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November 1, 2004 -- Wesser, NC
Today the Nantahala Racing Club announced that it has been awarded the 2005 USA Wildwater Junior
and Senior Team Trials, the nations most prestigious and highly contested downriver race.
The race will be held March 5th and 6th 2005 on a 5-mile section of the Nantahala River, in the
gorgeous Smoky Mountains of North Carolina. The two-day event will select the elite athletes that
will represent the USA in the 2005 World Cups and Junior World Championships being contested in
England, Wales, Ireland and Italy.
The Nantahala Racing Club’s Executive Director, Howard Chambers said “The entire NRC staff and
board of directors are very excited to be hosting this event here in North Carolina. We hosted
team trials four years ago to a record turn out and will aim for a repeat performance this time
around. The Nantahala River is well suited to this level of racing and also watching the 75 or
so athletes we anticipate will participate. We’re looking forward to seeing some very close
racing.”
Using specially designed wildwater canoes and kayaks 15 feet long, 16 inches wide and weighing
a mere 20 lbs, the two-day event will consist of a long or classic race starting at Quarry Rapid
and ending at the Nantahala Outdoor Center approximately 30 minutes down stream; and a sprint race,
a two minute speed paddle thru Nantahala Falls, the rivers notoriously most difficult rapid.
The event has also been designated an “International Competition” by the International Canoe
Federation, the sports governing body. As such, all competitors will earn points towards an
international ranking. An invitation has also been extended to over seas teams. Participants
from England, South Africa, Chile, Italy and Germany have already committed to participating,
raising the level of the competition to a very high standard.
The Nantahala Racing Club also announced their spring 2005 Wildwater Race schedule.
February 26 & 27 – NRC Glacier Breaker
March 5 & 6 – USA Wildwater Senior and Junior Team Trials
March 26 & 27 – NRC US Open
Click here to view the Entry Package for the Team Trials
and
here for a map of the race course.
For additional information, contact Chris Hipgrave, the Nantahala Racing Club's Wildwater
Race Director, at
hipgrave@usack.org.
Chris Hipgrave is Tresurer of the U.S. Wildwater Committee and a K-1
Wildwater racer living near Bryson City, NC. You can reach him at
hipgrave@usack.org.
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