Nantahala Racing Club - News and Press Releases

News and Press Releases

February 18, 2013

NRC to host 2013 Glacier Breaker February 23

Wesser, NC (February 18, 2013) – Nantahala Racing Club presents the 2013 Glacier Breaker slalom and wildwater races on the Nantahala River on February 23 and 24. The slalom race will take place on Saturday, beginning at 11:30 a.m., on the beginner-friendly “Bridge Gates” course at Nantahala Outdoor Center. Wildwater races will begin at 11:30 a.m. each day, and will take place on several sections of the river.

This classic season-opening whitewater event will host USA Olympic and National Team paddlers such as Casey Eichfeld and Michal Smolen, but is attended by paddlers of all ages and ability levels.

“This is a unique and intriguing aspect of whitewater sport,” said NRC event director Zuzana Vanha. “If you’re a basketball player, you’re not out there playing ball with Michael Jordan, but as a slalom paddler, even as a relative beginner, you have the opportunity to test yourself against the very best. For some people, this is intimidating—I feel it’s refreshing, and the top athletes are a great resource and motivator for the younger kids,” says Vanha.

19-year-old Michal Smolen, a US National Team Member who placed 5th at the 2013 Under 23 World Championships in Wausau, Wisconsin, has paddled slalom with the Nantahala Racing Club since he was 11 years old. The 2013 event will be his eighth Glacier Breaker. “I’m looking forward to competing on the Nantahala River,” said Smolen. “I have a lot of races ahead of me, and it’s nice to start my season on familiar water in 2013.”

This race weekend also has special significance for Smolen: NOC will officially welcome him to the Nantahala Outdoor Center Elite Paddling Team on Friday, February 22, at a 4 p.m. press event at River’s End Restaurant on NOC campus.

The NRC Glacier Breaker will include both race and recreational classes. Entry is $20, and paddlers can sign up in advance at NantahalaRacingClub.com. Day-of registration will take place from 8 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, February 23, at River’s End Restaurant at Nantahala Outdoor Center.

January 24, 2012

Calling all Volunteers!

Members and Friends, please join us as gate judges, scoring persons, starters and finishers at the 2013 NRC Glacier Breaker, this February 23. All interested, please email NRC Race Director Zuzana Vanha @ This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

Thanks!

December 17, 2012

Spring Race Entry Forms Now Available

Check out the NRC Events Page for information on the Glacier Breaker and the Bank of America US Open.

December 5, 2012

NRC Annual Meeting Held in Asheville, NC

Election of the NRC Board of Directors postponed till February 9, 2013

October 25, 2012

NRC Annual Meeting Announced for December 5, 2012

Dear NRC members,

Thank you for sharing another great year with the Nantahala Racing Club. Please join us for the annual meeting on December 5, 2012, at 6pm at Marco's Pizza in West Asheville. The meeting will recap the past year, and hold elections for the new board. The positions of Treasurer, President, Athlete's Representative, and three at-large members will be up for re-election.

Thank you for your interest, and we look forward to seeing you on the 5th as we begin to plan for a strong year of growth and development.

August 23, 2012

Rock Island, TN Hosts 2012 ICF Canoe Freestyle World Cup #1 August 24-26

The 2012 ICF Canoe Freestyle World Cup kicked off today in Rock Island, TN, marking the first international kayak event to be hosted in the Southeast since the 1996 Olympic Games came to Atlanta. Over 100 athletes from 17 countries are competing at the World Cups.

"This is going to be a high-energy event that will host some of the top whitewater athletes in the world," said Zuzana Vanha, event director with the Nantahala Gorge Organizing Committee. "It gives us an opportunity to really showcase the southeast and western North Carolina to people from around the world."

Undoubtedly the focus will be on international Freestyle phonomenon Eric Jackson (USA) and his children, Dane and Emily Jackson, who are looking to put on a show in their home state of Tennessee. Dane, who won four medals at the 2011 World Championships in Plattling, GER, and represented the Americas in a freestyle exhibit at the recent London Olympic Games is a clear favorite, but nobody is guaranteed a win in this dynamic - and often heartbreaking - sport that kayaker and NRC member Pat Keller, known both for his accomplishments as an international expedition paddler as well as for his multiple victories at the Green River Narrows race in Asheville, NC, describes as "doing a floor routine in gymnastics during an earthquake."

