OHBEJOYFULRACE,CRESTEDBUTTE,
COLORADO,USA,JUNE 2019
The 2019 OhBeJoyfulRace,whichtookplacein CrestedButteonSaturday,June22nd,wasa hugesuccess!Oh
BeJoyfulis a classicColoradosteepcreekcharacterizedbywaterfallsupto23’tallandlong,steepslides.Racers
putindirectlyabovea 15’verticalfalls,andthroughouttherace,gooveranother8’ and23'fallsinadditionto
numerousslidesandothersmalldrops.Thoughtheeventfirsttookplaceover 20 yearsago,it hadnothappened
since2015.It is thegoalofthenewRaceCoordinator,PaulRaymond,to makesuretheracecontinuesto happen
fromnowon.Thisyear, 28 racersthrewdownwithtimesrangingfromjustunderfourminutestoonethatwas
overtwentydueto a swim.Theaveragetimewasabout4 minutesand 20 secondsfora 3/4mileracecoursethat
dropsover400'.ThewinnerwasNoelParkerofSalida,CO,witha timeof3:58.Waterlevelswerelowtomedium
sideofhigh,makingfora fluffyandfastcourse.Higherlevelsmayhavecontributedtotheamountofcarnage,for
example,thosewhoswamatthe23’er.Assistancewasprovidedfromthe“FreedomCenter,”runbyMiloWynne.
Wynee,a longtimeveteranofCrestedButtehasbothracedandservedassafetyteamovertheyears.Thesafety
team,managedbySafetyCoordinatorDanielKreykes,included 11 safetyvolunteersstationedatstrategicspots
alongtherun.Nearly 100 spectatorsfromthetownof CrestedButtecameoutto watchandcheeronracersasthey
chargeddownstream.Onegoalforraceorganizersis protectingtheenvironmentofOhBeJoyfulCreekandthe
areasurroundingit.Tothatend,theOhBeJoyfulRaceis donatingallof itsproceedsto HighCountryConservation
Advocates,a localnon-profitgroupin CrestedButte.HCCAis currentlyworkingonWildandScenicdesignationsfor
creeksaroundCrestedButte,andOhBeJoyfulis on that list. Keep an eye out for the 2020 OBJ Race asorganizers
continuetogrowandevolvethisclassicevent!
Report: Paul Raymond | Photography: Brett Henderson
TUCKFEST,CHARLOTTE,NORTHCAROLINA,APRIL 2019
TuckFest.A four-dayfestivalattheU.S.NationalWhitewaterCenterinCharlotte,NC. Thecountry’slargest
outdoorsportsfestival.Ata placethatis hometo theworld’slargestmanmadewhitewaterriver.AuthenticClass
II-IVrapids.Countlesscompetitions.Livemusic.Clinics.Libations.And55,000people.OnApril25th– 28th,
underCarolinablueskies,TuckFesttookovertheU.S.NationalWhitewaterCenter.Forpaddlersandoutdoor
enthusiastsalike,thisfestivalis a destinationweekendanda massiveannualcelebrationof theoutdoorlifestyle.
Thisyearfeaturedover 35 racesandcompetitionsacrossdisciplines.Paddlingenthusiastscouldtesttheir
endurancein theBaker’sDozen(13lapsaroundthechannel),theirtrickskillsin freestyle,theirOlympiccaliber
inCitizen’sSlalom,ortheirsprintskillsinBoatercross.Eachcompetitionfeaturedstackedfieldsofathletes
includinglegendslikeAdrieneLevknecktandChrisHipgrave,younggunslike15-year-oldEvyLeibfarth,and
up-and-comerslikeHoltMcWhirt.WhitewatercompetitionsalsofeaturedSUPandraftcategories,challenging
raftstohead-to-headracesandSUPerstoenduranceanddistanceraces.Forthoselessinclinedtocompete,
nearly 40 clinicsofferedthechancetolearnfromprosina varietyofdisciplinesandskillsets.Paddlerscould
workontheirboof,revisitkayakingfundamentals,dialin freestyletechnique,tandempaddlewitha pro,improve
slicingskills,orexplorenewsportslikemountainbiking,ultra-running,orclimbing.Whenyou’vepaddleduntil
youcouldn’tanymore,jointhespectatorswatchingproclimbersattheTuckFestDeepWaterSolocompetition,
checkout65+industryvendors,andenjoylivemusicfromburgeoningartistsandbandsontherise.Thisyear,
TuckFest’smusiclineupfeaturedTylerChilders,Grammy-winnerFantasticNegrito,TheMilkCartonKids,J Roddy
Walston& TheBusiness,and The Marcus King Band. Join the party next year. April 23 – 26, 2020. Learn more
attuckfest.usnwc.org.Report: Lex Ballard | Photography: The Littlefield Co.