For a dinky dog town, we showed up in force. It’s who we are in Hood River, Oregon.

Today was a paddle out ceremony in honor of longtime Hood River waterman Steve Gates.

He was owner of Big Winds and was a mainstay of the Gorge windsurfing, kiting and paddling scene from back in the day.

Steve created the Columbia Gorge Paddle Challenge, one of the top standup paddle boarding races in the country, held right here where we’re paddling out today.

His waterman skills were amazing! He was a gnarly paddler for Hood River Outrigger Canoe Club, where he paddled OC-6’s through it all.

He was always smiling, even though he faced the uncertainty of cancer. He fought it like a warrior - like a windsurfer. He showed us how to face challenges we thought we could never handle. He paddled, and built a business, and ran our town as Mayor, and our windsurfing organization and our paddling scene. And he had a full family life.

He gave it all - he gave it back, right up to the end.

The end? Life is so unfair. Friggin’ cancer.

He gave his heart to our community. And on a cold and blustery day, we said thanks. We, of tiny Gorge towns, on a blustery winter day, donned wetsuits and dry suits and ski parkas and jumped on boards. We paddled out for our friend. Ohana.

Here’s what Rod Parmenter captured overhead on a drone:

My dog son, my dachshund, Doodle, Hood River style. Photo: (c) Barb Ayers, Dog Diary.org

This helpful retriever grabbed a flower from Steve Gate’s paddle out. Bringing a piece of Steve back to the beach for family and friends gathered there. Photo: (c) Kris Kohlhase Kendall — This helpful retriever grabbed a flower from Steve Gate’s paddle out. Bringing a piece of Steve back to the beach for family and friends gathered there. Photo: (c) **Kris Kohlhase Kendall**

Doodle and I double-tripled our wetsuit layers, and paddled out with about 400 others.

Together, we rode all sizes, shapes and styles of boards, from half-submerged surfing short boards to old school windsurf long boards, to kayaks, outriggers, surf skis, trad and inflatable SUPs.

If it floated, it was there.

If you hang out on the Columbia River, you were here.

A bunch more folks stood on the beach and cheered. And cried. And hugged. Dogs chased balls and tried to help their humans cope.

It was a frosty, windy day. The house rattled all night and all morning. It was hard to get out there into the water. Conditions, not the best for paddling. Half of our community has already left for warmer climes, in Baja.

But everyone of us stood up for Steve. We’re standup paddle boarders. Everyone of us- on a board, or a shore - wherever in the world you are.

And the air warmed up here, and it was an endless summer moment… for Steve.

Steve Gates memorial paddle 11-24-19. Photo courtesy Lisa Peterson

That’s Doodle and I lower right on the blue board - Steve Gates Day in Hood River 11/24/19. Photo courtesy Lisa Peterson

RIP Mr. Gates.

May you find fair winds and epic paddling on the other side.

Much of our windsurfing/kitesurfing/paddling community winters in southern Baja. This Hood River crowd paddled out for Steve in La Ventana today, at about the same time we Oregonians paddled. Photo: (c) Heidi Stiefenhofer Ribkoff‎

Speaking of the other side…

Those of us who can sneak away all winter, and escape that slicing Gorge wind (and snow) - do.

Here’s what Hood Riverites in La Ventana (Baja Sur, Mexico) saw on their Paddle Out for Steve today…

Heidi Stiefenhofer Ribkoff‎ and friends paddled out, at about the same time we Oregonians hit Steve’s Beach, a.k.a. Nichols Basin, back home - 2,100 miles away.