Kayaking Athletes To Watch

He moved to Colorado full-time in June of 2007 after graduating from Princeton University. He lives in Buena Vista with his wife Katie, son Heron and dog Hurley. He has been a member of the U.S. Freestyle Kayak team since 2001.

During kayak season he trains at the river park steps from his home. Throughout the rest of the year, he enjoys rock climbing and mountain biking.

You didn't know… Believe it or not, there is a "Dustin Urban Day" in Buena Vista in honor of Urban's bronze medal at the 2008 World Cup of Freestyle Kayaking.

DUSTIN URBAN'S SUMMER MOUNTAIN GAMES SCORE SHEET:
3rd Place - 2012 Pro Kayak Freestyle
1st Place - 2011 Pro Kayak Freestyle
1st Place - 2010 Pro Kayak Freestyle
3rd Place - 2009 Pro Kayak Freestyle
1st Place - 2008 Pro Kayak Freestyle

HENRY HYDE
I'm Henry Hyde, most people call me H-bomb or the Beast. I'm 12 years old and this is my 6th Mountain Games at Vail. I train for Whitewater Kayaking events. This year I am training for the Steep Creek Challenge, the Downriver Sprint, Pro Freestyle, and I will be an 8-Baller in the 8-Ball Boatercross.

I love coming to the GoPro Mountain Games Summer Edition. It's a lot of fun, a lot of catching up with old friends and new friends, and... competing against them all. There is so much to do and see and it is just the best fun an athlete can have while doing their best to battle it out of pros and the not-so-pros. Every year it gets better and better and well, I do better and better.

I normally compete in Whitewater Slalom and I am the 2011 and 2012 USA Canoe/Kayak Cadet National Champion in K1 Men's slalom. I am also the 2011 and 2012 USA Canoe/Kayak Age Group Nationals Cadet Champion. I'm a member of the US Cadet National Slalom Team and Cadet National Freestyle Team.

KEN HOEVE
Every year I do the same thing. Start to run and train a few weeks out in hopes it will help. Give up the suds and ....... anything else that slows me down in hopes it will give me that extra bit to podium. Truth be told it hasn't worked and I havent been in the top three since Slade Cogswell and I won the Dash for Cash when the Games were still the Jeep Whitewater Championships over 14 years ago.

So this year, I decided to give it a real go. Now in my 40s I have introduced three of the Games most popular events. The Homestake Creek race, SUP race and the infamous 8 Ball. I have competed in all, but have never made the podium. Top 20 in the creek race and top 10 in SUP at one time or another but always the bridesmaid. Last year it was so bad I even got pummeled in the 8 Ball for the first time and swam. You probably caught that on the highlight reel. So I decided this year, its on.

Instead of starting 30 days out and going a couple times a week, I started 6 months ahead of time and am after it 5 days a week, two hours a day. Crossfit, running, river sprints, dry land paddle practice, swimming and eating way better. I have been paddling class III on my board since January 1st at least twice a week. The beer? Yeah..... that one is kind of tough since I am involved in Bonfire Brewing in Eagle. And we make good beer! So that one is still an issue. But other than that I want to move up the ranks. And I also want to compete in as many events as possible. SUP, kayak races, mud run are at least three I want to knock off. Regardless of the outcome, I also have a few athletes I want to beat this year. Even more motivation. 2013 Mountain Games are going to be awesome as they always are. I think I will be way more prepared this Go round'. We'll see in less than two months.

NIKKI KELLY
The Kiwi traditionally trades off wins with Mountain Games teammate Tanya Faux in the Down River Sprint at last year's Summer Mountain Games. Other top results include second place in the Freestyle competition, and first in the boater cross competition at the 2006 Reno River Festival. She started kayaking at age 16 and competing at age 22. She's now logged more than 10 years of competition. Kelly resides in California and is the mother of two boys.

You didn't know… So we know she's an ace on the kayak, but she also holds multiple titles as the World River Rafting Champion.

NIKKI KELLY'S SUMMER MOUNTAIN GAMES SCORE SHEET:
1st Place - 2011 Down River Sprint
2nd Place - 2011 SUP Surf Sprint
2nd Place - 2011 Steep Creek Championship
3rd Place - 2010 Steep Creek Championship
1st Place - 2009 Steep Creek Championship
2nd Place - 2009 8 Ball Kayak
1st Place - 2007 Steep Creek Championship
1st Place - 2005 Steep Creek Championship
3rd Place - 2010 Down River Sprint
2nd Place - 2009 Down River Sprint
1st Place - 2007 Down River Sprint
2nd Place - 2007 Pro Kayak Freestyle
1st Place - 2007 Dowd Chute Kayak Paddlecross
2nd Place - 2006 Pro Kayak Freestyle
1st Place - 2005 8 Ball Kayak
1st Place - 2005 Dowd Chute Kayak Paddlecross

You didn't know… Faux, an adventure kayaker, has paddled in uncharted territory and is involved in a campaign that aims to preserve and protect natural areas in Australia.

