Rio de Janeiro - the XXXI Olympiad

I would be remiss to not include another great adventure that three of us recently took...  A trip to Rio de Janeiro to see the REAL athletes do these sports justice.  When we started on this adventure, we jokingly said that we'd need to cap this whole thing off by going to Rio.  As time went on, we discussed it further, signed up for information, then decided to go for it!  Although we haven't quite finished all of our events, it was well worth the long flight to appreciate everything that the Olympics is, in person.


Over the 8 day trip, we attended 13 different events:  handball, judo, basketball, fencing, rowing, track & field, weightlifting, boxing, trampoline, badminton, table tennis, wrestling and synchronized swimming.  We focused on some of the "less popular" sports that we have each enjoyed during our journey.  We met great people from around the world, tried plenty of Brazilian food, and walked until we couldn't walk any more.  What a fantastic trip that made us appreciate the dedication and effort that these athletes put in every day of their lives for that one chance to represent their country and try to win gold!  A few of us are strongly considering a trip to Tokyo in 2020...


Now for just a few photos!

Our first evening at Olympic Park - one flag from every nation, with the Carioca Arenas in the background

The Olympic cauldron, standing in front of the Catedral Candelaria

Our first medal ceremony was following the women's team epee finals

We even got to see Usain Bolt run in the 100m preliminaries!

Sailing (Windsurfing) - 9/23/16

Windsurfing is one of the four sailing events at the Olympic games.  The event was first held for men in 1984, then for women in 1992.  An interesting aspect of windsurfing at the Olympics is that one specific "rig" (board, sail, daggerboard and fin) is selected each year and all competitors must use the same exact equipment.  Generally, the rig is chosen based on its ability to be used in many weather conditions, as the event is held regardless of conditions the day of the competition.


The equipment we used was very similar to what they used this year in Rio, but better for beginners.  (Smaller sails for better control and overall much cheaper!)  Our coach, Dean Peaple of Core Adventure Sports, was very happy to see that the weather cooperated with us when we headed out onto Lake Ray Hubbard for our lesson.  It was sunny, around 90 degrees and winds around 10-15mph.


We first got a quick land lesson to understand the rig and some of the jargon associated with the sport.  We then headed out to the water and Dean showed us the basics of how to get on the board, pull up the sail, then start to ride.  He also went over turning (a tack or a jibe, depending on which direction you turn) and stopping.  As simple as he made it look, we all struggled to keep the rig heading in the right direction!


The first step was to get the rig out into water deep enough to clear the daggerboard (used for stability) and fin underneath.  With our backs to the wind, we'd then climb on and sit on our knees.

L1 climbs onto the board for her first ride

Next, using the uphaul (cord attached to the mast), we pulled ourselves to standing, then continued to reel in the sail until we reached the "neutral position":  sail perpendicular to the board with hands at the very top of the uphaul, just below the boom - the grip that you hold while riding.  This is called neutral position because, with backs still to the wind, the breeze will blow over the sides of the sail, not putting any pressure on the rig and generally keeping you in one place in the water.  It was also the "safe" place to go back to at any point if we wanted to stop or take a break.

R working her hands up the uphaul to raise the sail

Once comfortable, using our lower hand, we'd release the uphaul, reach over the upper hand and grab the front part of the boom.  Then, quickly release the second hand, grab the boom and shift both feet slightly back and rotate the front foot so it faced more forward.  This proved to be quite a lesson in ballet.  Lots of things to remember and movement to make, but to stay balanced, it had to be quick and fluid.


Finally, look the direction we wanted to go - and ride!

J heads out on her first ride

We all had moments where we "got it" and were able to stay up for an extended period.  L1 rode the furthest out, then fell when attempting to turn around.  We all ended up in the water over and over (and got a little more graceful on how we ended up there) but kept getting back up.  The boards are quite stable and it was surprisingly easy to climb back up even when it deeper water.  The hardest part for me was getting a feel for the wind.  When it was consistent, it felt great, but if there was a gust, or a lull, the sail reacted, usually causing us to over-react and end up in the water.

L2 trying (unsuccessfully) to recover when the wind let up

This event was a great chance to try something very different from anything we had done before.  It's easy to see how addictive it would become to really get good, then seek out better equipment and better weather/locations to ride in.


We had a great time and are glad to have our first sailing event checked off the list!

With one of our rigs and coach Dean - RS:X Windsurfing complete!

Rowing - 9/3/16

We were finally able to locate a group willing to help us with our final rowing event - the Eight!  The most difficult part about it was simply locating a boat.  Not many clubs have one, partially due to the cost of the boat, but also due to the space required to store it.  The boat is about 60 feet long!  One other group had a boat, but the cost was a bit out of our reach.  Luckily, the TCU Rowing Club was willing to let us use theirs.


The Eight is the largest boat used for competition.  Also unique to this event is the presence of a "coxswain" in the boat - so the boat in fact carries nine people, although only eight row.  From Wikipedia:  "A successful coxswain must keep track of the drill, time, pace, words of the coach, feel of the boat, direction of the boat, and safety. During a race, a coxswain is responsible for steering, calling the moves, and responding to the way the other boats are moving."  The term "coxswain" is derived from terms that essentially mean "boat servant".


It was a gorgeous Saturday morning in late summer when we met Coach Pete, from Fort Worth Rowing Club and TCU Rowing, at Marine Creek Reservoir.  Water has been down on the Trinity River, so rowing of the eight needed to be somewhere with a sufficient water level.  We signed our waivers and reviewed the correct positioning and motion on an erg with one of the TCU rowers, then headed over to the boat to take her down to the water.

Getting ready to put the boat in the water

Coach Pete was our cox and had two experienced rowers on either end of the boat, with the four of us in the middle.  The eight is a sweep boat - so each person has only one oar.  We first started with only a couple of people rowing at a time, then worked on some basic drills to ensure the boat stayed level and steady and that our timing was correct.  Slowly we added more rowers, two at a time, until we were up to all eight.  We practiced an "Olympic start" which means we start off by taking two half-strokes, followed by a 3/4 stroke before going to full strokes.  This gets the boat moving quicker and keeps it steady, as opposed to full out strokes from the get-go.


Much like we saw with the four-man boat, it was amazing at how simple it was to row once we all were helping.  It almost seemed like it took no effort.  When it comes to racing, it all comes down to timing to make sure that every person is moving as much water as possible, at the same time.  There were a couple of kayakers also in the lake and we left them behind quite quickly each time we'd get moving!


Almost 2 years since we first rowed, we have now finished.  We've all very much enjoyed the sport and have been very lucky to have found such great people to help us learn the basics!  A huge thank you to everyone that has taken the time to teach us!!!

Our crew!