Sunday, June 7, 2009

Hitting The Water HARD!!!

(I surfed for 3 hrs in various boats on this wave, Joe Bob's, one of the few park and play features in the NW.  Luke Spencer took this photo, just before he took a tumble into the river barely saving my camera and busting up his thumb badly.)

Again, I apologize for the late post.  Things have been busy around here and I honestly haven't wanted to sit down a do this:)  There have been some big events over the past few weeks but the factor that has dominated my life lately has been my broken back.  I managed to break my L1 Transverse Process landing flat off a large kayak ramp at the Upper Clackamas Whitewater Festival.  It took me over a week to go to a Doctor, but in the end as broken backs go this is minor.  If all goes well, and I don't do anything stupid, I should be good to go again in a few weeks.  Because of the broken back I had to cancel my BC paddling trip to Skook as well as my ultra runs for the year.  Once my back is good to go again I'm going to try to find some new races/challenges.

Julie has been very busy getting ready for grad school.  Besides all the normal financing, paperwork, books, etc... she has been studying hard for two big tests that she has to take.  She has also been working hard a few days a week training on her Dragon Boat team and training for her half marathon on July 4th.  She is excited for school and also for her parents to come for a visit in a few weeks.

I'll let the photos do most of the talking this post:)  Rock on and keep in touch.
(You can see the scale of the ramp at the UCWWF in this shot.  The rapid is Carter Bridge and was the site of many of the festivals events.)
(This is how not to go off the ramp!  This is just a moment before I fell out of the sky landing dead flat, breaking my back and boat!!!)
(This is my attempt at a move off the ramp, after already breaking my back.  I landed flat 5 of 6 times breaking two boats and my back in the process.  I'm just glad my whitewater kayaking skills are better than my ramp kayaking skills:))
(This is what landing dead flat looks like.  Ouch!  You have tons of time in the air to realize that this is going to hurt.)
(Andy Maser threw this fun move.  He cracked a beer can while sliding down the ramp, took a chug, and threw an airscrew off the ramp, all with no paddle!  He did need me to give him a T rescue at the bottom though:))
(This is the scene in the Next Adventure campsite on Saturday night when we hosted a big BBQ.  There was a huge turn out and good times where had by all.)
(Julie enjoying some sun in Tacoma, WA at her first Dragon Boat Race.)
(Dragon Boating in Tacoma, WA.)
(Wasabi Team Huge posing with their first place medals.  Check out Julie middle row on the left.)
(Julie and I headed off for a trail run up Eagle Creek in the gorge.  After about 3.5 miles my body shut down and I ended up having a really rough day!  This was after I broke my back, but hadn't been to the doctor yet.  My body really didn't behave correctly for about two weeks after I broke it.)
(This is Metlako falls on Eagle Creek.  The freefall on this one is something like 80+ ft, and is currently the women's and junior world record for waterfall decent in a kayak.  It is on my radar.)
(Julie and I all dressed up for a 70's cocktail party at one of my co-workers houses.  You can tell, but I'm wearing pleather pants!)
(The Grilled Cheese Grill!  This is a great little food cart place on Alberta St.  The "dining room" is in an old School bus.)
(This is the crowd at the Last Thursday art event on Alberta St.  This is the second month we've been to the event.  Julie loves all the crazy street performers and artsy things:))
(The Clydesdale's at the Starlight Parade.  Over 250,000 people show up for this one and most of the parade is lit and after dark.  This is one of the events for the Rose Festival.)
(Yesterday we checked out the Rose Festival and Saturday Art Market.  This is the finish line for the Dragon Boat races.  Julie races smaller, faster boats, than these that are considered Hong Kong style boats.)