We spent Sunday up at the Tour De Indian Arm in Deep Cove BC at the second and final race of the THINK International Surfski Challenge. The Challenge, created 3 years ago as an informal competition between neighboring British Columbia and Bellingham / Seattle surfski communities. In the competition, Canada and the US each have 10 surfskis per team. 1 tandem, 2 women, and 7 men make up the teams. The teams are not determined before the race, your fastest 10 skis in those categories make up your team.

After Race I, the Dan Harris Challenge, the 2-time defending champion, Team USA, was in the lead by 40 points. But, we knew we had to rally the troops for Tour De Indian Arm… because Canada wanted that trophy!!!

Brandon did some instigating on our local surfski chat group with a few You Tube videos and a little smack talking, trying to get the US talking strategy and fired up for race day. While the US kept mum, he did seem to light a fire in the Canuck camp who returned with a few videos of their own.

Brandon (USA)  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iikKzQwgBJc
Adrienne (Canada) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lffkj9Xf8TY
Brandon (USA) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVHAEqVmquk 
Kathleen (Canada) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SSTgr4Oe9M 

So, Sunday morning Team USA arrived for the 1PM race with no plan. We ended up having only 1 solo women (me), 3 tandems (one with a woman in it, Debbie), and plenty of A team men. Canada had a similar line-up, but, had their full quota of women.

So, here is where we could have strategized.

• Because we only had 1 solo woman, we immediately lost 20 points.
• BUT, if our fastest tandem had a woman in it, that woman would also get points for being the second female paddler on the team. But, Debbie and Morris were not the fastest this day, so, Debbie would not have gotten those points there.
• We could have put two women in a tandem surfski (me and Debbie). If we were the fastest US surfski we would get points for being first and second women, and for being top tandem. But,  again we would not have been the top us tandem (as we had a lightning fast men’s tandem with Don and Gabe from Seattle  who won the overall.) 
• OR, another option, had we strategized, we could have had Debbie race solo.
• If you are not totally confused by now… maybe you can help us plan for next year!

Anyway, the fun part is… now EVERYONE is talking, everyone is contemplating the “What if we’d….” and “Where was…?”

But, who WON you ask????

Ahhhh… that little detail! The overall Tour de Indian Arm race winner was Don and Gabe in a tandem surfski racing for Team USA.  Ian McKenzie was the solo men’s surfski champion racing for Team Canada (with Brandon in a close second… which is all you could hope for when you are racing against Ian!)  For women, I took first racing for Team USA. You can watch for the full 2010 Tour De Indian Arm Results here.

But still…. Who WON????

It was close…. Very very close!

Team Canada won Tour de Indian Arm by about 20 points. BUT, Team USA had dominated Dan Harris Challenge by about 40 points!!! So, congrats go to 3-time THINK International Challenge Champs… Team USA!!!

And you better believe – next year is going to be FUN!!! Secret planning meetings, strategy, Lance Armstrong style pelotons and protected riders… and lots more smack talking!!  

Until then… see you on the water!

Heather, Brandon and Hayden

POSTED BY: Heather