Urban whitewater-it sounds like an oxymoron. But when you’re stuck in the city with a boat and a paddle (hey, it happens), you’ll do anything to get a quick fix. Paddling within the city limits has its share of unsavory obstacles-factories spew, punks litter, and hypodermic needles float. But you are a whitewater warrior, and dammit, you have needs. Sure, the water might look like chocolate milk and smell like week-old potato salad, but the rapids still roar and the secret play spots are still calling. So grab a nose plug and get ready to go kayaking, skyscraper style.

by Jedd Ferris

James River, Richmond, Va.

The Beta: Rarely do whitewatewr opportunities abound within a stone's throw from downtown. In Richomnd, the James River flows through the heart of the city, dropping more than 100 feet over the fall line where it changes to tidal waters. As Earl Swift writes in his famous book Journey on the James, the river “gnaws through the last vestiges of an ancient volcano on its drive to the sea, its waters split and squeezed into a chaos of chutes, cascades, and swirls.” A five-mile run from the Upper to Lower James will move from tamer beginner runs like the class II Pony Pasture to bigger breaks like the class IV Hollywood and Pipeline. Novices can take out at Reedy Creek, the halfway point just before the bigger swells start to show.

The Fest: On June 16-17 the James River Adventure Games takes place on the shores of Brown’s Island. In addition to trail running, mountain biking, and off-road triathlon races in conjunction with the XTerra East Championship, the event also uses the James’ urban rapids to host the River City Rodeo freestyle comp and the Jammin’ on the James boatercross.

The Club: Richmond Whitewater Club-www.logicdepot.com/RichmondWhitewater.

The Word: “There are class Vs out there when the river hits flood level,” says Summer Gentry of the Richmond Whitewater Club. “There’s something for everyone between the upper and the lower, and on a nice day you’ll see the crowds to prove it. The river is so wide; depending on the level you can run different sides and different sections.”

CHATTAHOOCHEE RIVER, ATLANTA, GA.

The Beta: While many novice paddlers cut their teeth on the class II, 3.5-mile stretch known as the Metro Hooch, braver boaters prefer the bigger rapids on adjoining creeks like Sope, Sweetwater, and Rottenwood, when heavy rains permit. Sope is known as one of the best whitewater runs in the metro area, flowing over a series of bedrock ledges that can turn into some hairy class V action at high water. The four-mile stretch from Sweetwater Creek State Park to the Hooch flows through a series of class IV drops, including the Falls, a tough run that usually needs to be scouted.

The Club: Atlanta Whitewater Club – www.atlantawhitewaterclub.com, Georgia Canoeing Association - www.georgiacanoe.org.

The Word: ”Sope and Rottenwood are very rain dependent,” says Atlanta paddler and American Whitewater board member Don Kinser. “This is rain falling on an urban environment, so there is a lot of pavement and impervious surfaces. It rains and runs off, and the river flashes very quickly. When you hit them at the right time, they can get really big.”

POTOMAC RIVER, MATHER GORGE, WASHINGTON, D.C.

The Beta: The centerpiece of whitewater paddling around the nation’s capital is the Potomac’s Mather Gorge, which starts at Great Falls-just 12 miles from the District. While running the 20-foot falls is a lofty proposition reserved for only the most seasoned boaters, downstream the river flows through a seven-mile stretch of class III-IV rapids like Observation Deck, S-Turn, and the surf-friendly Rocky Island. Water levels can drastically alter the rapids on this run. More technical than the bigger open water of the Great Falls lines are the Difficult Run rapids-an adjoining tributary from the Virginia side that features three popular chutes separated by boulders.

The Fest: On the weekend of July 13-15 boaters will gather for Potomac Whitewater Festival. The paddler party has beginner clinics, river festivities, and the spectator-favorite Great Falls Race, as well as a boatercross-side-by-side boater racing down the gorge. www.potomacfest.com.

The Club: Potomac River Paddlers-

www.potomacpaddlers.com.

The Word: “Mather Gorge is the most uniquely diverse and accessible paddling opportunity 365 days a year in an urban venue,” says D.C. paddler Risa Shimoda. “There’s no other city that has the range of paddling options and the year-round access that we do.”

CATAWBA RIVER,

CHARLOTTE, N.C.

The Beta: In 2008 new dam re-licensing will open up whitewater opportunities around the Great Falls of the Catawba River, located near Rock Hill, S.C., just south of Charlotte. Two different channels will run around a huge island. The first is a wide-open 1.5-mile class II-III stretch filled with boulder gardens. The second is a shorter channel with classic play spots, the run starts with a ledge drop and moves into a long wave train. As part of a new state park, a trail will be built alongside the short run, so boaters can pick their lines and do continuous laps.

The Word: “It’s phenomenal wave surfing,” says American Whitewater’s Kevin Colburn, who was able to spend a long day on the river as part of a flow study. “There are a lot of good little cartwheel spots. This is going to be an exciting new natural river option in the metropolitan area.”

The Park: With paddling options being limited in the Queen City, Charlotte took matters into its own hands and built a whitewater park. The U.S. National Whitewater Center (www.usnwc.org) opened last August. The park’s manmade waterway has four different adjustable channels of class III-IV whitewater that will be used as a designated Olympic training site. It’s open to the public for $15.

The Fest: The U.S National Whitewater Center's 2nd Annual Whitewater Festival will take place on September 15. Last year, over 6,000 outdoor enthusiasts turned out for the inaugural event. Get wet and wild at the largest whitewater center in the South.

REEDY RIVER, GREENVILLE, S.C.

The Beta: The Reedy River runs right through downtown Greenville. Long plagued by industrial pollution efforts have recently turned to cleaning up the waterway. The most popular paddling run stretches between Log Shoals Road and West Georgia Road. The class II-III run is easily accessible, just 15 minutes from the heart of downtown.

The Fest: The Friends of the Reedy uses the Log Shoals stretch for its annual Paddlefest in April, and as a result works to keep the run safe and clear of debris year-round.

The Clubs: Foothills Paddling Club-groups.yahoo.com/group/foothillspaddlingclub/

Friends of the Reedy River-www.friendsofthereedyriver.org.

The Word: “It’s growing in popularity, because it’s an easy place to go for an after-work 40-minute run,” says Dan Trout from the Friends of the Reedy. “It’s easy to reach, and it’s easy to park, so you’ll see the same people out there every week.” •