Team Leif and Natalie (a four person team despite the name, which also includes Nathan Werner and Xavier Engle) placed third in the open class in the Vertical Challenge sponsored by Eddy Flower. This is the third year that Leif and I have done this event and the first that we've podiumed! As a team we racked up 62,445 vertical feet (19km). We stepped it up this year considering that for 2009 and 2008 we repsectively logged 28,425ft, 15,045ft. As an event the Vertical Challenge this year raised around $27,000 for First Descents, an organization that takes young adults who have been diagnosed with cancer and teaches them how to kayak (click here to see a video about First Descents). This is one of my favorite events each year and I encourage more teams to compete from around the world. We also competed at numerous rodeos and creek races this summer. For a write up of those events and for more photos you can visit our personal blog.

Eddy_Flower.jpg We'll say that it's training for the next race. Natalie boofs fuzzy bunny on Vallecito Creek, CO Leif Oh Be Joy Leif boofs the entrance falls on Oh Be Joyful, CO

Natalie on Escalante creek Natalie on Pauley falls Leif and Natalie on the north Stanislaus Natalie on the fish ladder rapid on Deer Creek Natalie on some nothing rapid on the Summit run of the Yuba Leif on a splashy rapid on the Summit run Natalie dropping into a small hole, Summit run Natalie in Gilman gorge Colorado