The river level did a nose dive overnight, but we had it covered; first stage - a down river race and then second - a freestyle round on either the small wave next to Sullivan Hole or in Sullivan Hole or ..... BOTH! Combine the scores for the winners of the beginner, intermediate and expert classes.
The HydroRX Mobile Alert System worked overtime to contact and assure everyone that the session would indeed be happening. The media coverage was there too (Facebook, Out There Magazine, IEWW, personal emails/texts and a call to Pres. Obama).
Everything was in place after careful (cough, cough) planning.
Once the keg of ice cold Kokanee arrived and was set upon it's snowy place (see the photos below) at about 5:45 PM, the fate of this night's HydroRX Session was sealed ........ PARTAY, DRINK BEER and ROAST MICK!!!! Since there is water in beer this seemed appropriate. So to make a long story short, this HydroTherapy Session was a bit different than the rest. Sure, about 6 paddlers got in the water while the rest of us watched, cheered and drank beer from Billy and Teri's backyard. In the end - like every other HydroRX Session - everyone won!
Mick brought tons of photos and memorabilia from two and a half decades of paddling and later was presented with a few "old" gifts from his paddling buds - Brook and Herr Boater, and then received a broken AT2 paddle afixed with a "Mick's Roast" sign, a "poor man's Happy Thruster" and finally the "Death Star" - a Jackson AllStar kayak modified with a gravity lounger recliner on top, complete with seat belt!
It was a really fun party for Mick. I'll shut up now and let Kathy's photos tell the rest of the story.
Push play in the middle of the photo screen below for Mick's Roast slide show (it's almost like being there but without the hangover). For maximum effect, there's a full screen button in the lower right hand corner of the player.
