enjoying kicking some arse in a skirt. tee-hee. Tomorrow we race a 500m and two 200m races and we are hoping that it cools down a bit. 6-9 races a day in 96 degree heat is a bit much for all of us.
We are fortunate to have a free concert outside of our rooms every night we have been here. Right across the river, a river not half as wide as the Willamette mind you, is the Hungarian Youth Festival. Think Lollapolooza in 3-4 different languages and you get the drift. Not to worry though, it only goes until 2am. Do you smell sarcasm?
A group of us ventured out to find a non-hotel dinner tonight. The hotel food is part of our package, but you can only eat so much soup, then salty starchiness, then soggy dessert-like substance even if it is free.

Friday - Race Day #1

Today was the first race day and, oh, what a race day it was. The competition is incredible. Countries like Germany, Russia and our host country, Hungary, have brought in the big guns. They've got Olympic kayakers, high knee paddlers, etc. on the teams and they are SOLID!

But maybe instead of 'oh', I should 'OW'. There was a whole lot of racing going on today and a whole lot of sore muscles tonight. I think many people were ready to fall asleep on their dinner plates. Our day started with a 5am wake up call, breakfast at 5:30am and off to the race site by 6:30am. Today was preliminary races for the 500m and 200m standard boats and 200m 10-man boats. Racing started with the 500m races. In the first round, I raced 3 back-to-back 500's on the Senior Mixed, Masters Mixed and Masters women. Then we got a little break and started round 2 of the 500m races where I raced 2 of those (Senior Mixed and Masters Women).

For the Master's division, instead of running Prelims, Repechage, and Finals, they are taking the combined time of 3 races for medals. Should be interesting. The 3rd race (and final) for this division is tomorrow (Sat.) afternoon.

Then it was on to the 200m races...

I raced my first race in a 10-man boat in the Senior Women's division. Our team age range went from 16-50 (or maybe older...not sure how old our steersperson is). Ashley Blundetto (18 years) and our own Jen PeArt were the lead strokers and Brittiney Blundetto (16 years old) was our caller. We had a mess of a first race but our second was solid putting us into the finals which will be on Sunday.

The first of the standard boat 200 meter races also were this afternoon. In the Masters division, race #2 will be on Saturday and on Sunday race 3. Again, this is accummulative.

As for the Senior division 200m standard boat. the Senior Mixed advanced to the finals, which are on Sunday. I'll have to go figure out the men's divisions and other or you can go check out the results on the official page. http://results.mkksz.hu/en/timetable/

I think 5 500's and 4 200's is a record amount of races for me in one day so with tired shoulders, back (Kurt where are you when I need you?) and bum I've off to bed. By Wasabi land...sweet dreams. Laurie

Opening Ceremonies ...WOW!

Often I've found that opening ceremonies can be long and dull but no this one! Szeged outdid themselves. And what is being worn on the red carpet this year ... well, RED, of course. To the Chinese, Red is good luck and it seemed that 80% of the teams were sporting it tonight: USA, Germany, Switzerland, Hungary, Canada, Russia, etc, etc. etc.

The images of the night are wonderful...light-footed dancers of all ages, officials with short and sweet speeches, the sea of competitors in their uniforms, one of the best stage areas that will double as the medals stand, the race course in the background just beckoning tomorrow's thoughts. Running into old friends, making new friends, cheering teams, and Hungary's top Opera tenors singing his way down the race course in a candle-lit dragon boat and to the stage while nearly a full moon rose in back him. And then...the fireworks! WOW!!! Nicely done.

Kicking around Szeged

As I mentioned in the previous blog entry, Szeged has a lot of statues. Some old, some new and inbetween the sleep, eat, practice, blah, blah, blah routine the team has either been going to the Turkish baths (I haven't been there yet) or kicking around the town. You can't help but notice the statues. Some inspired us!

That's Gavin striking a pose! :)

Practice and the Olympic Water Stadium

The last few days have been a blur. With a cancelled flight and everyone dispersed to the wind (literally), we trickled into Hungary. Since then it's been sleep, eat, practice, eat, meetings ... sleep, eat, practice, meetings. For 2 days, we've practiced at Szeged's Olympic water sports stadium (See picture) It's wonderful with some great permanent buildings along the course. There is a grass-topped island border that runs the length of the course with entrances onto the course at variuos distances. So you approach the coarse on the one side of the island and then drop onto the course to line up for your race.

Team USA has 2 main categories here: Senior (no age restrictions) and Masters (over 40). Our practice times have corresponded mainly with the Iranian and Hungarian teams. There's been lots of picture taking and wonderful exchanges with both the men's and women's teams from Iran. We share a bus to the race site which was been fun. Practices have gone well and I have finally got to try out a 10-man boat. IT'S FUN!!! The Senior division has 200 meter 10-man boat races as well as the standard 20-man boats. As the rest of the distances (500 m. and 2000 m.) will be in the standard boats.

Szeged has a lot of statues. The main one at the race course has to be honoring "The Speedo"! I wish I has a copy of the picture we took with some of the Iranian men. It was fabulous.

Views of Szeged, Hungary

2nd day

Back in our rooms after out second Team USA pracitce here in Hungary.

We had our first practice yesterday approximately 20 minutes after arriving in the hotel. Please note that the race site is a 10 minute drive. We dropped our bags in our rooms, put on paddling gear and off we went. It felt good to be on the water after the trek from heck via Delta airlines. Did you know the DELTA stands for Didn't Ever Leave The Airport? 14 of us had a great flight on Sunday, oh wait no we didn't since it got cancelled. We then got scattered to the winds and had to make connecting flights with minimal time allotments to do so. Whatever, we made it in one piece and that's all that counts, right?

