FIBark is the oldest whitewater events/festivals in the United Sates, so old that the name itself stands for First In Boating the Arkansas, which originated back in 1950. The little town of Salida host this annual 3 day festival based around the river. 65 years later, we are still battling the Arkansas River, and this year was some high water, like really high, the highest the river has been in 20 years.
With the 20 year high water most of the river features were flooded out, though luckily for us play boaters there was a great wave just upstream called “office wave” which hosted this years Freestyle event. Usually the freestyle runs after the Hooligan Race, which is a race of home made floats that float/ or sink there way down in a parade of 'anything but boats’ race. Though with the high water it was unfortunately cancelled and the Freestyle Finals became the main show for Saturday night.
Men’s Finals consisted of Stephen Wright, Jordan Poffenberger, Dave Fusilli, Max Karlson and myself. Everyone was looking good in a the wave and I was really impressed with what we could do on the wave itself. There were some big clean blunts, airscrews, front and back panams, helixes and blunt Mcnasty’s. Though after everyone had there three attempts to lay down the highest score I was honored to be able to paddle away sitting on top, closely followed by Stephen and then Jordan. It was a close event with lots of good rides and big tricks being laid down. What a great finish for my Father’s Day weekend.
Thursday, June 25, 2015
The NFC is one of the coolest and most visually impressive events I have been to. Imagine taking a class 5 rapid, throw some of the worlds top paddlers in to race it, I know this sounds familiar, but now add some slalom gates to make the course almost impossible, this is the North Fork Championships. You know it is hard when the organizer’s plan is to make one gate so hard that 50% of the field won’t make it.
This year was the 4th year of this annual race and every year it gets bigger and better. This year there were a couple added changes from years past, first off they made everyone race in the “Lower 5 race” which is 7+ minute race where you can prove yourself and earn a spot into the Elite race down Jacob’s Ladder. Other changes were that for the first time in the 4 years of the race’s existence they changed up the gate location making it an entirely new race down the same rapid.
I was fortunate and had already earned my way into race by finishing top 10 in last years race, this made it easy for me to focus my time and energy into the Jacob’s Ladder Giant Slalom race. I showed up a couple days early and was able to get some good training laps in before the race, though while practicing I slightly pulled a pectoral muscle. This was just a minor speed bump, though it did make opt out of the boat-x the day before the race. I still went and watched and took some cool photos of the race and watch the frenchie Eric Deguil take home the top spot followed by Dane Jackson and local youngster Alec Voorhees.
Saturday was the big day, the Jacob’s Ladder Giant Slalom. I was feeling pretty good and had several good practice laps under my belt. The race was two laps and your best run counts. I wanted to lay down a good first lap and decided to go at 80% power to start things off. My first run started off strong cleaning up the gates at ‘Rodeo Hole' and ‘Rock Drop’ which were the two hardest offsets of the whole course. Next were the back to back up gates and the ‘Golf Course’ rapid which also went well, I was having such a good run I decided to step up the pace and sprint to the finish. This in theory was the smartest idea, though in reality maybe not so much, I started sprinting and wasn’t focusing as much on my line, I was only a couple feet from the finish line as I clipped a curler wave which pushed me slightly left as I went full speed into the finish gate. BAM. I nailed one of the hardest race courses and then ran into the finish line, maybe not my best finish. This little mistake would in the end cost me a 5 second penalty and the possibility for a 6th place finish.
As I walked up for my second run I tried to laugh it off, knowing that I still have one more shot, though deep down I knew that I may have blown my chances.
For my second run I decided to go all or nothing and give 100% power, this was a good strategy until I hit the first gate with my should, another 5 second penalty, then my run started to unravel as I flipped going through the ‘Rock Drop’ offsets. I knew at this point that my first run would inevitably be my better run. I decided to try and finish strong and kept racing the course through the finish, this time I focused a little more carefully as I passed the finish line.
This year I watched from the side lines as the top 10 racers jumped up on stage, with the podium being filled by Gerd Serrasolses in first, Dane Jackson in second and Isaac Levinson in third. I ended in 13th place with my 5 second penalty, which served as another valuable lesson, the race isn’t over until it is over, and focus all the way through the finish.
I didn’t earn my place for next years race though now I have even more motivation to paddle even harder in next years qualifiers.
The GoPro Mountain Games have
become one of the staple events of the summer in the outdoors. People
come from all over for to check out the adventure sports, free music
concerts, newest gear on the market and Down Town Vail parties. Though
it is the events like climbing, kayaking, biking mud runs, dog jumps,
SUP and slack line that the spectators come to watch, though nothing
brings a crowd like the 8-Ball kayak races.
Just
imagine a head to head race on 4 to 6 people racing while trying to
battle the Gore creek's whitewater, then throw in some 8-balls, which is
best described as gladiators in kayaks trying to stop the racers from
finishing. It pretty much ends up as carnage wrapped up in the perfect
afternoon event for people to watch, cheer, laugh and cringe. The 8-Ball
race originated at the Mountain Games years ago and has since popped up
at kayak events across the country, surprisingly people love carnage.
