2009 Southeastern Championships

The 41st annual Southeastern Championships were held this past weekend on the Nantahala River. For those of you who are unfamiliar, this Class II/III river is in the foothills of the Smoky Mountains and is the site of numerous races annually and is a regional hub for all kinds of paddle sport recreation. The race, which covers the entire 8.5 mile commercial section of river, was held in near perfect conditions with the sun returning after several days of rain. I was very pleased to have finished in 2nd place with a time of 44.03, only 23 seconds behind this years winner, Chris Hipgrave. Fun was had by all, thanks to those who came out to play, as well as to our sponsors who help make all this possible.

Tsali Triathlon

Recently I had the opportunity to participate in the Tsali Challenge Triathlon. This event was tremendous fun and was my first ever multi-sport event. After facing some challenges with the heat, a flat tire, and having gone out a bit too hard in the paddling component, I was able to finish third, which I was very happy about. Thanks again to CLIF BAR for keeping me going.

Clif Bar and Keen

First, thanks to all of the sponsors that contribute to the success of USA Wildwater. We as team athletes truly appreciate having your support. I would like to pay special thanks to both KEEN and CLIF BAR. Having donated generously to the team this year, KEEN and CLIF BAR have definitely made life as a training kayak athlete a little easier.