Editorial: Portable Points

[Nick Taylor]

In preparation for the ACM next week I‘ve just read everything I can find about Portable Points.
It seems that there are several good things about Portable Points, as well as some downsides.
The single biggest downside that I see is the loss of multi-division events. I feel strongly that multi-division events are a key part of the culture of canoe slalom in this country that I am not happy to leave behind.

There are plenty of things we could improve about our sport: more races, more capacity at races, simpler entry fees, easier entry systems, more consistent water in a division etc etc.
Does anyone know which problem Portable Points was intended to solve?

(in the interests of full disclosure I am all of the following:
Parent of paddlers in Div 1 & Div 3
Paddler in Div 2
Slalom Organiser
Viking Kayak Club committee member
Cardington Artificial Slalom Course Association committee member)

[SilverSurfer]

It's interesting that Nick is using the UK Slalom home page to champion his view of portable points. Very biased and one sided in my opinion.

I've yet to see an argument put forward on portable points that proves it's actually offering something new, something better, or something that is needed. As many have said, there are other things to focus on that need changing which would bring real benefit to the sport and make it better for all, and not just a handful of paddlers.

The counter argument Nick's points:

* It will give paddlers access to more races, on better water.

Portable points does not give paddlers access to more races or better water. You can enter as a judge in any division, in any race on any water today - so it's nothing new.


* It will make for courses that are really set at the right level for the higher-ranked division racing.

Organisers of multi-division events are unfortunately coerced into dumbing down the difficulty of the race for the lower division so not to put paddlers off from entering. It used to happen all the time for Div 1/2 events at HPP. By having a single division and setting a course at the right level will still have the same effect. Only those good enough to race will enter - so no increase in paddlers, probably a reduction.

* It will make use of more race places, giving more paddling opportunities and making races more viable.


The only race venues that are questionable due to cost are LV and Cardiff, venues such as Tryweryn and Washburn are affected by rain/water levels for releases. Due to the commercial model in place (or lack of) for our new pumped rafting centres, cost will always be at a premium for slalom. Paddlers from a lower division will be discouraged from paddling up, due to higher entry prices and the unlikelihood of scoring many points to justify the higher cost entry, when their limited funds could be spent better elsewhere. Even in the Premier division some paddlers are not entering due to the extra cost and little chance of scoring many points because there are no opportunities to train at LV, with no dedicated public slalom session - open public slots at LV are not a substitute, it's not possible to train on the same water with rafts and plastic boats with no gates.

* It will encourage development, getting developing paddlers to bigger water earlier.


If a paddler is good enough to race on bigger water and wants to they can do that today, enter as a judge, you don't need portable points for that. The purpose of a divisional system is to allow paddlers to developer on appropriate water for their ability. The current trend is to push young paddlers on to bigger water before they have the technical skills to actually paddler bigger water or even need to. The Junior selection policy is a good example of that, why have 2 races at LV, only then to race on two flat rivers in comparison, Kraków and Solkan. This mentality doesn't develop paddlers, it encourages and favours those junior paddlers who are stronger/bigger for their age, not always better paddlers in the long run. How about opening up venues such as LV and Cardiff with slalom specific public sessions for non-funded programme paddlers. That would enable development of paddlers and the sport, something portable points won't do.


* It will challenge higher-ranked paddlers to prove their quality.


The only time higher ranked paddlers will be challenged is at race venues that they consider inferior and don't actually race at. Those in the top 10 across all classes priorities the races they enter based on their international commitments, which means skipping venues such as Washburn, Teeside and GrandTully in favour of training on their dedicated slots at LV. Those paddlers paddling up at races at LV are unlikely to do very well compared to say Teeside.

[jim croft]

Please note the Canoe Slalom Website is Nick Penfolds own site & not the Bcu Slalom Committe.s
Jim

[Pingu]

......

Does anyone know which problem Portable Points was intended to solve?

The Preamble to the 2014 ACM Motion included:

"Portable Points aim to consolidate and promote the extension of paddling opportunities that was introduced with Paddle Up.
Paddle Up has encouraged paddlers to race at a higher division than their own, but the numbers taking up this opportunity
are relatively small. This is due in part to the fact that there is not a straightforward method to award ranking points to
accurately reflect the paddler’s achievement.
The proposed changes will award points for all paddlers in a class whether they are Host Division or Paddle Up and any
points earned can be used to determine ranking and promotion. The proposal also includes moving events to be single division
only. With the ability to Paddle Up and earn points directly the need to segregate divisions is removed and events can focus on
providing the appropriate challenge for the level of the event. These single division events will still be attractive to competitors
wishing to Paddle Up given the higher points and the increased challenge on offer."

