I just returned from the Gorge Games 2008. I was merely a spectator, spending the two days of kayaking events helping friends prepare for races and just enjoying the whole atmosphere....or atleast that was the plan. The Gorge Games 2008 is an embarrassment to any public sporting event especially kayaking. First, it was $40 for competitors to enter. Not bad, but not great either. Second the total prize money for said event (and I mean TOTAL for all women and men in boaterX and downriver) was $1000. also, not too bad. Things, started to get worse at the competitors meeting, when competitors who had travelled here to race the Green Truss section of the white salmon, were told they would have to qualify on a very short class IV rapid and that only the top 15 would advance to the fun section. So after 28 people raced the 35 second qualifying course, 15 were selected to race the Green Truss. Might I add, that the qualifiers was supposed to be a best of 2 runs qualifier with your top time counting and your lower time being thrown out. The timing system, which was supposed to be the most accurate ever used, failed miserably. And despite the request by several competitors, including Tao,  for a backup system just incase the electronic eye failed or was fals-triggered.(is it really that hard to back up all times witha  stop watch?) Instead over half of the competitors(including Tao) had to do atleast one extra run for timing errors and one competitor had to run the course 5 times!!!!! and only came away with one time!...embarrassing for the organizers if you ask me. well, finally the field was cut to 15 and day 2 began with the extreme race. 15 competitors raced hard and Tao came out on top. again, more timing errors plagued the day and the Gorge Games 2008 will always be tainted with suspicions of controversy, rigging and unfair treatment of all but the biggest pros. Now for the boatercross, which again was super unorganized and poorly executed. First the format was heats of 3 with the top finisher advancing...lame. Second, was a rules violation that was overturned. As a spectator who watched the event happen, this is my account of the event. A racer local to Hood River was in a brutal race that was coming down to the wire. Approaching the finish, the two racers collide and the non-local paddler flips over. As he is rolling the local Hood River paddler removes his hand from his paddle and holds the non-local under water, just long enough to take another stroke and secure victory. Well, unfortunately for the HR paddler the rules clearly state that the removal of ones hand from his paddle would result in immediate disqualification. Instead, the event organizer who also happens to own a large percentage of the HR paddlers kayak school, makes an executive decision that the paddler would never have removed his hand from the paddle unless it was for the safety of all involved.(yah my ass) Well, this creates quite the uproar, and immediately the argument begins. Ultimately a re-race is scheduled, with the 3 racers from that heat re-running there heat.(waht bullshit this was) the results of course were different, and more controversy ensued. Ultimately the event organizer decided to allow all 3 members of the heat to move-on to the next round.(incredibly unfair to all involved in the race, and a clear attempt to let his local golden boy try for the pennies being given to the winner)

All in all I was embarrassed to call myself a kayaker, while attending this race this weekend. It is one thing to have corporate competitions on national TV for kayaking, but please atleast make them fair and unbiased for all.

Gorge games 2009 needs alot of work and a new organizer!