Green Race Training 401
The carbon Phantom, flying into the stadium. If you know who took this photo, please tell me!
It’s your senior year! You are getting ready to graduate and your Green Race season is just around the corner. Now, you need to put the pedal to the metal and get out there. Put the time and energy in. All of the blood, sweat, and tears that will allow you to race the Green, will all be worth it when you are boofing into the stadium come November 7.
The moves of the Green Race are some of the most complex in the racing world. But, I will break it down, rapid by rapid. Starting with Frankenstein.
Frankenstein: A complicated rapid that has caused many tears in the Green Race. Along with one of the most entertaining videos that have ever come out of the Green Race.
The entrance is down the “V” on the right side of the current, eyeing down the flat rock that you want to go right over the middle of. Keep your bow pointed slightly to the right over the first boof and then your butt should be on the flat rock. Turn left (make sure to turn left!!), the remainder of the rapid opens up and there is a triangle rock. Boof off of the right side of the triangle rock, keeping your left-hand angle. This keeps you in the current going downstream and away from the undercut on the right.
The exit is important to keep speed, be just to the right of the rock on the left and stay in the current in the middle, heading slightly right.
Johnsons Branch: Again, another heartbreaker in the first 30 seconds of the race.
The horizon line is broken up by a rock that looks like a mushroom. You want to err on the side of right on the mushroom but almost straight off of the middle. Pull a big right stroke off of the boof to keep your bow from deflecting right. You’re going to land almost directly on a rock, slide off of it and tear a left stroke staying close to the big rock on the right. Slide between the two rocks and get ready for some awesome class 2.
Class 2: It may look easy, but there are a lot of rocks.
Err on the side of following the water through this. Enter more middle, there is a rock with a bit of water going over it on the left, I sidle in right next to it and head for the gap on the left side of the rapid. Try to keep your momentum going through the next goalposts. The next little slide is middle left, and then barely sidle off of the boof on the left. Making sure not to land on the rock on the right. I few big strokes get you through the pool on the left side of the current.
Pincushion: Don’t let it get you out.
This rapid always kind of messes with me, particularly the entrance. Enter between the two rocks at the top, trying to stay as straight as you can. Stay on a hanging left stroke all the way across the current. After the pincushion rock there is a flat rock in the middle, keep your momentum going through this eddy. The next 100 feet is about not hitting rocks (imagine that) and setting yourself up for the crack.
Crack: This drop is so buggered.
I’ve never enjoyed this rapid and all of us run it differently. The finger rock juts out pointing to river right, I try to stay on it for as long as I can before I fall off. You can’t take many strokes in there so keeping momentum is key. The next riffle has a peton rock on the left side. I drop just to the right of the peton rock, setting me up to keep a dry bow through the hole at the top of the big pool.
The Pool: It’s your choice.
The pool is pretty much your halfway mark and you have a choice to either hammer it down or try to regain your composure, it’s up to you. I usually do a bit of both.
Whale Tail: Your last “rest” rapid.
Enter through the goalposts, trying your hardest to rip one last stroke to get your bow up through the hole. Head into the middle of whale tail trying to get that elusive skip over the last rock at the end of the slide. Hang on the right-ish side of the current and get ready for the fun.
Boof or Consequence: Keep your bow up and don’t lose your head.
You can either go left or right, I choose the right channel. I find I can keep my momentum really well into the right line and I don’t have to take any really “big” strokes to make the move.
Right line: There is a big rock in the middle of the rapid, be on the right side with a lot of momentum pointed just slightly left. There is a rock that you’ll land on and it will try to turn your bow right (watch the video from 301). Drop your left edge and you’ll land just next to the big flat rock on the right.
Left line: I’ve never really found I could keep my momentum going this side, but some people love it. Through the crack in the rocks, when the rock on the right ends, pull a huge right stroke to turn right. I like to land pretty far left off of the drop, it’s the deepest spot. Come out of the bottom drop off of the middle right side and get ready for the goods! Oh yea, you’re just over halfway now!
Pencil Sharpener through the years. Photos by: Renee Bombardier
Go Left or Die: Your first taste of the crowd.
Go Left has a lot of options, I am going to stick with the one I have grown to love and have run the last four years.
