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The Event Report for Rivers & Mountains 10th Annual Round The Rock Race
By: Dean McCully

What a race!

This was the 10th year that Mountains and Rivers has sponsored Round the Rock Race. Much to my shock and amazement, Keith, Owner of Cal Canoe & Kayak asked me to paddle in the front seat of one of CC&K's doubles. What, MOI? Apparently Keith didn't realize that I don't use forward stroke techniques: I use Flailing Around and Splashing Water Like a Drunken Sea Lion Stroke. But I wasn't gonna say anything. Nosiree, I was gonna let Keith discover his mistake the hard way as he burned calories to overcome my patented Flailing Around Stroke.

So, I head up to the City from my home in San Jose. Keith was providing the double boat, I was providing my own crapo paddle and cheap PFDs. The fog was intensely thick as I hit the Bay Bridge. But the view was gorgeous as I approached Treasure Island from the East Bay. Even though I was running a little late, I couldn't help myself from pulling off at Treasure Island and snapping a few shots of San Fran thru the fog. I could barely see Alcatraz thru the fog, and I could only see the tops of skyscrapers in San Fran. But the view was magnificent.

I continued onward, thru San Fran and to Aquatic Park. I figured I'd be late, but most everybody was just pulling up and starting to unload their boats. Keith arrived soon with his enormous pickup truck (aka rolling billboard CC&K) and a monsterous double-cockpit kayak. Keith and I registered and were pleased to discover that we were the only double men's kayak team in the race. We were thus guaranteed a "first in class" finish. (Though, technically, I suppose you could also say that we were guaranteed to be "last in our class" too. ;-)

The race got off to a slow start because of fog delays. The fog was like pea soup around Alcatraz and race safety officers were worried about somebody getting lost in the mist. So we waited. And waited. And waited for the fog to burn off. Which it eventually did.... Burn off, that is....

Keith is, of course, a fantastic paddler. He carved an efficient path up and over the 3.2 knot flood. We paddled like heck (I'm HELLA out of shape) and Keith steered us on a long-ish route a bit further west of Alcatraz than I would have probably chosen. But Keith (as always) made the right choice: we did a sharp right turn at the Alcatraz Green/Red Buoy and accelerated as we caught the 3.2 knot flood around the Island. We passed several kayakers as we sliced into the dead water eddy on the far size of Alcatraz, then Keith turned us sharply west as soon as we hit the homeward edge of Alcatraz. Other kayakers headed directly for home, thus adding a nasty extra eastward-flowing component to their return vector to the finish line. Keith kept us in the dead water around Alcatraz for quite some time, thus eliminating much of the flood tide component to our homeward vector.

We were neck and neck with another double all the way from Alcatraz to the finish line. I was EXHAUSTED and had to stop once for a 5 second water break. But Keith kept on paddling and propelled us toward the finish line. Overcoming my flailing around in the front seat, Keith kept us on his flood-tide-avoidance vector and we crossed the finish line several seconds in front of the other double. WOO HOO! We (well, mostly Keith) kicked booty! Turns out that we finished in just over 30 minutes. Not bad for a couple of old farts who have 97 years between them. (Well, ok, I'm the old fart. Keith is the youngster. What I lack in old-age wisdom, Keith makes up in vigor and youthfullness. ;-)

This year's benificiary was Shared Adventures (http://www.sharedadventures.com/ )

Shared Adventures is a Santa Cruz, California based non-profit organization dedicated to bringing the outdoors into the lives of people with physical challenges and special needs.

Contact Info:
Shared Adventures
90 Grandview Street #B101
Santa Cruz, CA 95060

831-459-7210
quadbee@aol.com

See you all at next year's 11th Annual Round The Rock Race!

Dean McCully

PS Don't forget to see Sally's Additional Pictures (they're better than Dean's pictures!)

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Note: This event report does not necessarily reflect the opinions of EyeYak or any owners or subsidiaries. EyeYak is not related to any other club, organization, company, or anything anybody on this planet has ever heard of. And that's the truth. Your mileage may vary. Have a nice day. *

