CURRENTS
CLASS II CUISINE. PHOTO: SCOTT MACGREGOR
COMEBACK KID
It was halfway through the course when I realized the trip wasn’t really about whitewater. Alternating between piggyback rides and one-legged hob- bling, I walked with 16-year-old Brittany, whose ankle was in an improvised but sturdy splint of sticks and torn strips of a well-worn fleece sweater. It was the second day of a weeklong backcountry river run.
Brittany was one of 15 disgruntled teenagers who’d been sent to a summer wilderness program—some keen to get outdoors, most shipped away by parents seeking a couple weeks of peace and quiet. On the portage around a class V a root had grabbed Brittany’s ankle and held it firmly as the rest of her body toppled back- wards with the weight of her pack. Every trip—be it an afternoon on a local run or an ambitious multi-day mission—has a moment like this. Something you never could have anticipated that comes to mind when you recall that day, something that makes the whitewater itself a blurred memo- ry by comparison. Some days it’s a busted ankle, other times it’s a storm that chases you to shore, a high five after nailing a line, a cold shower in a waterfall discovered on a hike up a tributary. It’s the moment that reminds you the river merely facilitates what whitewater is really about: adventure. More and more, the whitewater industry seems to be embrac- ing this, or, more accurately, returning to it. When I interviewed Outdoor Industry Association board mem- ber Darren Bush for the trends article on page 148, he said the whitewater industry has been at risk of “extreming ourselves out of business.”
138 WHITEWATER || Annual 2015
The small freestyle kayaks that have been the primary focus of
innovation for the last few years appeal only to a small minority of paddlers. Park and play is not adventure, and often not even on real rivers. Elite athletes seeking bigger drops, while fascinat- ing for enthusiasts to follow, can scare off would-be river runners. This year, though, more than ever, crossover kayaks are making
whitewater fun again. These beginner-friendly boats allow any- one to hop in and enjoy the river, whether it’s a scenic stretch of swift water, a high volume rapid or a tricky technical run. They’re making self-support overnights and expeditions possible for everyday kayakers again, letting more people love the river in a way that has been exclusive to canoe trippers and sponsored expedition kayakers. Crossovers are reminding us that we all cherish the same
things about river travel: adventure, camaraderie and exploring cool places. Working for Rapid, I see lots of the extreme end of our sport.
In a recent video, some of the most elite paddlers in the world reflected on an expedition of exotic waterfalls, helicopters, and professional filmmakers capturing the descent. “It’s the moments you have with a group of people you’ve endured a hard day with that you really appreciate,” said one of the boaters, while cooking dinner over a fire. It was the same conversation Brittany and her group had
around the fire after a few days of running class II rapids. Emma Drudge is the editor of Rapid magazine.
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