Red and white striped pole gates are usually placed where the racer eddies out to paddle upstream through the gate. Green and white striped poles are usually put in the river current where racers pass downstream through them. Using a river's powerful currents, eddies, waves and holes, specific moves are applied by the racers to keep them on line. Horace Holden Whitewater Champion Horace Holden will be GORP's forum guest from May 10 to May 30. Ask Horace a question on kayaking and whitewater racing.
Judges send in penalty decisions to a timing team by computer signals over telephone lines.
The timing system starts the running time when the front of the racer's body breaks a laser beam in the start dock and ends when the front of the racer's body breaks the finish beam. The time penalties are set so that two seconds are added to the running time when the racers touch one or both of the poles of a gate with the paddle, boat or body. Fifty seconds are added for failing to negotiate a gate. This can mean missing the gate altogether, tipping upside-down while passing through the gate, or going the wrong direction through the gate. Since other situations can also result in a 50-second penalty, Olympic judges are trained and tested on the rules.