Of Sunshine and Skateboards

My little town of Squampton as seen from the Smoke Bluffs.

It dawned a bright and beautiful morning.  Something we 'West Coasters' haven't seen in a long time.  This has been the coldest spring in over 50 years.  I believe it.  Heck, we had frost on the ground a couple of weeks ago!

Climbers of Rock.

Anyhoo...back to the sunshine.  Joe and I started the day by hiking the Smoke Bluffs trail, a popular rock-climbing area of Squamish.  There were hundreds of climbers on the rocks today.  But I have to admit, I do not get the allure of rock climbing.  Maybe I'd understand it better if I tried it.  Or not.

Hey!  That mint green building is my school!  
"Hi, Squamish Elementary!"

The views from the bluffs were lovely.  We really do live in a beautiful part of the world.

Once our hike was over we drove south to Britannia Beach where the 'Britannia Classic' was being held.  Long boarders from all over the world came to compete.  This race boasts the steepest legal course in North America.  The riders descend over 1,000 feet in a scant few seconds.

Joe strikes his fierce long-boarding stance.

Whether you're a rider or a spectator, long boarding competitions are not for sissies as this sign clearly points out.

Mmmmmm...wieners.

Before we watched any of the competition, there was important business to attend to.  Like getting a hot dog and washing it down with a Coke.  I can now watch the races.

Hay bales line the course.

There are lots of crashes in long boarding.  Thank God for hay bales!

Carol and Kevin 

Carol, one of Joe's colleagues, was there with her son Kevin who is a professional rider.  Kevin has been the undefeated winner of this race for the past few years.  It was fun to cheer for someone we 'knew'.

The speed at which these riders descend the hill is CRAZY!  Some of them hit 125 kilometres an hour.

Sometimes the racers got very close to each other.  And crashes often happened.

Although it looks as if they are standing still in the photos, these riders are FLYING down the hill!  They have ceramic discs on the palm of their gloves to protect their hands when they touch the asphalt.

Lots of the riders wore cameras on top of their helmets.

All ages were represented at this competition.  Some kids looked as young as 15 years old, while other riders had grey in their hair!

Hitchin' a ride back up the hill for another heat.

For a minute I thought this rider was laying in the grass at the side of the road.

After we got home, we learned that Joe's colleague's son Kevin slipped off his board while trying to avoid slamming into a couple of crashed competitors and broke his ankle.  He'll be out for the rest of the season.  Get well soon, Kevin!