NAWF '05 Update

(NAWF Photo Gallery)

The first annual North Alabama Whitewater Festival was a huge success. The event had a large turn out with a very high number of pros coming out to compete. Team Fluid showed up with Joe Stumpfel and Jeremy Adkins (one of the event organizers). The event was hosted by Surface Dynamics and Alabama Small Boats, a Fluid retailer.

Friday was the freestyle jam off Short Creek Falls as well as the boatercross event. The freestyle jam session was a 90 min. huck fest with everyone trying to step it up and get as many hucks off the waterfall as possible. Freewheels, re-wheels, pistol flips, rock spins to barrel rolls, pan-ams, and tandem hucks were all being thrown. A sick rock-spin to barrel roll that landed flat on the hull won the event. The boatercross event was a blast with the course starting in the flats, launching the waterfall, around a buoy, behind the waterfall curtin, and finishing at a rock outcropping outside the waterfall. Joe used a kayak paddle, to be faster in the flats than his canoe paddle, in his pro heat and was in second of four going off the lip of the falls. Joe went for a right stroke, just before the lip, which landed on the back of someones boat, causing Joe to fall over to his left side and go off the waterfall upsidedown. Before he could roll up another boater landed on Joe's hull and kept on going. Joe then rolled up, but ended up way behind in the race. The crowd loved the carnage and no one was injured. I made the expert finals and was tied for first going off the falls. In the finals you had to punch the curtain of the falls to get into the cave behind the curtain. I punched the curtain in second place and instead of battling for the win I ended up battling for air as the curtain stopped me and held me upsidedown for a long while. When it finally spit me out I rolled up and just about finished last, but the crowd loved it!

Saturday was the throwdown and big trick contest at ender hole. The level was a bit low, but big loops and ends both ways could still be had. Andrew Holcome, EJ, Stephen Wright, and Clay Wright all had some amazing rides filled with big moves. Jeremy Adkins threw his Medium Flirt around like a champ and showed off his local knowledge of the hole. Joe threw some impressive loops and linked a flurry of ends that I'm sure made the judges dizzy trying to count. Finals finished up as landowners and cops booted everyone from the shore of the hole.

Saturday night was tons of fun: with some sweet ramp action, video review of the waterfall event, LVM 15, Wavesport Promo Video, Fluid Promo Video, product booths, prize raffle, awards ceremony, bonfire, Steel String Theory on stage, and some funny games that went along with the free beer. PJ, the overall winner of the Expert rodeo, walked away with a brand new Medium Flirt for his efforts.

A big thanks goes out to Gavin & Gray at Alabama Small Boats, David Livingston at Surface Dynamics, Jeremy Adkins, and all the other great organizers of this event. Overall this was an amazing event that was tons of fun for everyone. I look forward to next year's event and hope to see you all there.

(For more info check out www.alabamasmallboats.com)

See you on the river- Bryon Dorr