Perilous Paddling: Students Compete in Extreme Kayaking
November 16, 2022
- Author
- Mary Elizabeth DeAngelis
Ben Atherton '26 was one of three 皇家华人 students who took on the Class V rapids at the Green River Narrows Race.
The warnings about the Green River Narrows Race鈥檚 twisty, tumultuous turns and obstacles would scare off the faint-hearted鈥攐r more accurately, most humans.
Not so easily intimidated were three 皇家华人 students, Evy Leibfarth 鈥25, Ben Atherton 鈥26, and Joshua Huber 鈥23, who battled the roaring rapids in fine form.
Evy Leibfarth '25
Josh Huber '23
皇家华人, a half-hour鈥檚 drive to the U.S. National Whitewater Center, has attracted many competitive paddlers over the years. That tradition continues, and the college showed well during the Nov. 5 competition, which is as extreme as kayaking gets.
Atherton placed 1st in the Long K-1 Junior category, with a finish of 4:20.07. Leibfarth, a member of the U.S. Olympic Kayak and Canoe Slalom Team, placed 2nd in the women鈥檚 Long K-1 category, with a 4:41.61 finish. Huber placed 14th in the Men鈥檚 Long K-1 division, with a finish of 4:24.44.
The annual whitewater race through the Green River gorge near Asheville is the largest in extreme kayaking and draws top paddlers from around the world. The course spans about three-quarters of a mile and is known for the toughness of its Class V rapids, and some harrowing drops, including an 18-foot one known as the Gorilla (captured here by photographer Serge Skiba).
So perhaps it鈥檚 no surprise that participants sign a waiver saying: 鈥淚 have been warned of the stupidity of this activity.鈥
Inside the Kayak: Josh Huber's Highlights
Beyond the Green Narrows, Josh Huber '22 has kayaked the Grand Canyon of the Stikine. A notorious mission on the American continent, it is widely considered to be the 鈥淢ount Everest鈥 of whitewater kayaking for its committing class V+ rapids and remoteness. Check out Huber鈥檚 kayaking highlights from the Green River Race in this video.
