From: jamie@jamiemcewan.com
Subject: WW Alumni & Friends
Date: June 1, 2006 8:56:00 PM EDT

Hello to Whitewater Alumni, friends,

Scott Shipley has proposed an alumni meeting in Charlotte to coincide with the Slalom nationals, and I think it's a great idea. It's the 50th anniversary national championships, and Scott says there is already talk of inviting all the old national champions to the new "National Whitewater Center." Tentatively, we will plan on getting together that night, Saturday the 26th, though this could change if that night is crowded with other events. Time and place to be determined. I could use some volunteers to help with this, preferably including some who know the area.

Separately, Matt Taylor has proposed a get-together at the Gauley Fest this fall. Given how scattered team members are, I'm all in favor of having reunions in various spots, as convenient, and so I don't see why we can't do both. The slalom nationals will also be an organizational meeting, while the Gauley, if we pull it off, might be more of a simple reunion, plus, if desired, river run.

The World Cup team just raced in Athens this past weekend. A great deal of excitement was created when Brett Heyl won the qualifier in K-1 Men. (New format: qualifier run cuts the field to 40 in men's kayak, 30 in C-1 & K-1W, 20 in C-2; semi-final run cuts the field to ten; semi-final time is combined with final run time to rank the top 10.) Heyl ended up twelfth of 49, with Scott Parsons thirteenth, and Jim Wade a solid eighteenth. Note that both Parsons and Heyl had a touch in their semi-final run; without it either would have been fifth in the semi's. In other classes: Jeff Larimer 23 of 43 in C-1, Austin Crane 26th, Ben Fraker 27th; Kvanli/Smith 24 of 25 in C-2; Zuzana Vanha 19 of 40 in K-1 Women, Molly Stock 22nd, Jamie Tidmore 29th. There is a summary of results on the USACK website, http://www.usack.com/ Full results are at http://www.canoekayak.gr/worldcup2006/slalom/en/results.asp.

The next World Cup race is June 2-4 in Augsburg; then June 9-10 in La Seu d'Urgell. We may get a World Cup report from Mike Larimer, if time permits.

Note that the Kvanli/Smith C-2 team must place in the top 2/3 to win a spot on the World Championship team. As some of you know, I have made an attempt to have the rules "bent" so that the two C-2's who qualified to race in the World Cup could race in the World Championships, despite the fact that they did not make the required percentage cut-off at the team trials. I have not yet heard the final word on this.

For the best Wildwater news, you may go to
http://www.usawildwater.com/ and sign up for the wildwater E-zine, and if desired, join the lively wildwater listserv. The first wildwater World Cup is on June 24; the final, June 30.

I close with a question: should we include freestyle (aka rodeo) in the alumni group? I confess that when I sent out my original email this did not even occur to me. If you have an opinion on this, let me know.

Best to all.

Jamie McEwan

P.S. I am sending this to some people who have not told me that they wish to be on the alumni email list; if you are one of them, and wish to continue to get alumni emails, please let me know. At some point I will begin sending to listed members only.