As
a paddler myself coming to the Mountain Games for the past 10 years,
the 8-Ball race is actually one of my most favorite events of the action
packed week long event. It is awesome to see how many paddlers come out
for this one event, you will have top creek racers, and freestyle
champions alongside local paddlers and young kids. You might think that
some pro kayaker and a local kid racing wouldn’t be much of a show, but
they way the 8-Ball works, the better you are the bigger the target is
one your chest, so it all works out in the end. Now you have to
understand that some skill in involved but mostly just luck, so don’t
get upset if you don’t win.
This
year was no exception and was another amazing day battle on the river. I
started gearing up with my full face helmet and elbow pads, it liked
like I was about to go to war, and in my mind I was. Off the word “GO”
the race begins and you start dodging kayaking, paddles, and pool toys
as I raced 4 others racers down to the finish bridge. My strategy of
letting up and pulling into second and trying to avoid the 8-Ballers
worked for the first couple rounds, though as the day goes on it gets
harder as all the racers who don’t make it on just jump in and become
8-ballers themselves. By the Semi Finals I felt I was doing pretty good
until I came through the Rodeo Hole and there was nowhere to go, the
river was a full pile of of colorful kayak and people, with noway to go
around I tried to just go through, which ended with me just attempting
to go under, and that didn’t work. I was 4th and only top 3 went on the
final rounds. I was bummed for a second until I realized the classic
saying “if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.”
I ran back up to the top, jumped in Karma Unlimited and
figured if I can’t be the best racer I can try to be the best 8-Baller.
As the final started the women’s heat were first. Now, I didn’t want to
hurt anyone so I made sure to not make any huge blows to the face this
year, I just wanted to try to stop them from reaching the finish. The
women did a good job trying to dodge us 8-ballers though they had a
harder time getting around myself in a 12 foot boat. I was able to
pretty much collect them all and railroad them all the the side of the
river, though was kept floating down together until we dropped into the
main hole. It was like watching a giant iceberg drop into a big wave and
get broken apart as our floatilla of racers and 8-Ballers all dropped
into the hole together. Miraculously all the 8-Ballers made it through
and the three racers were stuck in the hole getting tumbled on top of
each other on creek boats. Slowly they were able to get out and podium
with Nouria Newman on top of the podium.
Men’s
Finals were next. I rallied back up to the top of the course to get in
as much carnage as I could muster. As the three men came battling down
the course, all of us 8-ballers were ready to cause some destruction. I
stuck with the idea that I would take out which ever paddler was in
first place at the time, that way I wouldn’t be singling anyone out to
try and keep it as fair as I could. After a couple head on collations
and railroading some people into the side of the river, Gregg Parker took
home the top honors. In the end it was an super fun afternoon and I’m
sure it was just as much fun to watch as it was to participate in. I
can’t wait until next year.
The city of Lyons is now most famous for the flood that took place there over a year ago. The flood took out most of the city, ripping through roads, vehicles, pipe lines and too many homes. Though the city of Lyons and it’s locals have been knocked down, they have also gotten back up and have continued with their tradition of hosting the Lyons Outdoor Games.
This years Lyons Outdoor Games were able to return the South Saint Vrain Creek race to the list of event. Last year the creek race was put on hiatus being that the roadside creek had washed most of the riverbed and road away. This year all the paddlers were excited to have this creek race back in action. Though the course has changed in comparison to years past, mainly being that the entire river is now different, I personally think it has changed for the better.
The creek race started off with a bang as you seal-launch off a rock into the river and then down the biggest rapid of the race section. The race section was a fast paced class 4 run with lots of tight moves and little boofs. We had two runs with only our best time counting. I layer down a good run for my first time, though it was my second run that I was most fired up on. I felt like I nailed all my lines with almost no mistakes, I finished knowing that was probably the best I could do.
After all the dust settled and the results came back it turned out I was knocked off the top seat by Dane Jackson, though I couldn’t have been more excited to take second with a great run and behind a super fast paddler and good friend.
The Mistassibi River is home of the famous Hawaii rapid with it’s giant curling tube wave, as well as the giant wave 'Black Mass’ which is seen in most of the big wave stakeout videos. Though this river has so much more to offer then just that. Along with it’s other great big-water rapids and numerous waves, this river hosts one of the most perfect medium size wave that somehow always falls short to it’s bigger brother when people mention the Mistassibi River.
The wave I am talking about is so under rated that it doesn’t even have a name but is simply referred to as ‘The Top wave’. Now this wave isn’t crazy tall, or fast or steep, but it is still really good. Actually it is almost a perfect wave for testing out a new boat, which is exactly what Mat Dumoulin and I did as we tested out Jackson Kayak’s newest 2016 Rockstar series while we were filming for our Adidas ‘Go Big or Go Home’ tour.
Check out our first couple rides in our new toy. So fired up on this beast!
