Monotype- One size fits all?

If you visit the site www.wildwater.org.uk/ICF you can read

what is in the pipeline for wild water racing (WWR).

One really interesting thing is the monotype concept.

That means everyone will paddle in the same Kayak.

 

The official aim of this project is:

Making the sport more affordable for new nations in the WWR family.

Helping the poor is a noble thing.

And on the other hand we need more nations to reach the Olymp of sport.

We know that our sport is changing.

And the direction is clear.

The first step was the sprint.

Now we can race in the slalom channel.

This is a good argument to be an Olympic sport.

Second hurdle is now the number of nations.

We need more nations competing in WWR to be part of the games.

Why is the number of nations in WWR smaller then in the bigger canoeing disciplines flat water and slalom?

One reason can be the cost of the boats.

For sure there is more then one factor.

But lets take it as the main reason.

The wild water committee decided that a ridged Kayak makes our sport cheaper.

So lets have a look:

Lets talk about money:

1. All owners of DR Kayaks lose the value of their competition boats
2. All manufactures lose their investment in developing and moulding.

This is much more money then the possible saving can be.

The argument that the monotype saves money is wrong.

And one more thing is that the ICF will give a monopoly to one company.

This opens the door for all the other companies to sue the ICF.

What would be more then fair.

Because the DR boat manufactures have workers employed and live from our sport.

Lets talk about fun:

Paddling in a 20- 26 kg Monotype sucks. A lighter Kayak would not be ridged.

Lets talk about the paddlers:

In our sport we have very big differences in the weight and size of the athletes.

This difference is more then 40 kg in weight and more then 40cm in size.

A monotype design would be made for the average paddlers.

The concept of a monotype design is not fair and touches the foundation of our sport.

Resume:

The monotype concept is another example for the work of the wild water committee

that is trying to change our sport to a TV and Olympic format.

Remember!

The Olympic games are every for years.

In Slalom participate 24 athletes each Categories.

For sure have the Olympic canoe disciplines more money.

But we have no guarantee that DR will be part of the Games.

And will it be Wild Water Racing anymore?

Will the DR paddlers race or will we be a second division of Slalom?

No misunderstanding- this is not against sprint races.

But it is against reducing our sport to the Olympic games and money.

If our leaders see only a future with the Olympic games we have no future.

Or we need new leaders.

Our sport has a history without Olympic games.

The sprint was officially introduced as an addition of WWR.

Not to replace our sport.

At last one polemic thing:

Athletes come and go. Officials stay longer.

Who takes the most profit from being Olympic?

Or saying it more friendlily:

The biggest disasters are made by man doing the wrong thing

by thinking they do the best.

But:

Doing disaster by trying to make best.

Is still a disaster.

If you agree that the politic of a monotype design is not good for the future of

Wild Water Racing contact the represent of your federation