Excitement has been building in the local community and among regional paddlers, and both communities look forward to welcoming the event and the competitors. Local freestyle paddler Matt Anger is also "looking forward to the World Cup because this is going to be [his] first international competition." Anger has been concentrating on advancing his freestyle skills over the past year, and he has enjoyed meeting and learning from the international competitors that have been training in the southeast over the past weeks. 11 athletes from western North Carolina will be competing in the World Cup Series, including several juniors.

The scene at Rock Island this weekend will be one of building anticipation as paddlers use the challenging feature to show off their most spectacular moves in hopes of qualifying for the final on Sunday.

The USA is hosting all three ICF Canoe Freestyle World Cups this year. World Cup #2 will take place next week on the Pigeon River in Hartford, TN. After that, paddlers will make their way to Bryson City, NC for the World Cup Final on the Nantahala River, where they will learn who is to be named the World Cup Champion in 2012.

For results and a daily recap of events, visit: www.FreestyleKayaking2013.com

August 5, 2012

NRC coach Zuzana Vanha led the 2012 August Slalom Mini-Camp this weekend. Five girls aged 8-12 participated in this 2-day program in the Nantahala Gorge. The weekend started with fun and games on the Nantahala Bridge Gates, where three of the girls were introduced to runnin' the gates for the first time. Throughout the weekend, which included 2 sessions each on Saturday and Sunday, the girls also worked on rolling and flatwater technique, river-running and eddy-catching skills, and finished off with a mock-race down the Bridge Gates.

July 30, 2012

Eric and Jeff's Olympic journey ended today in the C2 qualifying round. The team finished 12th in the heats with a time of 109.78. The French team of Klauss/Peche will lead the field to the semifinal on Thursday, August 2nd. Their best time in the heats was 96.98. For full heats results and race information, visit: NBC Olympics.

July 29, 2012

Eric and Jeff at the Olympics!

Jeff Larimer, Eric Hurd, and USACK coach Rafal Smolen in their dress whites and blues in London prior to the Opening Ceremonies.

July 12, 2012

NRC is hosting a camp! Come one come all, so long as you want to paddle some slalom, and you're under 18. NRC slalom mini-camp will be held August 4-5 on the Nantahala, and will include two 2-hour sessions each day with NRC senior athlete coaches. Visit NRC Events for more information.

July 9, 2012

NRC announces the inauguration of their new website. www.NantahalaRacingClub.com will now be the address to come to for club updates, athlete news, event info, race registration, and great paddling photos.

June 15, 2011

NRC is proud to support the 2013 ICF Canoe Freestyle World Championships, which will be held right here in the Nantahala Gorge, and will play a role as a member of the Nantahala Gorge Organizing Committee.

The NRC has pledge pledged to support this premier international event on our home course. The Nantahala is host yearly to several whitewater events of regional and national significance, including the Bank of America Whitewater US Open and the US Junior and Senior Team Trials in both slalom and wildwater, however, this will be the first time that the river will host a World Championships in any of the whitewater disciplines.

The 2013 ICF Canoe Freestyle World Championships will be brought to North Carolina by the Nantahala Gorge Organizing Committe, the Swain County Chamber of Commerce and the Nantahala Gorge Association, and with the support of the Golden Leaf Foundation.

More information on this exciting event can be found at: www.FreestyleKayaking2013.com.

May 30, 2012

Hurd and Larimer Qualify the C-2 Spot for London

NRC elite athlete Eric aka "Butter" Hurd and partner Jeff Larimer will represent the US at the Olympics this summer in London, UK! Click HERE for the full story. Congratulations also to Scott Parsons, K-1, Caroline Queen, K-1W, and Casey Eichfeld, C-1.

