Author Topic: vote with your participation or lack of  (Read 6290 times)

headmount

  • Cortez Bank Status
  • *****
  • Posts: 5750
    • View Profile
    • Email
vote with your participation or lack of
« on: July 22, 2014, 10:43:34 AM »
This past weekend I was on Oahu being backup for my grandson's effort in the State Age Group swim champs.  A radical summer storm hit there sat night and we enjoyed a stunning lightening display and a big rain.  Reports from Maui were even much more severe and were confirmed when we returned sunday night.  Branches down everywhere and power had been out.

So sunday mid-day a Maliko race to the harbor was run.  Saw many of the pics which included massive brown water and a more than hefty storm swell.  Wind had reduced from 60 in the morning to almost nothing by start time.  Start was delayed from 1pm to 2 because of weather.  But the weather had worsened by two and the start went on anyway.  Waves can come in from many directions and with a little experience one can predict the general areas to avoid, however with these storms swells, the waves are wildly unpredictable.  In short, with the water conditions the run was extremely marginal, conditions no one would normally go in.

But they managed to get about a 100 people who were frothing with competitive energy.  I saw a fantastic pic of Kody dropping in on a very big wave and some said they had exciting moments but most reported onshore winds sloppy seas and dangerous conditions.  Some equipment was damaged.  Most of the group I paddle with waved the race off and went to the south side where conditions were epic.  We go out in fairly wild conditions but the criterion for a run is always sufficient wind to move us quickly through sketchy areas.  Wild surf and low wind is a bad combo for a DW run.

So the producers of events have their reasons for putting them on but as we all know, their reasons aren't always in the best concerns of the paddlers.  So when you participate in a marginal affair you confirm with them that they can run it in whatever they decide.  If you don't go that sends a message as well.  Even losing expensive equipment with little possible reward is bad but that's before you talk about increased danger from everything else associated with extreme run off and wild seas.

Southbay

  • Peahi Status
  • *****
  • Posts: 770
    • View Profile
Re: vote with your participation or lack of
« Reply #1 on: July 22, 2014, 11:32:30 AM »
I voted no. 

It was the right call, but some of these pics make me jealous (pic 1 and 2) and some make me thankful I made the decision I did.  The southside was so fun Saturday, and Sunday was setting up to be the same kind of run, which it was.   Like I said, it was the right call, but not the adrenaline rush that Maliko would have been.


covesurfer

  • Teahupoo Status
  • ******
  • Posts: 1936
    • View Profile
Re: vote with your participation or lack of
« Reply #2 on: July 22, 2014, 12:16:10 PM »
I signed up for the race weeks in advance and had been looking forward to it as one of the highlights of the race season, and just one week before M2O.

Sunday morning, there were winds gusting to over 40 at my house, which is well off the water. Rain and clouds made for almost no visibility. I wasn't surprised when the shuttles for the race cancelled. When the visibility improved and I got binoculars on the ocean, I saw large breaking swells, many well overhead in size, and they were breaking randomly and frequently all over the ocean. Not just in the usual, predictable places, like outer Kanaha, Sprecks and Spartans, but everywhere. You could only see out about a mile, at best, but you could tell that there were huge waves breaking even beyond where you could see. As the day went on, the wind dropped off, visibility improved to some degree but it remained stormy and foreboding. I was really surprised when they notified at 11:30am that it was on!

I thought about it for at least 2 minutes, risk a staph infection in filthy water, plus risk a potential drubbing in unfavorable, chaotic, unpredictable, big ocean conditions? No thanks!

Seeing the pics and hearing/reading race reports make a little part of me wish I'd gone for it but I feel like I made the right call not going. I'm glad I've had some sketchy big days on Maliko, I survived, it was a rush and great experience, but my appetite for going out in those conditions is gone. I'm really impressed by the great showing the racers put on Sunday, however, and got a big charge looking at the photos. But I'm really ok with sitting this one out.

srfnff

  • Sunset Status
  • ****
  • Posts: 278
    • View Profile
    • Srfnff
Re: vote with your participation or lack of
« Reply #3 on: July 22, 2014, 06:11:32 PM »
I definitely see your point, and had I been on Maui (and registered for the race) I would not have paddled. But 100 or so people participated and that is no small number for the day in question. I have friends that successfully completed the run and no doubt it was an experience to be logged under "highlights of my life," etc. Yes, it was dangerous, but how dangerous was it? The potential was evident, but as far as I know, no one was hurt. It was a bold move to not only go forward with the race, but to participate. Some would say that over regulation is strangling the competitive spirit, on Sunday that was surely not the case.

