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Posted: Tue Nov 16, 2004 7:36 am
by beeble
As previously posted, I'm a bit disappointed at the number of double events on the calendar these days. From what I can remember, there used to be so many more in the past. I find it harder to justify travelling 300 odd miles for a few minutes on the water, and wanted to know if I was in a minority, or what others felt.
Posted: Tue Nov 16, 2004 10:17 pm
by SteveM
As an unambitious Div 2 paddler I personally prefer traditional team + single event weekends. As they're a gonner then it needs to be a double.
I can't be bothered to travel for a single day event, it just costs too much time and money for too little reward.
Steve
Edited By SteveM on 1100643445
Posted: Thu Nov 18, 2004 1:25 pm
by canoebabe88
i prefer to have double events as im only 16 and my club tends to just go to doubles
im in div 1 but i do like doing prem on the sat and then the div 1 on the sun as i have time to get used to the water as i can not travel every were to train
i train at hpp but there are still moves that they put in that scair me so a judgers run dose help to take the presure off the actuer race 
Posted: Sun Nov 21, 2004 10:14 pm
by davebrads
The way I see it, the double event gives you less time on the water, not more. The old fashioned events with practice and teams on Saturday, and the race on Sunday, meant there was loads more time for free practice than at a double, where the whole event is a bit of a rush. The double event was introduced by the Sottish clubs, to try and entice more paddlers north of the border, but it has backfired, with the number of double events these days, paddlers can get more than enough events in without travelling to Scotland. so my vote is for single events.
Posted: Mon Nov 22, 2004 8:15 am
by Canadian Paddler
I think Steve M puts it very eloquently.
If the choice was 'old fashioned team and individual', 'Single' or 'double' as a paddler I would vote for old fashioned.
But as an organiser, I cannot run a single div 3/4 - it looses too much money :ohwell:
Posted: Thu Nov 25, 2004 11:44 am
by jim croft
:;): I agree with Canadian Paddler you just cannot aford to run a single event I know as an organiser.
Davebrads prefers single event but he on behalf of Manchester CC has applied to run 2 double events in 2005. Its a funny old world.
JC
Posted: Thu Nov 25, 2004 4:56 pm
by ElaineF
Another option is to run 2 single races in different divisions over the same weekend - that way there is the option to help out judging one day and paddle both days without the expense of a double entry fee - this is my prefered option as a parent of 2 Div 1 paddlers. I figured this counts as a vote for single events. I'll confess to not having much experience from the organisers viewpoint but have offered to help at the Shepperton Div2/1 in March to rectify this!
Posted: Sat Nov 27, 2004 12:32 am
by beeble
To me this is still not an ideal situation. If I am travelling 600 odd miles round trip, I would much rather have two ranking events in a weekend as opposed to one day judging and one day competing, or one day practising and one day competing. In this day and age it has to be appealling to people to travel to compete and to be value for money - I feel that single events provide neither of these when people are coming from all over the country.
Posted: Mon Nov 29, 2004 7:17 am
by davebrads
In answer to Jim's remarks about us wanting to run doubles:
The introduction of double events has had an invidious effect, in that given the choice between a double event one weekend, or a single the next, paddlers would often choose to do the double. We continued to run our first event as a single for many years, but eventually had to give in to the pressure, and run a double instead, just to maintain numbers.
Because of this, nearly all lower division events are doubles, and the value of each event is reduced. The only way to stop it is to make an executive decision to stop doubles, but it isn't going to happen, even if (and this is unlikely) the majority of paddlers wanted single events. The Slalom Committee make more money from Doubles than Singles, and they probably can't afford to cut back on their income, even if they could be convinced it was better for the sport.