I'm only a Penguin, so I don't have a vote at the ACM.

If I did; on balance, I would reject Motion 6.3 and support Motion 6.4 . My reasoning is:

Advantages:

A better reward for talented "Paddle-Ups". Though this is unlikely to affect me, anytime soon.
Removing Multi-Division events. In my experience, Multi-Division events, particularly Div 2/Div 3's are often less than ideal. The venue/course is either set in the middle range of abilities and so is uninteresting for Div 2's. Alternatively it is set to test the Div. 2's and provides an unhappy experience for the majority of Div. 3's. This is even more pronounced at Multi-Division 2/3/4's

Disadvantages:

Uncertainty (even if 6.4 is adopted) over the entries for the Paddle-Up's. I've entered and enjoy the October, Llandysul Div 1/2 for many years. I would though be unlikely to get an entry in 2016.
Multi-Division events might be seen as more sociable.

[Nick Penfold]

It's interesting that Nick is using the UK Slalom home page to champion his view of portable points. Very biased and one sided in my opinion.

I own and run the UK Slalom site, and about once in five years I put in my own two 'aporth. I've also been known to publish views opposite to my own when asked to. In this case no-one has asked.

[PeterC]

Just to pass comment that is perhaps positive about Portable Points.

There is a bottle neck at the top of some divisions particularly in K1M in Div 1 reducing the flow into Prem. Paddle up was an attempt to provide some alleviation which it has done although there remains some opposition and it is less than perfect.

Portable points provides a fairer and more seamless way than Paddle Up for better paddlers to progress through the divisions without barriers that are not based on their ability. It also means that paddlers can chose to paddle on the water that they are most comfortable with, yes they could chose to paddle more locally which while not in some ways a good thing could support more paddling for those paddlers where there is difficulty in travelling to more remote locations who we might otherwise loose.

With some of the new younger paddlers coming into the sport we are seeing potential for rapid progression and Portable points would hopefully increase and support their engagement and the rewards they perceive.

With regard to multiple class races there is no logical reason why it should limit entries and there would be no reason why organisers could not provide prizes for best placed Div 2 and Div 3 paddlers for example.

It would with single classes though ensure that more races were quorate and competition comparison would be clearer.

I do accept that there is a consequence that judging becomes more of a challenge and headache for organisers. However this is already the case and is not just as a result of paddle up or portable points which have not yet been introduced. At the recent Tees race in spite of the fact that it was not organised by a club with judges to call upon we did manage - just. There was a bit of pleading and cajoling required... I truly do not believe returning to the old system would resolve this.

The proposals have been considered and discussed for some time and would not have been contemplated unless there was an issue which needed resolution. They may not be perfect however they do offer an opportunity to hopefully take the sport forward and I would caution against simply returning to the past because it is easy and it used to work.

Lastly the current system results in end of season demotions, not always because of a lack of ability, some of which every year then leave the sport who might not if they could continue to paddle on water which they were comfortable with.

Please think very carefully and ideally read the proposals thoroughly before deciding how to vote at the ACM and don't simply blow with the winds of opposition as the reality gets closer of a new way of working and perhaps becomes scary. If it still goes ahead be assured the Slalom Committee will make it work, the consequences have been thought through and it would not preclude going back to the old system the following year if it was problematic

[Jeff]

There is a bottle neck at the top of some divisions particularly in K1M in Div 1 reducing the flow into Prem.
Portable points provides a fairer and more seamless way than Paddle Up for better paddlers

And there you have it. Wrecking the system for everyone else just to cater for "top of some divisions" and for "better" paddlers.

[SilverSurfer]

I’m not a supporter of portable points and have stated in posts above why not. I agree with Jeff, the way in which portable points is being sold is just for the benefit of a few, rather than the sport. As to the number of promoted Div1 K1M paddlers into Prem this year, there were 21 paddlers – sounds a lot to me, is that not similar to previous years or is the intention to promote more and more paddlers and dilute the standard of Prem?

[Terryg]

With Jeff on this.

As I posted above:
It seems we are trying to improve things for the few, at the expense of the many.
If this goes through I think it will drive many people out of our sport, including me.