Charlotte Season Opener

Pulling over the massive lower drop...
Hitting a wall of water in Finals

The paddling buddies, Simon Ranagan,

Cole Moore, Peter Lutter, and Hailey (Me)

Smiling after a satisfying run

Race Day 1

Training Day

Well, guess what? Today I turned seventeen. Yikes! And I’m spending this birthday, as I have spent my last four, here in sunny and warm North Carolina, how lucky is that? This past weekend was my first time on water (which wasn’t solid) in four months, so I was definitely a little rusty when I competed in the 2011 Season Opener Race, the Charlotte Open. But man was it fun! My balance was not quite what it was at the end of last season, and it took me a little while to convince myself I was no longer skiing, but once I got back into the flow of things (pun intended), I was smiling non-stop. At the end of the race, I found myself in second place for Women’s C1, and 6th place for Women’s K1. Could have been worse! Since the race, I’ve been doing some yoga (wooohooooo!), and maximizing my time on the undulating, rioting course at Charlotte. The next big adventure? This weekend, the U.S. Open in Nantahala Gorge, North Carolina. I’m very excited, and hoping that the training I’m doing this week will pay off.
P.S. On my way over to the U.S. Open, I’m stopping in Ashville, NC, to tour UNCA again….yay college!