Justin and Justin’s Adventure out West

The Southeast is a region that Justin Owen and I both identify as home. With several season spent videoboating the New and Gauley Rivers in West Virginia, summer 2011 called for a change of scenery. With our eyes set west, Owen and I departed Monterey, TN for Green River, WY, the next stop on the USA Freestyle Kayaking point series. Owen has gained a taste for travel after spending a week in Plattling Germany training ICF Judges followed by the Reno River Festival and some California creeking, and I was eager to join in on the trip.  Task #1 was the quazi-cross-country drive through the flatland of Illinois, Nebraska, and Wyoming. With six kayaks on the roof and a Yamaha Sport Bike in the bed, the 1800 mile trip through the windy plains was exciting to say the least. Watching the clouds burst with rain across the horizon followed by vibrant, complete rainbows was a warm welcome to a surprisingly chilly Wyoming. We also stumbled upon the fabled House of Sod. Task #2 is the judging of the remaining USAFK Series events, and with the Green River Freestyle slated for this weekend, Wyoming is the perfect place to be. We will continue to travel the tour as freestyle judges, and with Colorado, Montana, and Idaho hosting events through the middle of July, we are excited to see what the summer holds.

See y’all on the water!

Justin Kleberg