Christopher Young

Biographical: Weight? 200 Height? 6'3" How old are you? 30 Where did you grow up? Jackson, MS Personal Taste: Do you prefer more or less rocker for a creeker? Why? I like moderate rocker to surface off drops but not too much b/c speed is good. Any major changes for creekboats of the future, design related? I think an inflatamate would be a good addition b/c they can help you out in a pinch, especially if your hard up after several days on the river. Otherwise I wouldn't know. What rescue equip. do you carry? Breakdown, pulley, rope, float bags, first aid, prussic? depending on the run but i always make sure the group has a breakdown,pulleys, and first aid. otherwise a throw rope and some biners. i probably should use float bags. Would you consider wearing a fullface helmet? (Cage or FNA style) Why or why not? I don't have one but not a bad idea if your running some large waterfalls. why, b/c i cracked my nose on the paddle a couple times. Personal Preference: Bent Shaft or Straight, any reason why? Straight shaft, feels better and you never have to adjust if you need a breakdown or borrow a paddle. 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? I like to put in hip pads and i would love to move the seat up some but usually i'm too tall and stern heavy. i also like a little piece of foam on the cockpit rim for cushion while carrying What is you favorite creekboat design to date(or one of them)? blunt proto type #2 aka "blue-dini", this boat was a little smaller than the blunt with more aggressive edges. it lasted forever and ran more sho-sho than you'd believe. What?s you favorite local hometown run? Humorous question since i'm in grad school in Mississippi. as a Knoxvillian for years it was the West Prong drainage but now i guess the bear's closest. What are five cities in the U.S. that you would live in strictly for creeking purposes? Reno, Portland, Seattle, Morgantown, and Knoxville (eeks out Asheville and Chattanooga b/c of centrality to so much) Do you feel play boats have a place on creeks? Example: ?Backyard? type creeks. i've done it but it's stupid. Creeking vs. Do you prefer boating with boaters you know best or have boated with predominantly? There the same for me usually. Do you take bigger risks with these boaters? Probably, but I'm more conservative since becoming a dad. Besides keeping their boat pointing downstream, what are the main differences between creekboaters and other genres? The willingness to go through so much crap for a interesting and not always fun adventure 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. I think there's more to be done. Compared to the other forms of kayaking would you say that creeking is more team oriented? It's always a team effort to get everyone safely down the river How would you describe differences between East Coast and West Coast creeking (word or paragraph) Which would you rather live in? Southeast is good, far west is good, rockies suck Epic: East Coast rapid that makes you really nervous, what?s the first one that pops in your head? I'll not answer the cliche 200% gorilla but that is some shit. Big Boy, i've run it once, now i use the "this is not a parental approved rapid." West Coast rapid that makes you really nervous, what?s the first one that pops in your head? high water spirit/chaos combo What are some of the closest calls that you?ve had in your paddling career? Several but they all worked out o.k, usually b/c of a good group with me. 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? Losing friends to paddling accidents is quite humbling but i think the responsibility of fatherhood combined with seeing families after the loss has changed me the most Considerations: Do you ever creek solo? If so what creeks? Not any more, but a have done many mostly the west prong or the green. At what height(waterfall) do you feel the freefall gets a little nutty and maybe less controlled? Over 30 ft gets big fast Development: Approx what year did you start creeking? 1990 What was the first kayak you ever owned? Dancer off the shelf in 1989 How did you get into kayaking? The usual, summer camp in western n.c. Did you have any heroes growing up that you looked up to for their creeking/riverrunning abilities? Most of the old Chattanooga crew. Who are some of your heroes in the creeking arena today? Howard Tidwell makes me wet. Most of the others from the trifecta (Chatt, Knox Ashe) make me strive to not be a puss from time to time. 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.? Water is soft and even when you hit a rock, you usually then bounce into more water which is still soft. 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? I was fairly patient. What ways/things should advancing boaters work on to improve skills that will benefit them on Class creeks and rapids? catch eddies, padlle through the whole rapid,and focus on boat control What advice do you have for next generation?s boaters who want to explore the arenas you currently dwell in? Be mindful of where you are b/c many creeks are not through public land, so often time our ability to be there is dependent on being low-key. Don't ruin it for everyone else. What has helped you to progress safely to more difficult water? As much as i hate it some times, scouting. if you scout you will have a better line. Do you currently have any sponsors? The department of psychology at the University of Mississippi and my wife, Leanna. I have had numerous sponsors in past but let's face it who wants to sponsor a resident of Mississippi In what ways has being sponsored helped/hindered your continuous development as a creeker? It helped me go on a ton of trips. Kudos to those who helped me in past. How do you address doubts and fears while on difficult whitewater? I try not to scout too long, if i'm there too long, i probably need to walk it this time. What do you do while not boating to condition yourself to be able to perform at a high level: Running Would you please provide a useful tip for creekboaters? Paddle aggressively through rapids. I feel confident that most everytime I have had a problem or crashed it was b/c i was too passive. Any taboos you would like to mention to other creekboat hopefuls? Don't peel out in front of someone.

Thanks Chris