Jason CraigFreestyle Kayak JM World Champion

2010 Year in Review for Kokatat Watersports Wear

Jason Craig 2010 Competition Recap

8 Podium Medals out of 11 Season Events

2nd USA Team Trials Men’s, Missoula MT2nd USA National Point Series Men’s Pro1st Santa Cruz Surf Festival, ProPlas Class1st Gunnison River Festival, CO1st Auburn River Festival2nd Teva Mountain Games, Vail, CO2nd Reno River Festival Men’s Pro3rd Buena Vista Pro Men’s Pro4th Paddle Pro Invitation, Steamboat Spgs, CO4th Fibark Men’s Pro, Salida CO

For Immediate ReleaseRENO RIVER RAISED PADDLER JASON CRAIG SCORES A PLACE ON

SI.COM PICTURE OF THE WEEKFeatured Alongside the Biggest Names in Sports

RENO, Nev. (July 9, 2010)—Homegrown Reno, Nev. whitewater paddler and current world junior champion Jason Craig hangs with the world’s top athletes in this weeks “Leading Off: Pictures of the Week” on Sports Illustrated’s website, SI.com.

Nestled between international sports legends and current national events including the World Cup, Tour de France

and even NASCAR, Craig is shown negotiating a waterfall following the U.S. National Freestyle Kayak Team Trails held July 2, 2010 in Missoula, Mont., where he snagged a second place finish.

Having just wrapped an incredible season including being named “Paddler of the Future,” by Canoe & Kayak Magazine’s March 2010 Best of Issue as well as a “Rider of the Year Nomination” for the Rider of the Year Awards 2010, Craig also captured first place finishes at the Auburn River Festival, in Auburn, Calif., and the Gunnison River Festival in Gunnison, Colo. He also took second place during the U.S. National Championship Series, the Teva Mountain Games in Vail, Colo. and at his hometown event the Reno River Festival in May.

Craig’s introduction to kayaking began during the inaugural Reno River Festival at a free clinic and he was hooked at age 11. Now, 16, Craig’s consistent high scoring places him as a powerhouse against many today’s top reigning world champions.

Craig is sponsored by DrinkNeuro, Kokatat Watersports Wear, Jackson Kayak, Smith Optics, Sweet Helmets, Lightening Paddles, Snap Dragon Designs, Tribe and Truckee River Foundation.

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Jason Craig

Serena Williams #11, Rafael Nadel #12, Tiger Woods is #13, and Jason Craig #14

Reigning world junior champion Jason Craig goes over the falls during the U.S. National Freestyle Kayak Team Trials on July 4 in Missoula, Mont. The 16-year-old finished second.

Jason Craig

Jason Craig reaches across his bow in search of the "fonics monkey.”

Current junior world champion Jason Craig throws a clean front flip

Jason Craig

Jason CraigRider of the Year Finalist

“Never before has kayaking seen a freestyle paddler so good this young. At 16 years old, and now with a gold medal from the freestyle world championships, Jason represents the future of freestyle. A look at the past results from the Jr. Category of the WC’s quickly shows the potential of this young ripper – past top finishers have included Jay Kincaid, Brad Ludden, Rush Sturgis, Pat Keller, Evan Garcia… these paddlers have gone on to become some of the best all around kayakers in the world. Jason is in good company.

Jason’s rides were among the highest scoring of the entire competition – his top scoring ride ranking 2nd only to the eventual Men’s winner Nick Troutman – putting him ahead of men’s freestyle mainstays such as 4x freestyle World Champion Eric Jackson and Slovakian powerhouse and World Cup Champion Peter Csonka. What makes Jason’s performance at World’s so impressive is that he still has another 2 years of eligibility in the junior category… Jason has shown himself to be leading the next generation and we all look forward to him taking the reigns of freestyle and driving it into the future.”

Jason Craig

2010 VIBE WINNERS1st Place BRIANNE BRADFIELDFrom The Judges:“Brianne’s shot of the two competitors in the kayaks really embodied the heart of the Teva Mountain Games. You can just feel the sense of brotherhood and accomplishment by these two friends. Either long standing or two that have just met, they share the bond of the river and the Teva Mountain Games.”

Jason CraigUS Team Trials

Craig, who was the youngest paddler in the men's senior division and the sixth seed after day one, exploded on the wave with a flurry of donkey flips and mcnasties, ultimately setting the bar for the big boys in heat two.

And when the smoke cleared and the sun began to hang low in the sky, Craig had jumped from sixth to second and finished only 15 points out of first place.

The finish ensured Craig a place in Friday's finals, but more importantly, it secured a spot for him on the national team.

"It's good to be at the top of what I can paddle," Craig said. "And being out there with all my heroes like Stephen (Wright) and EJ (Eric Jackson) and everybody in there - Dustin (Urban) - it makes me rise to a bigger level and all-in-all it's just a great experience.”

In competition, paddlers will always plan their runs and hope to follow through with at least most of it. For Craig, it was the closest he has ever come to completing a run that he planned from start to finish.

The Reno, Nev., native danced over the whitewater with grace and ease on the wave which had swallowed and spit out so many boats over the course of the day.

"I'd say I saw (myself perform) 90 percent of what I had in my mind, so that's pretty good," Craig said. "That extra 10 percent is really hard."

Jason Craig

Freestyle kayaker Jason Craig (front) won the first annual kayak Snow Boater Cross at Mount Rose Ski Tahoe, April 2010.Photograph by Scott Sady

Jason Craig2010 River Highlights

• Cherry Creek, CA• Fordyce Creek, CA• Bald Rock Canyon, Feather, CA• Hell’s Kitchen, No Fork Stanislaus, CA• Miracle Mile, MT• Tobin & Lobin, Feather CA• No Fork Payette, ID• Green, NC• Clear Water, ID• So. Fork Salmon, ID• Kootenai, MT• Miracle Mile, MT• Zambezi, Africa• White Nile, Uganda• Gauley River, WV• Ottawa, River, Canada• Lachine River, Canada• Fish Creek Race, Colorado• Homestake Creek, Colorado• SF Yuba, 49 to Bridgeport, CA• NF Yuba, Wild Plum , CA• Barrel Springs, Colorado River, CO

Jason Craig2010 Sponsors

CONTACT

JASON CRAIG 7750 W. 4th Street, #166

Reno NV 89523(775) 233-2777

Fun1Kayakking@yahoo.com

JasonCraigKayaker.com