The Gorge Downwind Race Festival By Michele Eray, Olympian and World Surfski Champion
Hood River is a truly special place. Besides the natural beauty, incredible hiking and mountain biking, the proximity of Mt. Hood, and fantastic restaurants, breweries and wine farms, there is also the amazing Columbia River flowing through the town, which serves as the border for Oregon and Washington states.
times during the week’s daily runs, I would look down at my GPS and be surprised at the relatively slow speed I was traveling at, despite being a on a cracking good run!
This river happens to be in a highwind area, and with the current charging one direction, and the wind in the other, it results in an incredible “downwind” paddling experience. The area is a hotspot for wind sports, from kite boarding to wind surfing, to the paddling world of stand up paddleboarding, outrigger and, of course, surfski.
All this makes for a forgiving – but still super fun – downwind. It also makes a great environment to learn in, and we capitalized on the natural teaching arena. We took many paddlers on Downwind Coaching Clinics and in our teaching double ski. (This vessel has steering in both the back and front, hence giving the learner the opportunity to sit in front and actually see where they need to be on the runs while being steered by the expert sitting behind them.)
This strange combination of river flow and opposite wind direction, creates a unique scenario of really fun (and sometimes massive) downwind conditions, at a slightly slower than usual speed. Many
THE FESTIVAL Everything about the race is set up with paddlers in mind, from the lively and vibrant beer garden for after-race stories and hanging out, the race village with vendors selling
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the latest surfski related products. There is a pre-race dinner, as well as a post-race celebration of the division winners. All the manufacturers rent out their surfskis for the week, or transport participants’ up from major centres. These shuttles also help out with transport during the week, including taking participants and their surfskis up to the Viento State Park put-in. This eliminates the need for a driver (or car) and lets participants paddle about eight miles back to race headquarters, enjoying the river’s run offerings, including the famous Swell City. Swell City can seem bigger than ocean swell, and paddling through the crowds of kiters and wind surfers adds to the exhilaration of the runs! All in all, it’s a family-oriented, social paddling week. (Continued on page 48)
PADDLE | September 2017 | Page 47