Jackson Kayak

August 30, 2004

What a week! What a drama. There are four members of the Jackson family here in Watertown, NY, and three of them are trying to make the USA Team. Emily made it yesterday, Dane made it this morning- and………..

Yeehaaa- I made it this afternoon!!!! I have now been on the USA Team for either slalom or freestyle since 1989, crazy.

It has been a dream of mine to compete in the world championships with my kids since I had them. I never imagined that either Emily at 14 years old, or Dane at 11 years old would be making the team, nevermind, both of them!! I can’t tell you what it means to me that the kids are not only enjoying kayaking like I do, but they also have great competition minds also.

So the deal is this:

I am a rational man, sometimes, and I am going to rationalize right now.

I begged Jay Kincaid to come to USA Trials- even though he had a bye, because he won the 2003 World Championships in Austria. I wanted him here so we could paddle together, but more importantly, so when I won, I would have beaten everybody in the USA. Well, talk about all time backfires. First off, not only did I not win, but Jay won and I was 6th, oops.

So the rationalization- well, I didn’t suck, I just had a stroke of bad luck. My best score was over 200 points greater than Jay’s best score (828 vs. 627), However, I had my score in semi-finals, and Jay had his in finals! I was going big in finals and was going hard, fast, and raking in the points faster than Fat Bastard eats an apple pie, but I got greedy on my righty aerial backstab, twice, and hit rock, flushing out and losing all opportunity to score big. I did get 470 points in about 30 seconds, but I could really have used that last 15 seconds I spent paddling up the eddy doing tricks.

Kristine took one look at me and immediately saw that I was about to say something about my failure in winning the event, and shut me down hard, saying that if I complained once about it, she wouldn’t talk to me for the rest of the night. Well, that says it all. My life is too good to waste even one moment complaining or feeling bad about something that all but 5 other USA citizens would trade their situation for in a heartbeat. Besides, remember the Jim Jackson quote (my dad) “Nobody likes a complainer.”

Tommy Gunn gave out $5,000 in cash prizes. Anybody who made the USA Team got cash. Emily got $400, Dane $150, and I got $100. Jay got $400 too and Emily teased him for tying her in the cash winnings. Tommy Gunn wanted each class to get equal money. This was the first time I remember this happening, very cool!

We just got back from a dinner with Christie Dobson, Jamie Cooper, Jay Kincaid, Clay Wright, and the Jacksons at a place called “Goodfellas” in Sackets Harbor, NY (cool town about 10 miles from Watertown).

I am so ready to get to the Ottawa now, except that I have a date with Jay Kincaid at Hole Brothers tomorrow for a private showdown. Jay and I will do the no rules, no holds barred, no time limit, showdown. Our goal is to talk smack and show a level of superiority over the other person, typical male dominance… just in a kayak. We don’t claim to be highly evolved males, just males, and this is every bit as important as the event today. All part of the fun.

It is 9pm and I am going to turn this computer into a home theater and plug in a DVD and cuddle up with my funny hunny, Kristine and settle down for a long summer sleep, content in knowing that all is well in Jackson land, and that my kids have accomplished something that nobody can ever take away from them. They are permanent members of the US Freestyle Kayak Team alumni. Who knows, maybe they will still be competing at 40, like me- whoa, that is a crazy thought- 2030. That is not my goal for them, I just want happy kids who like who they are. Now they are proud of themselves, and should be, and that makes for a good night sleep.