Still Plenty of Snow in Colorado!

A few members of the team headed down to the Arkansas River over Memorial Day weekend for the first race in the Rocky Mountain Whitewater Series. As you can see, there is still quite a bit of snow in the high country. The whitewater is going to be huge all across the state this year. The race was small but probably one of the best when it comes to having fun on rafts. Before the race, all of the racers pulled numbers from a hat to select teams. We each ended up in boats with many of the racers that we usually compete against. It was a great way to come together after a national race that saw some fierce competition, plenty of posturing and a few heated exchanges.  The race itself consisted of three mass-start sprint races. It was a best of three event, and a team that was made up of many of the members of the Ark-Sharks took it all for the men's division, and a team of Red Lady's and a few F.A.R.T.s took it for the women. A good time was had by all and, like any good day on the river, the evening was rounded out by a few beers and some cheap Mexican food.

This week marks the first week of our regular season training and racing schedule. Stay tuned for updates on this weekend's competition at the Teva Mountain Games in Vail, CO.

Eagle River Watershed Council Raft Trip

Last night, members of the men's and women's teams had the pleasure to guiding a group of folks down the river who are involved with various aspects of the river restoration work occurring on the Eagle River in Edwards, CO. It was a great trip, despite the hail, lightning and occasional rain showers! What a great opportunity to learn more about the restoration design and continue to support efforts to preserve and protect the beauty of the river that provides many of us with a source of income and incredible recreational opportunities. After the river trip, we enjoyed great food (complements of Southern Spoon) and freshly brewed beer at the Crazy Mountain Brewery in Edwards. Quite a night. We look forward to more opportunities to support the Eagle River Watershed Council in the future. A big THANK YOU to both Lakota Guides and Timberline Tours for providing equipment and transportation for this event. We could not have done it without you!

Team Teva Wins 2011 US National Competition

Victory! Both teams finished out the day yesterday with solid wins in the Slalom and Head-to-Head Sprint events. The slalom course on the Clackamas was one of the longest any of us have ever seen. The pushy water stiff eddy lines made many of the gates very challenging. A three-gate downstream offset combination in the middle of the course was especially tricky. In their disappointing first run, the men missed two gates and had a number of gate touches. The women followed shortly with their first run and threw down an impressive time with only a single missed gate. On the second run, the men's team cleaned up their act, making all of the gates (including that treacherous three gate combo in the middle) and finishing out with the fastest raw time of the day and only two gate touch penalties. The women were next and they were a true crowd pleaser. Toward the end of the course, they ran wide of a downstream gate and everyone thought they would miss it. Not to be deterred, they banged a hard left into a small eddy, worked their way up along the shore, and made the turn into the current to clean the gate. The crowd cheered them the whole way through!

The afternoon found both teams preparing for the Head-to-Head Sprint. The women raced against the Red Lady's (Salida, CO) and Team WOW (Portland, OR). They beat both teams off the start line and finished with a strong lead to bring home the gold. The men were next. In the final heat, they raced the always-strong team from Breckinridge, CO: The Ark-Sharks. It was a battle at the start, but the men from Team Teva pulled away in the end and sealed the deal for the overall win. This was a great race series and everyone we met here in Oregon was very friendly and helpful. The other teams at the event were gracious competitors and we enjoyed spending time on the water with them. We're looking forward to the next competition at the Teva Mountain Games in June and we hope to see some of same the great teams at that event.

US Nationals Time Trial and Down River Results

The first day of races is over and both the men and the women finished up on top. The first race was the Time Trial the course was a grueling 5.5 to 6 minutes long. The men raced first and finished up with a time of 5:24. They were closely followed by the team from Breckenridge, CO and then by the Oregon Rafting Team. The women raced second, completing the course in 6:03. The women's team from Salida finished in a close second, and the Oregon women in third. After the Time Trial, we had a couple of hours to kill, which we spent watching some of the other events like cataraft volleyball and a mass start inflatable kayak slalom race through a large rapid. In the Down River event, the men again raced first. The team pulled out into the lead quickly and was able to hold onto it all the way through the finish, 6 miles and several rapids downstream. The women's downriver event was definitely the most exciting event of the day. The race started and the team from Salida got out in front. At the first turn, our women were able to make a brilliant pass on the outside and took the lead, which they held until just below the first rapid. The Salida team made their pass on a right hand turn and pulled in front. From there to the end of the race, the two teams frequently battled for position. Our women's training paid off in the last mile of the race and they were able to make the final pass of the day and win the event. It was nerves all around for all of the spectators throughout the event and we could not have been more excited for the outcome!  Tomorrow we wrap things up with the Slalom and Head-to-Head races. We'll report back in the evening.

USRA National Whitewater Raft Races

The teams both made it to Oregon yesterday and and are settled in and getting ready for the national championship event to be hosted by the Upper Clackamas Whitewater Festival. The river is beautiful and the water is cold. We've previewed the race lines for all of the events and it looks fairly straightforward. The most interesting part of racing on the Clackamas is probably the unexpected surging boil that occasionally hurls the boat from the desired line into a powerful eddy on either side.  We're heading to bed early to ensure that we have plenty of rest for tomorrow's downriver and time trial races. We'll report back tomorrow with results!