The surfers present were to not only be taking part in exhibiting their surfing, but also in working as a team of surf brothers in fellowship in electing the prize winning performances of the day. The first priority for being here was to surf together in brotherhood and appreciate what each of us could contribute, proudly showing practice of the Aloha Spirit. That was, by far, the most valuable concept for us as river surfers. The chance that some of us will be awarded cash prizes was to be “the icing on the cake”.

The loudest and most jubilant cheer went to Derek Rabelo, who is blind.

As we waited for the go-ahead to commence surfing, the contestants met with me and we agreed on the details of our peer-judging system. Five of the contestants, following the Aloha Spirit, offered to abstain from the competition to form a judging panel. The other contestants showed their agreement and appreciation as they lined up to take their turns on the wave. Time was very limited, because the SUP event required extra final tie-breaking rounds, so, sensing the mandate for efficiency, the contestants jumped into wave-after-wave, at rapid intervals. The event looked like a well-oiled surfing machine. By making good use of the limited time, each of the contestants managed to surf four rounds on the wave (more than we expected). The judges rated each wave for best carving turn, best reversal/360, best aerial, and best overall. As it turned out, the contest appeared to be more of a stoked “jam session”, rather than a serious competitive. Fellow surfers hooted and cheered each other (even the wildest wipeouts!).

No Worries About Prizes, Just Aloha!

The loudest and most jubilant cheer went to Derek Rabelo, who is blind, but still surfs through his amazing combination of determination, courage, faith, and sharpness of his other senses. Derek has certainly become a true inspiration to all the rest of us. When both the Men’s and Women’s Divisions were culminated, the judges marked their highest scores, and compared their individual votes to arrive at a consensus. Agreement on the winners seemed to be universal, as the judges announced their selections to the crowd of contestants, who responded with smiles. It was obvious to all that the winning performances were well deserved. For the Men, Chris Martindale of Idaho “cleaned house” with the Best Overall, including carving turns and some airs. Cam Fuller, who hails from Montana, won his prize for a breathtaking reversal/sideslip, ending in a near-360. For the Women, the star was Anna Fischer, of Colorado, who garnered Best Overall, including some impressive carves. It is of note that the prizes to be awarded in equality between the men and women.

Surfers got to surf for the sheer enjoyment of it all … no worries about prizes … just aloha.

Following the Elite Division of the surfing event, described above, in which performance was judged and the prizes were awarded, there was the Open “Fun” Division, which was an expression-session, in which surfers got to surf for the sheer enjoyment of it all … no worries about prizes … just aloha! In this division, we each took a couple of waves to enjoy and entertain the crowd of thousands, who lined the riverbanks.

Finally, it all ended with smiles and “high-fives”, and some words of thanks. As the “Captain” of this undertaking in the Payette River Games, I was pleasantly surprised at how many of the contestants approached me to express their appreciation. Every one of them exclaimed at how much fun they had. To them, the event was really a delightful “sesh” of “bro’s” surfing together. As we all dispersed, and a dark mountain thunderstorm rumbled over the summits of West Mountain, it became clear that the Aloha Spirit was indeed shining, even above the impending clouds!

The post A Stoked Jam Session: David’s Perspective on the 2015 PRGs appeared first on Riverbreak.

You do not have to travel far distances to an Ocean to surf or to watch surfing. Come up to Cascade, Idaho and experience some of the best river surfing and surfers in the world. Led by Cascade’s very own David Allan, who has surfed more on Kelly’s Wave than anyone, all surfers are welcome to compete in the second River Surfing competition.

Competition Format

All river surfing athletes will vote for the other athletes and the winner will be the one with the most athlete votes. There will be no other judges and we invite an aloha spirit to the games. You will find a big glassy wave at Kelly’s in a town reminiscent of an old American Western movie. Picture a pristine and warm river (70-75 degrees) meandering through the town of Cascade, Idaho adjacent to green pasture land in the foreground surrounded by rugged snow capped mountains. There will be 2 competitions, an elite and also an open for the less experienced surfer.

Elite Class

If you think you’ve got the skills to compete with some of the world’s best river surfers, challenge yourself with the Payette River Games Elite River Surfing competition. With $4,000 total prize purse (split evenly for men and women – see the full break down below), this should be one of the most entertaining events of the weekend for spectators and competitors alike.

