Here's a YouTube video from fishhawk1400 (feel free to pause it and then skip the 55-second boring text intro):
Sunday. After a late start (I missed the boatercross kayak race, unfortunately), I enjoyed the tail end of the event and set to work helping tear everything down. It was a privilege to be one of the last to leave, and to get insight into how these events actually come together.
Saturday. This was the day of the Mass Start Race, Relay Race, and Big Air competition.
I took 3rd in both the Next Adventure Mass Start Kayak race and the Next Adventure Kayak Relay race, and was a finalist in the Next Adventure Big Air Competition. (Who sponsors these things, anyway? ;) ) Highlights included my first 14 miles of catarafting, a midnight run in kayaks with some other crazies, and huge applause for running the big air ramp backwards and attempting a forward flip:
Here's some video of the mass start race. I have a blue boat, yellow drytop, blue PFD, black helmet, and black paddle. Jersey number 44. I'm the fourth guy down until the end when I snake third place.
And some pics, too. This one has me pivoting off the very large wave in the middle of Carter Falls, after trying to catch the gate by surfing it:
And here I am, right behind Chuck Taylor, booking for third place:
After all the excitement of the competition, we had video premieres, an awards ceremony, and a bluegrass band near the Andy & Bax campsites in Lockaby campground. Sometime around 1:00 a.m., it seemed like a good idea to go kayaking. Austin R., Christina G., Kenny Kiley (maker of Blunt Family (woody bent-shaft) Paddles), Ryan Youngs, and I headed up to Fish Creek for a moonlight run. On the way up, I took the opportunity to ghost ride the whip, much to the amusement of my companions. The run was uneventful and a lot of fun, and we hit up the big air ramp afterward for good measure. My recollection of the night is fuzzy after we met up with some folks with Eugene and partied in the middle of Fish Creek bridge on the way back.
Friday. After wandering around during the morning in search of the folks I was supposed to be volunteering with, I threw in the towel and took an offer from some catarafter friends for a run. It was my first time catboating, and moved my total hours of rowboating up to the neighborhood of ten. Luckily, I figured out how to row in time to save myself from the Clackamas at 9,000 cfs. I formed a wicked blister on the base of my middle finger on my left hand, but it was worth it.
When I got back from catboating, I found that my homies had shown up, so we took in a quick run in kayaks, followed by some testing of the big air ramp. I did a perfect half-back flip off the ramp and lost my grip on my paddle. Following a couple of failed hand rolls, I punched and went for the most epic swim I've had so far. It took me 1/4 mile to get to the bank, with my boat and paddle booking downstream. Luckily, my new friend Dave helped me with some chase boating, and I had a few moments to collect myself before jumping back in and swimming to the other shore, which took another 1/4 mile. Did I mention I was wearing a drytop with nothing underneath, swim trunks, and 0.3mm neoprene booties? :) I dragged myself out of the eddy, collected my gear, and rendezvoused with my homies. I have video of my valid booty beer, which should be forthcoming.
Thursday. I headed out in the early evening to help set things up and camp with my homies. I ran into Dave Martin from Wet Planet and, after introductions, we took in a run together, from Sunstrip to Carter. After asking around, I found out my homies had headed back into town. I'll be damned if I camp with stinky rafters, so I spent the night listening to the sounds of the rapidly-rising Carter Bridge Rapid and sleeping on the flat part at the bottom of the country's largest big air ramp -- sweeeet!
More to come!
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