does not equal arrogance. IMO, EJ is supremely confident and sometimes cocky, but the guy is *everybody's* friend. His cockiness is good natured, and never at anyone else's expense. The confidence that showed in his post is what you would get from most world class athletes in that type of situation. To me, he shared the "adventure", and the bag of tricks he used to save himself, the same way he shares new moves with beginners, and his closest rivals, with enthusiasm. Not, "look at me", but "check this out".
  I was at a lot of rodeos "with" him this year and got to see him in a lot of pressurized situations, and win or lose, he was always a good sport. After the Worlds, I actually started to write a post called "Homage to a (the) Master", but didn't finish it partly cuz I didn't feel like listening to the jerk's sniping that goes on on this board.
   Here's a couple stories that some might find relevant and/or interesting:
   At the Worlds, almost everyone started in the eddy next to the hole, not EJ. He would start upriver, and freewheel into the hole, and then immediately throw an aerial front flip. In the time that *everyone* else was ferrying into position, he all ready had 3 vert ends and 2 variety multipliers, one of them huge. The entry had to be perfect, mostly why no one else was doing it, but he would wave and mug to the crowd right up until the last second, and then go huge. The entire crowd would come to it's feet in anticipation and then roar in appreciation. He owned that comp and that crowd. Cocky? Absolutely, but he was delighting himself, and the crowd, and his competitors! His childlike enthusiasm is contagious. Fetch up on details in his language, or his style, and you miss out on a special guy.
   At the World's medal ceremony, what an achievement to dominate a competition at that level, at his age (37), or any age, he respectfully asked the local officials if he could have a friend sing the USA's national anthem. In his "crowning" moment, he shared the stage with his good friend, US jr. team member, Sean Brabent. Sean is  a tenor opera singer, paddling is his second love!, and Sean showed us why EJ wanted him up there. He sang beautifully, and in that moment, EJ was as happy for Sean as he was for himself.
   At the recent Canyon Doors rodeo, EJ and Jay Kincaid were neck and neck for the NOWR final season series point total standings. Whoever scored higher between the 2 of them would claim the season's crown. There was a fair amount of good natured trash talking between the 2 of them in the eddy. Neither had ever played in the hole. Jay says, "Well,I'm not gonna take any practice rides!". EJ looks at him and says, "OK, I won't either!" Well, Jay kicked butt in that comp and EJ couldn't find the sweet spot and missed the finals for the first time, >ever<, in his career. EJ stayed, and watched the finals, and was totally a good sport about the situation. What I take from that, is that he's cocky, but he's also able to see past his own ego, and dissappointment. The guy is cocky and humble at the same time.
   Last story...One of the absolute best boaters in the world told me about the beating that Steve Fisher took in a hole at the Big Water Invitational this spring on the Rouge in Canada. It was so bad that they cancelled that part of the comp. This world class stud, some would call him the best, said matter of factly, "there are only 3 boaters in the world that could have escaped that hole in their boat, Steve Fisher, Corran and EJ."
   Not to get too carried away here, but IMO, EJ is a master. In some ways he is THE Master. He's not above criticism, no one is, but we're all dam lucky to be paddling in an era that includes him. We're even luckier to have him posting on this board. I don't really care if the anons want to trash each other. I don't care if people want to take EJ to task, respectfully. But I, for one, am gonna be G'dammed pissed off if you anon punks drive him off this board with your BS. There are a lot of very good boaters, that we could all benefit from having post on here, that don't bother cuz it's not worth the headache.
   I say, learn from him, even how he thinks about that type of a stuggle. Take him to task if you think it appropriate. But be man enough to address him from behind your anon keyboard the same way you would face to face.
     Phil