North Fork Championship
The North Fork Championship is a whitewater kayaking extreme race located on the North Fork of the Payette River, just north of Banks, Idaho.[1][2] The North Fork of the Payette River is one of the most well known class V rivers in the world, most notably for the extremely continuous big water. The first race was held in 2012 and has become an annual race. The North Fork Championship, or NFC, on or around the second weekend in June and brings the best whitewater kayakers from around the world to race down the infamous rapid called “Jacob's Ladder”. The NFC is unique in the sense that it takes an extremely dangerous and difficult rapid, and forces the racers to make different maneuvers in the rapid that are very challenging and that they wouldn't normally choose to run.[3] After just one year, American Canoe and Kayak named the North Fork Championship as the 2013 Sanctioned Event of the Year, since then it has attracted even more top level kayakers from around the globe.[4]
Race Format
[edit]Elite Race
[edit]The main event of the weekend on Saturday is the Elite Race on Jacobs Ladder. To race down Jacob's Ladder, one must be invited in one of three different ways: take top 5 in the Expert Race (the qualifier), be previously voted in as one of 15 racers by The Trick Force, or be part of The Trick Force (the top 10 finishers in the previous years race). To be voted in, paddlers must submit an application, stating why they believe they are capable of racing, as well as why they should be invited.[5]
The Elite Race is an extreme slalom time trial. Each racer goes down the course one at a time to have the fastest time, while also navigating around “gates” that are determined by the organizers to make the racers do challenging and difficult maneuvers. Failure to go on the correct side of the gate results in a 50-second penalty, and touching the gate results in a 5-second penalty. Each racer gets 2 runs down the course, and the fastest time is recorded for the results.[6]
Expert Race
[edit]The Expert Race serves as the race that allows anyone that is capable of paddling the whitewater. It is held down on the S-Turn Rapid, located on the "Upper 5" section on the North Fork. This race was previously held on the "Lower 5" section of the river during the first few years. S-Turn is a class V rapid, but more manageable for a wider variety of people compared to Jacob's Ladder. Over 150 racers go one at a time to have the fastest raw time. Motivation can be to just get out and race, beat their friends, or try and qualify for the Elite Race.
Boater X
[edit]The Boater X is a head to head race locate on a rapid called S-turn. The top 35 racers from the Expert Race, along with the invited Elite division are allowed to compete in this race. The Boater X is not timed, it is just simply a tournament style head to head, with the top half of the racers in each heat moving on to the next round.
Results
[edit]Elite Division
| Place | Rider | Bib | Time |
