Tour de Gudenaa 2007, Saturday
This weekend I participated in the annual Tour de Gudenå race. The largest kayak&canoe race in Northern Europe with around 900 participants.
As usual my training mate Morten came along and his father acted as our helper. I was in my Supersonic while Morten took his Vanquish.
When we arrived at the launch area in Skanderborg we observed that the wind really was as bad as predicted with a steady force 6 from west. Still everybody acted normal and as no provisions was made to alter the course we got ready for the race as usual.
Eirik Veraas Larsen, the 1000m winner from Athens Olympic Games was sitting next to me as the race was started. He and the leading pack were way ahead in a matter of seconds.
The next 10 km Morten and I took turns leading. The kid was clearly stronger than me on the flat parts while I left him behind when we had waves. I guess the Supersonics slightly better stability compared to the Vanquish helped me.
After one hour we arrived at the 9 km long and 2 km wide Lake Mossø. Immediately upon entering the lake we were slightly sheltered from a spit of land to our left and the conditions were still manageable. Still many decided to stop their race there and then.
Having reached the first spit of land I aimed for the next point 2 km into the wind. This is where the carnage started. Paddling and bracing my way I found a capsized paddler around halfway to the point. There were no rescue boats in sight and I got him back into his kayak and he pumped it dry. However immediately upon letting go of the fellow he capsized again. This time I judged we were now so close to the shore that he could swim and I started the chase for Morten.
Close to the next point I reached Morten and alongside we paddled into the surf zone outside the point. We both capsized within seconds and waded ashore to empty the kayaks. Here we found a group of stranded paddlers from various classes(K1/K2/Trainers).
We didn’t want to quit so carrying the kayaks we ran through the forest to the lee side of the point. Morten helped me into the kayak while a Dutch paddler helped Morten. Morten capsized a couple of times and I figured he would quit so I continued alone.
This time I successfully made it through the surf outside the point and pointing my kayak straight into the wind I continued for half an hour. Tracking the coast was impossible as the waves then would hit me slightly at an angle. The weather was clearly deteriorating with the wind at times approaching a force 7.
A couple of times I considered turning back but rejected the idea as that would put me with the side to the waves. Then after half an hour I came upon a capsized K1-trainer and a very cold looking paddler. I offered to put him back in his kayak but he rejected as he had also lost his paddle.
Again there were no rescue boats in sight so something had to be done. I got the young kayaker into his boat to reduce his loss of heat. He didn’t know how long he had been in the water and was bordering hypothermia. For the next 30 minutes we were clinging to each other’s kayaks as we let the wind take us back to the shore. From time to time the wind carried along cries for help from capsized kayakers.
Back in the forest we met a large group of paddlers. Many had tales to tell of capsizing and prolonged stays in the water. Later I was told of a number of very close calls where people only survived due to pure luck.
Soon it was rumored that the race directors had decided to cancel the race and we all would be allowed to start Sunday morning for the 70 km stretch. At that time I was furious due to the incompetence demonstrated by the racing committee and I considered dropping out all together.
View Larger Map
I’m still furious and I am embarrassed for the many foreigners coming to Denmark to participate in this race. I’d like to stress that the racing committee behind TdG does not represent Danish kayak culture’s view on safety.
As for the race Sunday I’ll report on that in a couple of days when my blood has stopped boiling.
Update: A heated discussion is taking place at the discussion forum[Danish] at the Tour de Gudenaa homepage. Boy – the viking rhetorics employed by some of the old giants really leaves me cold.
Update 2: Included map of Lake Mossø.
Peter- I would like to compliment you on your sportsmanship in stopping and helping the other paddlers in the water. We all like to race, but you have to be realistic and adapt in extreme situations.
By the way if you are ever in Boston come and join us in our weekly time trial (~8 kilometers). Some of us have followed your progress with interest, as quite a few sea kayakers are making the transition to faster kayaks. I was brought up in the club racing system in Canada, but we are always trying to encourage people with backgrounds like yours to join us in the ICF racing ranks. You have done well.
