The Columbia River Gorge: Downwind Paddle Champs
A Paddlers Paradise
Posted in: Paddling Events / Article by: Naim Ferguson / Scroll Down For Event Video
It’s July 2015, the summer is in full swing and we are headed to the Columbia River Gorge. All aboard!
The Gorge is a world renowned water sports destination and while some of us are familiar with the Gorge others remain mystified.
“A downwind run, on a river? Say what?”
The River
That’s right, but not just any river, the Columbia River. The Columbia River is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. The river rises in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia, Canada and flows northwest and then south into the US state of Washington, then turns west to form most of the border between Washington and the state of Oregon before emptying into the Pacific Ocean. The river is 1,243 miles (2,000 km) long with an average flow at the mouth of about 265,000 cubic feet per second. Californian who’s jaw has just dropped, reach for chin and lift.
In case you’re confused (as I was at one point) the Columbia River flows through a massive gorge between The Dales and Portland, this is why this area is widely called ‘The Gorge’, while the river is called ‘Columbia River’ or together “The Columbia River Gorge”. Furthermore, there are numerous rivers that flow into Columbia, like Hood River and White Salmon, marking towns and territories along the way.
Map Of Area
“The rivers are our brothers. They quench our thirst. They carry our canoes and feed our children. So you must give the rivers the kindness that you would give any brother.”
– Chief Seattle
The Wind
The unique geographic features of the Gorge is what creates what some call a venturi effect, as wind pushes into the gap. That gap being Columbia River’s low-elevation passage through miles of mountains. A pressure differential across the Cascades makes air want to flow from one side of the gap to the other, equalizing the pressure. So, you get air moving from one end of the Gorge to the other and that’s the wind that makes the waves we love to ride.
For decades canoe and surfski paddlers have been frequenting the Gorge because of its consistent wind and ideal setup for downwind runs (or as the stand up paddlers call it, DOWNWINDERS). Dave Kalama, JD Davies and SUP crews like Downwind Warriors, Team206 and PDXSup have evangelized the sport of downwinding by reaching a new audience through Stand Up Paddling. Stand Up paddlers now come in hordes to hoot and holler on the river from spring to fall, with numerous events and races in the summer.
Paddlers are not alone with their obsession for the Gorge. Kiters and Windsurfers stake out both the Washington and Oregon side of the river at famous spots like Swell City, The Hatchery, Stevenson and Hood River. Graciously allowing us to pass through their domains. While other times we fight through the crowd, feeling lucky to come out without a skeg slice or a kite axe.
The Gorge Downwind Championship
Downwind Championship
The Downwind Championship
The Gorge Downwind Championship l is billed as 7 days of downwind paddling for Outrigger, Surfski and Stand Up paddlers. Starting off with 4 straight days of downwind ‘fun runs’ paddlers join friends on event shuttles taking them to any of the 3 put-in spots, Stevenson, Home Valley or Drano. With 20+ miles of sleigh ride potential. With the added convenience of easy access, warm water, and the most consistent wind in North America, The Gorge stacks up to be a win-win paddler’s destination, why not go for a whole week and make it a downwind vacation?
You can even customize your downwind run. Try a 7 mile Stevenson to Home Valley run, a 10 mile Home Valley to Drano run, 8 miles from Drano to Hood River. Or why not link them all up if you don’t want the rides to end? With the river flowing to the West and the Wind blowing to the East it makes for an interesting and constantly shifting course that brings a sense of complexity and strategy unique to the Gorge. You might find yourself cursing the competition, as they fly by, just feet away. It’s a river. Deal with it. But not to worry your turn will come and payback is so sweet (check the footage of Kai Bartlett and Jimmy Austin battling).
Downwind Races
The Downwind Paddle Champs features two premier racing events, the North American Downwind Championship and the Wildside Relay (editors note: relay discontinued in 2017). Paddlers have the opportunity to test themselves by racing top athletes in both SUP, Canoe and Kayak. In 2015 we had paddlers from Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Canada, and Hawaii. Kai Bartlett, Jimmy Austin, Johnny Puakea, Mike Giblin, Alan Lipp, Dave Kalama, Bret Cambell, Greg Barton, Sean Rice, Jasper Mocke, Michael Booth, Teneale Hatton, Michele Eray, Thomas Schilperoort, Kenny Rice and Austin Kieffer to name a few.
