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BATCHING AND SEEDING Just before all major races I get a number - about 35 before this Dusi - of phone calls and e-mails from paddlers at best politely questioning their batching to at worst ranting and raving about how unfair the system is and how badly done-by they are. A couple of things about this. 1. The current system is not new and has been in place now since August 2005 - 3 Dusi's and 3 Fish's ago. 2. The details are available to all who want to study them on both the CSA website under Rules and Regulations and with the CSA Ladder, and the KNCU website in the first newsletter at the top of the home page. 3. They were put in place after lengthy discussion at all levels of canoeing and after passing through all the required democratic processes. 4. The seeding system is not designed to simply predict the outcome of the race and a good seeding has to be earned in the months leading up to the race. 5. The system is designed to benefit the paddler who races often and well. It does not necessarily benefit the paddler who races seldom, even if they do race well. The paddler who races seldom and badly will get a bad batch even if they are a previous winner of the race in question. As I have said to many paddlers, if you are serious about your paddling, take the trouble to read the rules and work out how to best take advantage of them to get the best possible batch in the race you are aiming at. Don't complain about rules that you haven't take the trouble to read. Finally, if, having studied the rules carefully, you think you have ideas that will improve them, write them down and approach your club. If your club agree with you they will take them to your union. If the union agrees with you they will take them to CSA and if CSA agree with you, your ideas will become the rule.
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