Thanks David for the kind words and I hope one day to be able to accept your invitation for your Boston trial.
“Back in the forest we met a large group of paddlers. Many had tales to tell of capsizing and prolonged stays in the water. Later I was told of a number of very close calls where people only survived due to pure luck”
Peter
I have a lot of respect for what you did that day, and for you as a person and for all the good you do for the sport.
I also understand, what an impact an experince like this make on ones mind.
Having read a lot of the stories on the forums, I must say that I belive some came very bad prepared for an event as the TdG in such winds.
- Apprantly some did not have flotation bags in the kayaks, and thefore the kayaks sank
- Apprantly some didn not use spraydecks, and got water ind the kayaks
- Apparantly some did no wear swimwests of a suffecient size/boyancy
- Some describe wawes as high as 1½ meters. Judging from the pictures, thye are not more than 0,5 – 0,8 meters high. If higher you could not see the kayakers between the waves and the kayaker can not overlook the waves.
So – many got in to a situation they or their boat or a combination of the two could not handle.
I dont think you can blame the race management for kayakers with little or no experience with winds and waters like this, nor that some kayakers disregarded safety itims like flotationbags and spraydecks…
The safety of the kayaker are allways – in my opinion – the responcebility of each kayaker, not going in to a situatin, weather, water that he / she / the boat can not handle.
This is the responsiblity of each individual kayaker, not race management.
I myselves was on the water all of that day, not in TdG, but on a two day trip on Storåen. Yes it was difficult. Yes we talked about getting on land, No we didnt, because we knew that we could manage, and we did, without problems.
As an experinced seakayaker you aso know what the water on the danish fjords and lakes are like on days with such hard winds. Up here in the north western part of Jutland I would only kayak in such wheater close to shore, and only if I knew I could do it, and only after some practice.
To judge from the stories from TdG sounds like a lot of the kayakers that day had not had experience with that kind of wheather or seas before, and therefore got in to a lot of trouble.
The first and most important safetyequipment when on on whater lies beteween the ears of the paddeler. Commen sense. If common sense had been applied by more kayakers that day, lots of troubkle could have been spared.
But is it the race managemnts job to apply common sence on behaf of each individual kayakers?
After all – the more experinced ones did get through….
Great report Peter, did read it with interest. A good Danish friend of mine Klaus Thompson keeps inviting me to the Gudena, and one of these year I will. Very tough conditions which we have sometimes here on the western Canadian lakes. Very hard to manage for race organizers, but certainly lots of safety boats is a must. I recently did a 100 K race in very rough conditions. Being the only Ki kayak in a race with many OC two and sixes and surfskis, the only thing that kept me going on big rough crossings in 2 to 3 feet waves was the fact that other canoes and surfskis were still behind me and could drag me out of the water if need be. I couldn’t see any support boats for the longest and that felt real insecure.
You displayed great sportsmanship we can all take an example to.
Alex – Canada
Hi Povl
Thank you for your input to the discussion.
I think I can pinpoint exactly where we disagree:
You ask “But is it the race management’s job to apply common sense on behalf of each individual kayakers?”
Yes it is.
As a race organizer you must acknowledge that during a race the participants will behave illogical and irresponsible for any number of reasons. While some may find this regrettable, it is none the less the reality which underlies any race. If one cannot accept this, do not organize a race.
Here is the line of thoughts I would expect the TdG committee to go through:
a) We must expect that at this wind speed N racers will capsize at Lake Mossø.
b) Based on data on survival in cold water, nobody must be left in the water for more than X minutes.
c) We estimate Y rescue boats are needed to fulfill requirement b.
Now if Y is greater than the number of actually available rescue boats, you either cancel the race or enforce a route close to the shore.
It’s that simple.
