Kayaking in Europe

June 21, 2005

I just finished competing in the 2005 Wave&Wheels
competition in Bremgarten, Switzerland. Bremgarten is a really beautiful
town in the Alps. There was a castle at the wave. The wave was really
fast and fun. Simon put on a great competition with kayaking, skateboarding,
breakdancing, surfboarding, and bmx biking. There was free camping and
shuttle service to and from the airport. I would recommend everyone to
come to this competition next year. You can check out more on the website
at www.wave-wheels.ch
or email Simon at simon@endlesscircle.net

There were about 160 people competing in the freestyle event. I place
8th and Bryan Kirk placed 5th. The announcers spoke in each person’s language
when they were on the wave. I traveled with Christie Glissmeyer for this
first week. Chrisite and I first met paddling in Idaho about eight years
ago in Riggins, Idaho on the Mill Wave. We had such a great time together
and it was so neat to be at a Rodeo in Switzerland together.

I just traveled to Prague in the Czech Republic with Lenka Novonta. She
is from Czech but we first met in Idaho when she was working for the Longs
at Cascade Kayak & Raft in Idaho five years ago. We are going to a
rodeo in Brno which is south of Prague and where there is a dealer for
Jackson Kayak. I am really looking forward to visiting the shop and going
to a Czech rodeo. I have trained and spent time with many of the Czech
paddlers when we were in Australia together. In Czech Republic I am not
know as Devon but by my nick name, Lady Bug. In Czech they call me Beruska.

I hope to be able to send you photos with this email. Lenka’s husband
is working on his next issue of Hydro, a Czech paddling magazine and might
be able to help me send the photos. His magazine is online at www.hydromagazin.cz

We are off to Plattleng in Germany to train for two days. Thank you for
all of your support! This is the best kayaking trip yet.
Love, devon