2015 West Kootenay BC Cup pro race series on July 5th and 6th.

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Just reposting this from another thread.

Come check it out. Feel free to PM me or throw up some questions here and I'll do my best to help you out.

http://endlessadventure.ca/?p=512

The West Kootenay river race series is hosted by Endless Adventure and is one of a kind in Canada. I believe this is the only downriver race event on the BC Cup circuit and it's been really well received over the last couple of years. Race 1 is 17.8 kilometres down the Columbia river on July 5th and a Boarder cross race will be on July 6th down the Slocan river. There is also a SUP river clinic being held on the 4th on the Slocan river. Last year the women's world SUP champion, Lina Augaitis (SIC) competed along with fellow canucks Norm Hann (Boardworks) and Mike Darbyshire (Starboard), along with multiple other racers who compete in the BC cup pro circuit. Participants came from all over the Kootenays and the West Coast last year. It's a very laid back event with something to offer every level of paddler from entry level recreation class to the serious racer.

http://endlessadventure.ca/?p=1236

The races are very safe but the Columbia race is a good challenge for any level of paddler, and very few people complete the race without swimming at least once. The gauntlet has been laid.  The down river race on the Columbia has conditions ranging from completely flat, to some whirlpools, swirling currents-bolingwater, and a couple spots with small wave action. Conditions vary depending on water levels (obviously), but it's always a blast to run the river. Check out the pics on the endless adventure website for the race events, and contact the shop for more details at 1-877-386-8181.

Camping is available by registration right at the endless adventure shop, (a few minutes from boarder cross race) where an after party will be held with live music. There is also another camping option at Pass Creek, which is less than 5 minutes from the Columbia river race and the Lion's head Pub (best pub in the Koots across the road from the race start). Races are on two rivers, but only 20 minutes apart. Syringa Provincial Park is about 15 minutes from the Columbia river start, and is  a very nice campsite on Arrow Lake. There are several hotel options in Castlegar too.

It would be great to see some zoners at this event, and even better if some paddlers from south of the border showed up. It's really not that far. Several participants travelled 8-10 hours to get here last year, which is a similar time frame from quite a few spots in the States. If you come, bring your toys. World class mountain biking and hiking within minutes and the nearest climbing spot is literally right behind the Lions Head Pub across the road from the Columbia River race start. If river surfing is your thing, there is several standing waves in a few spots on two of the local rivers. Two very popular mountain towns in Nelson and Rossland are 30 minutes away in opposite directions from Castlegar. Many believe these are the two best areas for mountainbiking on the planet. Nelson is located on the west arm of Kootenay lake and has over 50 restaurants with a population of only 10,000.

No shortage of things to do out here folks. Numerous microbrews, great eats, multiple paddling opportunities and numerous other outdoor pursuits.

Hope to see some of you out here this year.