[Paddlewise] RE: [Paddlewise] canoe polo WM next week i n Germany - I´ll be there

After a grate effort the Argentinean team should be arriving these days to
Germany to participate in the world cup. It's been really hard for the guys
to find support with the situation Argentina has being going through during
the last years. I don't know the details but I'm sure your country (
Germany ) helped a lot for this to happen. I'm really glad they made it.

Only two or three of the players are former slalom competitors who used to
play kayak polo for fun in informal events, but that was in the 80's.
Argentina never had something like a national kayak-polo team.

Four years ago some of these guys and me started to play for fun and as a
way to practice and train technique for whitewater and seakayaking. We
played in a small lake of a public park in the heart of Buenos Aires, and
immediately captured the attention of the people who started to show
interest and learn how to play ( and the police and authorities who wanted
us to stop doing it because they considered it too dangerous, but after
"disobeying" long enough we convinced them we were experienced enougth to
make it safe for us and for enyone who wanted to learn ).

We welcomed everyone, teaching them for free and shearing the kayaks we had
and after a year were able to form two or three teams to play and practice.
We were playing with old perception's "dancer" and / or any kind of "short"
boat we could get. But the practiced brought some confidence and with Brazil
hosting the last world cup 2 years ago and the proximity with Argentina, the
will to participate grew higher and higher. Regulations required to belong
to a club and be certified by the Argentinean Canoe Federation ...
(burocracy) ... so we created our own club, and with a lot of effort became
certified, and so Argentina was able to participate in the 2000 world cup in
brazil. Most of the players entered a polo kayak for the first time during
the practices right before the match there in brazil !!!

I couldn't assist then but I know we won many things there, from a
respectable and honorable last place, to the sympathy and friendship of all
of the other players. I believe it was the president of the International
Canoe Polo Federation himself who congratulated the guys for their labor and
"invited" them to go to Germany these year, I don't know the limits of this
invitation but I'm sure was  generous enough to make it possible.

The trainer of Spain visited us some months later and gave us some classes
and grate advice. I left Argentina almost a year and a half ago but I know
the guys have been working hard all this time, and have done even the
impossible to be there.

I will only add that most of our "guys" are in their late 30's .... pretty
old to be there ... but our main goal is to gain reputation to attract more
younger players to take their place, and this is why even a last place is
still a victory for us. Another proof that it IS NEVER LATE
in life for acomplishments.

But to make these "polo" related message valid in this "sea kayaking" forum,
I want Jochen, and whoever might be present there, to know that among our
team is my "brother" Martin Grondona, one of our most experienced whitewater
and sea kayakers of Argentina. Martin circumnavigated the famous Cape Horn
( Cabo De Hornos ) and last year the " Isla de los Estados", the famous
island referred by Jules Verne on his book, "The Lighthouse At The End Of
The World". Both destinations situated by "Tierra Del Fuego" at the south of
Patagonia and the southernmost tip of land of the entire world, area of
extreme cold where the local breeze is called "The Roaring Forties" ...
beyond that ... Antarctica. And for the whitewater fans, he also run the
Futaleufú, in Chile, one of the bravest.

If you have the chance to meet him I can grant you lots of fun and
interesting conversation, he loves to talk so all he needs is a ear to
listen ... ;) If you do so, please give them my regards.

Thanks for reading this message that involves a lot of emotions and
affections to me and thanks to everyone involved in the world cup and the
hosting of our players.

>From Maui paradise ... on the other side of the world ... and with "No-one"
to play some polo with ...

Fernando Lopez Arbarello
***  KAYAK ARGENTINA  ***
http://home.earthlink.net/~kayakargentina

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