Canadian kayaker Valerie Bertrand gave everyone a scare Thursday when she hit her head during an ugly swim down Homestake Creek during the steep creek race.
The 27-year-old perennial podium finisher was in fourth position on her second lap when she hung on rocks and exited her kayak, swimming through a murky maelstrom of boulders and whitewater.
She was evacuated from the creek in an agile rescue mission that temporarily suspended the race. With a history of concussions, race organizers said Bertrand was sent to the hospital as a “precautionary measure.”
She was released from the hospital Thursday night.
Eskimo Roll for baby
Kayaking explorer Tommy Hilleke has accumulated a trophy shelf of first descents down some of the world’s scariest stretches of whitewater. He is renowned as one of the best at the discipline.
During his final spin Thursday down Homestake, the Glenwood Springs resident needed to make up nine seconds to reach the leader, Tao Berman. Hilleke failed to catch Berman, but he did roll three times in a gorge where upside-down mistakes typically end in dizzying bloodshed.
But it turns out the new father of two had something to prove.
“I just wanted to show the world that, even as a new father, I can still Eskimo Roll,” he said.
Awards tops schedule
Today is mostly a day of qualifiers, with freestyle kayaking in the mini-and-chilly hole on Gore Creek and boulder practice and qualifiers on the mushroom of overhanging climbing holds in Vail Village. At 3:30 p.m. the High School Climbing Invitational begins, with the sport’s most promising upstarts displaying their gravity-defying prowess.
Tonight’s Everest Awards at Ford Amphitheater has everyone eagerly anticipating who will win the expedition of the year.
Full day Saturday
The games begin in earnest Saturday with a gamut of events with dogs leaping, upside down and spinning mountain bikers, fly-casting tacticians, airborne kayakers and climbers dangling by their fingernails.
Don’t miss the 1:30 p.m. Freeride Challenge finals, where bikers become acrobats. The kayak freestyle finals at 5 p.m. will be equally impressive. This week kayakers have been seeking out the smallest boats they can find to squirt to victory in Gore Creek’s feeble feature. Watch diminutive Dane Jackson, scion to the Jackson paddling throne, reach the finals as his light weight and extreme strength deliver him an edge over the big boys on Gore Creek.
The diving dog challenge starts at 7 p.m., and the mountain biking slopestyle finals at 8 p.m. The kids’ mountain bike race at 11:30 a.m. is pretty impressive.
Jason Blevins can be reached at 303-954-1374 or jblevins@denverpost.com.
