UK Champs = Selection

[Canadian Paddler]

8.9. P60, Item 3. In order to allow for a specific UK championship race to be held, it is proposed to delete the wording under this item and replace by:
The UK champion will be the winner of senior selection unless as identified in the managed calendar each year that a UK Championship race is to be held. This race will normally be held under a champion race format.

This proposal has been put forward to enable a specific UK Championship race to take place should the International Calendar and National Ranking Calendar allow.

Proposed by the Slalom Committee

[Dan Goddard]

We already have the british open championship for a 1 off championship race, why do we need another?

The whole point of combining the UK championships with selection was so that it made sure the top paddlers could attend.

Why make another race just for the sake of it? the top paddlers are stuggling to compete in the domestic calender as it is.

Instead lets try and get more padders including international paddlers into the events we already have.

Dan

[Bus Driver]

Couldn't agree more Dan, it looks like a pointless waste of time and money unless there is some other motive for running this event

[Canadian Paddler]

Just for once I also voted against, for much the same reasons as Dan, selection is about selection, not some way to ensure the team includes the UK Champion.
If we are to continue THREE championships (Ranking, British Open and UK) lets be sure we know why, and that they are different, not like the plethora of boxing 'world' Championships!

[Anne]

In all other sports the British Open is an event open to all nationalities. It was suggested by your paddler rep and discussed by the committee that we should run the class C International and call it the British Open and make it open to international paddlers. This then requires only one set of prizes with perpetual trophies engras (that won't be allowed to leave the country) The UK champs would then become the National Championships. There is strong feeling that when the calendar allows we could then run a UK champs race say in August and make it a good racing weekend plus social event.

[campbell]

I agree with Dan - for the paddlers who compete at senior international level, there are too many races already to be introducing yet another major domestic race.

I suggest that the UK champs remains the winner of the selection series - this is the race that gives the best reflection of ability at the top end of the sport because it is the only race that guarantees entry by all of the top paddlers.

I also think the British National Champion should remain the winner of Premier Division.

I would suggest that we change the way prizes are awarded at the British Open / International race. Instead of a prize for 1st, 2nd, 3rd international and 1st, 2nd, 3rd british open etc, with many people getting prizes in both - how about simply having an international race with 1st, 2nd and 3rd being the people who actually finished 1st, 2nd and 3rd regardless of where they are from. And the British Open Perpetual tophy could be awarded to the highest placed British paddler.

Also.... I see on the draft calender that there are 11 proposed Premier races next year! With only 5 races counting for ranking, i dont think we need to have this many!

If there were fewer races, then almost every paddler would attend every race, including all of the top paddlers, making for bigger, more competitive, better quality races throughout the class. Competition at the top end would be fiercer at every race, and having the top paddlers there is better for developing paddlers to watch and compare themselves against.

[Canadian Paddler]

RESULT

This motion was carried with 34 votes for, 21 votes against and 25 abstentions

[guest]

Any results from Saturdays selection race???