Articles by mo-tard

Saturday was the Lotus Regatta at the Barnett Marine Park.  More than a few of us went to help Ben with his other teams that he’s coaching (Soar and Wow - not Wow as in a group of mages and hunters paddling).  Ed, Sonja and myself paddled and called for Soar (Spirit of a Renegade) ; Jaime and Sara paddled for Wow (Women on Water); Jason paddled for Fort Langley; and Nadine and Sue paddled and steered for Sis (Sisters in Sync).

It was a loooong day with 4 races especially when it was pouring during the 3rd race.  Since Ben’s coaching style doesn’t change with the teams that he coaches, it was pretty easy with the calls when I haven’t attended a Soar practice prior to Saturday.

   

Left:  All paddlers brought food potluck style to the regatta… something Swordfish can learn from for the future race/regattas! There were eggtarts, thai salad, veggie dip, fruit salad, nacho dip and oh so much more.  Middle: Eric came to visit us! Right: Ben and his Women on Water.

The way the races/boats were timed were one of the most ghetto things I’ve seen.  It doesn’t seem like it’s accurate and I don’t believe they use the same timing system as Alcan.  Basically, it’s 4 timers timing 4 boats and then they compare the time.  Or maybe the finish line is actually a zigzag!

Soar did really well by placing second overall.  It was fun to call for them and I look forward to seeing them (and their food table) again at Harrison.

Congrats to Phat Phish for placing 3rd in the B-Final in the 2006 Taiwanese Cultural Festival this weekend… Whee…! Well deserved! The team was comprised of their hardworking paddlers as well as other fishies like Nat, Andrew, Mo, and Ed.  More to come later… gonna go drink it up now!

Congrats to Brit Mark’s Gold in C-Final with Fluid Motion!

Yesterday, I attended my first practice with Phat Phish for the Taiwanese Festival. I showed up all ready to start yelling at paddlers but Bernie (PP’s coach) gave me the heads up that another paddler will most likely be calling due to her pregnancy. So I picked up a paddle and headed towards the dock instead. Oh, the look of horror on Patch’s face and some other paddlers (he took the liberty to warn everyone about my paddling skills, or lack thereof)! Hah!

When I got on the boat, I noticed that I couldn’t brace my feet anywhere so I sat on the very edge of my seat for the entire practice. This morning, my poor bum is all sore! We did a couple of 20min pieces and some running starts… OMG… my delicate little flowery arms felt like they were going to be ripped off by my hardcore, intense paddling…! Ok, I am just out of shape and I arm paddle. The paddlers in front and behind me were patient enough to put up with my splashing and showed me how it’s done!

It was nice to attend a practice where I’m not verbally abused by b*kk**e obsessed teammates and coach!!! And I didn’t hear any mention of ‘fisting‘! No, I’m not quitting my calling position anytime soon…!

Aside from that, I am excited about Victoria! We worked and trained hard (myself included… heehee!) and hope to see some kick ass results. But we’ll also have a good time off the water, right? I will be rooming with Jo… MoJo in da house! I heard that in some rooms, you can push 2 single beds together to make a double. If Jo agrees to combine her bed with mine, I’ll have 75% more room! And if she sleeps on her side, it’s like having a Double bed all to myself! Yay!