We, the undersigned, support the inclusion of whitewater slalom in the 1999 Pan American Games.
Slalom has been a part of the last two Olympics (Barcelona, 1992; Atlanta, 1996) and has been a resounding success at both events. In fact, the 1996 Olympic venue at the Ocoee River was crowded with 17,000 excited spectators each of the three days that slalom racing took place -- even though one of the those days was for practice, not competition. Slalom will also be a part of the next Olympics (Sydney, 2000), and there are indications that it will be included in 2004 as well.
There are a number of reasons why the response to slalom has been overwhelmingly positive, and why we urge its inclusion:
We therefore urge that whitewater slalom be present on the program
for the 1999 Pan-American Games.
Signed,
Corran Addison
CP 63 - St Augustin
1992 Olympian
1995 world silver medalist
Quebec, Canada G3A 1V9
Susan Azofeifa
Proprietor and Paddler,
Aquabatics (Paddlesports Specialty Shop)
Smithers, BC, Canada
Jane B. Barnes
Citizen Racer (12 years)
Race Organizer for Green Bay Paddlers United (ACA America Club)
USCKT member
Slalom racing fan and supporter
WI, USA
Cindy Bartoo
Dallas, TX, USA
Natalie Brunner
Bowling Green State University
Bowling Green, OH, USA
Mary Burrows
President, StreamTeach, Inc.
St. Louis, MO, USA
Richard Culpeper, M.A.
London, Ontario, N5Z 2H1
Wayne Dickert
'96 Olympic Team
US Canoe and Kayak Team Slalom Development Director/Coach
Almond, NC, USA
Kent Ford
Durango Center for Excellence
Whitewater Instructor
Durango, CO, USA
Renee Gelblat
citizen slalom racer, kayak and tandem canoe
Philadelphia, PA, USA
George S. Gordon Jr.
Arlington, MA, USA
John Grumbine
1994 Silver Medalist, Jr World Championships
Member, Nantahala Racing Club
Bryson City, NC, USA
Lecky Haller
Olympian
World and World Cup Champion
United States National Slalom Canoe Team Member
17 time U.S. National Champion
Head Coach, Nantahala Racing Club
Bryson City, NC, USA
John Mark Harras
12 time finisher of the 260-mile Texas Water Safari
Houston, TX, USA
Cathy Hearn
1992,1996 US Olympic Team
3x World Champion, women's whitewater kayak
1997 World Championship Bronze medalist, women's whitewater slalom kayak
Bethesda, MD, USA
David Hearn
World Champion C1 slalom 8x
Olympian USA 1992, 1996
Bethesda, MD, USA
Jennifer Hearn
K1W slalom top ten in USA
Bethesda, MD, USA
Dan Henderson, President
Cascade Cane and Kayak Centers, inc.
Redmond, WA, USA
Former Whitewater and Sprint National Team member
Former US Sprint National Development Coach
1993 Junior World Championship Team Coach (Sprint)
1995 Senior World Championship Team Manager (Sprint)
1983 Pan American Championships Bronze medallist (C-2 1000 meters)
1985 Pan American Championships Bronze medallist
Bert Hinkley
New England Region slalom development coach
Proctor Academy
Andover, NH, USA
Joe Jacobi
1992 Olympic Gold Medalist
11-time U.S. Canoe and Kayak Team member
Copperhill, TN, USA
Ralph Johns
Kayak and Canoe Club of New York - slalom race chairman
past Atlantic Division K-1 slalom and wildwater champion
past representative to National slalom and Wildwater Committee
Kinnelon, NJ, USA
Julie Keller
Tucker, GA, USA
Rich Kulawiec
athlete representative, National Whitewater Slalom Committee, USCKT
member, Bethesda Center of Excellence
Pennysylvania Cup champion, C-2, 1995
Lehigh Valley K-1 slalom/downriver champion, 1995, 1997
Chadd's Ford, PA, USA
Benjamin Kvanli
1996 Olympian in K-1 Whitewater Slalom
1994-1997 Team member of la Federacion Nacional de Canotaje de Guatemala
Coach of the Red River Racing Team
Dallas, TX, USA
Maureen Lamb
Chairperson, World Cup 1997 Slalom Final
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Brian K. Leonard
Recreational White Water Kayaker
Little River, SC, USA
Bruce Lessels
US Team 1984, 1986, 1987, 1988
C-1 Individual Bronze Medalist 1987 Worlds
C-1 Team Gold Medalist 1987 Worlds
Charlemont, MA, USA
Jana Lettovska
age 7, the youngest member of the Red River Racing Team
Dallas, TX, USA
Ladislav Lettovsky
Recreational White Water Kayaker
Dallas, TX, USA
David Mazur
Andover, MA, USA
Aubrey Ray McLain
Green Bay, WI, USA and Turrilaba, Costa Rica.
ICF Certified Gate Judge, 1996 Olympics Canoe/Kayak Slalom Event
Official at numerous international competitions and world championships
ACA Certified Instructor Trainer in Canoe and Kayak
Manager of US Junior Slalom Team 1992-1996
Masters age group slalom competitor, and several times national champion in
age group slalom
Owner/Manager of Costa Rica Rios Aventuras
Scott A. Muller
Panama, R. de Panama
K1- 96 Olympics, 97 World Championships
Larry Norman
1992, 1996 Canadian Olympic Team, C1 Slalom
Chilliwack, BC, Canada
William B. Parsons
USCKT Board Member
Sylvania, OH, USA
Debi Paxton
Austin Paddling Club Newsletter Editor
Austin, TX, USA
Joel Reeves
Springfield, VA, USA
Jeff Robinson
Slalom Paddler
Freeland, WA, USA
Susan Saphire
ACA Atlantic Division Rep to the NWSC
ACA Atlantic Division Executive Board Member
New England Slalom Series - Salmon Slalom Race Chairperson
Allentown, PA, USA
Herm Smith
Secretary, StreamTeach, Inc.
St. Louis, MO, USA
David Su
1993 US Senior National K1 Champion
Member, New England Center of Excellence
American Canoe Assn. National Instruction Committee
Whitewater Canoe and Kayak Instructor Trainer
Disabled Paddling Instructor
Montague, MA, USA
Kara A. Sutton
Outdoor Recreation Georgia Tech
OC-1
Atlanta, GA, USA
Jim Warren
Director, Missouri Whitewater Association
USOC Liaison, Whitewater Slalom Canoe/Kayak, '93 Olympic Festival
Local Sport Coordinator and Venue Manager, Whitewater Slalom
Canoe/Kayak, '94 Olympic Festival
North Team Coach/Manager, Whitewater Slalom Canoe/Kayak, '95 Olympic
Festival
Scoring Staff, Whitewater Slalom Canoe/Kayak, '96 Olympics
St. Louis, MO, USA
Gabrielle Watson
Arlington, MA, USA
Max Wellhouse
1996 Olympic Slalom Coach
N. Little Rock, AR, USA
Natalie Wiest
Houston Canoe Club member
25 years whitewater experience
4-time national slalom championships competitor
League City, TX, USA