Head to Steamboat Springs, Colo., Memorial Day (Monday, May 28) for the second annual Paddling Life Pro Invitational to watch the best men and women kayakers in the world (in Colorado for Vail’s Teva Mountain Games compete in a one-day, two-event competition for a $2,500 cash purse and year-long bragging rights. With the top overall score determining the champion, the event will be followed by a post-event party at Sunpies Bistro featuring local bands, beer and other surprises. Last year’s inaugural event was a tremendous success for competitors and spectators alike, with a half-hour TV on the event airing year-round on Resort Sports Network. “It’s an awesome event,” says last year’s winner Jay Kincaid of Kokatat and Dagger. “Not many events test both creek boating and freestyle.”

10 a.m. Creek race – Middle Fish Creek
• One mile of seat-of-the-pants, class V continuous whitewater.

1 p.m. Freestyle - Charlie’s Hole, Yampa River
• Arguably the best man-made feature in the state

6 p.m. Paddling Life’s – Après Paddle Party
• New Belgium Brewery beer, music, food & more


Last year’s event was a tremendous success, with competitors rolling into town a few days before the event to practice. That’s when the chest-thumping began. “You might as well have one,” competitor Brad Ludden told 2003 World Freestyle Champion Jay Kincaid at the pre-event barbecue, pointing to one of sponsor New Belgium’s wares. “I’m going to kick your bleep anyway.”

The ego-thumping began as well. Three competitors swam during practice runs, and not to name names, but Ben Guska even swam during warm-up before the event.

Afterward, it was down to the playhole for the freestyle event, and a crowd of nearly 1,000 cheering Kincaid and Australia’s Tanya Faux to the prize-money podium. Faux followed her win at the Invitational with a win at the Homestakte Race in the Teva Games. “To get back-to-back wins after shoulder surgery, after battling with the mental game of ‘Will I ever have the form I once had,’ is just unreal,” she says.

From the freestyle event, it was off to the riverside awards party, which proved as raucous as the river events. “You know it’s getting out of hand when the punk band tells the crowd to take it easy,” sighed one reveler.

A half-hour television show on the event aired on Channel 6 Steamboat TV (news coverage) and Resort Sports Network, saturating markets in Rocky Mountains and East Coast.

For more info, call (970) 870-0880 or email Kevin@paddlinglife.net, and remember to visit Steamboat Springs in the Summertime! Visit www.steamboatsummer.com for complete vacation packages and information or call 877-286-2628.