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Vortex #3 2019
Meanwhile in Hood River
Nicholas Cryder
06/22/19 #25089
Got to town late Thursday night, and managed snag a spot on the Purp on Friday afternoon after wrapping up work for a big group downwind with Carter and Surfski Ranch Cult of Paddlers. We did a Mosier to the Dalles run in perfect wind / conditions. It was so nice to come to town and get a taste of the good vagrant life. Except for the first 1km… which is always such a funny experience for me, as the Gorge has just slightly different enough wave timing to really mess with the dearly held idea that this sport is fun for me. Missed waves, bungled over-glides and swamping needlessly on waves. Happily by km 20 I had resolved some the timing quirks and was having a great time… but also reminded that I don't really do 20km paddles anymore and that I was really tired.
Race day went off without a hitch, Carter has really made the most of this opportunity and keeps things super low key, fun and organized. Perfect combo and of OCD leadership for ADHD racer types in multiple craft and drama free racing. Wind was pretty stable in the high 20's to low 30's, and the flow is down to summer levels so the water was just silly fun surfing. Carter also kept things honest by running the race course through swell city on a solid wind day.
Really superb to see first hand a ton of new resident paddlers in HR, visiting stars and of course the growth of the young guns making their presence known in dominant fashion. In particular was terrific to see Wilson, Anna and Greg Barton dicing the entire race, with Greg getting a small gap at the very end of the race. Austin took out the win, followed by Kai Bartlet and then I am little foggy on the finishing order after that. I expect race results will be posted soon.
The thing that really comes to mind is just how many new paddlers are coming into the sport and going straight to downwind, and doing the bucket time and DW specific training to not die and prove that this kind of racing can, and should happen in North America.
Nicholas Cryder
Reivers Dustin
06/22/19 #25090
Good post. Well said on the timing. I have always wondered what the heck button I push to get in the zone. When it happens, like Medler says, “there is no gravity”. I just fly the boat like it was in my dreams. And those other times when the befuddlement quotient is much larger than the conditions warrant.
