Bob’s Hole Rodeo Update

By Dan Rubado. Learn more about Dan.

May 11, 2006

Hey guys,

This is an update about the Bob’s hole rodeo which happened this past Saturday. It’s one of Oregon’s most celebrated and oldest paddling events and always has a line-up of good paddlers. We had an in between level so the legendary Bob’s was not at its finest, but there were four surfable features in quick succession that were all fair game for the competition. This made it a pretty dynamic rodeo since you could expect to score points on at least two different waves before your 45 seconds were up.

The top hole above the Bob’s ledge was at a great level, but it was a mandatory hike to make it back upstream. The first wave in the Bob’s trio was glassy green and good for a quick wave move before flushing. Then Bob’s itself had a thin, chaotic foam pile and was only retentive enough for a two point cartwheel. It wasn’t giving up blunts or backstabs like it does at the ‘in’ levels. The third wave was good for some unexpectedly large moves, though. At these higher levels before Jo Bobs appears, the third wave takes on the form of a mini, tubing ocean wave, often called the curler. It was great for big left blunts and back stabs.
The competition started off slow, a little late as usual, but gathered momentum as the World Class kids showed their style in the Junior class. The pro women ripped it up in the extra touchy Bob’s hole feature with Brooke Winger placing first, Team Jackson Kayak paddler Devon Barker taking second, and Christie Glissmeyer landing in third.

In the men’s Pro division I was able to make it into the finals round in first place after throwing my Super Star around in a dizzying blur in the top feature. I had two good finals rides in the top hole and curler wave, but Karl Moser and Andy Bedingfield threw some high scoring moves in the final moments that landed them in first and second place. I was happy to take third. I didn’t stick around for the after party and video premier, but I’m sure it was sweet. I opted instead for a delicious chicken burger and giant onion rings in Estacada before heading home to Portland.

In the meantime, we are still having a cool spring and Bob’s remains at the in between level. Hopefully some hot days will bring the snow down from the mountains in the near future. I’ll be packing my bags and heading for the Wenatchee as soon as that happens.

Later,
Dan Rubado