While Chris Wing and I were off boating on the Cheoah Saturday; my good friend, Andrew Bentley from Elizabethton, TN, was live at the 13th Annual GNAR Race to report for World Kayak.  Below is his full story:   

Pat Keller was the 2008 Green River Narrows race overall winner this past Saturday with a time of 4:31.  Eric Deguil won the short boat division with a time of 5:01.  Chris Gragtmans came in second place in both the long and short boat divisions. 

For those brave spectators who scrambled down into the gorge, and those capable enough to paddle in, competitors gave it their best in perhaps less than perfect conditions given the lower-than-usual level that the Green released at on Saturday.  This year’s winning time was four seconds off of Andrew Holcombe’s 2007 winning time, due in large part to the lower flow.  With the lower flow came more exposed rocks to slow racers down. 

Gorilla proved to be the most challenging rapid in the race.  With the lower level, the Notch above Gorilla became steeper, and a cresting wave formed at the launch pad at Gorilla.  Last year’s champ, Holcombe, and first racer off of the starting line, got spun around somewhere between the Notch and launch pad and ended up running Gorilla backwards.  Obviously thankful to have had a clean line despite being backwards, Holcombe looked up at the crowd on the rocks, and gave us all some fist pumps of relief just before running (Scream machine) backwards.  We knew at this point that if the reigning champ had such a hair-raising line through arguably the toughest rapid in the race, those racers to come were going to give us a good show!  Pat Keller came blazing through Gorilla shortly after Holcombe.  It was clear that he had gained some serious ground as he passed through very shortly after Holcombe.  The third competitor through likewise gave us a scare as he ran Gorilla sideways, only to be kicked back around straight at the last minute as the stern of his boat knocked off of the river right ledge that creates the curtain.

Other noteworthy sights at Gorilla:  Dave Hepp came crashing over Gorilla in his C-1 long boat only to roll up with a broken paddle.  It appeared that he had also busted the stern of his boat.  He couldn’t continue the race.  A guy in a Dagger green boat completely missed his boof at Gorilla and pitoned straight down onto the rocks.  But he rolled up, shook it off, and continued the race.  One competitor entered Gorilla upside down but rolled at the last second at the lip of the launch pad.  The spectators breathed a collective sigh of relief on that one.  Several racers tried to catch the river right eddy below the notch, but got washed out the back of the eddy and ran Gorilla backwards.  A hand paddler hit his boof at Gorilla and clapped his hands together above his head in mid air before he crashed down below in the speed trap.  A dude raced in a Shredder.

The crowd did seem to be a bit off from last year, but they were as raucous us usual.  Competitors made a total of 101 runs throughout the race (some participating in several divisions, ie long, short, hand paddle, etc.).

Other noteworthy finishers included:  Last year’s overall champ Andrew Holcombe finished in 5^th place despite his backwards run at Gorilla.  Fergus Coffey tied several others for 10^th place at 4:56.  Clay Wright placed 5^th in the short boat division paddling an old style Jackson Rocker.  Interesting choice of boat.  Adam Herzog placed 27^th.  Keith Sprinkle continued his dominance as champion hand paddler.  Only three women competed this year, with Adriene Levknecht and Laura Farrell tying with a time of 5:40.  They placed 56^th overall.  The third woman was Louise Urwin.

Check out LVM for full race results and video.

Thanks Andrew Bentley for the event coverage!