David Hearn’s Olympic Journal

Champion International Whitewater Series, Colorado

World Cup Augsburg, Germany

I was off to another whitewater slalom race on May 24, only five days after making the Olympic Team on the Ocoee River in Tennessee. It was in the nineties in Bethesda when I was packing for the Champion International Whitewater Series Race #2 over Memorial Day weekend on the Eagle River in Minturn, Colorado. I thought twice before packing my hat and gloves. I was thinking about summer and whitewater, not snow and skiing. The dip in the jet stream over Colorado just wanted to hang out and spin circles overhead creating a snow and rain mix in the mid-thirties. At least the snow line was 500 feet up the mountain this year, and not all the way down to the river banks at 7500 feet. As we consoled ourselves with this dodgy weather data Sunday, the snow began to stick at the course, in big wet flakes. At least we got a snowball fight out of it! A good bet was to stay warm inside by watching the Indy 500 on television, enjoying the majestic mountain view from my Marriott hotel room. I came to have a good pre-Olympic race even if the weather was not going to cooperate.

It seems as though it remains par for the course to have Mother Nature acting up during whitewater training or competitions. It is something that every outdoor competitor learns to deal with (snow, rain, wind, extreme hot or cold). Weather just is. I learned pretty early on to be prepared for extreme weather conditions and try to figure out how I can best deal with the adverse conditions. The positive side to training and competing outside far outweighs the disadvantages or inconvenience of bad weather. I can enjoy the exhilaration of paddling on the river every day, physically testing myself, yet at the same time absorbing my surroundings and experiencing nature all around me. This is part of what makes whitewater fun.

Athletes must condition themselves mentally as well as physically. Physical preparation is easier to learn and share with other people, but mental preparation is a tougher nut to crack. Psychological preparation for sport, business, or life are all very similar. The experts tell us to focus on a plan, organize short term goals, and plan for long term goals. I try to remain flexible (for the inevitable last minute changes or any in-your-face distractions), and focus primarily on training and race day things I can control (fitness, diet, sleep, mental wellness, knowing the schedule).

So be the weather, one of the many “somethings” which I have no control over. Back to race day, it was a struggle not to wear pogies (nylon hand covers attached over the paddle shaft) to keep my hands warm in the freezing water temperatures and breezy chilly air. I took two race runs wearing the pogies and my drytop to make it into the afternoon finals race. I made sure to change into dry clothes in between each run, and even hung out in my rental car blasting the heater to stay rested out of the cool wind. The announcers said I was winning after second runs for all of about 20 minutes. Lukas Pollert of the Czech Republic went home with the $1000 first prize after a penalty was removed from his second run score. Okay, second place it would be for today. I still paddled well and had a good race. I felt like it was another tough fought battle in the C1 class. I was definitely ready to seek shelter indoors and hop into a warm shower. My hat is off to all of the dedicated whitewater volunteers who helped produce another season of great Champion International Whitewater Series events.

Whitewater slalom racing is one of only a few sports which is contested on a moving playing field. The river is shifting, pulsing, changing, and re-forming whitewater features continuously. It is beneficial to have plenty of practice time on the specific race course, as all whitewater rivers and artificial whitewater courses are unique.

I am now preparing and training for World Cup #3 on the 1972 man-made Olympic course in Augsburg, Germany. The U.S. Whitewater World Cup Team is fortunate enough to be allowed to bunk at the Sheridan Kaserne on the U.S. Army Base during the World Cup competition. The U.S. Team has scheduled work-outs daily on the course with athletes from Ireland, Brazil, and South Africa the week before the June 14 qualifier and June 15 World Cup.

I did a “full length” workout today, racing down the shortened stretch of the Augsburg whitewater course, or Eis Canal. Our coaching staff designed a 22 gate course which included 8 upstream gates through the three main rapids: “Washing Machine”, “Zoom Flume”, and “Spindry”. I use “full length” as a relative term since the new Augsburg race course was only two minutes in length, while the Ocoee Olympic course is closer to a three minute run. For those of you who have been to Augsburg, or remember the 1972 Olympics or the 1985 World Championships here, the start is now just above the split between the main course and the back channel and right above the “washing machine” hydraulic. I am guessing that this World Cup race will be the shortest race of the season, around 90 seconds for the top men’s kayak.

Everyone on the World Cup circuit is getting more practice at remaining flexible. The German Team members told us that the shortening of the Augsburg race course was done for television, and that this in turn will make the sport more exciting for spectators. This fact has yet to be realized or proven, especially in the United States since whitewater slalom racing is rarely on television. There have been many changes made in the last six years to our sport towards achieving more TV coverage, but little extra exposure has been the result. I hope the international decision makers for whitewater slalom have some insight into preserving our sport’s aesthetics, and are not tempted into prostituting the sport by changing the playing field. It would be like 1500 meter runners showing up to compete and being told a week before the competition that they would be running 800 meters instead. These different race lengths require changes in preparation long in advance. Who is going to prepare for a short course of (90 to 120 seconds) when the Olympics are being contested on a much longer course (150 to 180 seconds) anyway?

Ah, well, sports and politics mix just like oil and vinegar...shake them up and pour quickly.

This event is a good chance for a tune up against many of the best in the world. The U.S. Whitewater Team members and our support staff will all be figuring out the best ways to nail down a great run on the Augsburg course this weekend. Wish us luck.

Whatever happens on race day, I will not be surprised by unexpected happenings and last minute changes, crazy weather or wacky course designs, since I have had lots of practice at staying flexible!

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Last updated: January 18, 2006