The highlight of my races these days is paddling across the finish line to the sight of my family cheering me on. They are easy to pick out, find the tallest person, note the cute-as-a-button baby girl strapped to his chest, and the tow-headed boy at his side yelling, ‘Go Mama Go!’
Then, I ask the question that has been in the back of my mind the entire race, “Tell me about all the adventures you had while Mama was paddling!”
Saturday I raced the 13-mile long course of the Sound Rowers Lake Sammamish Race in Issaquah, WA. The race is held out of Lake Sammamish State Park, a gorgeous lakefront park with a playground to monkey around on, bike trails to explore, trees to climb, and of course beaches!
The race is a fast, flat diamond shaped out-and-back. I hooked up with a two-man outrigger canoe (OC2) I had finished a few minutes behind at the 14-mile Mercer Island race a few weeks ago. My goal was to try to hang with them as long as I could, which turned out to be about 8.5 miles before they pulled ahead or I dropped behind.
It was that moment that I realized how much difference the small-blade Epic wing paddle I had borrowed for the Mercer Island race really made. Today I had my normal mid-size Epic wing blade.
At Mercer, paddling 14 miles with the small blade, my stroke felt smooth and even-tempo’d and my muscles never fatigued. Which, since I limit my training paddles to about 1 hour these days, was AWESOME!
Yesterday, at 8.5 miles with my mid-size paddle, all the sudden my muscles just had enough. It felt like I was paddling with a club. At that moment it was clear: topping my Christmas list this year (Santa, are you getting this?)… a small blade Epic Wing Paddle!
None-the-less, I had a great race and was the third surf skier to cross the finish line behind only Greg Barton and Gabe Newton. Ignore the 15  or so minute time difference and it sounds pretty dang impressive!
OK, now back to my question: What were Hayden, Jazlyn and Brandon up to the 2 hours I was on the water? They spent the entire time at the Springfree Trampoline Shop just a few miles down the road. Hayden demo’d every one of their 7  in-store trampolines WOWing the saleswoman with his roof raising jumps and athletic prowess on the tramps. Even Papa and Jazzy got some air time!
I am pretty sure I can safely say, (Santa, you still there?) Hayden, Papa and Jazzy REALLY want a trampoline for Christmas!