Best regards Peter
Hi Alex
Thanks for the kind words. It certainly is a small world. Your friend Klaus is one of our race veterans at the training center.
While coming to Denmark to kayak is certainly recommendable, I would reconsider participating in TdG until we’ve had an acceptable response from the TdG comittee on planned safety measures for the 2008 race. Still there are many interesting races in and around Scandinavia, so don’t hesitate.
Best regards Peter
“during a race the participants will behave illogical and irresponsible for any number of reasons”
So Peter, all though I get your point, it’s “legal” to behave irresponsible when participating in a race, but not if you are on your own. I.e. race participants leave their brain at home or dosen’t apply commen sence.
???
But if you go alone from Aarhus to Anholt in a bathtub, without swimmingwest, without deasent cloathing and without sufficient training and boyancybags, without radio, withour pump etc., you know as well as I do, that your rescue will have to be paid for by you, because you behaved irrisponsible…
So my pont still is: Racers participating in a two day 120 km endurence/ marathon event in an uncontrolled environment ( nature) must expect certain challanges, such as: wind, waves, rain, heat cold, fatique, hunger, etc.
Centainly theese challenges are part of a race like the TdG, and the contestors with the best strategy, and best prepared physically, mentally and equipment wise, ought to win.
By setting aside safety such as leaving your boyancybags to save weight, you take a chance. Either you get a better time or you loose your boat. Compare to F1 races, its strat’s raining and you continue on slicks, and crash. Should the organiser stop you?
No – this is not a kindergarten. Racers participating in races in uncontrolled environments must be expected to have trained to meet the different challenges that can occur. If not – they should either stop when they can no longer face the challenges or not participate at all in the first place.
Without having read all the race rules, I bet, that they state, that you participate under our own responcibilities?
If I choose to go on one of your trips (Which I would like, but not are fit for) I would for shure get in to trouble at some point, as I’m not fit enough. So according to your view, it’s your (the organisers) responsability to send me home BEFORE I get in to trouble?
That don’t hold up in real life….
It should allways be my own responsability not to get myselves in to trouble, and if I can not do that as a racer, I should not race, and if I can not do so on a long trip, I should not join in on a long trip….
An organiser can NEVER take in to account ALL the stupidities of participants, for instance, no bouancy bags, insufficient swimmingwest’s, no spraydecks etc. Or all in combination.
You know as well as I do, that in a “sharp” situation, a kayak without boyancy must be left to sink, as it is more important to get to the next kayaker in trouble – yet some people complained about the organisers not beeing able to rescue their kayak without boyancybags or only one.
If this is the common state of mind of the members in the Danish kayakclubs, we have a big problem, as I see it.
And if I was to organise such an event, I would not organise it, under the expetations you mention – never…..
I’ve been sailing in something on water for the past 30 years, and I must say, that it in my opinion is a dangerous way of thinking you apply.
In sailboat races (offshore) which I did some of, you are expected to be able to take care of yourselves in any given situation. A race has never been cansled due to too much wind, only lack of wind.
In stormy situations racers are expected to seek habour, go with the wind etc., if they can not go on, and call for rescue, if they sink, but it’s was never the organisers desition when to say stop! It was allway the individual skipper on the boat.
Hi Povl
To answer your question: “It’s “legal” to behave irresponsible when participating in a race, but not if you are on your own. I.e. race participants leave their brain at home or dosen’t apply commen sence ???”
Yes. Such is the K1/Trainer racing culture. While some may not like it, this is the reality in which a race organizer must operate.
I wouldn’t have paddled onto Lake Mossø in such conditions in my K1 had it not been in the context of a race. I’m sure this goes for pretty much all the contestants minus those in sea kayaks. Why is this? Because in a race you go to and above the limit.
I don’t think it’s furthering the discussion to introduce cases from the sea kayak touring, the F1 and the sailing boat racing worlds. These are different worlds and different standards applies.
