The Natural Games rocked again!
It's always fired up that after being back from my USA tour I go to the Natural Games in Millau. The "international outdoor sport music festival" is becoming a big title in the outdoor sport world. They are able to put together an awesome music festival every year, that attracts A LOT of people beside rivers, climbing walls, mountain bike track and paraglides lines. About 10 000 people every day on three days.
Kayaking is in the centre of it since the event is taking place right on the bank of the white water stadium where the playhole, boater cross course and big air ramp are. The atmosphere is so cool with all the event set up at the kayak feature that kayakers and spectators are getting sun burnt all day long doing or watching kayaking, and then go party together when the competition is over.
The thing i didn't like those past years was that the sport was a bit behind in this big event, where it looked like outdoor sports were more an excuse to come and rage the parties. But this year was different.
I was back from the US and learnt so much about new kayaking technics there, that I was very excited to show them in my country: new combos and new rides. The combos are becoming the main thing in sport and I thought France was still late on that. But not at all, the Frenchies are way further than anyone regarding that.
In the quarter finals, Quentin Cailleux showed up with a new French record of 1.895 points which is just unbelievable. Amazed by watching him raising the bar so high, I got into the wave fired up by this new goal and stood 15 points behind him with a 1.880 points ride, which was also on the top of the last French record. That was a big moment for the sport and I was so proud of my French mates who are literally killing it right now, maybe even more than the American, I have to say! Quentin started his ride with a six moves combo including mcnasty, tricky who, both super clean cartwheels and both splitweels, when the biggest combo we saw this year on the Colorado tour was a four moves combo in Vail by Stephen Wright.
In the final a horrible storm showed up and blew all the spectators back home. Just the kayakers and a few friends stayed anyway despite the weather, to make sure they were here to see the battle going on in the final. It was made so interesting because of past action. I managed to pull out a 1.500 points ride that put me in first in front of Quentin, not far behind.
The spectators really appreciated the show at the border cross too, as well as the big air demo where they were so many waiting for some crashes and big hits … What they had as the ramp was huge this year, throwing you about four meters up to the water!
I finally made my way back home after this exciting four months trip that took me to Mexico and USA to end up at the Natural Games. Time to rest now!
Mat