The hot left line. There is a rock pile (HAHA!!) and a rock sticking out in the middle right channel, you want to boof off of the left side of that rock, being careful not to let your bow drift. I usually err on the side of mine staying a little right. Put in a left rudder to get the bow to turn back left to get ready for the slot. A couple of fast strokes to get the speed up and make sure you put in that right stroke as you come off of the log. Usually, it’s smooth sailing from here but when it’s not, it’s really bad. Stay straight going through the crack and take in the crowd yelling at you.
The next drop, I hang middle left and boof off the middle of the hole.
Zwicks Backender: It’s all coming together.
Reverse 7-foot: The water is curling to the right so I go past the curler and hang on a right stroke, letting my bow turn a bit back right. This usually sets me up for the actual Zwicks hole.
Historically, I go too far right at the top hole. I am so light, I can usually miss the peton rock in there. Just a warning. I go really far right here, I feel like it sets me up better for the slide. Pulling a left stroke at the hole to make sure my bow doesn’t drop left. Keep your speed going over the slide, middle right, especially if it is a low water year.
Chiefs: Your arms are screaming at you! So is the crowd.
Stay in the current on the left side of the river taking a left stroke off of the first one footer at the entrance. Slide across the current and take a hanging left stroke, all the way on the right side of the current, right next to the rock in the middle. Remember, you need to turn right immediately so pull a righty rudder or at least put your right blade in the water.
Pencil Sharpener: Don’t get complacent.
I run the middle line here. It is a real crowd-pleaser and so much fun when it goes right.
Come in with some speed and look for the mushroom rock, kind of pointed at like an 11 o’clock angle. Make sure to get that last right stroke off of the top otherwise you will regret this line quickly. Air it out and take the last breath for a few seconds!
The Notch/Gorilla: Send it in to the stadium.
The ever long debate: “So the notch, left stroke or right….?” This is a debate I had had for years and my answer is, just make sure you do something! Personally, I take a hybrid left stoke to get my bow up and then a right rudder with my left edge dropped to make sure I don’t eddy out or end up on the Christopher Columbus line. If you don’t know what that line is, it’s a whole new world over there.
Make sure to make that left hand turn and line up the pad. Another debate left stroke or right….I take the right stroke. It gets my bow headed a bit left setting me up better for the speed trap. Get ready to bounce off of the rocks and battle to keep your bow straight. If you get lucky, you will get the ever-coveted skip through the speed trap.
Scream Machine: There’s more than just a machine screaming by this time.
Stay on the middle right side of the current, there is a tongue between the hole and the eddy line. Right stroke off of the drop and rudder to make sure you don’t go too far left.
Nieces Pieces: Set it up and let it ride.
Left stoke with the left edge down through the curler coming from the right. Get your bow up and over to set you up for the hole. Staying a left stroke again. Now you’re lactic, there are people screaming at you from 10 feet away, you’re happy but terrified all at the same time, and you’re paddling through molasses. This eddy line is truly a bitch if you end up right at all. Just keep your chin up and paddle hard.
The eddy of molasses. Photo by: Chad Blotner
Power Slide: Don’t get complacent.
Enter middle right looking for the curler on the right. Take a left stroke over that curler and another one to get through the big curler coming from the right. Don’t get eddied out here, you’re almost to the end!
Rapid Transit: You’re almost done!
Take a right stroke through the curler to make sure you don’t get pushed into the wall on the right. Stay forward and be ready for your bow to go every which way. Pull one last right stroke over the last hole and spot your landing at the end of the race. Ten big strokes and you have finished!!
The end. Photo by: Matthew Ross Norman.
There you have it. You did it. You just read my tips and tricks for the Green Race. You pretty much just did it, all while sitting at your phone or laptop. Now, it’s the hard part. Putting it all together and keeping clean lines through both training and the race. The hardest part about the race is getting there without getting injured.
Be safe out there and when you have setbacks, don’t get dejected. We all crash and have crap lines, kayaking is freaking hard. Be gentle to yourself and remember: smooth is fast and fast is smooth. Thanks for reading. I was going to post a video but the internet here in Ecuador is too slow. Head to my Facebook page to see a lot of my Green race runs amongst others. Have a great day!!