2010 Wildwater Nationals

2010 Wildwater Nationals Wrap Up

wierc1 — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 03:58:10 +0000

Congratulations to the 2010 USA Wildwater National Champions!

The overall winners are:

K-1M: Chris Hipgrave

C-2 M: Colton and Bryson Popp

K-1W: Tienrey O’Sullivan

C-1M: Tom Wier

This year’s course was challenging- the sprint was difficult to do fast, as big waves and boils made boat control hard, and the classic had a long, easy stretch ending in big water.

The sprint produced interesting results. Both Tom Wier and Tierney O’Sullivan, eventual overall champions, placed second after eddying out in one run. Jack Ditty became C-1 sprint national champion, and Boo Turner won in K-1W. In C-2, Colton and Bryson Popp beat out Rich Roehner and Mike Baker, 2009 national champions. In K-1, Chris Hipgrave made the course look easy with two solid runs. He was followed closely by Doug Ritchie in second and Chris Norbury in third.

The results were shaken up in the classic race, as Roehner/Baker won C-2 by almost four percent, and were closer to the top K-1 than any C-2 has been in a decade, but it wasn’t quite enough to make up the deficit from the sprint. In K-1M, Chris Hipgrave continued his dominance in the event, winning by almost 20 seconds over Doug Ritchie. In C-1 M, Tom Wier took first, with former world cup champion Andy Bridge taking second place, and John Pinyerd in third. In K-1W, Tierney O’Sullivan beat Boo Turner by 28 seconds, enough to take the overall title, and Jennie Goldberg held on for third.

Special mention goes to Haley Popp and Cully Brown, our junior K-1W and K-1M champions, respectively. Both turned in impressive performances. Haley would have taken third in the sprint, classic, and overall in the open K-1W category. Cully would have been seventh in the sprint, sixth in the classic, and fifth overall in the open men’s K-1 category.

We will shortly post video from the event on YouTube. Check back for links.

Results are posted as PDF files under the “Results” tab.

Thanks to everyone who came out- you made it a great event.

Final Nationals Update

wierc1 — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 13:24:12 +0000

We have finalized many details for the National Championships, and wanted to let everyone know a few important things.

When you arrive, go first to the group campsite. It is 0.2 miles upstream (east) of the turn for the Goodell Creek Campground, on the north side of the road. Starting Wednesday afternoon, we will have course maps and other information there.

The event schedule has changed! While the races are at the same time, other events and locations have moved. Changes are in bold below.

Friday, July 30th

Open practice on course all day.

1:00 to 5:00 p.m. Registration at Goodell Creek Group Campsite

5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Boat Control at Goodell Creek Group Campsite

Saturday, July 31st

9:00 a.m. Volunteers Meeting at Goodell Creek Group Campsite

10:00 a.m. Mandatory Racers Meeting at Goodell Creek Group Campsite

10:30 to 11:00 a.m. Emergency Boat Control at Goodell Creek Group Campsite (for late arrivals only).

12:00 p.m. 1st Run Sprints at S-Bends Rapids. Start lists will be available at the racers meeting.

2:oo p.m. 2nd Run Sprints at S-Bends Rapids.

7:00 p.m. Meet our USACK Executive Director, Joe Jacobi, at Currier Hall in Newhalem.

7:00 p.m. Live Music, Dessert, and Awards for Sprints at Currier Hall in Newhalem.

Time TBD: USA Wildwater Committee Meeting. All are welcome.

Sunday, August 1st

8:00 to 10:00 a.m. Free pancake breakfast for volunteers and competitors. Goodell Creek Group Campsite.

9:00 a.m. Volunteer Meeting at Goodell Creek Group Campsite

10:00 a.m. Mandatory Racers Meeting at Goodell Creek Group Campsite.

12:00 p.m. Classic Race Start below put-in at Goodell Creek.

3:00 p.m. Awards for Classic Race and Overall National Championships at Goodell Creek Group Campsite

3:30 p.m. Team Processing at Goodell Creek Group Campsite.

Training Camp

wierc1 — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 13:23:32 +0000

The training camp this weekend was a success. The water was higher than it will be for the races, which made for a bouncy ride through the sprint course.

Here are some times from the weekend:

Classic best times:

C-1: 12:12

K-1W: 12:48

C-2: 12:36

Sprint Best Times:

C-1: 2:31 per run

K-1W: 2:55 per run

Preliminary Schedule of Events

wierc1 — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 23:50:14 +0000

This schedule of events is current as of July 3rd. Changes may occur, so check back for updates.

Friday, July 30th

Open practice on course all day.

1:00 to 5:00 p.m. Registration at Goodell Creek Picnic Shelter

5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Boat Control at Goodell Creek Picnic Shelter

Saturday, July 31st

9:00 a.m. Volunteers Meeting at Goodell Creek Picnic Shelter

10:00 a.m. Mandatory Racers Meeting at Goodell Creek Picnic Shelter

10:30 to 11:00 a.m. Emergency Boat Control at Goodell Creek Picnic Shelter (for late arrivals only).

