So far this year I have competed in 3 events, the US Open for Slalom, The Alabama Mountain Games and the TVille Triple Crown.

 

Both the Alabama Mountain Games and the TVille Triple Crown offered many different types of kayaking, from slalom, to freestyle, tricks off a water fall, wild water, and freestyle down the rapid!

 

This is very exciting for me because it gathers people who might not try waterfalls or wild water boats and gives them a chance to try them.

 

I love every aspect of kayaking, I love being in the water more then anything and competing is just a huge bonus. So combining the different types and then competing in them is my dream come true!

 

I enjoy trying my best in each class and its incredible how each type of kayaking can really benefit the other.

 

So next time you think someone looks funny in a longer boat or in their tiny playboat, go ahead and try to jump in one! First you’ll be surprised at how much fun they can really be and second who knows what you’ll learn!

 

This summer Katrina Van Wijk (Canadian Slalom Paddler) and I will be teaching a combo women’s clinic. 50/50 Slalom and Freestyle/ Whitewater on the Ottawa and Madawaska Rivers in Canada. Be sure to send me a message if you are interested!

 

Also don’t be shy to show up at one of these events, such as the Teva Mountain Games, Reno River Fest, FIBARK and try competing in all the different classes for fun! Maybe I will even lend you a small boat!

 

Big thanks to all the event organizers for catering to kayakers of all sorts! And who knows what sort of boat you will see me in next! Yesterday was a creek boat, today perhaps play boat!

 

See you on the water!

Emily

Hey Everyone!

Spring is here and its warming up fast! (At least in my corner of the world!)

Every year we gear up and head out on the road for several months at a time. And each time it gets more and more exciting…. I cant even begin to tell you how many different places, different experiences make me want to get back on the road even more. It’s like wondering whats going to happen next, as far as my next, here is my schedule for the year, several things are prior to change but be sure to hit me up if you in the area and maybe just maybe, we can go kayak!

Happy Paddling and Heres the Grand Itinerary

·       April:

9^th-11^th Triple Crown in Connecticut

12^th Visit with Action Bikes in PA

13^th Visit Blue Mountain in PA

14^thVisit Riversports in PA

15^th-18^th Drive West!

19^th-31^st Creek in California

·       May

9^th-11^th Reno River Festival

25^th Paddler Life Pro Invitational

28^th-30^th CKS Fest and BV Pro Rodeo

·       June

3^rd-6^th Teva Mountain Games

12^th-13^th LYONS River Festival

17^th-20^th FIBARK

25^th-27^th Natural Games in Millau, France

30^th- 1^st Team Trials in Missoula

·       July

Coaching the Keener Program

17-21 Inner City Kids Camp in NYC, NY

22-6 GRAND CANYON

·       August

Coach the Keener Program and Train on the Ottawa River

·       September

17-19 Gauley Festival

Leading a Women’s Guided Trip to Spain

Be sure to email me if you want to join me on any of my adventures!

Emily@jacksonkayak.com

Hey Everyone!

I hope everyone had an awesome Halloween! This past week I had a wonderful time running some new rivers! I would be lying if I said I wasnt nervous but the days were all successful.

The first river I did last Sunday was the Russell Fork! Wow! What an amazing run! The bigger rapids could be as easy or hard as you wanted them to be and all the boogie water was so much fun! I hadnt been in the Punk Rocker in awhile but boy could that boat boof! Never did I have to worry about making my boof! It was great to see so many people on the river! My favorite rapid was El Herrendo! It was bouncy and fast but one of the most fun rapids i have done in a long time!

The river I ran yesterday was Cane Creek. It was a little more intimidating because I had never been around so much wood. There were longs left and right. But the river really has a BC feel to it, deep in the gorge with big beautiful trees! So i guess with the beauty of all the trees there has to be some in the river!

As far as the rapids went, they all went super well. I walked one or two just so i can really see them for next time and because i dont like messing up on the first run because then i will be too scared to go back.

Really loved having my dry suit on, felt invincible in that thing! Nothings better than being dry at the take out!

