As the San Diego Canoe and Kayak Team transitions away from city financial support, it continues to earn national acclaim. A group of 33 junior members — including four from Point Loma — captured 67 medals at the USA Canoe/Kayak Sprint Nationals held Aug. 26-29 in Oklahoma City. “We took our largest team and we came back with definitely our best results and the most kids selected to the senior national team and junior national team,” said Chris Barlow, founder and coach of the team. In addition to the medal haul that included 31 gold, 18 silver and 18 bronze medals, the 14-and-Under Team brought home a national championship. Including 16-and-Under and 18-and Under age divisions, the team placed high enough for an overall trophy. “Not only did we have kids winning medals, but we also had other kids that were finishing fifth and sixth [overall] to give us points,” Barlow said. An Olympian kayaker in the 1992 Olympics, Barlow started the San Diego Canoe and Kayak Team in 1997 to develop local talent in the sport that was little known in America. At that time, he was an instructor in the city’s Junior Lifeguard Program and created the team as an offshoot of the program. “In 1996 at the Atlanta Olympics, on our own soil, we didn’t have a single boat make the final,” Barlow said. “I realized that a big part of the problem was we just didn’t have that much development going on in the United States in the sport.” Since the summer of 1997, the local team has had annual representation on the junior national team. They have also had members competing in both the 2004 and 2008 Olympics. “San Diego is perfectly suited as a location for canoeing and kayaking,” Barlow said. “We can train all year round, whereas other teams might have months where they can’t get on the water because it’s too cold.” Sprint canoe and kayak has been in the Olympics since 1936. Comparing it to rowing, Barlow said the biggest differences are that competitors face forward and race on shorter courses of 200 and 1,000 meters. “It’s much faster. It’s a shorter duration with higher stroke rates,” Barlow said. Based out of Fiesta Island, the team also has a distinct Point Loma flavor. Last month, Barlow was named fire captain at Fire Station 22 on Catalina Boulevard. “I’m pretty excited. It’s a great district and great community,” Barlow said. Point Loma High junior Lexie Bohlman is currently on the junior national team. The 30 members of the junior national team are training in Lake Placid and Barlow said most of them will train for the 2012 and 2016 Olympics. While the team enjoys national and international success, it is currently trying to stay afloat on its own after the city decided to cut its funding in February. Efforts are now being made to make the team a self- and sponsor-funded nonprofit group, which involves obtaining a permit from the city to keep its Fiesta Island facility – a request the group recently submitted to the city. “Just getting everything worked out was tough, and it has been a stressful transition,” Barlow said. “I think what it has done [the lack of city funding] has made the team and the whole community stronger. We’ll definitely be a stronger team for it in the future.” The San Diego Canoe and Kayak team will hold an open house on Saturday, Sept. 25 and welcomes children ages 14 to 18 to try out. For more information, visit www.-bdhcompany.com/sdckt or e-mail [email protected].