Surfski Knowledge Base

flypaddle
08/10/09 #6817

Hey Gang,

Well the perma-grin that I had plastered on my face from leg 4 of the Wildside Relay last Saturday is finally starting to wear off, however when I think back about the race, it does seem to creep back. For those of you that don't know, the Wildside Relay Race is a 4 stage, 22 mile race that takes place from Stevenson Washington, and traverses up the Columbia River to a town called Bringen. I'm told there were 28 teams which had a solid Bellingham contingency including, Kirk C, DJ, Brian B, Jeff H, Peter M (my partner) and myself (hope I'm not forgetting someone). Also within the participants were six Californians including the eventual team winners Carter J, and Dave J.

The day before the race Peter and I did a group paddle for the first leg which included 20 minute's of near hands free wake riding from behind a large sternwheeler. Brian B had his video camera with him and took a lot of great footage. Once the sternwheeler turned, we just rode the wind generated waves to the first leg transfer point. Peter and I took a break there while the rest of the group went on ahead to the next stop approx. 7 miles upstream. Once Peter and I were under way again, we tried different lines to see what would be faster for the race. I should mention that the wind at Stevenson seemed to be approx. 25 mph, but the conditions kept building (both wind and waves) until we were being hit by wind gusts in excess of 50 mph the last 2 miles of that leg, as well as significantly larger waves.

On race day, Peter did the first and third legs, with me doing the second and forth legs. I can't speak for Peters experiences, but the conditions of the forth leg were surreal. Shortly after I jumped in the boat, I was being pushed by breaking waves up to 6' that resembled more like a stormy oceam swell than anything I expected on a river. My GPS was hitting 16 mph fairly regularly with me grinning from ear to ear. At that point of the race I didn't see any race participants in front of me, and I didn't think anyone was going to catch me from behind, so I just concentrated on having fun, as opposed to getting to the finish as fast as I could. There is just nothing like having your boat teetering on the edge of a deep drop, while still going 10+ mph, taking the plunge, have your bow get partially buried while bathtub warm water is spraying all around you, leaning way back, then paddling a 120 strokes a minute so that you can do it again. The only downside to that leg were the kite boarders. On the water that day, there must have been several hundred of them zig zagging all around you. It was a really neat sight, but a little unnerving when you have to go through them.

This race is arguably one of the funnest races I have ever participated in, and hope to make my way back there again.

See you one the water,

Joost

Re: Wildside Relay
Reivers Dustin
08/10/09 #6818

whoa.

This from the guy who scares the shit out of the coast guard at Westport.

I'm going to find a way to do this event before I die. Hopefully not immediately before I die.

RD

Re: Wildside Relay
Larry Goolsby
08/10/09 #6820

I want to hear Peter's report. Has he sobbered up yet?
LG

Re: Wildside Relay
dnjacobson79
08/11/09 #6823

Wildside and the week of surfing was GREAT. Six big water Northern Cali paddlers came down and loved it and already have if on their calenders for next year, so that should give you an idea of how good it was! B'ham had a strong showing as always and the Gorge proved to be a good testing ground for a wide range of ability levels. - dj

Re: Wildside Relay..P. Marcus reporting..
Pmarcus
08/11/09 #6826

Now that I am at home..safely sitting down in my room with the door and windows locked, lifejacket STILL on…..I think I had fun!!!

We arrived Friday and were anxious to get a practice paddle in….Joost and I joined up with Brian B. and Eric G. and Traci L. and a few other top notch paddlers to play behind the local paddler wheeler before we departed paddling further up river. The rides behind the Stern Wheeler were amazing…you just sat on this wake and surfed along, I can honestly say I don't think I actually took a paddle stroke for about 4 to 5 minutes at one point! So ….I'm thinking this is awesome, not so bad. Well, we finished doing that and then continued paddling up river to the first check point in Home Valley, getting some great rides, like a big day on B'ham Bay. We pit stopped for a just a few and debated on continuing to Drano Lake, stop number two. Since we were down thier to surf I figured…lets go for it…besides I had Joost right next to me, Brian and Eric and crew had continued on also….WHAT could possibily go wrong!

As we took off, the wind was steadily building and I thought, hey this was still okay, 70 dgree plus water, waves pretty big, some pretty big rebound off the walls… What could possibly go wrong! It wasn't till later that I heard people were watching from the road thinking that I might be having a little problem and Joost was looking for a “dry” cell phone to call that Bellingham Bay Helicopter Pilot. As we rounded the first of two bends the waves were getting bigger along with the wind and as you rounded bend number two on that leg I realized i couldn't really hug the shore anymore if I didn't want to get pummeled by the now, very large rebound and good size surfing waves. Of course, I was also informed later, that this was the windiest part of the course, the last two miles or so into the Drano Lake hand off. At this point…Joost cut across my bow surfing with “tears of joy” on his face and not looking back to confuse the “tears of terror” on my face. The wind had now built to a steady 30 with puffs in the high 40's to possibly low 50's and “Joost's concern was with Joost” and couldn't do a whole lot for me…….to make a short story longer…….it was survivial paddling for me the last few miles with legs bracing (in the water) and all my weight bracing the paddle just to keep from broaching! Of course, all the group hugging by my fellow Belling-hamsters didn't exactly exude confidence for me the next day.