Fun Class

If you’re more of a beginner but just want to get your feet wet and try surfing the river wave at Kelly’s, jump in to the novice division. This is for surfers who are confident about entering the wave and getting to their feet but perhaps aren’t ready for a 360 air just yet. Come one come all. Give it a try. There are plenty of fun prizes to give away.

Price Money

Register Now

The Payette River Games is a special weekend so don’t miss out on it and register at: http://www.payetterivergames.com/register/

Note: 100% of the entry payments go directly to Kelly’s Whitewater Park. Every dollar you spend will help the park remain open and free for everyone, including a special free kids clinics. So join this legit river surfing comp and support a great cause at the same time!

The post 2015 Payette River Games: Registrations Now Open appeared first on Riverbreak.

The struggle of female surfers to gain official parity is probably most apparent in the disproportionate pay difference between male and female surfers on tours and in comps. While there are efforts to narrow prevailing gender gaps in the ocean surfing industry, the most pioneering and innovative organisers in the world of river surfing avoid this issue right from the beginning.

The PRGs Offer Equal Chances in River Surfing

This year, the Payette River Games offer the largest prize purse in the history of river surfing in North America. Ok, that’s sweet, but what’s so special about it? Well, besides a decent cash purse of $ 5.000 in the elite class, the prize money is split evenly between male and female riders. No difference at all — because female surfers ripp the same wave, in the same park, at the same spot under the same conditions there is really no reason why they shouldn’t receive the same pay. It really is that simple! Also, the grand total for the kayak and SUP comp is $ 50.000 each, which makes it (to our knowledge) the biggest cash purse in the history of these sports. Here, the same rules apply: kayak and SUP are open for anyone who wants to enter and prizes are split evenly too.

As the PRGs award equal prize money to men and women, female competitors are explicitly encouraged to sign up.

Besides the equal prize money, there is another interesting fact about Kelly’s Whitewater Park, the location where the games will be held. Kelly’s not only recognised a one of the premier whitewater parks in the states, but it is also known to be a “female” river park. The games’ founders Kristina & Mark Pickard explained in a recent interview with Riverbreak why the park is actually female, pointing to the fact that not only is “water” female, but “waves” too. For those who are not familiar with the history of the park, it might be interesting to note that Kelly’s was built in memory of Kelly Brennan, a female sport enthusiast and successful athlete in skiing, track, swimming, and field hockey who passed away in a car accident back in 1997.

Shaping the Future of Female River Surfing

Events like the Payette River Games are decisive not only for the future of river surfing as a whole, but for how our sport will develop in terms of gender equality. Splitting the prize money evenly between men and women contributes to a brighter future for river surfing with equal chances for men and women. If river surfing is not to follow in the footsteps of ocean surfing, we cannot but accept the fact that what men and women offer is different but equal. Because the PRGs organisers believe in equal opportunities for men and women they will compensate male and female winners equally. For details on the exact distribution check out the cash purses in the elite and open class in the tables below.

PRG Elite Class Cash Purse (m/f)

In this class, the skill level ranges from expert to pro, for both male & female competitors. Riders should be able to perform high speed critical manoeuvres such as but not limited to 360′s, Aerials & Reversals.

PRG Open Class Cash Purse (m/f)

In this class, the skill level ranges from intermediate to advanced, for both male and female competitors. Riders should be able to generate speed & turn with ease.

Register for the Payette River Games 2014

Guys and gals, come join the Payette River Games and be part of one of the most decisive moments in the history of river surfing: Official registration and registration Information.

The post A Call To All Female River Surfers appeared first on Riverbreak.

Kelly’s Whitewater Park (KWP) is located in Cascade, Idaho. The whitewater park features a number of river waves, including good opportunities for fun and beginner-intermediate river surfers. KWP is Idaho’s first whitewater park and it is free to the public. The unique feature of the KWP is its constant river flow which is controlled by a dam just 1 mile up river, allowing for a long season from Spring through September.

Kelly’s whitewater Park only works during certain times of the year. The lowest CFS you will want to surf this spot is 2,000. If you can get there between 3,000 and 4,000 CFS the right shoulder greens up so good and it can be one of the best waves around.

Once you master Kelly’s, you might head on to other popular spots in the area: Gutter outside of Horseshoe Bend, the 36th Street wave between Boise and Garden City, the Weir, Fish Ladder and a handful of other seasonal rapids on the Payette River.

The post Kelly’s Whitewater Park appeared first on Riverbreak.