43rd Southeastern U. S. Wildwater Championships and NOC Canoe Club Challenge A Racer's Perspective

by Todd McGinnis

August 15, 2011 -- Bryson City, NC Congrats to both the GCA and the AWC for thier victories. The race has ended and I have to say to both clubs it was a great competition. I was asked why this event was so important to me. Last night I gave it some thought and came up with the same answer I had previous - competition is fun! The NOC Canoe Club Challenge and the Southeasterns was just a Fun Competition. It gave the opportunity for the clubs of the southeast to mix it up a bit and push ourselves. For those of us who have a competitve side we got to exercise that as well. The Southeastern Downriver Race had so many moving obstacles that it was a great warm up for the Slalom races. For those of us who raced for the first time in a Wavehopper, it was real interesting trying to navigate through converging rafts while trying to hit those racer lines. If you look at the pictures from the event you will be amazed by the massive number of boats we pushed through that course in such a short amount of time. My hat goes off to the NOC for putting this together and dealing with all of us and our desire to get in as many runs in as many different boats as we could come up with. I think next year I am trying for a T1 catagory - 1 person Tuber! For those of you who do not have a Facebook account I have placed some pictures from the event on webshots - maybe there is a better tool but this is the one I use for now. Click the link - sports.webshots.com/album/580721724egJoLS. Also on the Facebook album you can tag yourself, friends or whomever you know - I got them out there you tag em! Todd McGinnis Photos of Todd (by Rick Thompson)