Hello all,

I am back in our nation's capital once again for our Olympic Team camp and will be here for around 3 weeks. It's really great to be back in Ottawa; home of the greatest Canada Day party west of 8 the horseshoe, sunny skies and great paddling. We are training out of Rideau Canoe Club, an area I really enjoy to train from. For those of you who haven't paddled in the area, there are a few great things to note. 1) There is a good distance of protected water that pretty much guarentees you the chance to put in quality kilometers everyday, 2) An awesome tarzan rope about 1.5 km up that is a lot of fun, and 3) friendly people, and lastly 4) the world famous POW breakfast spot just a few steps from the club.

The thing I would most like to talk about most though is the card game ten trick. We have received a few questions about the nature of this great game, and I would like to do my best to attempt to explain the not so complicated rules and a brief history of the game. I first discovered this exciting past time when introduced by my uncle James Linden Martin who has been a long time player. He introduced me to the game one Christmas spent at Martin Farms in Vineland Station, Ontario, and I have been hooked ever since. It is now a very popular game amongst much of the CKC national team and many more. For those who don't know how to play, here goes nothing...

1) You need a minimum of three players, though 4 or more is ideal

2) The object of the game is to correctly score the number of tricks you bet before the start of each round

3) A trick signifies the winning of a round

4) The game is ten trick, so for the first hand each player is only dealt one card, and only one trick can be won. The next deal involves two cards with only two tricks to be won, and so forth on to ten.

5) This is also a game that involves a trump card flipped up on top of the deck at the end of each deal. This suit has the ability to trump another suit, if the player does not have the suit that is led.

6) I hope this has not gotten too confusing yet, I don't want to mess up any of the details as I go.
So now we get to the actual game and how it plays out. Begin with the betting. Each player is dealt one card first. The first player makes his bet, and so forth onto the dealer. It is the dealer's responsibilty to make the betting uneven to the number of cards in play. Thus, if only one bet has been made on round one when it comes time for he/she to bet, then they have to bet one.... basically not everyone can get what they bet, wouldn't be very exciting that way anyways. The person left of the dealer begins play, and leads the first card, you play in order and have to follow suit if you have it. If you don't have the suit led in your hand, you then have the option to throw away any card, or trump the lead suit. You win a trick by playing the top card in the suit lead, or by having the top trump played.... pretty stright forward. The person who wins a trick leads the next card.

7) Scoring: you get 10 points for getting your bet right, and an additional 10 points for each trick you win.
0 bet- 10 points
1 bet- 20 point
2 bet- 30 points
etc.

Hopefully this sheds some light on the extremely popular game ten trick. And if you weren't interested in the slightest in these rules... well you probably didn't make it this far anyway.


Finally I would like to take this opportunity to post a recently updated and completely unbiased ranking list on the top 10 ten trick players in Canada, the esteemed group is as follows (please note the impressive 4 way tie for first):

1) Andrew Russell
1) Gabriel Beauchesne-Sevigny
1) Ian Mortimer
1) Mark Oldershaw
5) Attila Buday
6) Ryan Cochrane
7) Steven Jorens
8) Connor Taras
9) Angus Mortimer
10) Kia Byers...
1074) Christopher "facial" Pellini

I would like to take this opportunity to encourage all interested parties to take up this wonderful game and challenge for your spot amongst the C4C dominated leader board.

As always, keep it real, and enjoy your Canada Day regardless of your plans big or small, and location.

Sincere Canada Day tidings,
Andrew

Greetings all,

So it is finally done, after a tough and challenging selection process, Gabriel and I have finally locked up the C-2 entries for the Olympics and will be representing Canada in Beijing. Now before I say anything else, I would like to applaud the other Canadian crews. I have so much respect for the guys we have trained with and raced against all year, and this experience would not have been the same had our team not maintained the positive atmosphere that we have throughout the race-offs.

The Szeged world cup was atypical of many regatta weekends I have been to before. The week leading up to the competition was nothing but clear skies, light winds and sunshine. Then all of a sudden come race time, right on cue the dark clouds and continuous downpour of hard rain comes a knockin. The 1000m race was a great challenge for Gab and I. We had been hoping to advance directly through the heat, as the top three moved on. However, we started hard and just never found our rhythm. We got far too choppy, and were tight and fatigued when it came time to finish strong with the push from the other crews. When we crossed the line, we were fourth and tired and disappointed. However, we bounced back in the 500 and had a great heat, and came second (good enough for direct advancement to that A final). When the 1000m final arrived, Gab and I and our Canadian competition the Budays were side by side in lanes 7 and 8. It was a very tough race, as our lanes were more exposed to the crosswind than the other side. However, we were able to escape from that race with a 5th place finish, and became the top Canadian crew in the 1000. One other thing worth noting, is the fastest crew out there, (the Germans), had their stroke using a short square paddle blade that resembled a shovel. When I saw it up close he even made the joke that it was one, and put his foot on it as if to dig up the earth. Made me feel slightly sheepish considering how well he moved a boat with a garden tool.

