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.