The run drops you off at the charming town of Hood River. A community that lives and breathes for water sports. Comprised of outdoor enthusiast, lumber jacks and brew connoisseurs, paddlers feel right at home and ready to celebrate the paddling way of life.
Rivers For Change
The Gorge Paddling Festival is a Rivers for Change Event, a nonprofit made up of a passionate group of river enthusiasts dedicated to changing the way people think about and interact with water. Check out the Gorge River Fact Sheet to learn about the river and discover how you can help.
Rivers For Change envisions a world where people and communities are active stewards of river systems with a holistic understanding of their interdependence.
Lucky We Paddle
So let’s see, a higher purpose (check), 7 days of downwind paddling (check), top athletes in the world and the best micro brews on the planet…(check, check) Oh yeah, it’s truly great to be part of such a solid community and be right here in the Columbia River Gorge!
A big mahalo to Carter Johnson, Judy Jensen, and Danielle Katz who brought this event together. With the help of passionate volunteers and dedicated sponsors, the Inaugural Gorge Paddling Festival (now titled Gorge Downwind Championship) was a massive success and we look forward to the 2nd annual event in July 2016.
Wildside Relay
Video
Video production was organized by Naim Ferguson, shot and edited by Ian Ferguson and Bailey Kouchakji as an intern project. Made possible by Mike and Wendy Giblin of Ozone.
Pre Race Interviews
Race Results
Outrigger – OC-1 – Men
| Place | Bib | Racer name | Category | Age | Gender | Finish time | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 47 | Jimmy Austin | 19 to 40 | 35 | M | 1:35:34.6 | – |
| 2 | 114 | Kai Bartlett | 19 to 40 | 40 | M | 1:35:47.0 | +0:12.4 |
| 3 | 115 | Brent Campbell | 19 to 40 | 33 | M | 1:38:31.3 | +2:56.7 |
| 4 | 127 | Patrick Fenwick | 41 to 50 | 43 | M | 1:46:34.6 | +11:00.0 |
| 5 | 146 | Matthew Dubrule | 41 to 50 | 44 | M | 1:47:14.5 | +11:39.9 |
Outrigger – OC1 – Women
| Place | Bib | Racer name | Category | Age | Gender | Finish time | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 77 | Leanne Stanley | 19 to 40 | 34 | F | 1:52:23.9 | – |
| 2 | 36 | Mignon Fontenelle | 41 to 50 | 43 | F | 2:00:16.8 | +7:52.9 |
| 3 | 110 | Dawn Lee | 19 to 40 | 30 | F | 2:20:49.5 | +28:25.6 |
Surfski – Men
| Bib | Racer name | Category | Age | Gender | Finish time | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 107 | Sean Rice | 19 to 40 | 25 | M | 1:25:24.5 | – |
| 2 | 44 | Jasper Mocke | 19 to 40 | 30 | M | 1:26:11.7 | +0:47.2 |
| 3 | 85 | Michael Booth | 19 to 40 | 24 | M | 1:27:21.2 | +1:56.7 |
| 4 | 135 | Austin Kieffer | 19 to 40 | 26 | M | 1:27:35.1 | +2:10.6 |
| 5 | 109 | Mackenzie Hynard | 19 to 40 | 20 | M | 1:28:03.5 | +2:39.0 |
Surfski – Women
| Place | Bib | Racer name | Category | Age | Gender | Finish time | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 104 | Teneale Hatton | 19 to 40 | 25 | F | 1:38:23.1 | – |
| 2 | 38 | Michele Eray | 19 to 40 | 36 | F | 1:38:48.4 | +0:25.3 |
| 3 | 19 | Rachel Clarke | 19 to 40 | 25 | F | 1:43:03.5 | +4:40.4 |
| 4 | 50 | Rowena Coghill | 19 to 40 | 32 | F | 1:45:19.4 | +6:56.3 |
| 5 | 39 | Maggie Hogan | 19 to 40 | 36 | F | 1:46:59.4 | +8:36.3 |
