The Hobie® Stand Up Paddleboard racing team took on the ripping winds and sweltering temperatures of the Columbia River Gorge Paddle Challenge. They came out like it was all cool breezes, with top 20 finishes practically across the board. Not bad for an elite event with over 350 athletes!
Three of the team members shared their impressions of the huge two-day set of races, a flatwater course and the doubled-up downwind:
April Zilg:
This was my second time at the Gorge, but my first ever in a downwind race with wind! I had a great race and a good start to Saturday. After battling it out between the buoys of the technical course I settled for a 10th place finish. Sunday was a ton of fun with all-time conditions in the Gorge. I was able to snag a few glides and finish in the top 15 with a smile!
Bullet Obra
This was my first time in Hood River for the Gorge Challenge. It is a super cool town with lots of water activities. I was blown away by the downwind conditions. I had a few of my best downwind runs in the gorge.
The first day of racing was very hot and very intense with all of the best paddlers in the world pushing each other. The second day of the race was a double down wind with pristine downwind conditions on both legs. The double downwind was one of the best and fastest downwind races I have ever done.
Martin Letourneur
It was my second time in Oregon for the Gorge Paddle Challenge. I was really excited to compete once again against all the world’s best paddlers, especially on Sunday’s downwind races.
The Course Race on Saturday was really hard with the heat and flatwater conditions but I was able to keep a good rhythm on my 14’ Apex until the end to end up with a very satisfying 14th place. On Sunday, the conditions were all time in the Columbia River gorge with a very strong wind setting up two epic downwind runs.
I had some of the best rides ever during these runs and outside the satisfaction of finishing 16th of the event, I had a lot of fun on my board during the races, which made everything easier.
