In the world of kayaking, mention of the Mississippi River doesn’t usually evoke images of rumbling whitewater. But for Professor Jim Smith, it does.
He remembers paddling behind a tugboat pushing a row of barges just to catch a ride on the wave stream that followed.
“Living in Memphis, if you want to kayak, you have to be creative,” said Smith, a part-time kayaking instructor at the University of Memphis.
Smith, who has been kayaking for 18 years, sees more people kayaking now than 10 years ago, but there have been slight boosts in popularity before.
“I remember after
Deliverance came out, it seemed like 15 people died on the Chattooga River,” Smith said.
More people than ever are kayaking today, because the sport offers something for everyone.
Last year, 3.5 million people went kayaking, according to an industry report done by the National Sporting Goods Association. The numbers are up because people are beginning to use kayaks in various ways for kayak fishing, surf kayaking, kayak racing and touring and the ever-popular whitewater kayaking.
Contrary to belief, not all kayaking enthusiasts are out to tackle the biggest rapids.
Some, like Mary Mathis, prefers the solitude a kayak allows.
Smith, president of the Tennessee Eastman Canoeing and Kayak Club, most appreciates the exhilaration of kayaking.
“I love getting to a beautiful place that can only be reached in a kayak,” Mathis said.
Kayak fishing and surf kayaking are other outlets for kayakers not enticed by whitewater. Recreational kayaking naturally lends itself to fishing, just as fishing from any other man-powered boat.
Surf kayaking has especially taken off, with boats specially designed for the ocean.
The occupant sits on top of the kayak, which is flat except for some grooves, and paddles around riding waves.
Whitewater kayaking is by far the most well-known category of the sport and boasts the most innovative designs. This category also encompasses the biggest risk takers in the sport.
Some of these thrill seekers participate in whitewater rodeos that are similar to competitions in skateboarding or snowboarding.
Participants are able to maneuver their kayaks into doing tricks with names like the cartwheel, the pirouette and the 360.
New kayak designs allow for even more maneuverability and more speed.
“The new whitewater kayaks are for faster water and for doing tricks,” said Jason Johns, who works at Outdoors, Inc. on Poplar Avenue.