Thanks to everyone who showed me the lines and helped me down the river!

Maybe i will be seeing some of you on these soon!!

Emily

I am 19 Years Old, I am Married, I have two Dogs, an awesome house on the lake in TN, I am the current World Champion Freestyle Kayaker, and I am a Philanthropist.

I just got home 2 weeks ago from traveling for 7 months. Once I get home I realize how crazy different my lifestyle is. I want to share with you how I already feel quite successful at such a young age.

My parents as well as my little brother always taught me one thing in life. You need to do what you love. People always grow up with these dreams of what they really enjoy doing and how they are going to be the fireman or the doctor or the finacial assistant but they end up selling themselves short. They dont pursue it all the way because they got other offers and did what other people told them would be a good idea.

How many kids go to college simply because its what their parents want. I am right around that age and I see each one of my friends going off to college for either two reasons, to party or because their parents really want them to. Or because thats what they are “supposed to do.” Most of them do a year, then take one off to rethink what they had started.

Everything I do, and where I am now i got here very simply, i just kept doing what i loved.

I loved my boyfriend  because I knew I could always make things work with him, and that i would be a happy, better person with him in my life, so I married him.

I love kayaking, it makes me truly happy and it allows me to express my competitive side in a happy super fun enviroment. And I get to be the best at something.

I love dogs and nothing is more rewards then saving a dog, which is why i now have two!

I have never had alot of money and I have never made very much so I always saved money growing up. Since i was 10, i loved knowing that the numbers were growing and i took so much pride in my little cash box.  Now using that moneyi saved a penny at a time,  i managed to buy an awesome house in TN.

Lastly I love knowing that i can live with so little, and I have so much. Our society expresses that we need so much to live. After visiting Africa numerous times I know that we need almost nothing to survive. Food, water, shelter and our health. That doesnt always keep me from buying ipods and cute clothes but I know that i dont need them.

The reason i give back is because I want people to know what it feels like to wake up and go to bed, not worrying about how your going to get your next meal, or how we shouldnt have drank that water because its making us sick. I want people to know what it feels like to not have to worry about where they are going to sleep, and most importantly not having to worry about making sure all their kids get to see adulthood.

The best thing you can do to give back to the world, is by starting with yourself and doing what you love. Because once you are truly happy, you will realize how easy giving back can really be.

Just got back from 5 awesome days in Lovely North Carolina while teaching the NOC Teen Camp. We had 4 students with us, each being enthusiastic, eager teenage boys. We started the week off with two days on the Natahala where we focused on strokes, rolls and basic river running. The next day we went and visited Big Rocks on the Arkasas river. Dillon and Jason were going for loops and cartwheels while Alex and Will were spening quite a bit of time visiting the fish. In the end everyone was super stoked just to be surfing it. Its a faster steeper hole so i was proud just watching them go in. And the carnage was awesome!

The next day was filled with the Action Packed Ocoee river. It was most of our kids 2nd or third trip down but it was Alex’s first. It was fun to see Alex progress through the day, it started off a little rough with a few swims and bumped heads but as we wear nearing our take out Alex had improved dramatically, as did his roll.

When we arrived at hell hole Dillion jumped in my two fun and it was the first time i actually saw him giggling and having a blast. He was throwing moves all over the hole and we had to pretty much drag him out of the river. Will was nervous about surfing hell hole and didnt want to go in, but once i forced him he asked that we didnt even run the river the next day but surf hell hole for the entire afternoon.

The last day was also spent on the Ocoee and everyone was super fired up for their last run. We had Alex running the meat of each rapid and succeeding each try with his roll. Everyone else had a blast during our goodbye surf at Hells Hole where we worked on spins and edge control. Big Kudos to all my students for their amazing improvements, each have amazing back deck rolls and can be seen kickflipping every tiny wave!

Big thanks to Andrew for driving us around and being the Mama Duck! Made the trip super fun for us!

If anyone ever wants to take a kids teen camp be sure to look up dates at the Natahala Outdoor Center!

Happy Paddling

Emily