I’ve previously named the TdG committee incompetent and I stand by my words. The racing committee clearly lacked good judgment when they didn’t stop the race until it was way too late. Why did this happen? Because they obviously didn’t have a plan B. Organizing a race in the autumn with 900 participants and not planning for bad weather is incompetence in my book.
We only narrowly avoided the biggest disaster in the history of Danish canoing and I want our entire community to take a break and seriously reconsider how we handle safety.
Still no matter who we blame for the near-disaster this year, I’m sure we all agree that this must never happen again.
best regards Peter
Hi Peter
Some good points – I agree with you in that we hopefully never will have someone to drown under a kayaking event her in DK, and that wide steps should be taken to avoid that. Questions is – who should take them?
I’m certainly glad to hear that you would never have entred Mossø on your own under the given conditions.
Perhaps what ought to be discussed further within the sports community, is who have what responsibilities. Going over the TdG website, it is not a lot of information they give about the race, and about the conditions one might encounter, safety etc.
Hrmmm – I fully understand that when in a race one gives everything and a bit more, but still, I don’t think that it justifies setting commen sense and the safety of one selves and perhaps others aside……
doing so, often lead to that other people get dragged in to trouble, trying to rescure the one that in the first place got himselves in to trouble…..
Perhaps this culture should have a sound and critical look at itselves, and talk about if it’s fair to create danger to others (Those who come to their rescue) just for sports and fun? This applies to the rescue team, as well as a fellow kayaker who – as you did – try to step in and help.
Personally, I think not – but we’ll proabably never agree on that….
Anyway – I belive that’s good that the subject is taken up and beeing debated thouroghly, so that everybody in the future might have a clearer understanding of, who’s responsible for what, and why….
Actually, the debate sadly enough just got even more relevant, as two kayakers just died in canada during their practice for an adventure race.
Their extreeme lack of good judgement cost two of them their lives, and 6 more were in great danger trying to rescue them, and themselves….
They surely paid the ultimate price for training for their sport!
Yes – they went training, and was not participating in an organised event – but still – you have to draw the line some where….
As peoples lives get more and more secure and perhaps dull, they need and seek bigger and bigger challenges, and in seeking them do stupid things such as train hopping etc.
My point still is, that when participating in an event in an uncontrolled environmet – nature, you have to expect the unexpected, and be prepared for it, and that is a part of the thrill of participating in such an event.
Yes organisers have some kind of responsibility, but organisers can never have total responsebility for 900 participants in such an avent. Different skill levels, differet equipment, different stage of training etc. In my mind you ask for the impossible.
Perhaps some of the answer could be, that you had to have a certain (certified)skill level to be allowed to participate, and also that each and every kayak should be inspected and cleared before starting, thus making shured that the basic safety equipment, such as boyancy bags are present?
But really – that would kill the TdG as we know it. I also seriously doubt, that you can find anyone who will organise such an event, having to take on the responsibilities you demand.
Well – we’ll have to see what happens, and we’ll have to settle on agreeing on that we disagree …..
Keep on paddling
Hi,
I totally agree with Povl. I know the sailing and adventure racing scene as well and I do apply the same principles to all races I do.
By the standards Peter is expecting from race organization, an event like the SeaChallenge should not happen.
But it does and I am happy about it!
If somebody chooses the wrong equipment and has not prepared well the principles of Darwin’s theory should aplly.
Don’t get me wrong, I do not want anybody to get harmed and I will provide any necessary assistance to avoid tragedy but after the event is over and everybody is save again, I will kick anybodys butt who needed assistance because of bad preparation and poor jugdement.
This may sound harsh but it is can be harsh environment which we choose for our sport!
Cheers, Rolf
Hi Povl
Now I’m fully aware that it’s easy to be clever in hindsight but I do find it quite easy to imagine a safer TdG setup:
(a1) Two days before the race, place marker bouys along the shoreline of lake Mossø. One buoy for every 200m or 40 bouys in all.
