by Shelton Steele

Hairy Scary: Green River Downriver Race Preview The southern Appalachians boast some of the best year-round whitewater, and for those extreme paddlers who desire whitewater runs with gradient comparable to our local ski runs, options are abundant. The Green River remains one of the favorites in the region, due to its consistent year-round dam releases. Most celebrated is the section of the Green River known as the “Narrows”-a steep section of class-V whitewater that is well recognized throughout the world.

Just as the Green River has defined difficult Southeastern white water, it has also defined an exceptional group of class V kayakers. The Narrows has served as a tool to sharpen the skills of local kayakers, affording them the ability to lay claim to some of the most difficult white water runs in the world. While these locals journey all over the globe in search of new challenges and accomplishments, the Green River remains the home run.

So what do a group of exceptional paddlers do to up the ante? Race. Nine years ago a group of local Green River boaters decided to formalize an unspoken challenge and set up a race through the Narrows. The Narrows is home to notable Class V rapids, including Frankentsein, Go Left and Die, Gorilla, Scream Machine, Rapid Transit and Sunshine. The race is set up through a mile-long section of the most difficult rapids on the river, known as the Monster Mile. The racers paddle by themselves against the clock, in an attempt to navigate the series of tremendous rapids as fast as possible.

In December of 1996, an elite group of 16 kayakers put body and pride on the line for the first annual Green Race. The Green Race has grown in numbers since that cold weekend in ‘96, but the race remains a grassroots event, maintained and coveted by local paddlers. Other extreme kayaking races around the country have achieved relative fame and publicity, boasting cash purses and “world titles.” Local racers like Al Gregory, Jason Hale, Tommy Hilleke, and Pat Keller are top contenders in these extreme races. However, all of these top paddlers still believe that the Green Race is the finest extreme race in the country.

“The caliber of whitewater and the length of the race makes the Green Race more difficult than any other race,” says Hale.

Local racers spend the fall training by doing countless Green runs, as well as flatwater cardiovascular workouts. Four-time race winner Tommy Hilleke says the Green Race is the only race he trains for, dismissing all the other races as superfluous.

Why? The Green Race doesn’t boast money or fame as a prize, but what it does retain is an unspoken title as the best local paddler amongst a group of the best paddlers in the world.

The Green Race takes place the first weekend in November every year. Catch this year’s action November 6 at the Green. For more information about the race, consult http://webpages.charter.net/lelandd/paddle/.

Shelton Steele paddles creeks and rivers throughout the southern Appalachians. He can be reached at Shelton_Steele@hotmail.com.