July 26, 2010
 

Dear Wildwater Racers and Friends:

The 2010 U.S. Wildwater National Championships are this coming weekend, July 31 - August 1 on the Skagit River near Newhalem, Washington. This event is also the Senior Team Trials for the 2011 Wildwater Team!. The first article in this newsletter includes the final update for the event. (You can find more information at the official Nationals website at http://2010wildwaternationals.wordpress.com/.) I wish the best for all who are competing this weekend!!

The USACK Wildwater Committee is also pleased to recognize the wildwater athletes who competed in the 2010 Wildwater World Championships last month. Several athletes achieved results that earned them points (and money) for their performance. Check out the second article to learn more about how the performance funding works and which athletes qualified for the funds. We could not have provided these funds without help from our donors and sponsors.

Plans for the "42nd Annual Southeastern Championships" have also been solidified. This year the event, which is being held on August 14th, includes a Wildwater Classic Race and the final in a series of slalom races called the "Southeastern Canoe Club Challenge". The Nantahala Outdoor Center is hosting the "Southeasterns".

We are still seeking bids from race organizing committees to host the 2011 USA Wildwater National Events.
Organizers should choose the Wildwater event(s) that they are best suited to host and bid on one of these event(s):

• 2011 USA Wildwater National Championships
• 2011 Team Trials (to select USA National Wildwater Team for 2012)
• 2011 Eastern USA Wildwater Junior Team Trials (to select team for 2011)
• 2011 Western USA Wildwater Junior Team Trials (to select team for 2011)
• A combination of one or more of these events

We also bring news of a new World Record set by U.S. Wildwater paddler Andy Corra. Andy set the record by paddling 273.5 miles in 24 hours. You can read more about this feat at the link in this newsletter.

On a sad note, Wildwater and several other sports lost a great athlete, Chuck Lyda, on June 12th of this year. Chuck was a U.S. Wildwater Team member from 1971 to 1995 and again in 2003. He was the U.S. National Wildwater Champion in C-1 and C-2 and a World Champion in Slalom (mixed C-2). I encourage you to ready more about Chuck Lyda's life at the link in this newsletter.

Finally, you can show your support for Wildwater by going to the USACK website (http://usack.org/). Scroll down to the bottom of the page click on Wildwater on the right of "What is your favorite discipline?".

Chuck Brabec
Editor & Webmaster, USAWildwater.com