By Kayla Carter
Home to many gear manufacturers and waterways, Western North Carolina fosters an enthusiastic paddle sports community. “Paddlers in general share a lot of values and, of course, share the love of the river,” says Shane Benedict, cofounder of Asheville-based kayak manufacturer Liquidlogic (liquidlogickayaks.com). “It gives us the opportunity to explore the wilderness in a way that very few people are able to.”
Liquidlogic plays a central role in the production of kayaks as well as building a sense of camaraderie by supporting other paddle sport enthusiasts. “When you paddle down the river, you aren’t alone,” says Shane. “You are counting on others to watch your back and help you out if you have problems. When you share those types of experiences, you develop strong bonds and connections with other paddlers.”
Over the past 150 years, paddle sports have evolved from more leisurely rafting and canoeing into a web of exciting and more extreme options such as kayaking, stand up paddleboarding (SUP), whitewater rafting, and now bellyaking.
Local company Bellyak (bellyak.com) invented one of the latest ways to go down a river. They’ve partnered with Liquidlogic to make the bellyak, a boat that requires riders to travel face first, on their bellies. Webbed gloves are also part of the gear. Adam Masters, of Bellyak, agrees there is an impressive amount of knowledge and support locally. “There is always someone to turn to to ask questions. It’s great to be part of such a supportive network.”
He explains the idea behind the product. “I was just looking for a new way to play. I loved the simplicity and connection of hand paddling. Lying on top of my boat was something I tried one day just for fun, and the perspective was incredible.”
Bellyaks, Adam adds, offer an easy gateway into paddle sports for beginners and a revolutionary thrill for those already into boating. “I followed the fun and here we are now—the newest form of paddling.”
In his book, A History of Whitewater Paddling in Western North Carolina: Water Wise, Warren Wilson College’s paddling coach Will Leverette writes about the interesting paddle sport history here from 1923 to 1980.
“My family started whitewater paddling in Western North Carolina,” says Will. “My grandfather was the first person to run the French Broad River in 1923. The biggest rapid on the French Broad is named after him because he destroyed a wooden canoe there that day.” He says it’s still known as Frank Bell’s Rapid.
Throughout his entire life in paddling, Will has seen a lot of growth and innovation. “Paddling is a very therapeutic and beneficial experience for all kinds of people,” he says. “The paddling community has gotten so big now. It used to be that I knew everybody.”
Most WNC outfitters, such as Headwaters Outfitters, are equipped to accommodate all paddling enthusiasts. “We have a full rental program,” says Jessica Whitmire, the firm’s operations and marketing director. “We’ve had people rent for day, week, and even monthly rentals with SUP boards.” Jessica has noticed increasing popularity for SUPs on the Asheville’s French Broad Paddle Trail. “Paddleboards over the last five years have really taken off. There’s everything from lake SUP to yoga SUP.”
Anna Levesque combines her expertise in yoga, whitewater kayak instruction, and SUP for women through Girls at Play (watergirlsatplay.com). The organization’s mission is to build confidence and empower women through watersports and yoga.
“I find that whitewater kayaking teaches us so much about good decision-making, facing our fears, working as a team, and also overcoming challenges,” she says. “All of these things we learn on the river can always apply to our daily lives.”
Asheville is the perfect place to be a kayak maker and rider of rivers, adds Shane. “There are enough rivers in the area that you could paddle your whole life and not know them all,” he says.
Jessica’s favorite spot along the French Broad River is the upper section, which is about 30 minutes from Asheville in Transylvania County. “It’s great Class I water,” she says. “It’s great for beginners and it’s the beginning of the French Broad.”
Anna finds the easiest run in Asheville to be the French Broad, which runs through Asheville. For more difficult sections, she tends to travel outside the city. “There’s also the lower Green near Saluda,” she says. “The Green has sections from moderate all the way up to expert. There’s also Section 9 of the French Broad near Hot Springs.”
Matt’s favorite place to paddle is The Big Laurel in Madison County. “It’s a beautiful little creek with great scenery and fun rapids,” he says. “Also, the Nolichucky Gorge, though not technically in WNC, but in Erwin, Tennessee. It is an all time favorite for Bellyaking as well.”
Adam says paddlers gravitate to WNC for a year-round season and plenty of places to play in the water.
“There is so much diversity here—from beginner to beyond expert, and plenty of runs to satisfy both,” Adam says.
While many spots are rain dependent, some—such as The Green River near Saluda and some sections of the French Broad and Nolichucky—are paddleable most of the year.
The plethora of paddling opportunities has created an ever-growing interest in boating. “Out of that strong alliance of boaters come strong ideas and creativity about the sport we love,” says Shane. “In a way, it makes Asheville an incubator for paddling thoughts and theory.”
Kayla Carter is a freelance writer and local food advocate living in Limestone, Tennessee. (Photos courtesy of Liquidlogic)