The day started with a gorgeous fog bank covering the City By the Bay. I couldn't resist pullig over on Treasure Island and taking some pictures across the Bay Bridge.	Fog shrouded the City by the Bay. What would ALCATRAZ look like?!?!	I love this view from Treasure Island. The fog is quickly receeding as I stood there snapping pictures. Within about 15 minutes, the fog would be completely gone and the blue skies would be magnificently brilliant. What a day!
Only the Trans America building poked thru the fog. Imagine what the view from the top of the pyramid must be!	Fog! EVERYWHERE! But it was the kind that would burn off. I hoped!	Sailboats moored at Treasure Island. If I had a sailboat, I'd be playing in the fog on a day like this.
Looking back toward Oakland. Where did Oakland go???? The fog was coming and going and coming and going.	There she is: Alcatraz. We'd be paddling around that in an hour or two.	A picture of Lombard Street and the inevitable touristas.
Jim was unloaded and waiting on the beach....	....as were many others....	The Shared Adventures folks signed everbody in.
Beth, the organizer of Round the Rock for TEN YEARS IN A ROW! AWESOME JOB, BETH!!!	Heh, Keith Miller of CC&K fame is here. In fact, he's my PARTNER in a double!!!!	Dick signs in and heads for the beach.
Kutar Zens out as he anticipates wiggling into a slimy wetsuit.	Keith Miller's CC&K rolling billboard. That's a LONG boat on top of that truck! Keith and I would be paddlin that sucker in about an hour.	Heh, a new baby!
Nice Chotas, Keith! And your boots are pretty cool, too ;-)	Nice straw hat. Keep it away from the goats & sheep or they'll EAT it!!	Gearing up.
Patiently waiting.	The Aquatic Park beach was getting FULL.	Drink up before hitting the water. There'll be little time for drinking once the paddling starts.
Big Jim looking grizley!	Sally takes pictures of me taking pictures of Sally taking pictures of me taking pictures of....	A couple of WSKers ponder throwing me into the drink. Luckily, my hat disuaded them.
Yak Meister Doug, puckers up.	Bad Dog. Evil Dog. No Biscuit. Kutar's dogs BITE!	We're finally on the water in Keith's double! Heh, another double. Where did THESE people come from???
Better yet, where are they GOING????	Yeah, nice look for me, huh? Like the horns?	Keith, my back seater, deftly reads the waters of the Bay. This guy is GOOD.
Paddlin out.	"What was my finish time?" The timers were on the end of the pier. Alcatraz in the background as a paddler checks his finish time.	Lurking at the finish line.
The sailboats are starting to get out.	Paddling.	and paddling
and paddling....	.. AND Paddling!	The Rock. Looks like a LONG way to have come, huh? Well, it was.
Um, I think I see where your biggest drag problem is coming from.... Best buy some more streamlined booties if you're gonna hang your feet in the water.	More arrive.	FInishing
Hangin out.	Jim lays back after a record-breaking finsh.	Your feet are supposed to be IN the boat, Dude!
Jim holds his paddle upright, ready to spear a shark.	Nice sailing ship in the back.	Heh, this bottle has no message! No beer, either.
Nice rigging!	More across the finish line.	Hi, Mom!
Awww, a cute couple!		RAMMING SPEED!!!
WHAT CONCENTRATION!	Phew, I'm glad that THAT'S over!
	Heh, your boat isn't wet enuf....
	And, still they come.	Awww, comeon, I finished faster than THAT!
Here I come.	Outta the way!	I finshed WHAT? FIRST PLACE in my class? COOL!
Looking for stragglers.	Nothing to do but lay back and watch everybody else finish.	That beach looks awfully inviting....
...but still they come....	WOOP WOOP WOOP! CRIPPLED BOAT ARRIVING!!!!!	Check out that rudder. Must have been attacked by a rudder-eating shark. Either that or the cable snapped. But I'll go with the shark theory because it's more interesting.
It's hard to steer a boat that's dragging a rudder!	Heh, whatcha lookin at, Suckah? Aintcha seen a busted rudder before???	Sweepin the course!
Perfect sweep.	On both sides, no less.	RAMMING SPEED!
	Thanx, Mister Sweeper Dude!	Brent, the forward stroke guru!
Make way for a beach landing!	Mingling begins.
	Swimmers are thick as fleas!	Janice taking a picture.
Patrick in a hat.	......drumroll please.....	Now it's Patrick, doing Goober Pyle.
Raph.	No nasty underarm razor burns, eh Doug? What's your secret?	HEH! You're that ONE guy!
Suze thinks, "Geez, I actually MARRIED that guy?"	KEEP THIS TICKET!!!! Or face the consequences!	Batman and Robin? Nah, it's Dean and Doug.
Just Dean. Or is it the devil on his shoulder?	Colorful shoreline.	The ritualistic rinsing of the feet.
Followed by the ritualistic rinsing of the wing paddles.	Jim doesn't wanna come in.
Heh, nice tshirt. By the way, click here to sign up for Support Strokes for the Breast Cancer Fund this year.	Mingling progresses.	Packin up the boats. These folks are from the Stanford Kayak Team.
Big boat, short car.		Keith climbs his rolling billboard truck.
What concentration!	What a stud!	The Stanford Folks!
		Gina, the fearless leader!
Heh, my hat is making the rounds!!!	Gina the fearless leader has sprouted HORNS!
Kutar, where are your horns?	Dick's boat.	Dagnabbit, this is my brand new trolling motor (REALLY!) 2 of the 3 blades broke off in the back of my van.
Beth counts the finishers. A million thanks, Beth, for the AWESOME work you've done to sponsor Round the Rock for the last TEN YEARS!!!!	The peanut gallery? Nahhh, just waiting for the winner's announcements.	Check this out. Some dude spends his weekend stacking rocks in Aquatic Park. He's GOOD, too!
Concentration is everyting.	The Final Product.	Ahhhhh, it's Miller Time!
The world famous Brent Reitz hands out awards.		Dick launches for his trip home.
See yah, Dick!	Alcatraz. Our destination!	The Devil made me do it!
Does devil horns count as a "pet"?	Since Keith forgot his horn hat, Dean helps....	And, Dean, what's your IQ?
Heh, don't hand me that crap!	Ok, but no tongues!	I SAID, NO TONGUES!!!!
Brent Reitz presents Dean with Keith's and Dean's ribbons.	Heh,I said NO TONGUES!!!!	Yee Haw! Keith and I placed FIRST in our class in the TENTH ANNUAL Mountains and Rivers' Round The Rock Race. (Well, technically, there was nobody else in our class so we were guaranteed a win! ;-) But we finished in 30 minutes, 23 seconds, with was about 1/3 of the way thru the field. Keith would probably have done better if he'd knocked me unconscious at the start of the race, dumped my paddle into the bay, and paddled with me slumped over in front of the boat. But Keith's deft water-reading skills counteracted my eratic and inefficient paddling "technique" and we finished in great time. THANKS, Rivers and Mountains for sponsoring Round the Rock 10 years in a row!!! Don't forget to see Sally's Additional Pictures