AUGUST 18, 2012 - VANCOUVER RACE

GIBSON’S – Vancouver Race

Gil guys won first place!

            The guys had dinner after the closing ceremonies in Calgary were over, getting packed and to sleep by midnight for a 4:30 am wake-up call to leave for Vancouver on the 16th.  ROAD TRIP!  Some of the guys went directly home after World Sprints but there was another 6-man race to do on the coast.  Gaylord, Mike, Gil, Brian, and Tay rode together in a Jeep Cherokee, crossing the continental divide of the Rockies, the others met them there making up two crews.

Rockies road

Banff

Salmon Arm Lake

Mountain flowers, fern carpet behind in the sun

Overnight in North Vancouver and then a ferry ride to the town of Gibson. 

Nappy & Mike on ferry

Howe Sound

Gil (finally made it into a photo!), Mike, Ed, and Brian 

        Still operating on little sleep, they got into their accommodations and went off to practice.  

Checking out the boats at Gibson's

Next day, 8/17 was a whirlwind.  

            Gil’s boat won first place in their class in the 26km (16 miles) race.   

Gaylord (oahu)

Ed (oahu)

Gil (kauai)

Brian (maui)

Jon (canada)

Nappy (oahu)

            Mike and Gil did not even have time to find out who won before getting back to the ferry!  Mike has in-laws in N. Vancouver that met them, took them home for dinner and then rushed Gil to the bus station so he could connect to the train station and get to his hotel near the Vancouver airport.  Up and at the airport at 4am on the 19^th, he was home by noon Kauai time.  Exhausted from planes, trains, automobiles, buses, ferries, and canoes, we went to a beach restaurant for refueling near warm water.

CONFIRMED: THEY WON GOLD AT GIBSON'S !

YEAH TEAM !