2023 Upper Gauley River

In 2023, the Upper Gauley treated me well with a personal first descent and an epic 30 seconds of Panic Rolling on the fourth drop of a rapid called "lost paddle". Once I successfully rolled up (at 15:01 in the video), I had three of the best strokes in my paddling career.

It all began when I adjusted from panic to a class V boater with a sweep roll (smooth torso rotation) that gathered significantly more surface tension than the c-to-c rolls that work so well when you are on a lake, but not in aerated water.

...then the real paddling began
​-Boom Hot Take

In order to recover my line on this part of the rapid called "tumble home", I needed a forward brace and two draws strokes around a whirlpool and above a rock.

Panic Rolling

2023 event that changed my life forever.
I experienced 30 seconds of difficult water. This raw footage was accurately described as "terrifying".

If you don't have five (5) minutes to hear the AI documentary review. My Helmet cam footage (starting at the 14:39 timestamp) can be reviewed by pressing the "30 Second Video Review" link to my YouTube kayak footage.

30 Second Video Review

Doc - Epic Class V Recovery

AI confabulation

AI could not quite visualize what rolling in a class V rapid looks like, or even call is a class "five" rapid.  But they were really good at describing the four recovery strokes that I used to emerge from this rapid... after multiple ineffective panic roll attempts.

Gemini

dont: unsolvable problems

Personal, 4th descent of Lost Paddle

I was descending the final rapid of lost paddle, capsized by a strong eddy and failing to get upright. It was during this moment of supreme motivation that I decided that I would perform at my highest level of athleticism. After several failed attempts, I decided to execute the most effective 4 paddles strokes of my life with an onside sweep role, followed by an immediate forward brace, and two draw strokes around a potentially fatal swimming hazard.