Over the weekend 26th / 27th February came the much anticipated return of Irelands classic boater X event, in previous years it be run under many names but now it was back as Wacko on The Jacko, run by Kipper and Keoghser of Total Experience with the help of a Local Outdoor Education Centre.
Everyone arrived early Saturday to a low but runnable Jacksons where the event kicked off with the individual race, 4 at a time would race from the Jacksons lead in over the falls and hit the eddy above little Jacksons with the top placed progressing through to the next round.
The heats were full of carnage and beatings with a busy rescue team jumping on anything that tumbled. Up came the Expert men of which I had myself a tough heat with Colm (I-Canoe), Paddy and Ger. (WWKC) getting myself boxed in at the beginning and finding myself at the back of the pack a last sprint into Jacksons just in front of colm and a cheeky roll at the bottom before he landed on me left me in third place and out of the competition,
The individual final was a case of same old faces with Mr Paddy McGovern and YIanni fighting it out in their age old battle once again paddy came out on top.
The Saturday afternoon saw the team race over the short course where a team of three would race against the clock with 3 challenges, one would roll, one would pass their paddle through a hoop and the third must make the energiser eddy, on my team me colm and mark Coleman, colm rolled successfully mark (C1) passed his paddle through the hoop and I made the energiser, but I miss timed my exit and fell left into the pit where luckily rescue ranger Paul Williamson saved me from an almost certain swim. the team race was won by the joint team this time of Paddy Yianni and Steve
Wacko on the Jacko 2011, Team I-CANOE from Colm Healy on Vimeo.
the Saturday night party and drinks was a social affair with big crowds descending on Lynhams for a fun filed night of live music and socialising.
Sunday morning dreary eyed and rather hungover saw the team race over the long course from trooperstown to the same eddy at Jacksons. this would take somewhere between 11-15 mins we had a last minute substitution due to technical issues swapping C1 mark for Big Water Mack the only man who has never rushed for anything let alone a race!
give him his dues he got down without stopping to light up!
The long race was won by Benny, John and Tom in their maximum length choppers!
overall a great weekend good craic and a great showing by all proving paddling is not dead!
thanks to Total experience for a great event!
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