Biographical:
Weight? 145 lbs
Height? 5' 9
How old are you? 19
Where did you grow up? Dalton, GA
Personal Taste:
Do you prefer more or less rocker for a creeker? Why? Rocker can make a boat easier to boof, but it will cost you speed. With the right technique you don't
need rocker to boof, but a little extra speed can always come in handy.
Any major changes for creekboats of the future, design related?
Safer outfitting, boats that come factory with compressible bulkheads and shock absorbant seats.
What rescue equip. do you carry? Breakdown, pulley, rope, float bags, first aid, prussic? Rope,
Would you consider wearing a fullface helmet? (Cage or FNA style) Why or why not? I would consider it, but absolutely no cage. It leaves too much to be grabbed by rock.
Personal Preference: Bent Shaft or Straight, any reason why?
A bent shaft distorts the feel of the water against
the blade. With a straight line between yourself and the water, the straight shaft will tell the truth.
Do you spend a lot of time outfitting a new boat or just make it fit. Can you describe
some things that you take into consideration when outfitting a creeker? Ideally, I make
a boat tight to me from all directions. One of the most important considerations is making sure you can fit shoes
in. You never know when you're going to need to get out quickly and help
a friend. Seconds can't be wasted on shoes.
What is you favorite creekboat design to date(or one of them)?
I love my blunt. It boasts a predictability that you won't find in most creekers.
What?s you favorite local hometown run? Fowler's Creek
What are five cities in the U.S. that you would live in strictly for creeking purposes? Anywhere in Kansas, great boating, all the time
Do you feel play boats have a place on creeks? Example: ?Backyard? type creeks. Why paddle a play boat when you can be keeping your skills sharp in your creeker? Many people don't
spend enough time in a creek boat to be comfortable. I'll
take my creek boat on easy runs sometimes just to keep my skills in check.
Creeking vs.
Do you prefer boating with boaters you know best or have
boated with predominantly? Do you take bigger risks with these boaters? I try to boat
with the people who are the most solid on the water skill-wise as well as judgement.
Besides keeping their boat pointing downstream, what are the main differences between
creekboaters and other genres?
Creek boaters are a lot tighter group than any other type of paddler. Playboating you don't NEED good friends on
the river. Creek boating, you have to know who you can trust.
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. There is a lot
left to be pioneered. It's moving in the direction of expedition because you can get a lot
farther from the beaten path by running multiday trips than park and hucks that have been done a thousand times.
Compared to the other forms of kayaking would you say that creeking is more team oriented? Absolutely. without your boys you're nothing but a scared kid on the water sometimes.
How would you describe differences between East Coast and West Coast creeking (word
or paragraph) Which would you rather live in? I haven't done much west coast.
Epic:
East Coast rapid that makes you really nervous, what?s the
first one that pops in your head?
West Coast rapid that makes you really nervous, what?s the first one that pops in your head?
East Coast, I'm a little jaded due to my own experience, but Gorilla at 200+ is the first that comes to mind. I've
run it probably over a hundred times and I'm still nervous when I think about it.
What are some of the closest calls that you?ve had in your paddling career? I went under a rock on Little Possum creek in Tennessee.
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? Yes,
I've slowed down my progression into the creeking world. Matt was my age, and he was an incredible padddler. But
at 19, I can tell you I don't think we're old enough to make some of the judgement calls we make. Through experience
wisdom is gained. I walk a lot of things I wouldn't if Matt was still around.
Considerations:
Do you ever creek solo? If so what creeks? I have, but
don't suggest it. I've run the Green solo on a number of occasions as well as my hometown Suck Creek.
At what height(waterfall) do you feel the freefall gets a little nutty and maybe less
controlled? I've never run a waterfall over 25 feet. I couldn't say due to the narrowness
of my own experience.
Development:
Approx what year did you start creeking? 2000
What was the first kayak you ever owned? Fury
How did you get into kayaking? I started in canoes with
my dad and neighbors when I was 7 or so.
Did you have any heroes growing up that you looked up to for their creeking/riverrunning
abilities? Bryce Evans, Brent Meadows, Casey Mitchell, Nate Helms, Todd Graff, Brad
Hines, Adam Elrod, Lane Rankin, and the rest of the guys that at some point or another took me under their wing
and showed me how to follow the water.
Who are some of your heroes in the creeking arena today?
My heroes are really the people I like to paddle with
the most. Tommy Hilleke, Pat Keller, Chris Gragtmans, Nate Elliot, Nate Helms, John Grace, Daniel De Lavergne,
Fred Corriel, Toby McDermot, and anyone I forgot.
What are some things that may have drawn you towards creeking when you were in your
developmental stages? Why kayaking over climbing, soccer, golf, etc.? I've always been
a water lover. Creeking doesn't really make sense in the way I was afraid of everything as a child, but creeking
has put me face to face with a lot of things I used to fear.
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?
Total preparation.
What ways/things should advancing boaters work on to improve skills that will benefit
them on Class creeks and rapids?
Don't just paddle, be a student of water. The higher understanding you have of water the
easily lines will come to you.
What advice do you have for next generation?s boaters who want to explore the arenas
you currently dwell in? Be safe, be prepared for whatever the consequences may be.
What has helped you to progress safely to more difficult water?
More hours on the water than anyone else I know
Do you currently have any sponsors? Necky Kayaks, Extrasport,
Bomber Gear, Rock Hedz
In what ways has being sponsored helped/hindered your continuous development as a creeker? I have enough gear to paddle on the coldest days and still keep the important parts warm.
How do you address doubts and fears while on difficult whitewater?
There is no room for doubt. You act decisively or not
at all.
What do you do while not boating to condition yourself to be able to perform at a high
level: (strength training, stretching, yoga, etc.) Push ups, sit ups, running, pull
ups, and yogurt.
What keeps you excited about creeking or kayaking in general?
working, because it's most people's alternative.
Would you please provide a useful tip for creekboaters? Logs
fall, rapids change, scout it if it's been a while.
Thanks for the Insight Chris
Also, thanks to Spencer at LVM
for helping us get this info.