| 1 | Dane Jackson | 2 | 1:57.60 |
| 2 | Tad Dennis | 16 | 1:58.28 |
| 3 | Kyle Hull | 9 | 1:59.00 |
| 4 | Alec Voorhees | 5 | 2:00.31 |
| 5 | Aniol Serrasolses | 4 | 2:00.53 |
| 6 | Joe Morley | 11 | 2:01.67 |
| 7 | Nick Troutman | 12 | 2:08.90 |
| 8 | William Griffith | 18 | 2:10.35 |
| 9 | Rush Sturges | 17 | 2:10.71 |
| 10 | Evan Moore | 03 | 2:11.82 |
| 11 | Isaac Levinson | 3 | 2:11.93 |
| 12 | Kalob Grady | 10 | 2:14.35 |
| 13 | Tren Long | 6 | 2:16.61 |
| 14 | Sam Ellis | 05 | 2:17.10 |
| 15 | Dave Fusilli | 21 | 2:18.01 |
| 16 | Brendan Wells | 15 | 2:18.09 |
| 17 | Nouria Newman | 8 | 2:27.66 |
| 18 | Will Pruett | 19 | 2:49.08 |
| 19 | Todd Wells | 7 | 2:50.72 |
| 20 | Galen Volckhausen | 20 | 2:54.52 |
| 21 | Matias Lopez | 02 | 2:54.09 |
| 22 | Louis Geltman | 13 | 2:56.18 |
| 23 | Ben Kinsella | 26 | 2:57.71 |
| 24 | Phil Mitchell | 04 | 3:03.60 |
| 25 | Pat Keller | 14 | 3:06.40 |
| 26 | Aaron Mann | 24 | 3:06.78 |
| 27 | Pedro Andrade Astorga | 01 | 3:15.73 |
| 28 | Ben Marr | 25 | 3:29.01 |
| 29 | Sam Grafton | 23 | 4:09.55 |
Elite Division
| Place | Rider | Bib | Time |
| 1 | Gerd Serrasolses | 4 | 2:05.50 |
| 2 | Dane Jackson | 9 | 2:06.29 |
| 3 | Isaac Levinson | 12 | 2:07.42 |
| 4 | Aniol Serrasolses | 15 | 2:08.94 |
| 5 | Alec Voorhees | 13 | 2:11.19 |
| 6 | Tren Long | 03 | 2:14.13 |
| 7 | Todd Wells | 5 | 2:15.89 |
| 8 | Nouria Newman | 23 | 2:16.02 |
| 9 | Kyle Hull | 14 | 2:16.30 |
| 10 | Kalob Grady | 16 | 2:16.67 |
| 11 | Andrew Holcombe | 7 | 2:17.93 |
| 12 | Louis Geltman | 18 | 2:17.98 |
| 13 | Nick Troutman | 10 | 2:18.39 |
| 14 | Brendan Wells | 05 | 2:19.63 |
| 15 | Erik Johnson | 24 | 2:19.66 |
| 16 | Galen Volckhausen | 22 | 2:20.28 |
| 17 | Eric Deguil | 11 | 2:21.31 |
| 18 | Rush Sturges | 6 | 2:25.53 |
| 19 | Tyler Bradt | 17 | 2:28.43 |
| 20 | Liam Fournier | 25 | 2:29.23 |
| 21 | Nathan Garcia | 19 | 2:32.43 |
| 22 | Seth Stoenner | 20 | 2:32.49 |
| 23 | Joey Simmons | 01 | 2:33.16 |
| 24 | Jules Domine | 1 | 3:08.49 |
| 25 | Brad McMillan | 02 | 3:13.07 |
| 26 | Eric Parker | 21 | 3:13.22 |
| Ryan Mooney | 04 | ||
| Egor Voskoboynikov | 2 | ||
| Evan Garcia | 3 | ||
| Joe Morley | 8 |
Elite Division
| Place | Rider | Bib | Time |
| 1 | Jules Domine | 9 | 01:59.18 |
| 2 | Egor Voskoboynikov | 21 | 02:02.52 |
| 3 | Evan Garcia | 4 | 02:03.20 |
| 4 | Gerd Serrasolses | 2 | 02:04.63 |
| 5 | Todd Wells | 6 | 02:05.34 |
| 6 | Rush Sturges | 3 | 02:05.79 |
| 7 | Andrew Holcombe | 5 | 02:05.98 |
| 8 | Joe Morley | 14 | 02:06.27 |
| 9 | Dane Jackson | 13 | 02:09.49 |
| 10 | Nick Troutman | 25 | 02:10.12 |
| 11 | Aniol Serrasolses | 19 | 02:10.20 |
| 12 | Ryan Casey | 7 | 02:11.85 |
| 13 | Bryan Kirk | 12 | 02:12.36 |
| 14 | Eric Deguil | 17 | 02:13.75 |
| 15 | Seth Stoenner | 22 | 02:13.79 |
| 16 | Galen Volckhausen | 15 | 02:19.78 |
| 17 | Erik Johnson | 16 | 02:23.77 |
| 18 | Momo Castillo | 03 | 02:37.86 |
| 19 | Louis Geltman | 1 | 02:51.14 |
| 20 | Alec Voorhees | 04 | 02:55.79 |
| 21 | Pangal Andrade Astorga | 01 | 03:01.53 |
