NOC Staff Dispatch: Paddling for a Cause in the Eddy Flower Vertical Challenge

from NOC Nolichucky River Guide Jeff Clewell

On May 15, the 2010 Eddy Flower Vertical Challenge began. For 32 days, 50 teams from the East and the West will compete to descend as many vertical feet as possible on whitewater rivers, all while raising money for young cancer patients. This is the fourth year in a row that Eddy Flower has teamed up with First Descents—an organization that provides kayak instruction and adventure for young adults who have recently been diagnosed with cancer—to put on the competition.

Myself and fellow NOC staffer Drew Austell are competing in the open division and hope to lead in both "vertical feet" and "donations" through the end of the competition. Our team (The Off the Cowch Team) jumped to an early lead in both categories and has managed to maintain that lead half-way through the competition. With the final days of the competition upon us, we will have to keep a watchful eye on the teams behind us.

Curt Joyce, Drew Austell, and Jeff Clewell, of The Off the Cowch Team, head downstream alongside fellow competitor Susan Hollingsworth, of the Femme 45 team. Photo by Melissa Wilder

Last year's competition came down to the final days, with three teams all vying for the top spot. This year promises to be just as competitive. You can check out the progress of The Off the Cowch Team at the Standings page.

The Miracle Mile stretch on Oregon's Willamette River has numerous lines and countless boofs like the one seen here. Photo by: Curt Joyce

Jeff winds up on a boof stroke to clear one of the many hydraulics in the Miracle Mile. Photo by: Curt Joyce

For more on First Descents, their history, mission, and testimonials click here. If you feel inspired, feel free to make a secure, tax deductible donation to First Descents by clicking here (you can make a donation on Jeff or Drew's behalf or donate independently).

Drew makes "the move" in Lower Zig Zag rapid on the Green Truss. Photo by: Curt Joyce

MedicForce Hosts Silent Auction in Greensboro, NC

Come out this Saturday and support MedicForce as they raise funds to continue their Belize outreach project! MedicForce is a non-profit organization founded by and comprised of NOC staff members and volunteers, with the aim of bringing medical care and training to remote villages throughout the world.

The group will host an art auction in Greensboro, NC this Saturday May 22 at the Historic Biltmore in Greensboro from 7–9pm.

This past winter, five MedicForce volunteers rebuilt a derelict healthcare clinic in Laguna Village, Belize and stocked it with basic medical supplies. During that time they coordinated with the village to elect a new community health worker. The community health workers in Belize are responsible for the health education and well being of communities of up to 300 people. They also conducted a medical evaluation of two other villages in even greater remoteness and inaccessibility.

every little bit from medicinebleu on Vimeo.

MedicForce volunteers plan to return to Belize in July of 2010 to focus on advanced medical training for community health workers, including Laguna Village. Plans include training midwifery skills, and installing solar power in the newly renovated clinic at Laguna Village.

MedicForce's founder Jono Bryant is the director of Wilderness Medicine programs at NOC. He will travel to Belize this summer with a team of nurses and other volunteers to accomplish these tasks. To complete this work, funds are needed and every little bit helps! This benefit is being organized by NOC staff and guests who traveled to Belize as part of NOC's Adventure Travel trips.

The event starts at 7pm and will include a silent auction for rafting trips and kayak instruction from NOC, along with fine art photographs of Belize. Admission is $20 and includes complimentary wine from Trefethen Winery, along with hors d' oeuvres.

If you can not attend the benefit and would like to donate please go to http://www.firstgiving.com/medicforcebelize

Freestyle Shootout = Free Fun

It's hump day, which means it's the perfect time to plan this weekend's trip to the Nantahala Gorge, recently-named home of the 2013 WORLD Freestyle Championships and site of this weekend's NOC Freestyle Shootout, Friday through Sunday.
Paddlers have been arriving throughout the week, practicing on the wave for what looks to be the most intense competition on the Nantahala in years. With $10,000 up for grabs, live music and big names like four-time world freestyle champion Eric Jackson competing, it's no wonder everyone wants to be part of the action.

