Professional boaters Dane and Emily Jackson won a combined seven events at the Animas River Days festival last weekend.
Dane took titles in a wide range of events, including the C-1 men’s slalom race, Boater X, the men’s downriver stand-up paddleboard race, pro men’s freestyle kayak and also SUP.
His sister Emily won both the women’s Boater X and the pro women’s freestyle kayak competition.
“They definitely dominate,” said the event’s executive director, Ashleigh Tucker. “He’s a ridiculous paddler; he’s so good.”
Local paddler Jana Freeburn, however, bested Emily in the K-1 slalom, 131.39 to 133.77.
“She paddles like she should be a pro,” Tucker said about Freeburn.
The water was low for this year’s competition. Tucker said the Animas River was running about 1,000 cubic feet per second for the event, compared with about 3,000 cfs last year.
“I think it went really well, despite the low water,” Tucker said. “We had a lot of competitors. Sometimes the locals don’t want to come out when the water is big.”
About 75 boaters competed this year.
She said the low water makes the river easier to navigate, but it also forced the surfers and freestyle competitors to get creative in the trick selections to score points. The parade also had a little less carnage than in past year’s, but still had some.
Max Karlsson actually edged Dane in the k-1 men’s slalom competition, 108.08 to 108.44. And Paul Galido took the surf title ahead of Dane. Dane, however, had a monster performance in the freestyle kayak competition, scoring 1,340 points to win while his brother-in-law, Nick Troutman, finished second with 1,250.
Emily, meanwhile, won he women’s freestyle kayak event with 480 points, twice as many as Katie Franhouser in second.
Andrew Delker, Luca Bohn, Micki Reeves, Liam Malakoff, Heather Homberg, Jacob Brewer, Reta Boychuk, Tracy Sage, Serena Sage and Matt Ogburn also scored first-place finishes at the festival.
The event had about $5,000 in cash prizes this year. “We try to make it worth it for them to come to Durango and compete,” Tucker said.
Animas River Days, which is working to become a zero-waste event, used stamps instead of wrist bands, reusable stainless pint glasses and recyclable cups from Ska Brewing. Tucker said they filled more recycle bins than trash bins this year.
And the event is scheduled for next year on the same days, June 2-5.
K-1 men
1. Max Karlsson 108.08
2. Dane Jackson 108.44
3. Nick Troutman 125.26
4. Wiley Corra 139.26
K-1 juniors, men
1. Andrew Delker 119.10
2. Jack Juntunen 133.67
3. Oliver Heppner 142.18
4. Tristen Yardley 169.63
K-1 women
1. Jana Freeburn 131.39
2. Emily Jackson 133.77
3. Nancy Wiley 157.09
4. Katie Frankhouser 157.18
5. Janey Wiley 173.02
6. Olivia Spencer 339.29
C-1 juniors, men
1. Luca Bohn 147.41
2. Jack Juntunen 152
C-1 men
1. Dane Jackson 128.70
C-1 women
1. Micki Reeves 161.90
K-1 plastic, men
1. Liam Malakoff 124.10
2. Ben Peters 131.63
3. Daniel Smith 154.49
4. Mason Smith 160.12
5. Stuart Hyde 169.49
6. Jason Smith 239.29
K-1 plastic, women
1. Heather Homberg 133.30
2. Nancy Murbach 999
Raft slalom
1. Yo Banana Boy
2. Peak Eye
3. CORT
4. Animas Amazons
5. Bongo Boys
Women
1. Emily Jackson
2. Katie Franhouser
3. Olivia Spencer
Men
1. Dane Jackson
2. Nick Troutman
3. Max Karlsson
Open men
1. Jacob Brewer 14:46
2. Terry Brewer 15:15
3. Ryan Stephas 16:49
4. Jacob Long 18:25
Pro men
1. Dane Jackson 8:16
2. Nick Troutman 9:21
3. Chris Johnson 11.12
Pro women
1. Reta Boychuk 11:24
2. Amanda Lapshinoff 12:58
3. Emily Jackson 14:39
SUP
Pro women
1. Tracy Sage 24
2. Reta Boychuk 16
3. Amanda Lapshinoff 12.5
Pro men
1. Dane Jackson 23
2. Schrank 20.5
3. Nick Troutman 20
Junior
1. Serrena Sage
Pro women
1. Tracy Sage 23
Open men
1. Matt Ogburn 144
2. Matt Barrett
3. Cody Moore
Pro men
1. Paul Galido 25
2. Dane Jackson 21.5
Junior men
1. Mason 483
2. Daniel 285
3. Magnus 213
4. Jack 100
5. Luca 33
Pro women
1. Emily Jackson 480
2. Katie Frankhouser 240
3. Jordan Williams 80
Open men
1. Spencer 200
2. Hank 26
3. Doug 20
Pro men
1. Dane Jackson 1340
2. Nick Troutman 1250
3. Paul Palmer 658
4. Max Karlsson 296
5. Henry Hyde 245
