The Composite Playboat

Buena Vista Pro Rodeo.

So, after a heinous drive across Kansas, totally solo (the only things to talk to were the bugs on my windscreen) I made it to Colorado. Nothing exciting happened during the drive, thankfully, but when I got to Buena Vista I realized really how low the water was this year. This is a vast difference between the 175% snow pack they had last year and the 70% snow pack that they have this year. 

Looping the very light composite boat

Shane had surprised me with a brand spankin new composite boat just in time for me to make the trek west. Its not a biscuit and it paddles like nothing I have ever paddled before. But I can say one thing, I could do some massive loops in it!!

Jordan going for a space godzilla

 Jordan did super well, as always, in both C-1 and K-1 juniors. He was flying just as high as I was and loving the light boat. The feature was a tad small this year.... but we all made it work.

Finals ride, huge space godzilla

 Going into finals I was second behind Ruth Gordon, who is a past world champion and Claire O'hara was in fourth who is the present world champion. My first ride I did everything I could in the feature within the first 30 seconds, a massive loop, a huge space godzilla, another space godzilla, and some spins. I scored my highest ride of my life which was a 360 and that put me really comfortably in first place!!

My sparkly masterpiece by Shane Benedict

 Claire had an awesome second ride and she was getting really close to getting her McNasty's. She ended up tieing me for first place. I was stoked to be able to know that I could keep up with these two powerhouses of freestyle.

Winner!!!

In the end, the judges averaged out our Claire and I's scores and I had won the rodeo. It was my first ever pro rodeo that I had won in my whole life!!! I was super happy to have been able to share the eddy with all the awesome people in Buena Vista Colorado and will be sure to come back next year!!

I want to thank Byron Dorr for the awesome photos that he shot, check out his page www.exploringelements.com

He has full coverage of the event on there, check it out!!

Im super stoked on this new playboat and so happy that Shane has made it happen! Keep your eyes out for posts for this coming weekend which is the Teva Mountain Games in Vail Colorado!!