My first experience with the Gorge Games was in 2004. I had never competed in kayaking events before, but was encouraged by Nate and many friends to sign up for the Head-to-Head (as I had yet to run the section of the White Salmon which the Extreme Race was being held). I was really nervous, but figured, "What do I have to lose? It will be interesting to see where I place in comparison to the other top female paddlers.”

After qualifying for the finals, I came in third place - missing second place by a flip in the bottom rapid. I felt pretty good for placing, and looked forward to competing in future Gorge Games.

Unfortunately, due to the lack of financial assistance to make the GG happen, this event went on a 4-year hiatus.

In April of 2008, we heard tidbits of information about a possible return of the Summer Gorge Games! Sure enough, word spread and it was official - Gorge Games 2008 was on!

Due to the high flows that our 2008 Spring brought us, I never really committed to competing in the Gorge Games, yet a little voice inside me kept saying, “This is your home turf, Heather . . . you gotta race! You’re gonna kill it!” Or, maybe that little voice was just EVERYONE in Hood River telling me that I should compete.

Training was difficult, as I didn't really want to run Big Brother or BZ Falls at over 3 feet on the gauge. For those of you who are not familiar with Big Brother or BZ – Big Brother is a 25ish foot waterfall, shallow on the left, (at this flow) a large amount of water pushing into the cave on the right. BZ on the other hand, is just a toss of a coin . . . you’ll either style it or get hammered!

So, I trained hard on the Middle White Salmon - a class III stretch of water - to keep my physical stamina in check, and I used visualization techniques for many weeks - to keep my mental stamina in check.

The course changed over and over again, as the levels dropped and it was decided that Bob's through Double Drop - the regular Gorge Games course in past years - would be the final course.

As the last week approached before the games, I had yet run this section of the White Salmon - due to levels and work schedules. The Tuesday before the competition, I finally got on the Truss, however due to "mental mumble jumble" that day, I didn't fire off Big Brother or Double Drop - the two big drops in the race course!

With race day creeping up, I visualized and visualized more. I watched videos of my lines in the past and hiked into Big Brother the evening before the race, sat there and visualized, with my great friend and racing pal, Lana Young! We talked over our lines and finally I shot out, “I vividly see my line, Lana . . . I'm ready!”

Time trials started on Friday . . . I qualified for the Saturday Extreme Race!

Saturday - the big day - finally came. I got up early, made a good breakfast and hung out at the house (as our house is right across from the Truss take-out). When the time came to head to the race's starting line, I gathered my gear and headed out. I tried to keep the mentality of, "I want to just have fun", but my nerves still got in the way. No one really heard a peep out of me, for when I’m nervous, I become silent and just concentrate on visualizing and focusing.

The women were up first, Lana headed to the starting line, “Good luck girl, think of it as just another day on the Truss!” - I was going second. For me, waiting is the hardest thing to do.

Once Lana pulled into the current, I took my place at the starting line, I felt like puking. I've been this way since I can remember - through high school and college track - whenever I competed, I felt like the whole world was on my shoulders. I love competing, but I sure do put the pressure on myself - it's the perfectionist in me I presume:)

I sat there beside the starting line official, awaiting my "Ready, set, go!" I overheard the communication between the race officials, located at various spots throughout the race course, on their walkie talkies. "First racer approaching Big Brother . . . racer in the cave!" My throat fell into my stomach. "Crap, I thought . . . the cave!" "Racer out of the cave . . " I thought to myself, "will I be that lucky, shit I haven’t even ran Big Brother in a year!”

John Hart - the starting official gave me the ready signal. "On marks, get set, go!" I peeled out of the eddy (not the fastest peel out) to line me up for a successful "Bob's Falls" line - this is an 8 foot ledge with a very sticky hole. I hit my boof and maintained speed for the next drop. I pulled another boof and continued towards "Big Brother".

Once through the rapid above Big Brother, I fell into a trance. My body went on autopilot and took the strokes and the line that I had visualized days prior. There were many people at Big Brother (or so I was told) for safety, photos, filming and spectating, however I didn't see or hear one single person.