The entire Team USA contigency had a 3 hour water session this morning. It looks like a strong group all around. It's "interesting" to watch all of the different styles of paddling to say the least
I will be paddling in the 2000m on Sunday due to a paddler having to fly out early and the fact that there are only 20 masters women. Bummed only get to steer the Mixed 2000m but it will be fun to race in a bench again.

Write at ya again soon-
SaTina

Failure to Launch

AT LAST! It's finally here! The day we leave for Hungary for the ICF World Championships!!!

Twelve of us gather at the airport. It's so cool, we're all on the same flight. We stop in at the Rogue Brewery on the C Concourse to enjoy the atmosphere and then off to our gate.

Oh, wait there's a mechanical problem so we'll be delayed an hour so back to The Rogue and now we've picked up an ER doctor who is also on our flight and knows Skinner. We're the fun crowd!!! So here we are, round 2 at The Rogue, catching up on a little email, etc. Then back to the gate. Oh wait, it's going to take a bit longer so the airlines hands out $6 food vouchers. My goal ... how many things can I get with the voucher! We disperse and shop. I've scored 2 Sweet & Salty Nut Rolls, 2 packages of Choc Chip Cookies AND a Rice Krispie bar. Whoo hoo!

So back to the gate, board the plane, sit for a while. Plane finally pulls out and then for about an hour we drive around the tarmack ... sightseeing? Luckily some didn't take their Ambien yet for then the announcement comes ... we're going back to the gate! Another mechanical!

So back at the gate, the mechanic shows up, he's checking ... he's checking ... he's checking. Hey we make some new friends on the flight. A lady 2 rows up thinks we're fun and comes back to visit. Well, maybe we're fun for some people and not others. The lady and guy in front of us were pretty up tight. So the women has a panic attack, jumps up and runs up the aisle in tears. The man scolds us for visiting near his seat. Luckily there's a social worker on board.

Oh wait, a new announcement ... the flight crew will now go over their allowed time so Delta cancels the flight.

So, 10 after leaving my house this morning our happy party of 12 has now dispersed and will depart out on several flights over the next day. So here is Skinner and I ... back in my living room. So much for the first day!

Is it a full moon?

Lasting Memories of Macau and first impressions of Phuket

As I sit in my spa pool villa at the Banyan Tree Resort in Phuket Thailand I feel the need to comemorate the most vivid memories of Macau and the racing and somehow contrast them with my after race expedition to the Island of Phuket. (OK, I can hear some of you now saying...my God this poor guy is bored stiff.........Well perish the thought.)

Macau was:

• Clean
• The people were engaging. Especially our little rebel helper, Dawn.
• Alex in the hotel restaurant was exceedingly helpful. His English was good but because he was from the Phillipines originally, we had better success speaking Spanish.
• The Casino architecture was amazing.
• There were no billboards.
• The teak dock built to accomocate 20 boats was superb. Because of the dock and the number of boats the entire race weekend ran on-time. Imgaine a dragon boat festival race running on-time. The secret is adequate dock space and boats to make the crew turns necessary to stay on-time.
• The heavy humid hot air made it so hard to breathe during races. Was I the only one that noticed this?
• Competition at the highest level. I honestly think I have not seen faster crews ever. Wasabi, to our credit, was in the thick of it.

Phuket:

• The Thai people at the Banyan Tree are so well trained in their jobs. It is amazing.
• This area where the resorts sit was once a moon cratered tin mine that the UN environmental group said was undevelopable - it was so contaminated. The Singapore money group behind this area came in anyway, removed all of the contaminated earth and relpaced it and shaped it to fit the plan. We are talking several square kilometers. The result is that one group is now providing jobs to the local residents who had seen there industry, tin mining, disappear and leave them with uninhabitable surroundings.
• I can say I have swam in the Adaman Sea.
• It is hot and humid like Macau but I have my own private pool. OK, I do have to share it with my wife.
• The food is exquisite. They have tiger prawns the size of small lobsters.
• Oh, and the best part in the compare and contrast department. In Penang two years ago we found Tiger beer to be so refreshing. There was no Tiger beer in Macau. We had to settle for Macau beer. Well, in Phuket they have Tiger Beer - frosty cold - and served in a chilled Weizen glass.

I was going to upload some pictures but our wi fi here in PhuKet is capacity contrained and therefore very slow.

Racing has concluded

The racing has concluded and now many of us head off in various directions for a well earned vacation. Some will depart for mainland China and some for other parts of Southeast Asia.

A summarization of the racing experience would go something like this;

• Great venue


• Super job of organizing by the Macau Organizers


• Wasabi represented the U.S. well earning a bronze medal in the Senior B Womens 2000m.


• The big winners were the German and Australian crews in our racing categories.


• The strongest teams in the premier categories were the Singapore military team, The Pacific Dragons (Australia) and the Chinese teams.

If I compare the racing in Macau this year to Penang 2 years ago I would say that the competition was higher in Macau. In Penang the Canadian teams dominated the event but in Macau the same Canadian teams, although very competitive, were not dominate.

Wasabi earned the right to compete with the highest level of competition in the world. What we learned is that the level of competition is getting higher everytime there is a World Championship and that we, Wasabi, can compete at that level. (There was never a race that we were blown out of except perhaps the GMMixed 2000 meter. The majority of the races we were in the thick of it.) That being said, we will have to continue to elevate our game and continuously think outside the box for new and creative ways to do so.

That is my opinion based on my observations and the workings of a sun-baked nearly heat-stroked mind.

For Laura and I we are off to Thailand. More from PhuKet when we arrive there.