In an effort to combine forces and get the most out of local resources, two spring river celebrations, the Paddling Life Pro Invitational and the 28th Yampa River Festival, are merging Memorial Day Weekend, May 24-26, 2008.
"It's going to be special," says Kevin Thompson with Friends of the Yampa. "We'll be able to get a lot more townspeople involved as well as visitors because it's all on Memorial Day weekend. Plus the professional paddlers that are in town for the Invitational will have that much more of an audience. In the end, we feel it will do more to benefit the Yampa River, our goal in the first place."
The weekend is packed with river events for spectators and participants. The Yampa River Festival will take place Saturday and Sunday and includes a freestyle rodeo and a tube rodeo (that's right, tricks in a tube) at Charlie's Hole, a Slalom at Rich Weiss Park, the Crazy River Dog competition and a downriver raft race with parties Saturday and Sunday night. Registration is Friday evening, May 23 at Sunpies Bistro. All proceeds go to the Friends of the Yampa, an organization dedicated to protecting the Yampa River.
Monday will feature the Paddling Life Pro Invitational where professional men and women kayakers compete in a creek race on Fish Creek and a freestyle event at Charlie's Hole. They're awarded points for their finish in each to decide the winner of a $3,200 cash purse. The PL Invitational is invite only but for the first time this year, the winner of the men's and women's division of the Yampa River Festival freestyle will qualify to compete in the Pro Invitational.
For more information, call (970) 879-6249. or Click here for more info