March 9, 2010

2010 USA Canoe/Kayak Wildwater Senior Team Trials & East Coast Junior Team Trials Nantahala River, March 27-28th, 2010

Hosted By - The Nantahala Racing Club, Wesser NC
Entry Form & USACK Waiver - Click here to open entry form, click here to open waiver form.
Race Format - Team Trials will consist of two Sprint races both on Saturday March 27th, 2010 where the times will be combined for a Sprint result; and a single Classic race on Sunday March 28th, 2010.
Sprint - Saturday's Sprint course is on the Nantahala River and will start a little above Patton's Run rapid located at the Forest Service put-in at the head of the river 8 miles upstream of the NOC, and will end below Patton's Run rapid. The start line is the top of the eddy at the Forest Service put-in. The finish line is the second of the three concrete ramps below Pattons. Fastest K1 times are expected to be close to 70 seconds. Pattons Run is a straight forward rapid to get thru, but technically challenging to do fast. Racers should park in the abundant parking at the Forest Service put-in, NOT in the limited number of spaces at the overlook parking area. Shuttle can comfortably be walked along the wide shoulder on US-19/74. Please walk on the left facing the traffic and stay as far away from the road as possible.
Classic - Sunday's European style classic race is on the Nantahala River and will start at Ferebee Park put-in and finish below the Ledges Rapid at Jump Off Rock, approximately 3 miles downstream. Fastest times are expected to be close to 13 minutes. This section of river includes long sections of fun class 2 and 3 whitewater. Ferebee Park will be closed to all parking as the Forest Service completes extensive renovations to the facilities. There are several put-in's immediately upstream of Ferebee Park allowing you to simply paddle to the start. There is NO racer egress or parking at the finish line at Jump Off Rock. The limited number of parking spaces will be reserved for the timing team at this location. Egress and parking for all racers is at Surfers, located about a mile downstream of the finish line.
Race Schedule - A competitors meeting will be held on Friday, March 26th, 2010 at the Nantahala Outdoor Center, Wesser, NC where the final race schedule will be announced. A complete event schedule will be announced no later than 7 days in advance of the event on www.usawildwater.com.
Classes - The classes will be men's kayak (K-1), women's kayak (K-1W), men's single canoe (C-1), women's single canoe (W-C1) and men's tandem canoe (C-2). Juniors will have the same classes. Plastic boats will have a K-1 and K1-W class. Other classes will be added as the need arises. You may race in no more than two (2) classes.
Team Selection - All paddlers are encouraged to race, but in order to be selected for the USA Wildwater Team you must meet the official team selection criteria as established by the USACK Wildwater Committee and the International Canoe Federation. These criteria are available on www.usawildwater.com and www.canoeicf.com All athletes competing at Team Trials (juniors and seniors) must be current members of USA Canoe/Kayak (USACK). Event-Only membership will be available at the event. Verify membership or become a paid member at www.usack.org or (704) 348-4330.
Safety - The Nantahala is primarily a Class II river, with the occasional Class III rapid. Because of the ease of self-rescue on the Nantahala, race safety will only be provided at key rapids. If you are not comfortable with self-rescue, please reconsider your participation.
Boat Inspection – Wildwater boats, pfd's and helmets will be inspected prior to the race. All boats will be checked for adequately installed and inflated airbags per ICF rules. Additionally, equipment will be re-inspected during and after the race to determine if ICF specifications are met. Be sure your equipment qualifies before you start or risk disqualification! Boat specifications and rules can be reviewed at the ICF Wildwater site (www.canoeicf.com). It is the racers responsibility to familiarize themselves with the ICF rules and make sure that their equipment meets these standards. Failure to meet these requirements will result in disqualification.
River Pass - The race course flows thru the Nantahala National Forest and all races on the Nantahala are therefore sanctioned by the US Forest Service. This sanctioning body requires all river users to buy a river pass. Annual river passes are available at the NOC Outfitters Store for $5. A Daily Pass for $1 is available at most put-in and take-outs. It is your responsibility to comply or pay the fine if you do not and are caught by the Forest Service. The river pass fees are used to maintain and improve river access and facilities along the Nantahala River corridor.
Releases - Dams owned by Duke Power controls the water flow in the last 8 miles of the Nantahala before Fontana Lake. Race starts may have to be adjusted to meet the release schedule. If you're coming to the Nantahala to train, you may want to check the dam release schedule at the link below. It takes approximately 2.25 hours for the release to reach the NOC. Special releases have been secured on Friday March 26th from 0700-1700hrs, Saturday March 27th from 0500-1700hrs and Sunday March 28th from 0500-1600hrs. Recreational flow schedules outside of these dates will provide training water from 1000-1500hrs every day from March 8th-25th, 2010. For updated flow information, check http://www.duke-energy.com/lakes/nantahala/nan-scheduled-flow-releases.asp
Airports – The closest airports are Asheville NC (70 minutes) and Knoxville TN (2 hours). The closest major international airport hubs include Charlotte, NC (2.5 hours) and Atlanta, GA (2.5 hours).
Available Boats – For those of you flying or driving large distances or those new to wildwater without the necessary equipment, a small number of boats are available. These boats include composite K1's, C1's and C2's and a number of Wavehoppers and Fastwaves. This equipment is owned by the Nantahala Racing Club and is available on a first come first serve basis. Contact the race director early to reserve your equipment.
Accommodation - The Nantahala Gorge can be crowded and parking may be a challenge if the weather is warm. Make your lodging and camping reservations for race weekend early. If you are coming up to train before the race, you'll find many area campgrounds closed until April. Try the Nantahala Outdoor Center's Base Camp for an inexpensive alternative (828-488-2175 or www.noc.com) or refer to Swain County's Chamber of Commerce listing of area lodging (www.greatsmokies.com)
Rafts - While race organizers will work with area companies, some raft and private boater traffic on the Nantahala may be unavoidable. The Nantahala is wide and over taking easy in most situations. A simple shout as you approach private boaters is usually enough for them to move out of your way.
Shuttles - A shuttle will be provided to the start on both race days. If you are at the Nantahala training on weekends, it is fairly easy to leave your boat at the put-in, drop your vehicle at the take-out, and thumb a ride off a boater back to the top. The Nantahala Outdoor Center will also shuttle you for a small fee or for free if you are a NRC member.
Registration - To register for the race, complete a registration form and waiver from www.usawildwater.com. Early registration is recommended and saves you money, but race day registration will be available at additional cost.
Volunteers - Got a friend who is coming with you? Race organizers would be grateful for any volunteers who can help out race weekend. Contact race organizers to volunteer.

