How to Master Upstream Gates

The racer is a mask of pain as he sprints below Callahan's Ledge on Tennessee's Ocoee River towards Humongous. Suddenly the look disappears as he approaches the churning eddy behind the wave guarding the entrance. He is all grace now as he effortlessly slices his bow behind the gate and lets his stern follow. With one quick stroke he is back in the current and headed across to the final gates of the course.

For much of the crowd, who knows nothing of slalom racing, he seems to be paddling a hair better than the rest. To those who have tried it, his two-stroke upstream is nothing short of a miracle. Slalom racers spend long hours trying to perfect the "two-stroke upstream." Depending on the course, upstreams can come in many shapes and forms. There can be upstreams in almost any location on any eddy and, should the designer be feeling demonic enough, they can even be found in midstream currents. The technique for getting through them fast and efficiently stems from mastering the basic flatwater eddy turn.

When I look at any upstream gate, especially at big races, I think first of how to get out of the gate. The French maintain that the first rule of slalom is, "Never go away from the finish line." To follow this rule, look for a way to exit the upstream gate and start heading for the finish line. The less time you spend in the eddy the better. To do this I look for a place in the eddy that I call "the spot," the one place where, with a well-placed exit sweep stroke, I can push the boat back into the current. Try and find this spot in flatwater. When coaching, I often have athletes simply play around with the gate. I have them go to the gate, sit just downstream of the line between the poles (the so-called "gate-line") and then try to paddle out of the gate with a single stroke.

This is not a power game. I've been doing this since I weighed 95 pounds and could barely carry my boat. Position yourself just downstream of the gate-line and a little outside of the pole you wish to exit around. The idea is that, by being in the far side of the gate you will get a better exit angle when you enact your sweep. Most folks find the ideal place is an arm's length from the inside pole (the pole you are turning around) and facing 45 degrees out of the gate. This should give you the room you need to put in an effective exit sweep that will shove you back out into the current towards the finish line.

This maneuver is called the "exit," and is worth practicing before moving on to the upstream gate as a whole. Practice finding the "spot" on flatwater and then push the boat out past the pole and into the mock current. Try and get a feel for where the exit sweep stroke is best placed and timed. Many racers, myself included, try and glide up close enough to the gate so they can reach through the poles and plant the exit sweep clear of any possible penalties. Others, like former World Champion Shaun Pierce of Great Britain, prefer to take the sweep as soon as they possibly can and let the boat glide out into the current. Find out which way best fits your style of paddling.

Now that you know how to find the "spot," go upstream and look down on the gate as you would in a real race. The "spot" is behind and below the gate and the most direct way of getting there is blocked by the gate-line. Don't be alarmed. You need to find out how to get from upstream of the gate to back behind the gate, arriving with the correct angle and trajectory. This is the approach. If you can't accurately shove your boat onto the "spot," you won't get out of the gate in one quick burst and your shot at a medal will be lost.

The trick is to not let yourself be drawn too closely into the turn. Upstreams, much like corners in an auto race, tend to suck the racer in so close that he or she has to slow down to negotiate the turn. Don't let it suck you in! Before you try an approach paddle downstream past the gate, keeping about three-quarter's of a boat length away from the gate. As you go past the gate, look over at the spot. When you can see the spot without looking through the gate, then you can see your approach. The idea is to paddle the boat straight downstream and slowly meld the boat's trajectory into your desired line. By the time your bow starts to poke into the eddy, past the inside pole, you should already be turned sideways. Try to take one last powerful sweep stroke as you leave the current and begin your glide towards the "spot." This will do two things: it will give the boat momentum; and it will start the boat on its turn that will shoot it out of the gate. Top racers usually have their boats parallel to the gate-line before they get downstream of the gate. Remember that when you arrive at the "spot" you want to be facing out of the gate! And that means practice. Keep the approach separate from the exit and focus on landing on that spot again and again. Each time you get there face out of the gate towards the current.

Now let's put it all together. The key to making it all fit is how well you can make the conversion from a forward sweep on the entry to a duffek, or draw, out of the gate. The trick is not to hurry. Slow down and just let the boat glide in and out of the eddy on a few concise strokes. The biggest mistake I see among aspiring athletes is that they try to cram all of the elements of an upstream into one quick movement. Take your time! As you paddle down the current look for that entry vector that will give you a clean line to the gate. Make sure that you give yourself plenty of room to make a good wide approach. Now, as you line up on final approach, enact a clean sweep just before the boat crosses the eddy line. Do the sweep well away from the gate so you will have time to turn your head and shoulders upstream in preparation for the upcoming duffek. Now let the boat glide into the "spot." If you need to guide it a little, do so by either pushing or pulling on your inside duffek stroke. As you arrive at the "spot" your shoulders and head should already be turned facing upstream and out towards the current. Now, snap on that duffek stroke, which should already be planted up by the inside pole. With any luck the eddy combined with your momentum should rocket you towards the gate fast enough that you barely have time to place your exit sweep. Disappointed that after all that work you didn't need an exit sweep? That's exactly what you want in order to master upstream gates.

--Scott Shipley is a three-time World Cup slalom champion, with his most recent title coming in 1997.

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--Author Kent Ford is host and writer for instructional materials produced by Durango, Colo.'s Performance Video, including "The Kayaker's Edge," "Retendo!" and "The Kayaker's Workbook." These are available through nearly every whitewater shop and catalog. Find more tips at www.performancevideo.com.