Okay! Lets to abt my rd ubin race expedition on the passed sunday. 20/08/2006
Morning reached the Pasir ris around 8am. After I reported to the organiser, collected my equipment place my stuff, help one of the uncle to carried out the sea kayaks to the beach.
Reached the beach, everyone kayak is on ready position and placed properly get ready for set off and some other races were doing strectching and get use of the racing boat.
There are few category: T1 , T2, K1, K2, Slalom and touror. Not fogetting my Sea kayak category =)
Sea kayak is larger than the other racing boat as well, weight is abt 28kg without load, and it hard to speed and moving due to the design. There is a rudder fixed at the stern (back) of the sea kayak for easy to keep the sea kayak on path. Also the front and back has a hutch for keeping the camping stuff. Also the kayak name is know as penguin! Also my favorite sea kayak during my 4star kayaking course at malaysia.
On my race in that morning, before the race everyone of us to the start point. Everyone kept moving and aligned our kayak with starting pt. Tat day have a lot of nice wind.
Abt 8.53am, the race start by the air hone of the power craft. Everybody paddled with power stoke chiong towards that ubin side, the fastest are all the K1 n k2 kayaks. Really fast, So i start with nice and relax long stroke and i knew that my kayak design cant speed so fast de. Thats a words ( forcing no xin fu de lol)
On my way to the ubin, i saw my senior coach darren paddled in front of me quite fast. So i was slowlly paddled with my constant speed to reached him. When i reached him is already reached the ubin kechu. That area lots of fishing lines, so i asked him to followed my direction just to avoid the fishing line. After that we paddled the same pace, at tat time i felt my momenton was up le. So i took this opportunity to speed up my kayak even faster and maintain on the next lvl of speed.
We turned left and move on, until reached Ubin katam (Wastern side of ubin). I looked back, is just only my sea kayak. So i nver think that much and i can felt my speed got constant and fastest than before. So i used the speed to catched in front all the T1 and T2 those are pure racing kayak. i kept going and my speed got another lvl up. On my way i can felt that my kayak which move that kind of speed nver had before, and my confident was up another lvl. One of the power craft was followed me and cheer me up. ( Jia ya!! ur pace is good , keep moving and be the fastest Sea kayak and i replied "Yap!!" )
Once i reached the back of the ubin. (Nena Channel!!) I head towards my direction the end of ubin ending side, look was near but is very far abt 8 km a parts. I just continue my constant speed and tried to punch my power stroke bit by bit, tru my speed was got faster but when reached 1/2 point of the ubin. (Nordin), my butts started to ache. Then i back to my constant speed and the kayak still moving faster and faster. Until i reached chek jawa, is at the east side of the ubin, my butts was no feeling le. But now my body start jaming, lucky my stamina still left lot.
At chek jawa, the wave and head wind picked up extremely and we have a hard time to controlled the kayak too. I saw all the other kayak started to not stable, also the path is quite a confussion with the bouys and construction. just nice when i reached the frog island ( The front part of the ubin). Suddenly thats both T1 capsize in front of me, i have no choice and fast step my footrest to controlled the kayak rudder, extremelly turned away just to avoided crash on the both capsized kayaks. I was like tok to myself, KNN no choice need to win the race else i no mind to rescue them. Lucky that power boat around that area.
After i avoided them, i continued to paddled this time my butts and body recovered. So I tried my best to pull long stroke all the way, just to maintained my kayak speed until i found that turning bouy to leaded us towards the channel (Serangoon harbour). This channel which lead us cut a crossed back to pasir ris beach.
When i start to move on the channel, i kept tok to myself (Come on lets go finishing soon). My stroke automatically punched faster and my kayak speed up, abt 1/2way of the channel my body almost jam up again. Coz i think is over pushed, so i have no choice need to paddled with me mucles arm only which i hate to do so. Thats a guide official cheered me (Well done!! u are the 1st on ur cat) And i start to look back thats no other sea kayak behind. The channal look far when tired.
At that time, left abt 500m. Charies n wanjie with the rest of our changi coach was welcome me back and they shoted (Go go go!!). When i reached the shore they changed ( Roll roll roll! ) I was like scolded them, siao ar ask me to roll this time i died man haha~~ =)
Thats an official very kind to help me pushed the kayak away frm the finishing line, coz still got lots of kayaks coming in.
I was stayed at the shore and rest, abt 30mins later finally darren came back. When he back i wanted to carried the heavy sea kayak to washed, wanjie faster help me to carried. he then kind help to washed the kayak and we put back together on the rack.
I was really tired, 1st time cant tok after the race. One of the pasir ris coach come and congrate me n told me that i did a good and fast time, no body ever so fast before in sea kayak. Is below 2 hrs 50mins. And he told me that i got champion le. I replied in a tired manner Thx =) then the coach lol!! n he walked off.
After i went for my bath took my lunch, is price presentation time. This yr NTU was overall champion in open and junior event is my formal ngee ann poly.
The rest i forget le! But i still rem CSSC really power!!
Sea kayak cat: Me champion, darren 1st runner up.
T2 : charies and wanjie got 3nd runner up
As in not bad le, this is our 1st race.
Conclusion: For this race, i not only learn abt how to do a good race in ubin next time. Also better understanding abt those design of kayaks and equipment affect the paddling. Not forget myself paddled 1st time paddled below 3 hrs in my life.
Next yr i want to do better. this my 1st race and gold medal =)
Still reminded me got my very 1st gold medal during my teens on track n field haha! =P
