Gallaway, you can be my wingman anytime.

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This is a story about teamwork, it’s about reaching deep inside yourself and finding that extra drive you didn’t know you had. This story is about tandem canoe racing.
  • January 12, 2011
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This is a story about teamwork, it’s about reaching deep inside yourself and finding that extra drive you didn’t know you had.  This story is about tandem canoe racing.

I’m from the 70’s, and as a fetus in my Mother’s belly, I knew I would one day have to continue the legacy my father began as an OC2 racer.  I’m a bow man.  My father was a bow man, I’m one, my son will be, and so on and so forth.  It is our destiny, kind of like how Lieutenant Dan declared his family legacy and destiny in that scene of Forest Gump where he gets his legs blown off in Vietnam.  So my life is basically the same as Lieutenant Dan’s, except way more dangerous and thrilling, and more in the front of a canoe on the Saluda River for an hour one Saturday.

The story begins with this camera sitting on the dashboard, about to capture images of an unsuspecting car passenger.
See how he got into the car - butt first - that's where the whole day went wrong. Lead with your head, not your butt.
Hey everybody it's Chris Gallaway, my OC2 partner! We're basically brothers now that we've raced OC2 together.
I like him so much I'd even share whatever's in that paper bag with him.
NO CHRIS DON'T EAT THAT!
Yeah, tastes bad huh?
Seems like a nice day for canoeing.
Hey, we are magically in the water at the 2001 Iceman Championships on the Saluda River. My, the weather has improved down here. (Viewers, please note that the race began about a second later and that we were facing upstream, toward all the other racers who were in kayaks. All because Chris Grammants needed help turning on his fancy camera.)
Wait, is anyone else paddling very hard? Where are all those other racers?
Oh, there they all go. Everyone, we'll be over here emptying this canoe if you need our help with the race.
Good thing we didn't put any of those cumbersome airbags in this thing.
We're way better on flat water. It's awesome how we switch hands every couple minutes. That's how the pros do it.
Why does it look like we're back at the top of the rapid? Sorry, I couldn't see anything for the last five minutes with my head shoved up into the canoe. Let's try not to flip again when we go through the rapid. You know, down here where we're about to flip again? Let's try not to do that.
Swimming in January is fun. This is the part of the story where you have to swim at the end of the Iceman Championship and arrive onshore with all your gear - the test of any true OC2ist.
Gallaway, you can be my wingman anytime. 15th place shall be considered a victory this year, but don't even think we aren't training every day of the year in preparation for the Iceman 2012. I've already got my squat thrusts down and everything. Stop looking at us like that Wing! I see you back there!
What are you laughing at Gramamantans? And who left their oatmeal on the ground?
Silently an artist has expressed the day's events and the true feeling we leave this year's Iceman with. Next year...

There is a circle of posts surrounding this year’s event at the links below .  Just click any one of them and find more fun stuff about the 2011 Iceman Championships and Millrace Massacre.

Thanks, Spencer Cooke – Effort Inc.

Iceman at IR
Iceman at Shred Ready
Iceman at Astral
Iceman at Rapid Transit
Iceman at Effort.tv

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2 comments
  1. Pingback: That’s right! Ice… man. I am dangerous | Immersion Research 2011
  2. Pingback: Interesting Photo from Iceman race | Effort.tv
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