The Tournment to last the Ages by Ray Barbera

Competition, that one word sets keener adrenaline pumping and makes the fear palpable in the air. Every friday the keeners compete at a feature on the river (ex Pushbutton Garburator)

and one of us hopes to score the most points in one ride to win the golden ribbon of awesomeness. But this friday there was a backroom game going on….. Foosball. Today was the tournament to decide what pairs were the best at the game. Every participant was prepared for the best, but ready for the worst. 5 teams and only one can claim the glory of being the best. The tournament starts and in no time we are at the finals two teams in the red corner French Connection with Tom Dolle and Mathieu Dumoulin and in the blue corner The Dream Team starring Ray Barbera and Kaelin Fridenson. BAM BAM! The game starts and immediately the French Connection scores. Minutes go by and then The Dream Team makes a comeback and they score 5,6,7 goals. By this time the French Connection is getting desperate and BAM BAM the score is tied up at 7 goals. The players are perspiring with sweat from the nervousness the win is on the line either you win and are glorious forever or you lose and are shamed with embarrassment. The Dream team gets the ball and all of the sudden two goals are scored and one more the DREAM TEAM WINS what a miracle eternal glory for Ray and Kaelin.

P.S Happy BirthDay Mathieu

Is this it.

Thump….Thump Thump…..Thump..THUMP THUMP. The sound of my heart overpowers the thunderous rage of the river. As I look over the horizon line of dragons tongue my throat dries up and my breath quickens. And I think is this it, is this it, is this…..

The day started out as a normal big water beat down day we (the keeners) ate bacon and pancakes to get ready for one of the three scariest days of our keener session. Everyone has to run a line or surf a hole that scares them, everyone. At first I thought I was going to just surf right side phils for the first time but after this day my kayaking career and my whole life is about to be changed.

After all of the carnage in Mccoy's Stephen Wright then asked who would want to run the main channel and get beat down hard, so I tentatively raised my hand but that hand quickly shot up when he asked who would want to run the middle channel and also garvin's chute.

Thinking back that little motion of raising my hand would alter the course of my destiny. We pulled up on shore to get out and scout this monster of a rapid, we went through all the possibilities, the good, the bad and the fatal. After looking at this for about and hour, seven of us decided to run this, this rapid. And of course after one of the instructors ran it I was up. My blood pumps faster and faster, my hands start shaking from pure terror. And I think is this it. As I approach the horizon line, I also approach the reckoning of my paddling career. Will I burn bright and fast like a firework or will I succeed and stay a constant flame. Over the edge I go, no time for any thoughts other than me succeeding in my line. One stroke two, now I am past the danger and BOOF! My boat hits the whitewater and I paddle hard to the sneak on the left of a sticky hole. I get through that and I flip and roll up. The exhilaration is pure and unhindered by defeat, but instead it is lifted high by success.

Ray Barbera