As I approached the 30 foot falls, all I saw was the little curling wave that needed to be on my right, the curling wave that needed to be on my left and the flake that I needed to take a boof stroke on. As I approached the flake, I took a huge boof stroke and felt my bow lift. I hit the water below as flat as I possibly could have. The left curtain of the falls grabbed my boat and flipped me over. I new this might happen due to the flow going over the falls, but I remember Tao telling me, "Who cares if theleft curtain flips you . . . at least you won't go in the cave and you'll eventually flush out."

So, being upside down and getting a bit of hammering from the curtain, I relaxed my mind, knowing I would soon be out. The minute I rolled up, got my bow spun around and headed towards Little Brother - a 15 foot falls – the volume from the crowd turned back on. “Go Heather, Go!” I was now out of my trance and heard cheering from all directions.

Wow, that was such a powerful moment going over Big Brother - I had never experienced that kind of focus before. My friend likes to call it “Being in the Zen moment!”

I picked up my pace a bit through some of the rapids approaching Double Drop. Once above DD, I slowed my pace down so that I had energy to nail my line and breath to roll up at the bottom. My line at DD was great - exactly what I visualized doing. "Right stroke over the first drop, left stroke through the pile, and right stroke through the bottom hole." I flipped at the bottom, rolled up and sprinted to the finish.

"178 seconds, Heather", the officials notified me. “Wow! That was amazing”, I told Sam Drevo, the Fox Sports Commentator, as a huge smile planted itself on my face.

Almost all the racers "hung out" at the finish line to cheer on fellow competitors and hold safety.

After the Extreme Race, I was mentally fried. We continued down the run to the take out, which left us an 1 1/2 until the head-to-head race. "Three heats of women", John Hart said. I took a look at the names in the heat and for the first heat, I was competing against my great friend and kick ass racer, Christie Glissmeyer. For this race, I chose to compete in my "Classic Hero" and boy, did I make the right choice. Through the 3 heats to the finals, I smoked everyone in that boat! Once I had accelerated the classic Hero, it just kept going and going.

The final heat, brought myself and Kate Howell together. Kate had been doing great throughout her heats, so I felt like this was great competition. "Ready, Set, Go!" I took the strokes, accelerated and bolted downstream. I was boat lengths in front of Kate, assuring me of the win. “One last hole to hit and I’m done”, I thought as I sprinted downstream. I hit this last hole, and felt the bow off my boat lift. All of a sudden, I was looking straight up into the sky! I was in the largest Stern Squirt I think I have ever seen! I tried holding it and landing it, but got spun around and flipped on the eddy line. I rolled up facing upstream, just to see Kate coming down the rapid! I tried back paddling to the finish line, but the eddy and the boils, wouldn't allow me to reach the end. So, then I took my paddle and tried reaching it over the electronic finish line, not good enough.

Before I could do anything else, Kate punched the hole and crossed the finish line. I remember yelling out the "F" word on impulse, only to look on shore and see many cameras right in my face. I immediately followed this 'slipped word' with a "I mean darn", and smiled to the cameras. It was a good race, definately exciting. The hole that took my second place finish in ’04, now took my first place finish – it’s funny how things work like that!

The spectators, at this point, had yet determined who had won, until it was officially announced that I didn't get far enough over the finish line and Kate had placed first. An amazing race, an amazing day! I can't wait to compete more. I am committing this winter to training hard and being in the competition scene more next year!

Thanks to AT Paddles for a "special - pink camo" AT2 Flexi which powered me through some of my toughest paddling in a long time; Jackson Kayak for the "Rocker", which allowed me to boof the "shiznit" out of Big Brother and Double Drop and the "Classic Hero" for being a rocket ship through class IV rapids; Level Six for dependable gear and stylish clothing on and off the river; and, Sweet Helmets for being the greatest helmets ever, keeping me safe!

I'm looking forward to seeing the GG footage from its' airing on Fox Sports in August (I was on the Lower Salmon in Idaho so missed it) . . . and excited to train hard for next year!

Snapshot in the Oregonian: http://www.flickr.com/photos/theoregonian/2685033003/

Keep paddlin’ and keep it real!

Team JacksonKayak
Team Level Six
Team Sweet
Team AT

~Heather~