===== Canadian Downwind Champs Thanks ===== **Bob Putnam** \\ 07/11/19 #25198 I just wanted to say thanks to some great people of the Bellingham Community. **Nicholas Cryder **- Thanks Faster/Farther for AGAIN designing and supplying great t-shirts for athletes and volunteers. A very comfortable synthetic Cotton with a great design. Your passion for the sport is much appreciated. Thanks for bringing the tees and a the new wave of Bellingham champs (Wilson and Jonas) to the TNR. **Paul Clement** - Thanks for supplying category awards, and sponsor thank you plaques. Also thanks for delivering them to TNR. **Scoggins** - For shuttling some Epic Surfskis around for me!! **Epic Customers**: Thanks for the business and for choosing Epic Kayaks and Paddles. I'll have some demos for sale in Hood River after the Gorge Race. Thanks to all of you who are participating. Without participants its not much of a race. Many of you have participated in many of the races and now the Iron Men list is complete with Marc Whitlock, Larry B and Dean B. Better late than never LB and DB!! It should be a great day on Saturday. **Reivers Dustin** \\ 07/13/19 #25204 Back at you Bobbie. You've got good people doing the set up, great venue, nice layed-back vibe. I had a good day up there today. That mad scramble out to the first mark is really humbling. I expect problems from the prevailing broadside waves, and the big animals in the first wave throw some wake. The thing that bakes my paddle is the committee boat pacing the lead pack at the perfect speed for maximum wake and this wake is placed in the middle of the pack that is crashing paddles with each other. Where I am. With my fantasy self image going off like wet paper mache'. Not that I'm complaining. Same water for everyone. Probably good to throw the puppies in the deep end so you can weed the non-floaters right away. Nicely done with conditions. Really liked the mid-race swell. I busted 10mph top speed which is rare for me. One other thing, because of the vibe you have going, I found myself talking to many of the visiting paddle people. It was a hoot. For example, there was a nice contingent of paddlers from Ottawa. Who'd a thunk it. **allipp@…** \\ 07/14/19 #25205 Hey Josh, since you weren't there, I put it on my shoulders to beat Bob P. Lo and behold, I realized that the ski in front of me, appearing to falter in the slop outside the channel, was Bob. I was trying to figure out if I should just hang back and draft him to the finish then pass him, or do a blow by and risk him jumping on my wake and riding me to the final showdown. I opted for the blow by, and he was unable to jump on my wake in the slop. As an added bonus, it ended up being for a podium finish in the 50-59 division! **josh dyck** \\ 07/14/19 #25207 Alan, I really appreciate you taking this on since I wasn’t able to make it! Congrats on your podium finish. See you all in the Gorge!\\ Josh