| 22 | James Byrd | 8 | 03:03.45 |
| 23 | Geoff Calhoun | 05 | 03:06.60 |
| 24 | Isaac Levinson | 24 | 03:09.07 |
| 25 | Ben Marr | 18 | 03:10.13 |
| 26 | Brendan Wells | 20 | 03:18.64 |
| 27 | Brian Ward | 23 | 03:22.02 |
| 28 | Katrina Van Wijk | 11 | 03:24.89 |
| Kyle Hull | 10 | DNS | |
| Tren Long | 02 | DNS |
Elite Division
| Place | Rider | Bib | Time |
| 1 | Louis Geltman | 16 | 01:57.20 |
| 2 | Gerd Serrasolses | 11 | 01:59.81 |
| 3 | Rush Sturges | 12 | 01:59.84 |
| 4 | Evan Garcia | 8 | 02:00.88 |
| 5 | Andrew Holcombe | 14 | 02:01.16 |
| 6 | Todd Wells | 13 | 02:02.78 |
| 7 | Ryan Casey | 1 | 02:10.28 |
| 8 | James Byrd | 20 | 02:10.31 |
| 9 | Jules Domine | 17 | 02:13.38 |
| 10 | Kyle Hull | 19 | 02:14.36 |
| 11 | Lane Jacobs | 03 | 02:16.79 |
| 12 | Chris Gragtmans | 15 | 02:17.48 |
| 13 | Ben Marr | 7 | 02:25.38 |
| 14 | Brian Ward | 21 | 02:25.42 |
| 15 | Ian McClaran | 24 | 02:37.46 |
| 16 | Geoff Calhoun | 5 | 02:39.41 |
| 17 | Eric Deguil | 01 | 02:51.67 |
| 18 | Dylan Thomson | 18 | 02:57.12 |
| 19 | Mikkel St. Jean Duncan | 3 | 02:59.10 |
| 20 | Ben Luck | 22 | 03:01.20 |
| 21 | Jakub Nemec | 9 | 03:01.50 |
| 22 | Tristan McClaran | 25 | 03:04.45 |
| 23 | Erik Johnson | 23 | 03:37.99 |
| 24 | Darren Albright | 02 | 03:55.20 |
| 25 | Marcos Gallegos | 05 | 04:42.40 |
Elite Division
| Place | Rider | Bib | Time |
| 1 | Ryan Casey | 8 | 02:17.410 |
| 2 | Tyler Bradt | 12 | 02:18.530 |
| 3 | Mikkel St. Jean Duncan | 9 | 02:18.790 |
| 4 | Wilz Martin | 05 | 02:18.910 |
| 5 | Geoff Calhoun | 2 | 02:19.250 |
| 6 | Pat Keller | 30 | 02:19.540 |
| 7 | Ben Marr | 14 | 02:20.970 |
| 8 | Evan Garcia | 5 | 02:22.750 |
| 9 | Jakub Nemec | 7 | 02:25.900 |
| 10 | Fred Coriell | 18 | 02:34.310 |
| 11 | Kyle Hull | 4 | 02:35.06 |
| 12 | Rush Sturges | 13 | 02:36.84 |
| 13 | Jonny Meyers | 17 | 02:51.65 |
| 14 | Tristan McClaran | 22 | 02:54.35 |
| 15 | Lane Jacobs | 21 | 03:02.75 |
| 16 | Andrew Holcombe | 3 | 03:12.69 |
| 17 | Chris Gragtmans | 16 | 03:16.12 |
| 18 | Darren Albright | 02 | 03:17.50 |
| 19 | Jesse Murphy | 20 | 03:19.16 |
| 20 | Dan Menten | 11 | 03:22.56 |
| 21 | Chris Mctaggert | 06 | 03:32.78 |
| 22 | Dan Simenc | 19 | 03:39.84 |
| 23 | Ryan Lucas | 15 | 03:48.44 |
| 24 | Ben Luck | 01 | 04:08.53 |
| 25 | Mira Kodada | 10 | 05:56.00 |
| Zach Fraysier | 03 | DNF |
References
[edit]- ^ CRIPE, CHADD (June 14, 2016). "Idaho kayakers challenge world's best on Payette River". Idaho Statesman. Retrieved 2017-04-27.
- ^ Murri, Jessica (June 18, 2014). "Whitewater Women". Boise Weekly. Retrieved 2017-04-27.
- ^ "Reaching Extremes: Idaho's North Fork Championship". Visit Idaho.
- ^ "ACA - Sanctioned Event of the Year Awards".
- ^ "North Fork Championship Returns". KTVB. June 16, 2016.
- ^ Mann, Aaron (2016-06-25). "Recap: 2016 North Fork Championship V". Canoe & Kayak Magazine. Retrieved 2017-04-27.
- ^ "Kayak Session: The 2016 North Fork Championship, Full results!". Kayak Session. 2016.
- ^ a b c d "North Fork Championship Race Results". North Fork Championship.