Paddlemania! Slot Machine Showcase

Here's what I went up to Paddlemania for: The Slotmachine carnage! I drove up with Nora who was going to run the St Louis, which at 2800 cfs was still a bit much for me. But then I had paddled 4 times in the last 7 days, so I just had a day off for bumming around outside.

Joerg Steinbach (often referred to as the devil), Joel Becker, and John "Kiffy" Kiffmeyer (gotta love those side burns!) looking into the abyss that was their destiny...

Rock, paper, sissor had decided who was to go first and since I don't see Techno Tommy, he must have already gone down to put in as the trail blazer.

Here's what he was facing: Slot maching from above. (Even climbing to a good viewing spot was scary enough for yours truely, but I did, what had to be done :-)

Here's Kiffy, who refined his line after watching Techno Tommy's first run. Check out Nora's pictures, you can see there much better, how steep his stern angle was right down there.

You could clearly see, how they were refining their lines with each run they had been able to watch before them! I'd say, it takes quite the paddler to make such small adjustments to the line!

People expected to have a carnage ratio of at least 50/50. As Peter Noren said: It's just a craps shoot. But, there was only one swimmer, who only just missed his roll at the bottom after going a little too far right in the slot and getting churned. Awesome!

Thanks Tommy, Kiffy, Joerg and Joel for throwing yourself down Slotmaching for us!

Thanks Midwest Mountaineering for the party! I love my new Sex Wax gift :-)