It was a hot morning in Hood River. Riders gathered under the Liquid Force tent at 9 am to learn more about the format of the competition, ask the judges questions, and see the heat draw. Head Judge Alex Lewis-Hughes informed athletes on how to score high in the park while judges Ewan Jaspan and Alex Maes offered coaching and strategy.
The format gave each rider three attempts each feature each round. The top two riders in each heat advanced straight to the final. The athletes not making the final were given another shot at making the final in a dingle round.
Warm Up and Park Set Up
The wind started to fill in around 11 am and riders were eager to get on the water to hit the features. Riders threw impressive moves during warm up, trying to intimidate their competitors. Judges and KPL riders gave athletes pointers on how to better their riding and earn big points.