CATCHING MY BREATH IN THE EDDY ALONGSIDE MUNDACA ON CHILE’S FUTALEUFU RIVER, I SMILE AS I WATCH ONE of my students drop in again and again for a voluntary beatdown. The crowd cheers as she flips. The bright yellow of her boat flashes as it tumbles end over end in the frothy pit. She pops up grinning behind the wave, throwing a fist in the air in celebration. We’re at the annual freestyle competition at FutaFest. Low water levels
caused event organizers to move the competition last-minute. The notorious Mundaca is a big-water class IV rapid with a busy entry full of laterals, waves and hydraulics capable of throwing even the most seasoned Futa paddlers off line and into the jaws of the nearly river-wide hole downstream. In lieu of a traditional freestyle competition, competitors walk to the top
of the rapid three times and throw their best downriver moves. After three attempts, competitors get 30 minutes to ride the feature as many times as they want. Even the local paddlers are nervous. Yet, here’s this 17-year-old American girl, grinning as she drops in—because it’s fun. I can hardly believe that the kayaker fist pumping and chatting in Spanish
is the same student who swam this rapid three days in a row last year. She had spent days on the verge of tears at any mention of Mundaca. Her fear was so intense that we spent an entire class period looking at the rapid so she could read the line more clearly. Now, as she makes her way up the eddy, she is all smiles, full of encour- agement for others awaiting their next ride. I can hear her as she introduces herself to one of the local boaters. “Hi, I’m Alex. I’m with World Class Academy. Can I interview you for my English class?” This is World Class Academy (WCA) at its finest: a unique blend of educa-
tion, athletics and cultural immersion that allows its students to thrive and to develop not only as kayakers, but also as people.
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THE ACADEMY HAS ITS ROOTS IN A KAYAK HIGH SCHOOL CALLED Adventure Quest, where Scott Doherty worked as a teacher and assistant coach. In 2002, Adventure Quest disbanded. Doherty moved to Missoula, Montana, to form his own program under the name of World Class Kayak Academy. WCA has been in existence ever since, running semester-based trips in the U.S. as well as 13 international destinations. WCA has a strong legacy of both staff and student alumni including Ben Kin- sella, Hanna Ferrar, Karl Moser, Adrienne Levknecht, Scott Ligare, Rush Sturges, Tyler Bradt and many other talented young paddlers. Since its inception, over 200 students have gone through the program, many of whom have gone on to pursue kayaking, becoming prominent members of the whitewater commu- nity. Many students return to work for World Class as teachers and coaches. In 2010, Doherty resigned and the school moved to Trout Lake, Washing-
ton, welcoming Aaron “Capo” Rettig as the new executive director. Rettig, a former WCA student and staff member, brings a rare perspective to the orga- nization, the result of his own involvement with the program. Rettig has strengthened bonds between the school and the paddlesports in-
dustry, providing scholarship opportunities for students. He has also cement- ed academic accreditation for the school and is responsible for its recognition as more than just an on-water success. Rettig is a huge proponent of the school’s Service Learning Projects. Each academic quarter, WCA students volunteer in communities around the world. Over the past school year, students helped at British Columbia’s Lytton River Festival, spent a day with street kids in Nepal and took a group of indigenous Chilean Mapuche kayaking on their local river for the first time. Last year, the school sponsored an exchange student from Costa Rica for
the spring quarter. This fall, WCA welcomed 19-year-old Nepali, Surjan Ta- mang, into the program. A talented boater with a passion for the river, Ta- mang was a huge inspiration for students. At the end of their time together, every student donated a piece of their own gear, fully equipping Tamang with a boat, paddle, helmet, PFD, skirt and drytop to keep him paddling.
36 RAPID EARLY SUMMER 2013 DRIVER’S ED.
SOCIAL STUDIES.
PHYS.-ED. PHOTO: AARON CAPO RETTIG
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