(a2) On the day of the race conservatively enforce a route on the inside in case of questionable weather. Disqualify paddlers that goes on the outside.
(b) Randomly check kayaks(say every 10) arriving in Ry(portage and break). Disqualify paddlers with kayaks that don’t satisfy the requirements.
(c) Invite experienced sea kayakers to act as rescue boats on Lake Mossø and offer them shirts(“TdG rescue kayak team”) or patches for their PFD(sea kayakers love this stuff).
Raise the price for participating with 100dkr. The extra 90.000dkr should easily cover the costs.
Now the right thing for me to do was to offer my help to the TdG committee but I am already downing in volunteer work. In 2008 I expect to be part of the group organizing the open danish championship in sea kayaking. More on that event later.
Best regards Peter
Hi Rolf
I strongly oppose your view on “Darwin’s theory” applied to a race like the TdG. It is unthinkable that we should ever accept someone drowning during a race.
TdG is not an extreme sport event. TdG is not like climbing Mount Everest. Just look at the participants. I suspect a majority of them think that completing the race is a big achievement in itself.
I have for the last couple of years been dreaming of an ‘extreme race’ at the west coast of Jutland. In fact we even briefly discussed it in the Danish Canoe Federation a month ago.
However the requirements for the participants would be an order of a magnitude higher than what it takes to paddle the TdG. As a bare minimum you would be required to demonstrate a bombproof roll. But this is really a different story.
Best regards Peter
The recommendation of alternative routes in bad weather is atleast in the swedish rules for kayak marathon. I know surfski races also apply this rule. I would never go 1 km from closest land in my flatwater racer even with no wind.
Under normal conditions the safety boats are just there to make the racers feel sefe. An organizer can never have so many safety boats as was needed at TDG. I doubt that even sea kayaks can give much assistance in storm winds.
As Peter said, the organizers of TDG did not have a plan B. They should.
However I think it is important to support the organizer of TDG with improvement proposals. These people are spending a lot of their free time to organize this event and most likely they don’t get payed. Support them to improve the security of the race to next year.
Peter,
Interesting discusion. At the colorado river 100, racers were required to check in the night before the race. Safty equipment was inspected at that time, and if you couldn’t show the required equipment, you were not allowed to enter. Because of high water several alternate olans were made and discussed before the race, none of which had to be implemented. During the race itself, racers were subject to random inspections, with possable dq. After all that I ran into a competitor at 2:00am whose lights had quit working. He was very inexperienced and scared to death. He was also about 1km above the only real hazard on the course. I escorted him to the next check point, below the hazard and went on. No matter how much you plan, you can never account for somebody elses inexperience. Ultimatly the racer has ti decide what risk he is willing to take. You made a decision to enter the lake in choppy water, and everyother racer there made the same decision, whether they could handle the conditions or not. The decision to try to cross the lake was based on your knowledge of your experience level. On your part it was probably a good decision. The paddlers who couldn’t handle the chop should have made a different decision, as some of them did, but it was their responsability and their decision to make.
As to the race co-ordinators not changing the course, that is something that they should have taken into account. It is standard here to address safty issues at a pre race meeting and discuss emergency measures before the race starts. These are mandatory meetings for all racers.
I am glad that it turned out as well as it did.
Regards
Bruce
Hi
Added map to the posting to better give an impression of the scene.
Erik – you’re right. The entire team behind TdG is made up of volunteers. I hope I don’t come out of this discussion looking like I’m against their entire work.
I’m all for a multi-disciplinary approach to kayaking and TdG is one of the few events that brings together most kind of canoes and kayaks.
But they have to be careful. I recently spoke with a board member of a large kayak club. Based on this year’s experience, they were considering banning participation in TdG for their first year members.
Best regards Peter
Hi Peter
In Offshore sailing, boat which go to rescue, are given a time compensation and may even go on to win. Seem like this is a good idea for all watersports.
Regards Philip
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