Bayley and Carly hang on to their leads as they get another race closer to winning an Epic Kayaks and a Valhalla Surfski........

For the first time in the California High School Paddling League  -  Scripps Ranch takes the lead on overall points pushing paddling power houses Bishops and Cathedral down to 2nd and 3rd places....

Scripps Ranch Senior and winner of last years USSSC Scholarship Michael Lowe takes the lead on overall points in the SOCAL Winter Race Series Junior Points....

Carly DaCosta and Bayley Olds extend their lead as they each rack up points towards a new Epic V10 sport or a new Valhalla Victory Special Surf Ski based on their finishes at the SoCal Winter Race Series. Click below to see complete series standings after 4 races..

Cathedral Senior Garen Doyle holds on to his lead over Bishops Senior Sean Barlow (2nd) and Scripps Senior Michael Lowe (3rd) in the US Surfski Champs Sponsorship series after great racing in Santa Barbara. Excitement builds as the next race in San Diego approaches giving athletes another opportunity to rack up some points... Click below to download complete
standings...

2011 - 2012 Champions, Cathedral High School continues to build on their lead over Bishops after 4 races in the California Paddling League (CPL). Senior Garen Doyle and Lloyd Ballantyne scored points with 2nd place finishes in the Long and the Short Course in Santa Barabara. However with awesome racing from Samantha Lee and Adam Lee in their first Long Course race Mission Bay High zooms into third place only 16 points behind Bishops.  For full results download the file below...

2011 - 2012 Champions, Cathedral High School takes an early 14 point lead over Bishops after 3 races in the California Paddling League (CPL). For full results download the file below...

Garen Doyle takes an early lead over Sean Barlow (2nd) and Bayley Olds (3rd) in the US Surfski Champs Sponsorship series after the Tecolote Race. Excitement builds as the next race in Santa Barbara approaches giving athletes another opportunity to rack up some points... Click below to download complete standings...

Carly DaCosta and Bayley Olds streak into the lead as they each rack up points towards a new Epic V10 sport or a new Valhalla Victory Special Surf Ski based on their finishes in the short course races at the SoCal Winter Race Series. Click below to see complete series standings after 3 races.. 

Hey Team!
I have had such an amazing experience paddling here in Sweden. I miss SDCKT SO much! Tonight was my last day with my club here, it was very hard and emotional to say goodbye to them all  here as it has been such a wonderful year full of new experiences, but I am so  thrilled to be coming home to an amazing team. I am very lucky to be a part of  SDCKT I miss you all so much, and I can't wait to come back and paddle with you all again! The last couple races I had here was the first weekend in June, which I placed 3rd in the 200 meters! It was so cold there, I had on my winter jacket!! In June too, I had never imagined I would ever need my winter jacket then. But we were all shivering, then running  to our team tent and warming ourselves by our fire. Other teams came to us for  some warmth! The total opposite of Georgia last nationals when everyone came to  us to cool off in our pool! It was crazy cold that weekend! Then I was in  Katrineholm for a teamboat camp for a little less than a week. It was super  fun, there were kids my age and 1 year younger there. We paddled a bunch of  different combinations, mixed in the national teamboats. They were very nice to  paddle in! At night we would watch videos together from our practices that day,  and look at our technique. 
The first race of the year was in Jonkoping where I got the chance to meet Swedish Olympians such as Sofia  Paldanius, Anders Gustafsson, and Markus Oscarsson! It was awesome meeting them, and seeing them race! We had a few free days from  school this year and then a few of us on the team would meet up and have our own mini kayak camps. We'd come in the morning do a gym or kayak practice, eat  lunch  together rest, then do our 2nd workout and give it our all although we were  already more than exausted from our first. Pretty sure I threw up from one of those practices we had. they were real tough. 
My last race this year here in Sweden was at the same location my first race was last year when I came. In Varberg. The Danish were also there! They are so good. One of the girls my age trains 10 times a week, and all of the Danish paddlers have a whole lot of muscle!!
It was a lot nicer weather for that race, and really fun to but also sad to see everyone from the other teams  for the last time. All the teams in Sweden have been so nice, and I have
gotten  to know so many new here, it has been really fun!
After 10 months I am about ready to come home, I will be leaving Sweden tomorrow morning and I can't wait to see you all!
Hugs!!   Gabriella

Today was our first real day in Lake Placid! It's been good so far.  Today we unloaded boats, had a morning workout, then a 1000m and 200m time control in the afternoon. It rained for both workouts. We're leaving for our regatta in Ottawa in a couple days so its time to get our game faces on. Well, that's all for now! I will update more tomorrow

Hey  Team! 
 Denmark was an experience I will never forget. I was there for a week with my team and a  few others here in Sweden. We drove to the coast, then took a ferry to Denmark.  We got on the water twice a day, running practice in the mornings and some gym  workouts at their boat house. We practiced with the Silkeborg, Danish team everyday. They are SO good!!! It was fun when we tried communicating with them, there's quite a difference between swedish and danish so english came into good use!  We lived at a hostel and the danish food there was really good, which is great when you're at training camp good food is important. We did get some free time from 
training to see Denmark and it is so beautiful! While walking around town, stinky danish cheese could be smelled miles away! While training, some of the 12 year old danish paddlers got so far ahead from the rest of us! They train about  7 times a week. They have excellent technique in strength training and on the water. Training in Denmark has only made me harder and tougher.  
Unfortunately, Tuesday of last week was not the best day  to be on the water. First, there was a ton of rain, it started hailing. The  water was a bit wavey, and then I fell into 39 degree fahrenheit water. It is  fair to say it was
freezing cold, and I was so shocked! It was me and one other  friend who was at practice that day, and we had no boat that followed us like we  usually have. My friend helped me with my kayak, and I swam as best as I could  to land. It was difficult to catch a breath, now I understand why Swedes (and  the danish) wear life jackets due to the ice cold water. New experiences come all  the time, I just hope this one was the first and last time. And I thought the water  at Fiesta Island was cold in the winter...haha.
 Last nights practice was beautiful though, we had sunshine the whole practice. It was  a nice San Diego winter kind of day. Here in Sweden we're very thankful for days  like those, even now in April.  
This Friday I will be leaving for the last kayak camp that I will be able to attend before I come home to San Diego! It's a team boat camp that most paddlers from different teams here in Sweden will be attending for those born in 97 and 96.  Can't wait!
Congrats to everyone who made the Development and Junior National Team!!!
Enjoy the pictures from Denmark!                         Gabriella