mik911

  • Peahi Status
  • *****
  • Posts: 799
    • View Profile
Re: vote with your participation or lack of
« Reply #4 on: July 22, 2014, 06:24:22 PM »
Wow. those pics are.....impressive. 
Any more pics/vids of the event?
If I saw those conditions, I'd be crying for my mommy.
Mike

Ron House Coastal Cruiser 12'6"
Hoe Nalu surf sup  10'6"
BARK 14' custom carbon SUP
Fanatic Fly Race 12'6" carbon SUP
BARK 14' prone custom paddleboard
BARK 12' prone Surftech paddleboard
Longboards: Harbour, Becker, Local Motion
Kneeboards: Cleary 5'10"
Handboard: Brownfish

stoneaxe

  • Cortez Bank Status
  • *****
  • Posts: 12084
    • View Profile
    • Cape Cod Bay Challenge
Re: vote with your participation or lack of
« Reply #5 on: July 22, 2014, 07:27:39 PM »
That's just nuts.
Bob

8-4 Vec, 9-0 SouthCounty, 9-8 Starboard, 10-4 Foote Triton, 10-6 C4, 12-6 Starboard, 14-0 Vec (babysitting the 18-0 Speedboard) Ke Nalu Molokai, Ke Nalu Maliko, Ke Nalu Wiki Ke Nalu Konihi

headmount

  • Cortez Bank Status
  • *****
  • Posts: 5750
    • View Profile
    • Email
Re: vote with your participation or lack of
« Reply #6 on: July 23, 2014, 12:29:39 AM »
I definitely see your point, and had I been on Maui (and registered for the race) I would not have paddled. But 100 or so people participated and that is no small number for the day in question. I have friends that successfully completed the run and no doubt it was an experience to be logged under "highlights of my life," etc. Yes, it was dangerous, but how dangerous was it? The potential was evident, but as far as I know, no one was hurt. It was a bold move to not only go forward with the race, but to participate. Some would say that over regulation is strangling the competitive spirit, on Sunday that was surely not the case.

I'm definitely not saying anything about regulation, only that participating confirms to the race producer that you'll do anything they say.  Your choice.  This particular race usually has over 300 so a third of that turn out is a statement.  If you're sponsored and feel the pressure to show up at any event and do their bidding, I can dig it, because it's perhaps some income.  But I think it's playing bad odds to do it if you're not sponsored and going out in marginal conditions.  Things can go south on any day, why increase the risk on a crap day?

pdxmike

  • Cortez Bank Status
  • *****
  • Posts: 6186
    • View Profile
Re: vote with your participation or lack of
« Reply #7 on: July 23, 2014, 01:20:22 AM »
I definitely see your point, and had I been on Maui (and registered for the race) I would not have paddled. But 100 or so people participated and that is no small number for the day in question. I have friends that successfully completed the run and no doubt it was an experience to be logged under "highlights of my life," etc. Yes, it was dangerous, but how dangerous was it? The potential was evident, but as far as I know, no one was hurt. It was a bold move to not only go forward with the race, but to participate. Some would say that over regulation is strangling the competitive spirit, on Sunday that was surely not the case.

I'm definitely not saying anything about regulation, only that participating confirms to the race producer that you'll do anything they say.  Your choice.  This particular race usually has over 300 so a third of that turn out is a statement.  If you're sponsored and feel the pressure to show up at any event and do their bidding, I can dig it, because it's perhaps some income.  But I think it's playing bad odds to do it if you're not sponsored and going out in marginal conditions.  Things can go south on any day, why increase the risk on a crap day?
I didn't quite follow the regulation comment either.  I'd almost say the opposite--if you want to keep regulators out of racing, the last thing you want is to have race directors go ahead with races in bad conditions (not saying they were that bad in this case since I don't know).   Then regulators have the excuse that they have to protect participants, because race directors aren't capable of doing that voluntarily. 


