Hood River News

October 5, 2005

Downpours and Gorge winds failed to stop 21 tough local wakeboarders Saturday during the inagural Hood River Freeriders Roundup. Organized by the Columbia Gorge Young Life and sponsored by several local businesses, the event was a three-division wakeboarding competition on the Columbia River, just East of the Hood River Inn. Portland area rippers Travis Steward and Greg Johnson double-dutied as contestants and judges.

Riders took to the water in three divisions: Division 1 – wake-to-wake jumps, grabs and 180’s; Division 2 – flips and spins; Division 3 – Old Man (out of high school). Towing contestants was Pat Graham, in his weighed down X-Star boat. Each rider had five minutes to show their stuff in front of the judges. Judges were looking for intensity (how big), difficulty, and steeze (style).

All the riders showed up with their A-games, everyone went hard and the fans got a great show. The weather held out just long enough for all the kids to go, but the wind picked up and laid down some nice chop for the old men to ride.

Placings:

Division 1

First Isaac Bubb

Second Taylor Eaton

Third Donovan Cassady

Division 2

First Jeff Emerson

Second David Rovianek

Third Dylan Bauld

Best Wreck

Dylan Bauld

Wrecking Ball Award

First Ben Veatch

Second Jonathon Love

Event organizer and Columbia Gorge Young Life Area Director Jeff Strong offers special thanks to:

Promotion for donating prizes; to Subway for donating sandwiches for riders and volunteers; to Rosauers for free refreshments; to Pat Graham for his boat, his gas, and his driving all day; to Hood River Water Play for use of their dock and property; Doug’s Sports for prizes; Elliot Dagget and Taylor Eaton for masterful Emceeing; Ben Veatch and Taylor Eaton for helping organize; and to the Young Life Committee for taking care of all the little details so that the event could even happen.