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Words from the
President
Pullet
Surprise
One of the perks of
being USCA President is receiving copies of various USCA division’s
newsletters. NECKRA, MCRA, and PACK all send me copies, and they really
put out some great stuff.
I am reminded of the fellow who worked for
a large, metropolitan newspaper for many years. He started out as an
intern, worked his way up to reporter, investigative reporter, and finally
columnist. When he felt that his efforts weren’t appreciated, he decided
to chuck it all and go into poultry farming.
He didn’t really know enough about the
field but decided to make an effort anyway. Not long into it, he
discovered that what he had thought was going to be a rooster, turned out
to be a pullet. His wife’s response was, “Well honey, you finally got
your pullet surprise!”
Although I don’t think any of the USCA
divisions’ newsletters are likely to win Pulitzers, I feel
obliged to award the Pullet Surprise to NECKRA. Its newsletter is really
terrific. It carries great articles, important and timely results, humor,
announcements, and has some great photos. In fact, the Fall/Winter 2007
issue is the one I want to give the award to. Besides great articles, the
choice of photo for the cover was outstanding: a veterans team in perfect
sync, faces fixed in concentration, highlighted from all the competition
at Nationals.
The Competitive Paddler,
formerly the Bent Shaft Paddler (why did you change that great name?)
really is something to be proud of.
On another note, with gas prices at more
than 50% higher than this time last year, instead of choosing not to race
as much, how about car pooling? We have some excellent resources. Our
USCA listserv and CANOE NEWS are 2 great rassets. Races
organizers: why not ask your local paddling community if anyone has a
boat they’d be willing to loan to someone traveling a great distance to
compete? It might help your attendance.
Last, please support all of our sponsors
and supporters. If you can buy the same thing from an outside vendor or
from one of our own, the choice should be obvious. If you compete in a
race that you liked or thought was especially well run, thank the
organizer.
If you like the job that any one in
particular in the USCA is doing, let him or her know too. Much of the
USCA’s work is thankless. Give someone in the USCA a Pullet Surprise.
Larry Liquori – see you on the water !
What’s In a Name?
As
I compose this column, I am waiting for shoulder surgery. In my one of
many appointments leading up to this operation, my orthopedist told his
partner and his physician’s assistant that I row a lot. I’ve grown
so tired of correcting him I just mentioned to his PA that the orthopedist
must do a lot of spinal adjustments (ala chiropractors). [Some
orthopedists are very sensitive about this sort of thing.] As he was
about to correct me, he then remembered and said to his PA, “Sorry, he
canoes.”
Back in the 80s and early 90s, we had
precious few kayakers competing at our races. Now we have quite a few
more, enough to make marathon kayak racing a higher profile part of our
organization. Why don’t we add the term kayak to our name, you
ask?
Can you imagine the confusion between us
and USACK if we became the USCKA? It’s bad enough now. We need to let
kayakers know, both current members, and potential members, that our tent
is big enough to encompass them too, even if their craft of choice doesn’t
appear in our name.
While some kayakers may feel
uncomfortable with the problems we have had with kayak classes, they
should know that our situation with canoes was not always as stable as it
appears now. There was a time when there were bitter arguments about C-2
inclusion and exclusion. I have heard stories from some of our old-timers
(old by virtue of having been around in the 70s, not by how many years
they have been on the earth).
Some parts of the country still don’t
have 3 & 27, the so-called pro-boats, as their main C-2 class.
Some states have a C-1 Standard class. The point is, our sport is
constantly changing and evolving. Hopefully, as kayak design changes
begin to stabilize (as opposed to a newer, possibly faster design every
other year), we may be able to standardize kayak classes a little more.
And speaking of kayak classes, did you
notice how much better attended the K-2 class was at Nationals in August?
Pam Browning and Sonja Gilman (among others) were lobbying anyone they
could to join them. Good job ladies! I eagerly look forward to a big,
maybe even crowded K-2 class someday soon. If we get more people
competing, perhaps we will then attract some of the bigger name kayak
racers to come and put on a big show for us.
I know of some USCA paddlers who can do
well in both canoe and kayak who race in canoe at Nationals, partly
because that is where the best competition is. Greg Barton, are you
listening? Bruce, Joe Shaw, Terry Kent, Jim Mallory, time to get
training.
Well, so much for my presidential
ramblings. Hope to see many of you delegates at the first Eastern Annual
Meeting since Rochester, and I hope to beat many of the rest of you with
my new, bionic shoulder next summer.
HUT!
Larry Liquori,
USCA President
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