The next day we raced the 500m, and entered the final already knowing that we had gained the C-2 entry for the Olympic Games. It was a huge relief, and we were able to de-stress a bit and really focus on having a strong result. We passed the first 250m in 7th place and were definitely caught a bit off guard in the second 100m. The speed and strength of the Germans, Chinese and Hungarians is incredibly impressive. However, Gab and I knew that we should be right up there, and began a very strong pick-up that carried through to the finish line. We we ended up with a fourth place, and were very happy with the way we had managed to close out the race, especially considering the strength of the field.

Our final event of the Saturday was the 200m C-2, and it was an absolute delight to race. We lined up for the race, and were delivered the good news over the loud speaker just prior that Dober and Willows had just won the men's K-2 200m. This alongside some awesome shouts and cheers from our canoe teammates really pumped us up. We had a good start and managed one of our best boat shoots yet to snag a bronze medal. It was a great way to cap off the weekend, as each race we moved up a spot... 5,4,3.

The next day after the races and a fun night out with the fellow competitors, our team travelled to Budapest where we spent a great day taking in the sites. I won't attempt to pretend to know the city, but from what we did see, I could see myself going back for a lengthier visit. Following that perfect Sunday we flew to Germany, where we now currently reside in the sport schula in Duisburg... near the race course. It is not the best place, but also not the worst. The highlight would have to be the bathroom that makes you feel like you are in a submarine of some sort, measurements, 4 by 3... definitely cozy, and all plastic. Anyway, that's all I've got for you, it's been super exciting getting such nice messages and words of encouragement from so many people. We've been playing plenty of ten trick, and keeping up with the Euro.

Cheers, and keep it real,
Andrew

Greetings all,


Just a quick post from the boatbays at the beautiful Szeged race course, where thankfully temperatures have dropped slightly and the wind seems to be under control. This is our last day before the big races start. Both Gab and I are very excited to start racing. This morning we did what we call a "lung burner". This is something we have gotten into the habit of doing on the days before races. It is a 100% piece designed to literally burn the lungs, and prepare you mentally for the type of work you will need to do during your race. I find that it is a very good exercise, because it reminds your body what the racing will feel like, and awakens you.









I have also attached above a short video clip of one of our sprint workouts in C-2 earlier this week. We are very happy to have the proper gear, and have been feeling great on the water. That is about it for now, I have a stomach that is rumbling and a bus to catch. Good luck to all the competitors at the upcoming trials in Welland!

Cheers and keep it real,
Andrew

It's hot...

Greetings all, I am currently sitting on the shore of the amazing Szeged race course, enjoying a smooth breeze and preparing for some important upcoming races. Szeged has been really nice, the hotel is great, atmosphere is outstanding on the team, and it is hot. Hasn't dropped below 30 during the days since we've arrived, and it doesn't appear as though it will anytime soon.

C-2 has been going really well with Gab and our speed is feeling just about where it needs to be. My lungs are adjusting to the temperature and humidity, and the time difference is not as bad as it was upon arriving. As Mark referenced in his entry, the ten trick tournaments have been phenomenal... and I have done my best to fill the nickname quota... some notables are Ian Mortimer as Snitzy, Gabriel as Craphonso Thorpe (because of his love for the Jaguars), and the great Christopher Pellini as facial (though please keep your minds out of the gutters, this is merely a reference to a scene in dodgeball and Pellini's ability to be on the unfortunate end of many rounds). Anyway, I think that is about all the excitement you can probably take in one day, it's hot in Hungary, I am hyping up ten trick and spouting out unnecessary nicknames.... yes I agree there is not a lot new.

The food is great and the people here are friendly and very hospitable. Life is good. So keep it real and in the words of James Brown, "I need those hits", so keep visiting the site and sending in your thought provoking and utterly inspiring if not intriguing questions.. we promise to answer more promptly... (fingers only slightly crossed)...

Sincerely, Andrew