Are (Div 1) Courses Too Easy

PaulBolton · Post by **PaulBolton** » Thu Jul 23, 2009 1:38 pm

As a Master, who used to race in the 80's but may have a rose-tinted view of the past, I feel that generally, courses are getting easier by being less technical and I'm getting a bit disillusioned as the "keep it easy" lobby appear substantial and forthright. I recall doing Div 3s at Washburn and Div 2s on both parts of the Tryweryn. I was also preturbed to see the course designers at both HPP and Washburn surrounded by complainants lobbying for changes. Between 0800 and 0900 the course at Washburn was made a lot easier with a great stopper move effectively removed. Is this making the jump from Div 1 to Prem substantial? Last years Prem promotees generally appear to be having transitional issues, suggesting Div 1 may be too easy. Would others welcome more technical moves which, after all, we get to practice (vice Prem)?

oldschool · Post by **oldschool** » Fri Jul 24, 2009 5:08 pm

I would welcome more technical courses but I feel course designers need to realise that for a move to be technically hard the gates don't have to be in the most arkward, inconsistant piece of water the place has to offer.

There is nothing wrong with putting staggers on a course which are do-able forwards only if you can use the water to your advantage in combination with good boat skills and fitness.

Bring back courses with options, which have the coaches wondering wether a spin or forward or even a back off is going to be faster, and then lets go racing and see how many different lines and methods we get and how much the times differ. Heaven forbid that we could see an upstream in the plughole or muncher at nottingham as used to be common at most div 1's in the 90's.

I would be interested to know when was the last time that a course designers course was run, and how many of this seasons prem/1 course's designers have been on it.

right time to get off my soapbox! :laugh:

davebrads · Post by **davebrads** » Fri Jul 24, 2009 7:53 pm

oldschool wrote:I would welcome more technical courses but I feel course designers need to realise that for a move to be technically hard the gates don't have to be in the most arkward, inconsistant piece of water the place has to offer.

Heaven forbid that we could see an upstream in the plughole or muncher at nottingham as used to be common at most div 1's in the 90's.

Agreed. However, I don't see the muncher as awkward or inconsistent, so I don't see a problem with an upstream there. The plughole is a different matter, no sooner do I think I have it sussed, I go and miss it again.

There is an argument that the best paddlers have strategies and abilities to cope with inconsistent water, and therefore it can still be a fair test. The course designer must be very careful at what level the course is aimed.

oldschool · Post by **oldschool** » Sat Jul 25, 2009 7:43 am

sorry Dave, i think my point on that part was that ups on stoppers have completely dissappeard from div 1 courses, but it may have got lost in the rant!!

Phil Stevo · Post by **Phil Stevo** » Mon Jul 27, 2009 6:33 pm

As the course designer of the Washburn this year I know that whatever course is provided someone is not going to be happy so I'm not going to spend time justifying decisions taken on the design.

However, it is worth stating that the Washburn has to be built before the release so the ajustments that take place between 8 and 9am are to get the course to its intended design, whilst everyone on the bank has their twopenny worth of course.

I also raced in the 80s and I seem to remember a phase of easy open courses in that period. The level of technical difficulty came with poles being only an inch above the water (or was the 70s?). It was the case in the good old days that lower divisions were run on the more difficult water, can you imagine a div 2/3 being run on Linton fish steps these days?

The last Div 2 on the Serpents Tail not too many years ago had people going home without taking their boats off the car, which in hindsight I wish had done, as I ended up taking a swim in the hole on that one!

GreenPeter · Post by **GreenPeter** » Tue Jul 28, 2009 12:53 pm

I remember Linton Fish Ladder, although I seem to think the technical difficulty there was caused by how much you had been led astray in the Blacksmiths Arms over lunch time.

Can't really comment on whether courses are getting too easy as this is my first season back for umpteen years.
This topic seems to have only attracted comments from the more elderly gentlemen.
Is this because we perceive big water / more technical courses work in our favour because of our years of paddling experience and easier course works against us because of our fitness levels? Just a thought.

TOG · Post by **TOG** » Sat Aug 08, 2009 9:45 pm

GP: tend to think you have a point: older, less fit, heavier, tired (and possibly post-emotional - ref your post) do tend to do less well on natural low-water summer courses where those some 1/4 of their age (and indeed possibly size) skim the surface of the water, free of drag (a concept now sadly unfamiliar to this writer, particularly on such courses).