Friday, April 16, 2004
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Friday, April 16, 2004 |
Beijing-bound?Paddlers from Peachtree City could be in 2008 Olympics By MICHAEL BOYLAN When people compete in canoe events in the Olympics in Athens this summer, Peachtree City residents Benn Fraker and Neil Quinn will most likely be on the sidelines, either training in their canoes in other sites in Europe or watching the events like the avid fans of the sport they are. At 15 and 19 respectively, these young men are on the move in the sport of single canoe and their progress is definitely moving upstream. Both Fraker and Quinn recently participated in the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in South Bend, Ind. Quinn placed sixth with an overall time of 245.42, while Fraker, who admits it wasn’t his best race, placed eighth with a time of 259.449. This event was one of three that would qualify an athlete for the 2004 Olympics but it was the only one of the three races in which both were competing. Fraker has a good shot to make the Junior National Team this year, while Quinn is looking forward to participating in several World Cup races this year. Single canoe is similar to slalom skiing. Athletes get on their knees in a closed in canoe that resembles a kayak and race in 90-120 second course races on whitewater. There are 18-25 gates on a course and the paddler must go down through green gates and up through red gates. If a paddler hits a gate, two seconds are added to his or her time and if a paddler misses a gate, 50 seconds are added and the day is virtually over for the paddler. Both Fraker and Quinn admit that a paddler must be in good physical shape to compete, but add that a race is more about technique than power. Both were introduced to the sport by their families. Fraker, a freshman at McIntosh High School, has been racing for over three years and paddling for fun for over six years. Quinn, a Starr’s Mill graduate, has been racing for a little longer and is really dedicating himself to the sport. He has taken a semester off from Georgia State University, which has allowed him to train in North Carolina on the Nantahala River as well as in France for a month. Practice definitely makes perfect and both paddlers work hard to excel at their craft. They both belong to the Atlanta Center for Excellence (ACE), a paddling club in Atlanta. Fraker practices for 90 minutes a day five days a week with ACE and then practices on either the Nantahala or Ocoee Rivers on Saturdays. When not practicing on weekends, both Fraker and Quinn are usually competing in the races. Despite their ages, the two are usually competing against the top athletes in the sport, mainly because the pool of athletes is small. For example, the closest paddler in age to Quinn and Fraker at the Olympic Team Trials was 24 years old. Paddlers who are the top athletes in the sport in the U.S. also spend lots of time coaching and encouraging people like Fraker and Quinn in hopes that they will rise up in the sport and pass the torch on to others. The sport was first introduced in the Olympics in 1972 and has been back since 1992. Both Fraker and Quinn are experts on the sport and talk about videos of some of their favorite paddlers like some people talk about Phish bootlegs. They know every nuance of every race and seem to have run each course in their minds hundreds of times. Last year saw the two young men train in Europe during the summer and both have their sights set on another trip this summer. Among the locations that they trained in last year were Germany, Austria, Slovenia, Slovakia, Italy and Poland. They stated that the sport enjoys more popularity in Europe and hope that one day it is equally as popular in the United States. If it is, they hope that they can then cash in on endorsements to help them pay for what can be a very expensive sport. They explained that canoes can cost close to $1,500 and a paddle is around $200. Factor in travel expenses, entry fees and additonal equipment that is necessary and it may be one of the most expensive sports to participate in. Quinn stated that it is almost necessary to get a new boat every year or so to stay competitive. With no endorsements, it can be tough to financially sustain a drive to be the best. Both Fraker and Quinn thanked their parents for their financial help and numerous other sacrifices that allowed them to follow their dreams of glory in the sport. Next up for these paddlers from Peachtree City is the Southeasterns, May 1-2 on the Nantahala River in North Carolina. Fraker will then travel to compete in the Junior National Team Trials the following weekend. He must finish in the top three to make the team. While both enjoy the competion, they also truly enjoy being on a river and battling the clock and their best times. Each race sees them trying to run their best race ever, making it cleanly through the gates and making as few mistakes as possible. They compare the rivers to problems that need to be solved and are always picking up on the techniques of the paddlers they idolize. Though they seem to always be working at climbing up the ranks in their sport, they are clearly having a blast. “I think this is the most fun sport out there,” said Quinn, who admitted he was biased. Fraker concurred and added, “I hope I can do this forever.” In 2008, Fraker will be 19 and Quinn will be 23. They could be two of the U.S.’s top candidates to make the Olympics by then and with their competitive drive and spirit, they may just bring home some gold.
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