Alas, the next day……1st leg no problem, still very twitchy from the day before though….3rd leg as i looked for Joost coming up river in the sea of whitcaps and steady 30 knots, I was convincing myself that no way was I going to do it…..somehow I walked down the transition and launched and waited for my partner to come in…as he did I gasped for a out and asked him if I should do it,,,,he yelled “go fo it!” I did……fine for the first two miles but then then they don't call it “Swell City” for noth'in. GPS all showed mutiple 16+ mph's, one does not truly understand the speed as you launch down a 5 to 6 foot wave with many more in front of you, going 16 mph against a current as you reach for your “ass to kiss good bye!” I lost a lot of time for Joost…but he didn't mind…and when we got back to B''ham, he took me off the roof top kayak rack and the blood came right back…no problem!

JD“s race was Great……..Positive support from everyone was Great…….Alcohol at the end was Great……Do it again?? Yes…..but need to do a bunch more rides before race day and a little less wind for “this” newbie (probably a little earlier in the day) would be better for me……We need to do another road trip down before the end of September!!!…..and yes, the Sphinx-ter is just now relaxing!!

Cheers, Peter

Re: Wildside Relay..P. Marcus reporting..
Michael Gregory
08/11/09 #6831

-Peter M's. new work on the Joy of the Wildside is “poetic” (NY Times), “elegant in it's simplicity” (SF Chronicle), “hilarious?” (Village Voice), “best yet” (Bellingham Roller Betties Journal).

-Next up, SF Bay Blues. Don't miss it!

Wildside Relay Results
JD Davies <jd@…>
08/12/09 #6835

There were a record number of folks on the water with record times here in the Gorge.

Mahalo to all who traveled so far to come to this event.

Aloha,

JD Davies

Waterwalker

509 427 2727 shop

541 400 0187 cell

www.nwoutrigger.com

jd@…

OVERALL

1) Dave & Carter…….2:39.24

2) Chris & Craig……….2:40.44

3) DJ & Kirk……………..2:45.07

4) Tracy & Jeff………….2:48.16………..1st Mixed Surfski

5) Craig & Robert………2:49.20

6) Brian & Steve………..2:50.28

7) Kevin & Eric………….2:52.12

8) Peter & Joost………..2:53.55

9) Pete & Laurence……3:01.06

10) John & Eric…………..3:02.01

11) Gordon & Lance…….3:06.32

12) Adrienne & Tim………3:07.33…………1st Mixed OC-1

13) Steve & Mulu………….3:09.45

14) Mark, Joel & Peter…..3:09.48

15) Frank & Brady…………3:12.33

16) Michael & Mike……….3:13.48

17) Hawk & Gus……………3:15.59

18) Travis & Jacob………..3:16.10

19) Ina & Mike………………3:18.22

20) Jacque & Rocky……..3:21.36………..2nd Mixed OC-1

21) Ernie & Ken……………3:28.35

22) Tamara & Mignon……3:39.02……….1st Woman's OC-1

23) Meg & Mike…………….3:39.10……….3rd Mixed OC-1

24) Mike & Manny…………3:48.00

25) Troy & Jason…………..DNF

SURFSKI

1) Dave & Carter…….2:39.24

2) Chris & Craig………2:40.44

3) DJ & Kirk…………….2:45.07

4) Tracy & Jeff…………2:48.16………..1st Mixed

5) Craig & Robert……..2:49.20

6) Peter & Joost………..2:53.55

7) Pete & Laurence……3:01.06

8) John & Eric……………3:02.01

OC-1

1) Brian & Steve………..2:50.28

2) Kevin & Eric………….2:52.12

3) Gordon & Lance…….3:06.32

4) Adrienne & Tim………3:07.33…………1st Mixed

5) Steve & Mulu………….3:09.45

6) Mark, Joel & Peter…..3:09.48

7) Frank & Brady………..3:12.33

8) Michael & Mike……….3:13.48

9) Hawk & Gus……………3:15.59

10) Travis & Jacob……….3:16.10

11) Ina & Mike……………..3:18.22

12) Jacque & Rocky……..3:21.36………..2nd Mixed

13) Ernie & Ken……………3:28.35

14) Tamara & Mignon……3:39.02……….1st Womans

15) Meg & Mike…………….3:39.10……….3rd Mixed

16) Mike & Manny…………3:48.00

17) Troy & Jason…………..DNF