Festivities begin for paddlers and spectators on Friday night, when NOC hosts an Open Surf Under the Lights. That's right. Practice after dark courtesy of Duke Power (supplying the water flows) and NOC (providing the lights). For non-paddlers, take in the scene at The Pourover, where you'll be able to dance if you want to, have a beer and still check out the wave action from the open-air deck.

A C1 Paddler Practices Wednesday Afternoon

Saturday, the competition kicks off. If you are planning to paddle, arrive early to register. Please note, it is likely that we will hit our 100 competitor limit this year! Don't get left out by arriving late. Classes are K1 Pro Men, K1 Pro Women, K1 Expert Men, K1 Expert Women, K1 Cadets, K1 Open Novice and C1 Open Canoe. Registration is $40/entry and is open from 4–9pm Friday and 9–10am Saturday. The top five in each class will advance to Sunday's finals.

Non paddlers can enjoy the festival atmosphere, as the NOC Outfitter's Store hosts Demo Days, with free boat demos, $200 OFF the purchase of in-stock new boats and a sidewalk sale. There will also be a Dagger Dash Attainment Race at 2:30pm on Sunday, and the winner will walk home with a Green Boat. The entire weekend is free to the public. Raft trips on the Nantahala are open, as are NOC's lodging and dining facilities. With a clear forecast in store, it might be the best weekend this year!


And, in case you haven't heard the big news direct from the International Canoe Federation in Budapest, the Nantahala Gorge was announced Saturday as the host of the 2013 World Freestyle Championships! Tentatively scheduled for mid-September 2013, the event is expected to draw more than 500 paddlers from 30–40 countries to the Nantahala area. More news of Worlds to come soon.

We hope to see you on the river this weekend!

US Whitewater Open Preview

This weekend, paddlers from around the world will sprint through the slalom gates on the Nantahala River, when NOC and Nantahala Racing Club (NRC) hosts the 2010 Bank of America US Whitewater Open. The weekend features two days of high-intensity slalom racing at a spectator friendly course at Nantahala Falls.

Giles Morris wrote this article in today's Smoky Mountain News, it's a great primer for the event. (Click to read more.)

"No matter how you look at it, the U.S. Open is one of the classic showcases in the sport of whitewater racing, and the event will bring some of the world’s best racers in both slalom and wildwater classifications to Western North Carolina to show off their skills."

If you've never watched a slalom race, here's what you can look forward to. In slalom competition competitors get two runs of the course, which is typically paddled in less than two minutes. The paddlers negotiate 20 gates-14 downstream gates and six upstream gates-incurring two-second penalties for any touch of a gate, and an insurmountable 50-second penalty for displacing a gate by more than 45 degrees, proceeding in the wrong order or passing through upside-down. The competitors' two times are added together, with the fastest combined time winning the race.

As always, NOC will offer free parking for the event, and River's End Restaurant will be open for racers and spectators can fuel up. The Outfitter's Store, cabin lodging and even Nantahala River rafting will all be open this weekend.

Another WFR Concludes at SOLO Southeast, with High Praise from Participants

SOLO Southeast at NOC has just wrapped up another Wilderness First Responder (WFR) course, with participants from an array of professional backgrounds receiving WFR certification. Here, one student shares his experience:

"I really enjoyed the WFR Class and believe that it is the most practical emergency first aid class I have ever taken. I wanted to give you a short email to say why I attended the class. I looked for an advanced medical class that would address the issue of working in remote locations as a part of my police department's Dive Team mission. Several classes were available but didn’t seem to fit the category of “Beyond the Golden Hour” issue. I researched wilderness medical classes offered by a number of companies but I kept coming back to SOLO. I decided to look further into SOLO and see what categories would best suit a Public Safety Dive Team. I decided to enroll into the Wilderness First Responder Course. I have no regrets about choosing SOLO nor have I regretted the WFR Course. The hands-on portions of the class really put the students into the situation as well as the class portions. I was surprised and pleased at the number of scenarios the WFR Course has for the students. The class, without a doubt, prepares the student for emergencies in the backcountry. The class and instructor are top notch and I highly recommend anyone working in rural or backcountry locations to seriously consider the WFR Course. I believe this course is well suited for Park Rangers, Conservation Officers, Game Wardens, SWAT, Public Safety Dive Teams and Search & Rescue Teams."
—Detective Dana Rowsey
Crime Scene Unit
Police Dive Team
Charleston, WV

Here's a shot of Dana at NOC last week.