TANYA FAUX'S SUMMER MOUNTAIN GAMES SCORE SHEET:
6th Place - 2011 Steep Creek Championship
4th Place - 2011 Down River Sprint
1st Place - 2010 Down River Sprint
1st Place - 2010 Steep Creek Championship
2nd Place - 2010 Pro Kayak Freestyle
2nd Place - 2009 Steep Creek Championship
3rd Place - 2009 Pro Kayak Freestyle
3rd Place - 2008 Pro Kayak Freestyle
3rd Place - 2007 8 Ball Kayak
3rd Place - 2007 Dowd Chute Kayak Paddlecross
1st Place - 2006 Dowd Chute Kayak Paddlecross
2nd Place - 2006 Steep Creek Championship
2nd Place - 2005 Steep Creek Championship
3rd Place - 2005 Dowd Chute Kayak Paddlecross
1st Place - 2005 Kayak Big Trick

SAGE DONNELLY
Carson City, NV

Sage is only 12, but has been competing in freestyle kayaking for half her life. She is an accomplished freestyle, slalom and creek racer and looks forward to competing in her 4th Mountain Games. Along with her winning smile and attitude, Sage is also a type 1 diabetic with celiac and thyroid disease and runs her own non profit jewelry making business and hopes to inspire others to reach for their dreams.

Accomplishments:
2012- Jr. Women's National Point Series Champion
2011- Jr Women's National Freestyle Champion and Jr. Women's National Point Series Champion
2011- Top Ten Sport's Illustrated Kid's Sportkid of the Year
2012-7th overall in Women's Freestlye, Teva Mountain Games
2009 to present-Women's Cub Cadet/Cadet K1 and C1 National Slalom Champion

CHRIS BAER
Granite, CO

As an 8 baller, I'm always training, you got to stay strong. Crushing people and dreams isn't just a job it's a life style. Paddling 300 days a year and traveling around the globe in search of the most difficult and remote rivers creates a tuff competitor... enough talk time to do more CRUSHING! 

http://www.whereisbaer.com/2012/09/crushing-dreams-8-balling-at-teva-games.html

Current mission: Racing on the ICF Slalom World ranking races around the world, and competing in Extreme races, while exploring some of the unknown rivers in the world.

MIKE DAWSON'S SUMMER MOUNTAIN GAMES SCORE SHEET:
1st Place - 2012 Down River Sprint
1st Place - 2012 Steep Creek Championship
1st Place - 2011 8 Ball Kayak
2nd Place - 2011 Steep Creek Championship
2nd Place - 2011 Down River Sprint
1st Place - 2010 Down River Sprint
7th Place - 2010 Steep Creek Championship
1st Place - 2009 Steep Creek Championship
2nd Place - 2009 Down River Sprint

EMILY JACKSON'S TMG SCORE SHEET:
3rd Place - 2011 8 Ball Kayak
1st Place - 2011 Pro Kayak Freestyle
1st Place - 2010 Pro Kayak Freestyle
1st Place - 2009 Pro Kayak Freestyle
3rd Place - 2009 8 Ball Kayak
1st Place - 2008 Pro Kayak Freestyle
1st Place - 2007 Pro Kayak Freestyle
1st Place - 2006 Pro Kayak Freestyle
3rd Place - 2006 8 Ball Kayak
3rd Place - 2006 Dowd Chute Kayak Paddlecross
1st Place - 2005 Pro Kayak Freestyle
2nd Place - 2005 Kayak Big Trick

NICK TROUTMAN'S SUMMER MOUNTAIN GAMES SCORESHEET:
4th Place - 2012 Steep Creek Championship
2nd Place - 2009 Pro Kayak Freestyle
3rd Place - 2009 8 Ball Kayak
3rd Place - 2008 - Pro Kayak Freestyle
2nd Place - 2008 - 8 Ball Kayak
2nd Place - 2005 Kayak Big Trick

BRAD LUDDEN'S SUMMER MOUNTAIN GAMES SCORESHEET:
9th Place - 2011 Steep Creek Championship
9th Place - 2011 Down River Sprint
8th Place - 2010 Steep Creek Championship
2nd Place - 2007 Steep Creek Championship
3rd Place - 2006 Steep Creek Championship
3rd Place - 2006 8 Ball Kayak
3rd Place - 2006 Dowd Chute Kayak Paddlecross

STEVEN WRIGHT
Hailing from Reno, NV, Stephen spends his summer in Canada as coach of the Ottawa Kayak School's Keener program, the teen development program that has spawned the majority of Canada's national freestyle team members.

