Kayak Session Magazine – December 01, 2019

EVENT

ThedayofStage2 dawnedwitha breathtakingmorningontheRougeRiver.Mistrose

offtheforestfloortorevealcrystalblueskies,a welcomechangefromthebone-chilling

rainofthepreviousday.Beforeheadingtotheriver,athletesdrewtheirheatnumber

froma hat,assigningatrandomwhotheywouldraceinthefirstround.Theatmosphere

electrifiedastheathletesassembled,bearingwitnessto thevastrapidsof theRougeRiver,

mentallypreparingtoenduretheanarchyoftheGauntlet.Everyracecoursehasa crux,

andtheGauntletis noexception.Inadditiontostayingincontrolandmaintainingfocus

throughthecolossalwaves,ridershadtosuccessfullynavigatethefinalmassivefeature,

catchtheeddyandtouchthefinishlinebanner.Thefinalfeaturegavetwooptions.Use

theriver-leftshouldertopropelyoutowardsthefinishline,andhopeit doesn'tcurlyou

intoit'sfrothingmaworrejectyoudownstreamawayfromtheeddy.Or,themoredirect

‘safe’line;drivetotheriverright,attempttogetovertheholeandstraightintotheeddy,

thensprintthecalmwatertothebanner.VisiblyintimatedbytheGauntlet’sgargantuan

crashingwavesandchaoticexplodingfeatures,athletespulledsticksatthestartlinefor

desiredstartpositions.Aspredicted,thefinishlinemaneuverdeterminedthepreliminary

rounds.Withonlythetopthreeadvancingfromeachracetothesemi-finals,allracers

whomadethefinishlineadvanced.Justlikethat,thefieldcutin half.Chaosandcarnage

ensuedasracersdroppedintothefrayforsemi-finals.Heartrateswerehigh,andmost

stayedconservativethroughthefirstfewminutes,hopingtosaveenergyforthecrux

moveatthefinish.Thefinalheatwastheperfectculminationofanepicdayofracing.

It wasyoungvs.experienced,localvs.foreigner,friendvs.friend,asracersdroppedinto

themadnessoncemore.Withseveralmajorcollisionsbutonlyoneminor injury, Stage 2

camecrashingtoa closeasthefinalistsstormedthefinish line.

RESULTS- 1st: DaneJackson, 2 nd: KalobGrady,

3 rd: Leif Anderson, 4 th: Hayden Voorhees, 5 th: Jakub Hanoulle

The Boater X

Stage 2

"

The most rewarding

part of Unleashed is

meeting new people who

encourage you, and

whose goals align with

yours, creating great

friendships as a result.

− Darby McAdams

Athletesgather,enjoyingtheraretreatofsunshine

during the morning safety meeting on day 2.

Numberspulledfromthehatwoulddeterminetheentirely

random start heats for the Boater X through the Gauntlet!

LeifAnderson(USA)chargesthrougha gapin

the chaos. Hayden Voorhees (USA) isn’t as lucky.

Fiveracersnavigatetheirwaydownstream,jostlingwith

eachotherandthedynamic,unpredictableracecourseas

they make their way through the crux of the Gauntlet.