MacRae Wylde Wins Event #2 on the 2014 Slalom NRT in Hood River!
The 2nd event on the 2014 Slalom NRT (National Racing Tour) took place July 19-20 as part of the Gorge Cup series in Hood River, with fast and furious competition in all categories! In a breakthrough performance, MacRae Wylde won the overall title, with Bruce Peterson and Casey Hauser close on his heels.
We asked MacRae to put this amazing experience into words:
The Gorge Cup Race Series has been going on for years. The National Race Tour generally brings out the best competition of the year. New faces and top racers make the event both challenging and fun. This year featured the new Slalom Tour. In any given race there are ten guys and a couple of women who can put it all together to have a great race. My goal has always been to be competitive with the top sailors. To place in the top five is always a victory. Racing at this level means that one mistake can cost you three or four positions.
Last weekend something happened to me. I had a great day on Saturday of the two day National Slalom Tour Gorge Cup event, winning one race and picking up a couple of thirds to finish the day in fourth. Sunday was an out of body experience for me. Every choice I made seemed to work. Every time I moved to a puff of wind, it was there. We did eight races and I won five and was second in three. Sunday’s results were enough to secure the win for the weekend. I can’t say what I did differently than any other day, but I was focused and really enjoyed racing.
Windsurfing is my passion and Sunday everything just clicked together. I will always remember my day in the light. Thanks also to all the racers, old and young, who came out to push the limits and see how far you can go.
With the 2nd event on the 2014 Slalom NRT in the books, here are the updated standings:
No overlap in the fleets between the first event in Worthington and the second in Hood River, but this might change with the third event coming up this weekend at the Neil Pryde Hawaii State Championships. Stay tuned!
