As Fall approaches and Summer draws to a close PNW rivers drop to their lowest levels of the year. But while some kayakers let their gear collect dust anxiously waiting for the rain to return, others grab our gear and head west, to the coast.
Late Summer and Fall seems to bring the best surf here in the NW and along with surf comes the annual Hobuck Hoedown.
The Hobuck Hoedown is an annual surf comp that takes place on the Makah Indian Reservation just outside of Neah Bay in the Strait of Juan de Fuca. The Straight divides NW Washington’s Olympic Peninsula from Canada’s Vancouver Island, which are know for their rugged beauty and amazing coastlines! The OP holds a stash of secret surf spots and challenging creeks, but this time it was a trip to surf its pristine waves.
Events included men’s and women’s surf kayaks, SUP’s, seakayaks, and whitewater rodeo. I competed in the Men’s HP (High Performance) surf kayak class, where I placed 1st after 2 days of competition. With a total of 3 heats, surfers had a variety of conditions over the two days!
Day 1: Saturdays prelims had tough mid-day conditions with high winds, rain, and small surf. After the first heat my points left me in second place.
Day 2: Sunday’s first heat which was the semi-finals had great conditions with almost no wind and a rising swell. Medium sized clean waves allowed competitors to showcase their skills and as the scores came in, points were almost double of those on Saturday. Some nice waves had moved me from second to first and I was excited to be in the finals! As the day went on conditions continued to change…..as we paddled out for Finals, the ocean seemed to flatten out a bit. The final heat proved to be super close with scores separated by less than a few points. As the heat ended, and the scores came in, I had finished the weekend strong by winning 1st place in the Men’s HP class!
Here is a link to the results, pics, and video
Results- http://rubycreekboathouse.com/
Pics- https://picasaweb.google.com/
The event had a great feel to it!, Fun people, exciting competition, tasty food, and stunning scenery created a competitive yet easy going and fun atmosphere.
Thanks Bill at the Ruby Creek Boat House, everyone who helped, and the sponsors for a great event! I will be back next year to defend my title.
IR Team Member- Luke Spencer
