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By Billy Harris

Well I just go to say what was on everyone’s mind here. I’m gonna Quote jermey Laucks" it must a hurt pulling a wave that big out of Sharkys ol wha-who" The wave is in; the Americans had a good showing at practice time. Jer-Tron did a back pan am in a canoe everyone should see.. But each of the respective countries and their superstars out in full FORCE and pulling off some great stuff. The French were amazing, catching air so big we were worried they woun’t come down. Noria the little French girl was fantastic as well as Marc the c1 from France and some little guy in a home made boat.. Wicked.

The British were loud and rowdy boy. Fantastically loud in fact horns and all sorts of it going off all around us, and paddling really well too. At high noon the Canadians came out along with one paddler from NORWAY and did what most of us hoped to do, paddled well. However the guy that did the best was Nick Troutman. Amazing rides, massive reverse pan ams airscrews helix were all apart of his rides. The shore, that was previously loud and rowdy was dead silent. If there were crickets I would have heard them. Well actually I won’t have, I’m deaf as a post but you get the picture. However the kids in the eddy made up for it, if someone missed the rope they just got put back into the line at the front. Harry Cox, team mascot and captain was great, working the rope despite the cold. Being positive as he can only be. Harry’s one of us. All over the map, a wee bit crazy and as nice a guy as you could possibly meet. BUT. Harry Cox, now that’s a name MA and Pa never really thought over very well, parents please. Like Wendy Herder-moan is a name self inflicted like why hyphenate that for gosh sakes. Some people cant help what their parents, name them Dick Beida. Opps got off track there…… you get the

The event is been full of angst; no wave to train on got people pretty upset for the last little while. The reason is there has been no wave to paddle on, till yesterday. I got 4 rides yesterday and 4 the day before. Most people having to work pretty hard to get enough practice in to really make a good showing. Its been really tough on the ones that aren’t so well ballenced. The Rope can be intimiating. The rope, like a waterski rope is attached on shore upstream. The handel sits in the eddy with someone to dole out and pull back in. You sit in the eddy grab the rope with your left hand, paddle in the same hand only under your thumb. The right hand on the rock, making sure the angle of our boat is pointed 12 up stream. You lean back and sit on your back left butt cheak and glide out. The pendulum swings you up stream an onto the wave. (Designed by Paul Danks originally at corner wave and put into practice at buss eater. Its quite a think to get used to, however it gets harder when you only have one shot and a line of 40 people behind you. In open Practice you go to the back of the line. And wait 45 min to try again. Really harsh…

Anywho, I got to go compete. Stay tuned for dave NEW-IN-HOUSE, hw is running comintary for the event, should be funny to watch.

Billy Harris

 

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