6th annual Alseseca Race

The Alseseca River is a classic in the state of Veracruz, Mexico.  I have been competing in the Roadside Alseseca Race for 3 of its' 6 years now and every year I am blown away with the event.

The race is typically held after the rainy season (the 2nd weekend in January)and we're happily bouncing down the slides and trying to carry ourselves through the flatwater stretches.  However, this year things were definitely quite the opposite.  The rainy season in Veracruz had continued to carry over into January and filled the rivers with healthy flows. 

Due to the levels, the race course was shifted a bit.  Triple drop and S-turn were portaged (as I didn't see one person fire up S-turn while I was there), but the added challenge was making it through the hydraulics, pillows and boils.

As in years past, the race opened with a ceremony 'protecting the competitors of the race from any harm' and closed with the awards ceremony in the town's square, Tlapacoyan.

For a more detailed account of the race, please visit the FLUX website.

A big thanks to Level Six for the perfect gear.  My favorite during my stay down in Mexico was the layer fleece ~ tops and bottoms.  The top kept me warm on the cold, rainy days and the bottoms worked perfectly for keeping the gnats from biting, when worn under my swim shorts!

See you on the river peeps,

Heather Herbeck