12:00 p.m. 1st Run Sprints at S-Bends Rapids. Start lists will be available at the racers meeting.

2:oo p.m. 2nd Run Sprints at S-Bends Rapids.

5:00 p.m. Awards for Sprints at Goodell Creek Picnic Shelter.

7:00 p.m. USA Wildwater Committee Meeting Location TBD

Sunday, August 1st

Volunteer Meeting: 9:00 a.m. at Goodell Creek Picnic Shelter.

Mandatory Racers Meeting: 10:00 a.m. at Goodell Creek Picnic Shelter.

12:00 p.m. Classic Race Start below put-in at Goodell Creek.

3:00 p.m. Awards for Classic Race and Overall National Championships at Goodell Creek Picnic Shelter.

3:30 p.m. Team Processing at Goodell Creek Picnic Shelter.

Nationals Update

wierc1 — Sun, 20 Jun 2010 14:22:54 +0000

The 2010 Wildwater Nationals on the Skagit River are less than 6 weeks away! The races will be held July 31^st and August 1^st on the Skagit River, just outside of Newhalem, Washington. There is water available on the river every day due to releases for power generation, and there is a lot to do in the area, so plan on coming out early for practice and vacation.

Here are a couple of things to keep in mind while planning your trip:

Registration:

Registration forms can be found at http://2010wildwaternationals.wordpress.com/

Schedule:

Boat control and registration will be on Friday, July 30^th.

Registration will continue on Saturday morning, July 31^st.

The Sprint race will start at 12:00 p.m. on July 31^st.

The Classic race will start at 12:00 p.m. on August 1^st.

Flying to Washington:

Fly into Bellingham Airport (2 hour drive from the race site) or SeaTac (3.5-4.0 hour drive from race site).

Boats:

While many boats have been reserved, we still have a few available. Look on http://2010wildwaternationals.wordpress.com/ to find contact information, and if you don’t see what you need, email wierc1 at yahoo.com. We may be able to find a boat for you.

Ship boats to ODFL Seattle. Use information at the above web address.

Lodging:

It’s time to reserve your lodging!

Camping is free at the race site, but reserve your space by emailing wierc1 at yahoo.com.

A bunkhouse is available in Newhalem (1/2 mile upriver of the put-in), and has kitchen facilities available. Cost is $30 per night per person. Email wierc1 at yahoo.com to reserve a spot. Reservations must be made by July 10^th, as some beds in the bunkhouse may be used by Seattle City Light Employees for work at the power station.

We look forward to seeing all of you in a few weeks!

Time to Buy Your Plane Tickets!

wierc1 — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 12:59:51 +0000

For those of you planning on traveling to Washington for Wildwater Nationals this summer, here’s a quick update about the race schedule.

The races will start at or just after noon on both Saturday and Sunday, because the river level will not stabilize ’til just before mid-day on July 31st and August 1st. If you are planning to leave on Sunday night, be aware that the classic is Sunday, and will not finish ’til 2:00 at the earliest, and it can be a 3.5 to 4 hour drive to the Seattle Airport from the race location.

We will shortly post more about things to do while in the area, and answers to some of the most frequently asked questions that we’ve recieved.

Course Specifics

wierc1 — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 23:43:24 +0000

This weekend we determined the start and finish points for the sprint and classic, and determined approximate lengths.

The Sprint:

Approximately Length: 900 meters (yes, we know it’s long).

Approximate Time: 2:47 (best C-1 time at 3,200 cfs). It takes a little longer than 500 meters on flatwater.

The Classic:

Approximate Length: 3.85 km (yes, we know it’s short).

Approximate Time: 12:52 (C-1 at 3,200 cfs), 13:42 (K-1W at 3,200 cfs).

Training Camp May Be Canceled

wierc1 — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 23:07:04 +0000

Do not plan on participating in the Nationals Training Camp this weekend unless you call and speak with Tom Wier first! The camp may be canceled!

Call Tom at 425-232-3038.

Helmet Cam Video of the Sprint Course

wierc1 — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 00:03:32 +0000

Follow this link for helmet cam footage of the S-Bends taken from a plastic boat.

The level is probably 2500-3000 cfs, close to the level we predict for nationals.

[vimeo http://vimeo.com/11085445]

2010 Wildwater Nationals is also 2011 Team Trials!

wierc1 — Sun, 04 Apr 2010 00:39:37 +0000

The US Wildwater Committee decided that the 2010 National Championships would also serve as 2011 team trials!

Come out for the most important race of the year in beautiful Washington State!

We will be holding two training camps on the Nationals/Team Trials courses. The first will be April 24-25, and the second in July before the event. Please see below for details.