I certainly wouldn't want to be the race directors who have to make the call.  If you postpone or cancel an event, people who trained and traveled lose out, esp. those who can't stay to race another day.  If you go ahead in poor conditions, people who trained and traveled (but can stay to race again) lose out on racing unless they put themselves in potential danger.  In this case, maybe none of the 100 racers got hurt, but it sounds like some of the 200 or so who stayed home could have been hurt if they'd raced.  Of course each racer does have a responsibility to stay home if they're not confident they can handle the conditions.  Endurance races I've been in (nothing like this one, and usually open-water swimming) really drive home at the pre-race meeting that there's no shame in staying on the beach, or in dropping out.  Maybe they did that or not here, but in any case it sounds like it was fortunate for the race organizers that so many people did stay home. 


I don't think "bold" is really the right term in regard to a decision to go forward with a race.   It can take more boldness to cancel a race than to go forward with it.   

supthecreek

  • Guest
Re: vote with your participation or lack of
« Reply #8 on: July 23, 2014, 03:05:45 AM »
I wouldn't want to be in a support boat on a day like that.... how can you possibly be able to spot a man down with broken equipment in those seas?

Were there support boats?

On the other hand.... those seas looked like you would get more than a good "Glide" on them ;D

stoneaxe

  • Cortez Bank Status
  • *****
  • Posts: 12084
    • View Profile
    • Cape Cod Bay Challenge
Re: vote with your participation or lack of
« Reply #9 on: July 23, 2014, 05:10:48 AM »
It's a tough call. One of the toughest for an organizer. Calling because of conditions is always going to be a relief to some and frustrate/anger others.

Bob

8-4 Vec, 9-0 SouthCounty, 9-8 Starboard, 10-4 Foote Triton, 10-6 C4, 12-6 Starboard, 14-0 Vec (babysitting the 18-0 Speedboard) Ke Nalu Molokai, Ke Nalu Maliko, Ke Nalu Wiki Ke Nalu Konihi

Zooport

  • Cortez Bank Status
  • *****
  • Posts: 3533
    • View Profile
    • Email
Re: vote with your participation or lack of
« Reply #10 on: July 23, 2014, 02:30:23 PM »
I agree.  For them it is a damned if you do; damned if you don't proposition.  Keep it going and some will be upset.  Call it off and others will be upset. 
8'6 Soul Compass
9'1 Sunova Creek
9'6 WaveStorm SUP
9'8 Starboard Element

kayadogg

  • Teahupoo Status
  • ******
  • Posts: 1404
    • View Profile
    • Email
Re: vote with your participation or lack of
« Reply #11 on: July 23, 2014, 03:40:14 PM »
That Riviera board sure has a lot of rocker  :o

RomaniaSUP

  • Malibu Status
  • **
  • Posts: 53
    • View Profile
Re: vote with your participation or lack of
« Reply #12 on: July 23, 2014, 04:01:38 PM »
Definitely looks like one to remmeber.
http://youtu.be/grh_JKhcd0k
Starboard Drive 10'5
Starboard Carbon Prototype 14'x26"
Starboard AllStar 12'6x25.5"

Zooport

  • Cortez Bank Status
  • *****
  • Posts: 3533
    • View Profile
    • Email
Re: vote with your participation or lack of
« Reply #13 on: July 23, 2014, 04:14:56 PM »
Wow, a few of those bigger swells almost seemed like a breaking, surfing wave.  Lined up in a peak and steep for a moment or two. 
8'6 Soul Compass
9'1 Sunova Creek
9'6 WaveStorm SUP
9'8 Starboard Element

PonoBill

  • Cortez Bank Status
  • *****
  • Posts: 25864
    • View Profile
Re: vote with your participation or lack of
« Reply #14 on: July 23, 2014, 04:34:55 PM »
Yikes, that looks rasty, even for Maliko. There have been so many poor (no wind) Maliko races in the last year, the idea of cancelling one because it was too crazy was probably hard to do.
that was quite a storm. from what I hear if I elected to put bamboo floors back in after the water damage two years ago I would be replacing them again.  As it is the next door neighbor and tracy spent a bunch of time bailing out a wading pool at Ponohouse when the wind bowed the big sliding doors in and let the rain pour in horizontally.  Good thing it's tile and concrete.

I'm glad to hear everyone came through ok even if a few boards died a noble death.
Foote 10'4X34", SIC 17.5 V1 hollow and an EPS one in Hood River. Foote 9'0" x 31", L41 8'8", 18' Speedboard, etc. etc.

 


SimplePortal 2.3.7 © 2008-2024, SimplePortal