by Carli Beisel From Green Truss to the Nantahala I was supposed to be paddling the Green Truss in White Salmon, WA, but instead I have found myself back in the Nantahala Gorge. Life has come full circle: the Nantahala is where I first learned to kayak, and it is...
Slalom
Nantahala Racing Club Wins Stroke of Achievement Award
Nantahala Racing Club Wins American Canoe Association’s 2016 Stroke of Achievement Award Bryson City, N.C. (October, 2017)— Nantahala Racing Club, Western North Carolina’s incubator for aspiring paddlesports athletes, earned recognition by the American Canoe...
It’s Slalom Season in the Southeast
It’s race season in the southeast! Spring always welcomes in a host of well known races held across the southeast. Many of the races are citizen races (open to the public) and offer opportunities for paddlers to test their slalom skills., as well as down river and...
NRC Adding Youth Paddling Programs
The Nantahala Race Club (NRC) is committed to increasing youth participation in slalom, freestyle - and just kayaking in general. This year will bring in a whole new set of programs for slalom, freestyle and recreational boaters to enjoy. This spring will bring in...
Ladies Day Out At the Collegiate Race Series National Championships
One of the favorite canoe & kayak downriver races is coming up! The ACA Collegiate Race Series National Championships. Colleges & Universities from across the country will show up on March 30th at the Tuckasegee River to compete in canoe and kayak downriver...
Another lesson in slalom: The Mess Up Factor
Slalom for Messing Up on the River In river running there are times when we mess up: we flip, miss an eddy, blow a line. It is not that it happened that determines whether we are good boaters or not, but how we handle the situation. The well-known slang phrase “shit...
The 2013 Glacier Breaker Brings out the Community
The Nantahala Race Club (NRC) ’s Glacier Breaker is an annual event held on the Nantahala River and is the opening slalom race of the season. The race always attracts many of the top slalom boaters who come out to shake off the winter rust, kick starting the race...
Whitewater 2013 Events Calendar
The southeast is host to a summer full of events, competitions, races, many of which are centered on and around the Nantahala River. Join us for a summer full of events, competitions, races scheduled throughout the southeast and the Nantahala River--including the 9th...
Slalom Pivot Turns and Broken Nose – breaking things down
Breaking Things Down: Slalom Pivot Turns and Difficult Rapids Heading into slalom gates can create the same problems that running a more difficult rapid presents: it is too easy to just try and tackle the whole course (aka: rapid) and never understand how to break it...
Slalom into Creek Boating: the Principles Parallel
Kayak Slalom and Creek Boating: the Parallels When the recreational whitewater kayaker thinks about slalom, the first impression is that it is all about speed. What wins a slalom competition is indeed the fastest time, but there is so much more to it than that.In...
What’s so fun about Slalom
by Mary Mills Mary Mills is a slalom boater. She did not get into slalom because she aspired to go to the Olympics. In fact, there was more than a little reluctance when the suggestion was made that she try paddling the slalom gates. Just a little... Thoughts on...
Olympic Hopefuls Head to the Nantahala River
Whitewater slalom kayakers and canoers from all over the country participate in the Bank of America U.S. Open race The Nantahala River is hosting a good number of Olympic hopefuls March 23, 24 and 25. Sponsored by the Nantahala Race Club (NRC), the U.S. Open is not...
History of Slalom Events in the Southeast
History of slalom events held in the southeast It is an Olympic year! And an ambitious group of slalom kayakers will be working hard this summer to qualify for the few coveted slots on the US team headed to London. While slalom only hits the front page every four...
2011 National Championships on the Nantahala
October 1 & 2, the Nantahala River will be the site of the 2011 U.S. Canoe/Kayak National Championships hosted by the Nantahala Race Club (NRC). There are two days’ of races and events to spectate. Saturday will be the qualifying events and Sunday the...
Cullowhee Citizens Race
We always call kayaking the "great equalizer" because once everyone puts on their gear, it is no longer the "doctor/lawyer/engineer/student/ professional/weekend warrior/young or old. Everyone is just a kayaker - some a bit taller than others. This past weekend the...
WATCH OUT WORLD – THE YOUNG PADDLERS ARE OUT FOR THE GOLD!
Introducing kids to slalom has become an integral part of our instruction program. It is the tool for learning better boat control – which plays into river running and freestyle, angle control which plays into creek boating, and just another great way to have fun on...
High Water Makes US Open More Challenging
High water US Open Competition This weekend was the US Open on the Nantahala River. The US Open is always a challenging event with the whole host of Olympic hopefuls showing up to compete. This year is was made even more so after a night of rain. For those of you...
Slalom and Creeking by Mary Mills
By Mary Mills Editing by Haley Popp When Would I Ever Need Slalom Skills? This year is my first winter running creeks after being introduced to slalom by Juliet during an Endless River Adventures Private Instruction class in the summer. I admit I was skeptical when...
2010 JUNIOR OLYMPIC ENDS WITH FREESTYLE COMPETITION
by embedded journalists TeamPopp 2010 Junior Olympics On Sunday we ended the 2010 Junior Olympics with the freestyle competition staged on the Nantahala Wave. Some of the slalomists and other kids had headed home early that morning for the long drives or flights home,...
JUNIOR OLYMPIC PADDLERS JOIN THE LOCAL CUP CHALLENGE
Team Popp reporting on Saturday’s Junior Olympic Events/Camp Cup Challenge This Saturday we had a break from Junior Olympic events but we saw great participation in a local slalom race held by the NOC at the gates. Big kids (like the parents!) and the junior olympians...