From
http://www.usack.org/articles/2006/august/sl_nationals_update_1.asp
Update on Slalom Nationals
by David Yarborough, Executive Director of USACK

With unprecedented interest from around the world in our 50th
anniversary edition of the USA Canoe/Kayak Slalom National
Championships, we want to provide everyone with an update of our
plans for the event less than a month from its scheduled opening on
August 25.

Of overriding concern is the question of whether the new US National
Whitewater Center will be ready in time to host this important event.
We continue to monitor the status of the Center day by day. Though
the USNWC has not been able to meet various target opening dates this
summer—and is still as of today not open to the public---we remain
confident that the facility will be able to host our event at the end
of this month.

The whitewater course at the USNWC looks great and is sure to provide
a very stern test to the competitors at this year's Nationals. If you
haven't already seen the video of Scott Shipley paddling on the new
course, check out www.USNWC.org.

Overall the construction at the USNWC is on schedule and it all looks
fantastic. From the time of our decision this spring to hold the
event here we knew that the main buildings, landscaping and some of
the land-based features of the facility would not be finished before
the dates of our event. But the strong interest in the new
competition channel at USNWC compelled the Whitewater Slalom
Committee to hold the event there even in the midst of on-going
construction activities.

There remain a few critical aspects of the USNWC that must be
completed within the next few weeks in order for them to be able to
host our event. These include improvements to the temporary access
road and various health and building code inspections. We have been
in close consultation with the project leaders, its contractors and
the local government officials involved and have received their
expressions of confidence that all these items can be completed in
time, though perhaps just in time, for our Slalom Nationals.

You may have heard that the ACA Open Boat Slaloms that were scheduled
at USNWC from August 18-20 have been relocated to the Nantahala.
USACK was aware of the deliberations that led to this decision and
believes that the ACA made the best decision it could based on the
information available. In addition to wanting to avoid the risks of
having their event impacted by further delays in the USNWC opening,
it should also be noted that the ACA event was planned for a
different part of the USNWC where the ability to hold a large event
prior to the completion of the whole project was more difficult than
on the competition channel which has been designed specifically to
host slalom races.

We have heard from a number of athletes questioning the changes in
schedule for this event from that in some prior years. While some of
these changes have been made to make the event more comfortable for
all participants (avoiding the searing heat of this summer, etc.),
others have been made to enhance the event and to accommodate the
unique characteristics of the venue. In every case these decisions
were taken with athlete input and agreement with the interests of
participating athletes in the forefront. The new circumstances at the
USWNC may allow us to tweak the schedule somewhat, but the timing of
the finals on Saturday evening is still fixed.

We have a great response to this year's 50th annual slalom nationals
with more than 50 athletes already registered already. We hope that
many friends of slalom will visit the new facility and that many
former participants in previous Slalom Nationals will join our
celebration as well.

We will be posting frequent (at least weekly) updates about the
Slalom Nationals and the opening of the USNWC on the USACK website
starting with this announcement. Please check the www.USACK.org
homepage from time to time to stay abreast of our plans.