Please note that this information may change as the need arises and at the discretion of race organizers. Check back at www.usawildwater.com frequently for the latest updates. This event will be part of the US Open which will also include an International Slalom event.

-Reported by Chris Hipgrave

February 2 , 2010

Last weekend we took a trip to Washington, DC to participate in biomechanical testing perform by German scientist Dr Jurgen Sperlich, internationally recognized expert on canoeing biomechanics. In the test he measured forces generated on the paddle, acceleration and speed and all of this coordinated with the video so athletes were able to see on the computer screen performance of their single strokes. This test was very useful in catching any technical flaws that athletes might have especially those not seen by naked eye. Despite the cold weather and good amount of snow on the ground, we also did some whitewater training at the Dickerson course.

-Rafal Smolen

January 18, 2010

NRC resumed the group sessions this week after the Holidays. Some athletes just came back from USACK winter training camp at Olympic Training Center in Lake Placid, NY, some of them from family vacations. Everyone was excited about getting back in the boat even just on the flat water. The Whitewater Center is closed for clean up and annual maintenance so our main training site for next couple months will be the Catawba. We are also planning to take more trips to NOC on weekends to stay in touch with moving water.
After frigid temperatures at the beginning of the month the weather is much nicer to us now and our first trip to NOC this year over the last weekend we enjoyed a day with sun and 60 degrees highs. With a lot of rainfall last fall, the Nantahala is running more now than it did previous year and we hope to paddle here through next couple of months. Thanks to Lee Leibfarth and NOC for helping with accommodations -- without your help we wouldn't be able to do much of needed training right now.

-Rafal Smolen

January 6, 2010

At the end of the last year we had several opportunities for good quality whitewater training at the US Whitewater Center in Charlotte even with the limited operation hours for public – just weekends in November and December. First, NRC held the Thanksgiving camp over the last week of November and with cooperation between NRC, USACK and USNWC we were able to have 10 whitewater sessions on competition channel over that week. Second, we joined with Canadian Team that came for training camp held on December 12 to 20 and finally some athletes were invited to the Holiday Camp organized by Performance Paddlesport between Christmas and New Years. Now USNWC is closing whitewater operations for two months so we are going to travel looking for whitewater elsewhere.

-Rafal Smolen

January 5, 2010

With the New 2010 Year we are starting this new page to keep ya'll informed about our adventures. NRC is dedicated to help athletes to get to high level national and international performances in whitewater kayaking and canoeing and here you can follow their journey through competitive racing. HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

-Rafal Smolen