Here's an inspiring little video put together by the Nantahala Outdoor Center:
Basically, it celebrates everything that is good about competition, and how a beautiful river and a joyous sport like canoeing and kayaking can bring out all those good things. Several of my favorite quotes:
"I love racing, and I love the fact that it made me better and more valuable in every role that I had at NOC... to do it right, a little bit better each time, matters." --Gordon Grant
"Guests want to be surrounded by people who are really at the top of their game--people who are pushing the envelope, doing it gracefully..." --John Burton
"Once you're been there, it's with you. Once you've put your toe in the Nantahala River, it's with you forever." --Lecky Haller
Paddlesports are not immune to the uglier aspects of competition. Over the years I've encountered a few bloated egos, some behind-the-scenes backbiting, even some underhanded in-race tactics once or twice. But in general I think the shared love for the beautiful environs promotes unity rather than discord among canoe and kayak racers.
The rivers around the North Carolina summer camp I attended, including the Nantahala, were where I first learned to love paddling. Like Lecky said, it's with me forever. As I've gotten older and visited an ever-growing list of rivers, I've learned to see that beauty in them as well, including, significantly, my river here at home, the Mississippi.
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