By APRIL ZILG

[copied with permission from Facebook]

So happy to be getting back to the old things we love, with a new thing that we love! Race day looked and felt a lot different at @thegoatboater this weekend for obvious reasons for @mtb_sup [Corey] and I... But other things felt and looked mighty familiar. It's been a while since we've done a "local race"... in pursuing some big dreams I had, I was on the road to travel and compete a lot, but there was something missing at those "big races". When we first started paddling, we only did "local races," it was the competition at them that got me where I needed to be, it was the various race formats, conditions, and paddlers (male and female) to push myself against. I think it's the after the race that I've been missing the most, it was the hanging out and talking story about "how that last leg in the cross chop kicked my butt" or whatever it happens to be that day

it's cheering for every single paddler on the course and at the finish it's not taking any of it too seriously and just enjoying being with other people who like to get out and do hard things and push themselves. Thank you Meg & Rob [Cynowa] for putting on an epic "local race" that's just as good if not better than the "big races" We had a blast, can't wait to be back in July!!

Photo 1: Corey and I podium in the sprints despite someone wanting to wake up and play from 3-5am

Photo 2: One of the hardest podiums I ever made, the wind on the course was gnarly and my body wasn't ready to work that hard just yet!! Plus, @supc00kie [Caroline Cook of Canada] kept closing that gap as I ran out of steam!!!

Photo 3: packing for race day just got a whole lot harder

Photo 4: Blaise living his best life taking in the swanky hotel room.. "now play with me"