Valdall Summer Games 2009

the afore-mentioned kayaking festival turned out to be a wicked good time! all week there was good creeking with good company. and did i mention the strawberries?

here are a few highlights... Stordalselve Gorge... dropping this 6-7m commits you to running the rest. luckily it's a pretty good note to start on. Jay starts us out right,


next up comes the rapid named "Must Run." you perceptive ones out there will gather that this is, indeed, a must-run rapid. it's a bit nerve-wracking because it ends in a hole and it's impossible to set safety until one person nuts up and runs it. luckily Matias was that guy in our group. for the most part we had good lines here, here's Espen givin' er


anyway, the Gorge carries on like this for about 3km. even though the rapids aren't particularly easy to portage, they're all scout-able and straight-forward. i really enjoyed this section... such good ju-ju going on.

there were countless good runs like the Stordalselva in the Valdall area. but one river, a really special river, stands out in my mind.... MYKLEBUST! better known as 'Mickey Mouse' river for it's Disneyland-like qualities for whitewater enthusiasts.

the festival organizers, a strapping group of young local boys, put together an awesome race on le Mylkebust. the race was amazing. the river is fast on its own, but when you paddle yourself faster it starts to feel like time-travel. yeah, pretty fast.

Exhibit A.


Exhibit B.


aaaand the daily dose of requisite debauchery.


another beautiful day wrapping up in Norway.


there wasn't a women's category in the race, but i was pretty stoked to come out with 4th overall. i have a feeling this event, and the Valdall Summer Games in general, is going to get more and more popular in the coming years. right now it's super grassroots, in a good-vibe hippie kind of way. pay your entry, winner takes all. i love it even though im 50Kroner poorer than when i started, haha.

anyway, im going to wrap this up for now... we're back in Sjoa staring down 3 days until the epic Pimp n' Ho party. Valdall was one of my favorite places so far, definitely a must on any Norwegian road trip.

many thanks to the event organizer's... the farmer for the field... the slackliners for slack-lining drunk, you were fun to watch.... the strawberries for being amazing.... the Myklebust for rocking my socks off....

for the record, i'm not taking any new drugs. i just flippin' love it here.