Tips For Setting Up A Slalom Course

. What you'll need for a full length, 5 gate, pond slalom course: 6 4 x 4 x 10 ft. posts or trees 6 3/4 inch eyebolts 1 spool 12 - 14 gage wire (like they use for electric fences) 5 1 inch by 10 feet pvc pipe 60 feet 1/4 inch nylon cord 25 feet 1 x 4 inch board (get three 10 foot boards and you'll have a spare for later)

Step 1

Select a solid post or tree. This will be your anchor for the wires that support the gates as they hang over the water. With the standardized pond slalom course it is best to have posts/trees that are located exactly 20 feet apart (in the center). This allows for easier course set up. If you have trees that are farther apart...don't worry...we have a fix for that problem in Step 3.

Step 2

Place eyebolts in the post or tree. Use 3/4 inch eyebolts or bigger so they can support the weight of the wire and gate combination; and the occasional camper that decides to swing from either J. Screw them in all the way to the eyelet. Please note: this may sound harmful to the trees but according the US Forest Service this is the safest way to protect the trees from harm and has worked for the US Canoe & Kayak Team for many training sites.

Step 3

Diagram 1 Run a wire from an eyelet on one side of the body of water you are using to the eyelet on the other side. Pull the wire as tight as possible. You can use gloves, vice grip pliers, or a number of creative ways to tighten the wire. Repeat this process for all three wires as shown in Diagram 1. If your posts or trees aren't exactly 20 feet apart and you want an official sized course, use some 1/4 inch nylon cord to make a 20 length piece to tie to the wires to pull them into position. If your side anchor points are much too far apart then set up a 1/4 inch cable (as shown in Diagram 2) that runs between two anchor points that are at least 40 feet apart. Then attach the wires 20 feet apart on this cable. Diagram 2

Step 4

Assemble the gates. Start by cutting a 5 foot section of board then drilling 3/8 inch holes in the four corners of the board (crossbar). Paint the crossbars to make them last longer. You can paint each one a different color, or name them after a cabin, counselor, etc., to help with calling out course directions from the pond bank when practicing on the gates. Set the crossbars aside to let the paint dry.

Step 5

Take the 10 foot section of pvc pipe and cut it in half, giving you two 5 foot sections of pvc pipe. Next drill a 3/8 inch hole about 1 inch from the top of the pvc pipe. Now cut a 6 foot section of the 1/4 inch nylon cord. (This piece of cord will vary in length depending on how high your gate wires are from water level. The higher the wire, the longer the cord needs to be.) Take the piece of cord and run it through the hole at the top of the gate pole and pull it along the outside to the bottom end (the other end from the hole) of the gate pole. Now make an adjustable loop in the end of the cord and wrap it around the bottom end of the gate pole. The finished pole system should look something like this example. This is used to raise and lower the gate poles and water levels change etc. To test your adjustment system hang onto the cord at the top and see if the pole stays in one place. If it does, proceed to the next step, if not tighten the loop and try again. The last test is to tie the top of the cord around something that will suspend the gate pole in the air. Now hold onto the loop at the bottom end of the cord and slide the gate pole up and down. If the pole won't slide, you may have the loop too tight. The pole height should be fairly easily adjustable without having the poles fall into the water every time they get hit by a passing boat or paddle.

Step 6

Finish the assembly of the gate by tieing two poles through the two holes at the bottom of the wooden crossbar. Then slide a 10 inch length of wire (the same as you used for the wires used to suspend the gates) through the two holes at the top of the crossbar.

Step 7

"Hang" the gate from the wire loops so that when the ends are twisted together, they should be on the side rather than the top (right side of diagram) of the loop sitting directly on the wire to allow the gates to slide into position more easily. If you are fairly certain that you donžt want to move the gates once they are in the pond slalom position, then twist the wire loop ends together on the top of the loop (left side of diagram) so that they are resting on the cross wire and are not easily moved.

Step 8

Hang the rest of the gates and pull them into place using the guidelines described in the pond slalom course specifications.

Got Questions? Contact Wayne Dickert at the USCKT National Slalom Development Center 156 High Valley Rd. Bryson City, NC 28713 704-488-9222 wayner@dnet.net