Whitewater Rafting

The Nantahala Outdoor Center in western North Carolina is hosting the 2010 White Water Symposium this October 8-10. The WWS is excited about the new format of the symposium, calling it the “Next Rapid Evolution” in the annual gathering of the best and brightest in the paddling industry. New this year are 3 “tracks” of conversation. The business track, development track, and paddler tracks will each feature leaders in the respective fields.

The River Management Society has a good guide steering it to the future. Its Board of Directors recently hired Risa Shimoda as its new Executive Director beginning October 1, 2010...

Not doing anything the weekend of Sept. 25? In the region anyways for Gauley season? Head on over to Germantown, Maryland, to support your local river stud-mo’s at the induction ceremony for the International Whitewater Hall of Fame Class of 2010. Read on to find out how to attend and make a donation...

It’s got a capital G, Class V and the same season. But it’s not Gauley Fest. It’s Gore Fest in Colorado, drawing the Class V racing set to Gore Canyon of the Colorado River the last weekend in August every year. The event, put on by Timberline Rafting of Vail, promises debauchery, death ferries and dunkings, and once again delivered a few surprises...

Turns out you can also make rapids out of kayak plastic. Proof lies in the new whitewater slalom course for the London Olympics, which just saw water for the first time....flowing over plastic features designed by Scott Shipley. Read on for beta and a video glimpse...

Expedition kayaker and filmmaker Bryan Smith is back from Russia with love…for salmon, first descents and wild places that still remain. We caught up with him at the Outdoor Retailer show to get his take on all things Siberia and salmon...

Paddling Life is on hand at this year’s Outdoor Retailer Summer Market tradeshow, to bring you not-in-the-industry folk up to speed on what’s going down. First installment: a look at products for the stockier set. Turns out that Morgan Spurlock, whose 30-day McDonald's diet documented the fast-food industry, isn’t the only one going super size. Paddlesport exhibitors are also banking on beefier consumers by churning out products that excel for XLs. Following are a few tipping the scales.

It should be a fairly straightforward exercise in manliness. The unwritten rules were obvious to all parties involved. However, to quote The Dude (or El Duderino if you’re not into that whole brevity thing) “New s&%# has come to light.”

The Teva Mountain Games are the nation’s largest celebration of mountain sport, lifestyle and music featuring top professional and amateur athletes from around the world. The environmentally-friendly adventure sporting event hosts approximately 2,000 adventure athletes, along with an estimated 40,000 spectators. Athletes converge on Vail’s mountains and rivers to compete in eight sports and 24 disciplines for over $100,000 in prize money. Events include kayaking, rafting, mountain biking, road cycling, World Cup Bouldering, amateur climbing, fly-fishing, trail and road running and stand up paddling.

A coalition of seven corporations and foundations driven by sustainability have united to raise funding and awareness for the environmentally threatened Colorado River.

Students at TRU earn college credits while exploring the rivers of Nepal and help Nepalese Sherpas with funding to continue their own education

20 Things to Remember When Floating the San Juan with Kids. Bonus: A Fun 1.5 Mother’s Day Personal First Descent, Chinese foot torture and all!