dixie-marree prickett

Biographical: Weight:145 Height: 5 feet 9 inches How old are you: 30 years old Where did you grow up: Clinton SC Personal Taste: Do you prefer more or less rocker for a creeker? I prefer some rocker.... Why? I feel if my creek boat has no rocker then I don't surface as well when coming off drops and I also feel like my nose has a tendency to dive when trying to punch holes or just nail lines. What rescue equip. do you carry? I carry a throw rope, breakdown paddle, small first aid kit, air bags,and two extra carabiners. Would you consider wearing a fullface helmet? Yes if I can find one that fits well and doesn't limit my vision. I cracked my cheek bone this nov. on the green and if I had being wearing a full face helmet my face definately would have been spared.... Personal Preference: Bent Shaft or Straight, any reason why? Bent Shaft. Several years ago I was a kayak instructor and was teaching a lot and developed tendonitis in my elbow and wrists. I tried a bent shaft and it cleared right up...So I have been using a bent shaft ever since.... Do you spend a lot of time outfitting a new boat or just make it fit? I spend some time outfitting my boat but with today's easy outfitting it takes a lot less time and effort. What’s you favorite local hometown run? The Green What are five cities in the U.S. that you would live in strictly for creeking purposes? Hood River/Portland Oregon, Asheville NC, Auburn/Grass Valley CA, Chatanooga TN, Squamish BC(okay not a US city but a fine place to live!!!) Do you feel play boats have a place on creeks? It depends on the run really-I don't think playboats are the best choice for creeks but I have paddled my playboat on creeks before. I started paddling the Russel Fork in my creek boat, then paddled it in my playboat for 2 seasons and now I am back to my creek boat only. I don't feel there is enough play on many of the runs we classify as creeks so what is the point really..... Creeking vs. Do you prefer boating with boaters you know best or have boated with predominantly? I prefer paddling with people that I know and have paddled with before. Do you take bigger risks with these boaters? I definately take bigger risks or more challenging lines/rapids when I am paddling with the people I trust and feel comfortable with. Besides keeping their boat pointing downstream, what are the main differences between creekboaters and other genres? Oh probably the attitude. Creek boaters tend to be more aggro, controversial, and motivated...... Is creekboating in its “Golden Age” or do you feel there will be lots more pioneered, greater levels, and lots more athletes to take this to the next level? That is a tough one but I think we are still evolving to some point. I think that there will continue to be the search for new runs, creeks and drops. I think we will see more people trying to bag the biggest drop but I think there is a physical limit to how big one can go. I don't think we will see a new crop of athletes that completely redefines the sport of creekboating but we will always have the younger generations to continue to push and grow the sport. Compared to the other forms of kayaking would you say that creeking is more team oriented? yes I would agree with that because I feel you should never creek alone and often you rely on your team/group to help each other with scouting, portaging, setting and holding safety etc.. How would you describe differences between East Coast and West Coast creeking (word or paragraph) Which would you rather live in? West Coast Creeking is typically bigger, bolder, and a lot more volume. There are more waterfalls and less rocks on the West Coast runs and many of the lines are more open and less technical. East Coast Creeking is tighter, more technical and rockier. I prefer bigger water to the more technical creeking but like them both. I live on the east coast for half of the year and then travel the west coast for the other half. So I have the best of both worlds..... Epic: East Coast rapid that makes you really nervous, what’s the first one that pops in your head? Gorilla West Coast rapid that makes you really nervous, what’sthe first one that pops in your head? Spirit Falls What are some of the closest calls that you’ve had in your paddling career? I got foot entrapment-rather river shoe entrapment on the little white in WA/OR and I managed to curl my toes back and jack my ankle out of my shoe in time. I was on the bottom of the river basically on all fours-struggling-but I worked my way out of it the only thing I lost was my shoe but I was more than happy to give that up... That was pretty scary for me and my paddling group... Have you lost a close paddling partner to a whitewater accident? How would you say that it changed your scope on whitewater activities in general, creeking, development? I have lost several friends to whitewater accidents and it definately makes me realize the true risk involved. I am definately more conservative and cautious because of their deaths but I still go creeking. I think my personal creeking development has been slower because of their deaths but I also think my development has been better and more controlled... Considerations: Do you ever creek solo? No way.... At what height(waterfall) do you feel the freefall gets a little nutty and maybe less controlled? around 35-40 feet..... Development: Approx what year did you start creeking? 2000 What was the first kayak you ever owned? A purple Dagger Response How did you get into kayaking? I learned to canoe at a girl's summer camp then as a college student I worked at the camp and got into kayaking. Did you have any heroes growing up that you looked up to for their creeking/riverrunning abilities? Gordon and Susan Grant Who are some of your heroes in the creeking arena today? Buffy Bailey-Burge, Clay Wright, The Kerns, BJ and Katie Johnson, Team Dub. What are some things that may have drawn you towards creeking when you were in your developmental stages? I loved paddling downstream and trying to make moves on my local river/runs-I was always in awe of the people I saw and the stories I heard about running the narrows on the green and I made it my goal to learn how to creek so that I could run the narrows one day. Would you classify your development as attending the school of hard knocks or did you develop with patience waiting till you felt totally prepared mentally to run class V? A little of both. If I had waited until I felt totally prepared mentally I might still be waiting. I think for me the mental part of it was the hardest but once I took that first step-it became easier. I still fight the mental side of it but I think that is healthy.. What advice do you have for next generation’s boaters who want to explore the arenas you currently dwell in? Take your time and enjoy learning how to paddle. Don't jump on class V because of peer pressure or because you think it is the cool thing to do. Learning to run and read rivers takes time-so paddle as much as you can and learn from each run that you have.... What has helped you to progress safely to more difficult water? Lots of time on the water in both my playboat and my creek boat, my paddling buddies, and my sheer determination to keep up with the boys. Do you currently have any sponsors? Yes and I am ever grateful for it. Pyranha, Werner, Lotus, Snapdragon, and Smith Sunglasses. In what ways has being sponsored helped/hindered your continuous development as a creeker? Without the support from my sponsors I would not have been able to paddle as often or in as many places as I have been able to paddle. My sponsors have allowed me the freedom to continue paddling and growing within the sport. How do you address doubts and fears while on difficult whitewater? Sometimes I hum the winnie the pooh song and it calms me down. I often concentrate on my breathing and trying to focus on the move or drop that is in front of me. One piece of water at a time. If I try to look at too much of the run-I get scared and tend to shy away from it.... What do you do while not boating to condition yourself to be able to perform at a high level: (strength training, stretching, yoga, etc.) I run, lift weights, do kickboxing, stretch daily, and lately I have been doing attainments in my longboat at the ledges-that is helping not only my core/ab strength but my paddle strokes as well. What keeps you excited about creeking or kayaking in general? The incredible rivers and beauty that they possess, traveling to remote and often deserted places, the adventures that come with the traveling and of course the people that I paddle with and that I meet. The adrenaline is also addictive and keeps me coming back but more often it is the river herself and my strong passion to simply be on the water..... Would you please provide a useful tip for creekboaters? Wear shoes-real shoes-not flip flops and not just socks. also always carry a rope and scout if you are in doubt...... Any taboos you would like to mention to other creekboat hopefuls?just listen to yourself-don't let one persons judgement proceed over your own judgement. And if you are in BC creeking and the locals say-oh it is just easy class IV-remeber that is the equivalent to our class V....