Budo fest 2010

The second annual "Budo Fest 2010" was an awesome event. I will go out on a limb and say that the Embudo race is the hardest class 5 race in the country. Northern New Mexico is the shit! The race starts at the normal put in and ends at my house just after the second canyon. 7 miles of full on class 4-5 kayaking. The format is a timed event. Teams of 3 race top to bottom without stopping. It is brutal. Not for the faint of heart. 3 teams competed this year and the winning time was around 43 minutes. I threw a kink into the event this year and 2nd and 3rd place were decided by this new twist. The teams had to take out at my house and run up to the porch (a couple 100 yards away) and then each team member had to slam an ice cold beer after racing the event. Lets just say that there was some serious up chucking and writhing on the ground while trying to finish the ice cold beers :)

1st place honors go to Matt Wilson, Nate Klema and Ben Luck
2nd place honors got to Javier, Chasen and Eddy Honea
3rd place honors got to Cutch, Rolf and Oliver

Huge shout out to Ed Lucero for making the awesome LED wave trophies. Thanks buddy!

We also had a raffle to benefit American Whitewater in our friend Mitchell Smiths name. You will never be forgotten bro!

Thanks so much to everyone that donated to the AW raffle. AW is a wonderful organization and needs all of our help. Massive shout out to everyone that donated gear for the AW raffle. You guys rule! Thanks to Colorado kayak Supply, Keen, Shred Ready, WRSI, River Gypsies, and Whitewater of the Southern Rockies for all the awesome gear donations for the raffle.

This race would not happen without folks willing to race. Thanks to you racers, the event was very worthy and kudos for sacking up for the FUNNEL....
Big props to the safety crew of Chris, Mike, Jules and Adam. Your presence was awesome....
Photos courtesy of Justin Merritt and atomcrawfordphotography, thanks Justin...
See ya all next year. Beers, Atom....

I'll post my video soon. Enjoy the photos and a video by Mike Hagadorn..



    The crowd ready for the show!


Tecate and grandstand views


Nate Klema and Matt Wilson coming in hot...


Nate getting a breath...


Matt boofing the lead in hole. Ben Luck, sorry we missed a photo of you. Everyone was to busy watching Matt get worked. Video coming soon :)


Must be a good sandwich....


Adam coming in to set safety. Matt, Nate and Ben passed the safety crew during the race..


Jules coming in to set safety at the Slot...


Chris and Mike, safety crew...


Chris and Mike and Jules, safety crew...


Chris Roberts from Pyranna


Mike Hagadoen, "AKA" Outhouse Duty man...


Ralf, pro video Dude...


Safety crew catching the eddy above the slot...


Team 2, Javier, Chasen getting some...


Same


Same


Same


Javier catching his breath. He gets the award for most Embudo weekends. Drove from Fort Collins a bunch of times in a row. Way to represent...


Javier dropping


Same...


Chasen dropping. Raced after only running the Embudo twice. Sacking up....


Chasen Slots...


Eddy, the 17yr old kid firing it up. Way to step up and race. Still in High school..


Chris running down to set safety in the eddy below slots...


Team 3 coming in Hot....


Cutch, Rolf and Oliver racing for the title....


This photo says it all...


Cutch boofamatic...


Rolf focused...


Rolf slotting...


Oliver about to biff it. I'll post a great sequence of a clutch must make segment later :)


Oliver collected...


Jules headed out....


Mike dropping the slot...


Safety team headed to the party....


Spectator cars...


The party begins...


See ya all next year. Be safe out there.....

201 Mothers day kayaking the Upper Box...

This past Mothers Day I had the pleasure of kayaking the Upper Box in NM with some great folks. Ryan and Cari Mackey from Telluride area were first time Upper Boxers, Eric Parker from Durango was helping show them down and keeping the vides good and positive. Amos Hockmeyer from Taos had been a bunch of times before but still couldn't remember any of the rapids :)
and Ross Elgin, AKA "Rosa" was a good buddy of mine down from Salida. He had last done the run 20 yrs ago.
We had a mellow flow of 700 cfs. This is the Gauge to check, 450cfs would be the minimum to do the run and above 1000 cfs the run starts to have some POP! The rapids are pretty straight forward and not too pushy at these 700cfs flows. The sieves are in full force however and it is wise to set safety at NCO, Hellhole and Big Arsenic. A more detailed run description can be found in The River Gypsies Guide to North America
or in Whitewater of The Southern Rockies
The weather was perfect and we all had a fantastic time. Enjoy the photos....

Rosa and Amos getting ready

Drifting through the beautiful canyon

Parker in Powerline Rapid




Amos entering NCO



Amos buried



Ryan NCO



Cari NCO



Parker in Hellhole



Rosa about to go backward into the sieve at Hellhole. Please wear a good PFD, carry a rope and pin kit and have first aid and a breakdown paddle. We got him out of the sieve and had all the necessary gear, but he would have been screwed if we had not set safety. Be safe out there...




Rosa in Pleasure Plunge



Buried



Ryan buried



Amos plunging



Cover shot



Cari in Pleasure



Cari Buried




Proof that I was there :)



Yes, there is Amos buried in the hole at Big A





Parker running the sick line at Big A. Trust me, it is burly...




Parker showing off at the bottom of Big A



So if the last time you ran the Upper Box was 20 yrs ago, you might be getting a bit on in years. Ross is pushing 60 (he's gonna kill me for that) and was super stressed out about the hike. I'm not really sure how he pulled it off, but he managed to get this lovely lady to help him carry his boat to the top of the arduous climb. We could not believe it! Gotta love it :)



Classic!



Rosa at the top of the climb happy and very pleased with himself. The lovely lady that helped him gave up her shirt so that he could keep the sun off his head. I'm still laughing. 
Fantastic day had by all and a huge thanks to the gals that ran our shuttle, helped Ross "Rosa" out and left beer in the river for us before the climb. You Rock!