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.

Led by Cascade’s very own David Allan, who has surfed more on Kelly’s Wave than anyone, the PRGs welcome surfers to compete in their second river surfing competition.

For all landlocked surfers 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.

New 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. There will be 2 competitions, an elite and also an open division for the less experienced surfer.

Elite Division

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 Division

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. The PRGs got plenty of fun prizes to give away!

Race for a Good Cause

100% of your entry payments go directly to the PRG’s non-profit host – Kelly’s Whitewater Park. Every dollar you spend will help the park remain open and free for everyone, including our special free kids clinics. So join this event for the funniest weekend on the competition calendar and support a great cause at the same time!

Prize Money and Categories

Register Now

The Payette River Games (PRGs) is a special weekend and we can’t wait to see the river surfing action. But that’s not all … Whether you’re a spectator or a competitor (or both!), come and witness the amazing Whitewater Stand Up Paddling, Beach Volleyball, Dog Fetch, Lumberjack Tournament, Beach Flags and much more. Join the games from June 19-21 in the beautiful haven of Cascade, Idaho for an event you won’t forget.

Register at: http://www.payetterivergames.com/register/

We look forward to seeing you at the 2015 PRG’s in Cascade!

If you’re a Riverbreak reader and you’re here on the grounds today please remember to tag your photos with #PRG15 and #riverbreak.

The post 2015 Payette River Games: River Surfing appeared first on Riverbreak.

Here is the event schedule for the 2014 PRGs. The River surfing event will also be live streamed on the PRG website.

The post Payette River Games Video Teaser appeared first on Riverbreak.