STEVEN WRIGHT'S SUMMER MOUNTAIN GAMES SCORE SHEET:
1st Place - 2012 Pro Kayak Freestyle
1st Place - 2009 Pro Kayak Freestyle
2nd Place - 2009 Kayak Big Trick
2nd Place - 2007 Pro Kayak Freestyle
2nd Place - 2006 Pro Kayak Freestyle

ERIC JACKSON
Eric Jackson, the winningest kayaker in history, is a multi-discipline Summer Mountain Games winner, U.S. National Team member, Olympian and four-time and reigning World Freestyle Kayak Champion. He is also the owner of Jackson Kayak, a brand of best-selling whitewater kayaks, and has written a number of instructional books on the sport.

ERIC JACKSON'S SUMMER MOUNTAIN GAMES SCORE SHEET:
3rd Place - 2012 Down River Sprint
5th Place - 2012 Steep Creek Championship
4th Place - 2012 Pro Kayak Freestyle
2nd Place - 2011 Pro Kayak Freestyle
11th Place - 2011 Steep Creek Championship
2nd Place - 2008 Pro Kayak Freestyle
1st Place - 2007 Pro Kayak Freestyle
1st Place - 2007 Dowd Chute Kayak Paddlecross
1st Place - 2006 Pro Kayak Freestyle
2nd Place - 2006 Steep Creek Championship
1st Place - 2006 Dowd Chute Kayak Paddlecross
2nd Place - 2005 Pro Kayak Freestyle
3rd Place - 2005 Steep Creek Championship
2nd Place - 2005 Dowd Chute Kayak Paddlecross
1st Place - 2005 Kayak Big Trick

DANE JACKSON'S SUMMER MOUNTAIN GAMES SCORE SHEET:
2nd Place - 2012 Steep Creek Championship
2nd Place - 2012 Pro Kayak Freestyle
10th Place - 2011 Steep Creek Championship
3rd Place - 2011 Pro Kayak Freestyle
3rd Place - 2007 Pro Kayak Freestyle
7th Place - 2006 Pro Kayak Freestyle

ADRIENE LEVKNECHT
Being a full time Paramedic is a hard job to have, being an athlete and a full time Paramedic is even harder. I am training for the GoPro Mountain Games to make sure that I can paddle up to my full potential. I only get a few weeks a year of vacation and this is one of them! I want to show the world that even though I have a "real" job, I can still go just as fast in a downriver race and just as high in a freestyle boat. YAHOO!!!!!!

ADRIENE LEVKNECHT'S SUMMER MOUNTAIN GAMES SCORE SHEET:
4th Place - 2012 Pro Kayak Freestyle
1st Place - 2011 Steep Creek Championships
4th Place - 2010 Steep Creek Championships
3rd Place - 2009 Steep Creek Championships
4th Place - 2008 Steep Creek Championships

MARTINA WEGMAN
Martina is an all-around whitewater talent, with World Champion podiums finishes in both freestyle and whitewater racing. She successfully defended her World Title at this years Sickline Championships in Austria, and continues to impress the world with her growing freestyle and creeking skills.

SUMMER MOUNTAIN GAMES SCORE SHEET:
1st Place - 2012 Steep Creek Championships
3rd Place - 2011 Steep Creek Championships
2nd Place - 2010 Steep Creek Championships

BEN STOOKESBERRY
Ben is a Class V expedition kayaker who has been featured in a variety of media outlets, including Wall Street Journal, NBC's Today Show and the American News Room. He was the first kayaker to descend 70+ sections of rivers in 13 countries. In addition, Ben has produced 8 feature-length kayak movies through his production company, Clear H2O Films. Most notably, he has helped construct three county bridges, a forest service fish hatchery, an ice skating rink and a county waste transfer station.

ACHIEVEMENTS:
2009 - Recognized expedition kayaker in the Wall Street Journal
2007 - National Geographic Adventure Hero of the Year
2006-2009 - Contributor to the non-profit organization South Asian River Skills Institute
2005 - Banff Film World
2003-2004 - Two-time Banff Mountain Film Festival Selection
2nd place finish at the Red Bull Divide and Conquer