SOLO Southeast instructors strive to provide the highest level of training, whether for the intensive WFR course or the two-day Wildernes First Aid. Whenever possible, special guests are invited and hands-on scenarios are employed. Thanks to Dana for sharing his feedback on his SOLO Southeast experience.

Another SOLO Southeast Wilderness First Responder (WFR) course begins Saturday, March 27. More details can be found at solosoutheast.com.

Taylor's Travels in Chile

NOC Kids and Teens star Taylor Cote shares some of her insights about paddling and traveling in Chile.



This quarter we’re back in Chile and the flight back over all of us were bouncing in our seats, excited about all the new stuff to come this quarter. It is so fun seeing some of the same sights and how they differ in the changing of the seasons. The difference between this quarter and last is that we’re heading south. We’re going to be working our way down to the Futalefu River, one of the most famous rivers in Chile. While we’re traveling down there we’re going to be stopping in at the Rio Negro and Rio Blanco before we make it down to the Futa.



So far we’ve been back in Pucon chilling at David Hughes’s house here. It’s a pretty sweet spot; we have a river right in our front yard. There’s also a play hole that will come in depending on the level. While we’ve been here we have been paddling some new rivers too. My favorite new run is the Rio Palguin. It’s an amazing boof/waterfall run that just blows my mind every time we go there. The put-in is walking over a mossy land bridge and seal launching into the rocky gorge. It can be a little nerve-racking dropping into the gorge because you know you are in for in it. After the first adrenaline rush you realize everything is good to go.



While here we’ve also traveled to the town of Choshuenco which has the Rio Fuy right in its backyard. It was such a small town and had an amazing feel about it. The ladies we stayed with were very welcoming and happy to have us staying there. The town had few streets so the morning workouts when we ran were absolutely hilarious. You would pass everyone at least once or twice before finishing. The river we had there offered many different types of paddling with varying classes. The Upper Fuy consisted of more waterfalls and boofs. The Middle and Lower Fuy however had amazing playboating and wave filled rapids good for working on downriver moves, such as kickflips and wave wheels. Billy Harris joined us during our stay there and he was a great wealth of knowledge, everyday he would make sure we were boofing up a storm.

Today is going to be fun filled, we’re planning on having a boater cross on part of the Trancura River which will be interesting. Afterwards though we have to pack up everything because its our last day in Pucon. I know everyone is nervous and excited to really get started on our trip south.

Happy Paddling!

Taylor


Taylor Cote is the recipient of the 2009/2010 NOC Photography Scholarship. Click Here to see Taylor’s New River Academy blog and more of her fabulous stories.

The photos of Taylor kayaking were taken by David Gorskiare on the Rio Palguin. The photo of the volcano and the town of Pucon, Chile was taken by Taylor.

NOC's Great Outpost Buzz

With a grand opening set for April 2, NOC's Great Outpost—an 18,000-square-foot LEED-certified retail and adventure hub—has been triggering buzz from travel sites across the internet.

Last week, Gatlinburg was listed as one of SmarterTravel.com 's Top Five Bargain Destinations for spring, with NOC's Great Outpost mentioned as a highlight of visiting town. From the outdoor gear, clinics and classes to the indoor climbing wall and adventure concierge service, NOC's Great Outpost will be a brand-new family destination for visitors to Gatlinburg and the Smokies. Click below to read the full article.

This story also appeared on usatoday.com and aarpbulletin.com among other news websites.

Expect to see more information about NOC's Great Outpost Grand Opening celebration, scheduled for Friday, April 2. While you're in Gatlinburg for the event, make time for some of these new diversions and events, including the Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage April 21–25.

In the meantime, you can click the photo above to view a slide show of the construction process at NOC's Great Outpost. We have been converting the old Open Hearth Restaurant into a LEED-Certified adventure destination like only NOC can, and we hope you'll be as excited as we are!