The Canada Cup Catastrophe by Lucas Shutz

The Canada cup went TERRIBLE for me this year. I didn’t compete in it last year when I had the chance and regretted it so much. I was a little nervous for it until I was there. My practice rides were going great. For me at least. Getting consistent 100+ point rides with blunts and roundhouses. The nerves were gone. I was in the perfect position to make it to finals or maybe even place. I was first heat and ready to throw down. I didn’t throw down at all. First ride, they announce my name and my bib number 9. I took a deep breath and started paddling out. I missed the wave…. All of the keeners were joking about it and now I’m living that nightmare. No I’m not I thought it was just one ride. We get 4 total and they only count our best 2 rides. I could flush again and still be totally fine. Well, I did flush again. Some feelings were coming out that I wasn’t proud of. Some sadness and mostly embarrassment. I felt like everyone was looking down at me. They weren’t and no one was there to win they were just there to have fun and support each other. I was so embarrassed I wanted to crawl into a hole and never come out. Third ride I get the thumbs up from David silk and I pierce through the Eddie line like I was on a mission. I was. And that mission was flushing for a third time. AHHHHH. This is unbelievable I told my self and screamed out under water as I flipped on the Eddy line. Wow if there was one moment of that entire competition that I wouldn’t want to relive it was that. I scream at one of my friends “WHAT IS HAPPENING” they go “I don’t know man” great. This is just great. Okay whatever now I have to catch it this time or I get a BIG FAT ZERO. But as I would learn no one gives a crap about who scores what. This event isn’t designed to headbutt against each other, its designed to have fun. I was not having fun in that moment. But at the end of the day at least I showed up and at least I got points. Anyways back to my 4th and final ride. I wanted to catch this wave more then I’ve ever wanted in my life. I peel out and……. YESSS I’m on it. Now time to show everyone what I can really do. I go to cycle and can’t get up the pile. Whatever I have 45 seconds I’ll be fine. I got for a roundhouse and land it but I flush. NOOOO. This sucks. I flushed so many times to the point where everyone was cheering when I caught the wave. I wanted to roll and never come back up. My face turned red and I wanted to cry. This is the nightmare everyone was joking about. And I was living in it. But as I learned, no one cares how well I did. No one cares that I got 15 points and didn’t make it to semis. No one cares…