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Reno River Festival: Who's who in the competitions? |
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Written by Tahoe World staff
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Tuesday, 06 May 2008 |
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The Reno River Festival invites and attracts some of the best freestyle and slalom kayakers in the world. Here are a few notable competitors to watch out for:
Men
Eric Jackson of Tennessee is the current five-time World Freestyle Kayak Champion and winner of the 2006 Reno River Festival. Eric (known in the industry as EJ) is founder of Jackson Kayak. Jackson is a three-time Olympic athlete who helps to push the sport as head of Team JK (Jackson Kayak), his personally-sponsored kayaking team.
 Jay Kincaid, a Northern Nevada local and the 2003 World Freestyle Kayak Champion, finished third in last year’s Reno River Festival and was champion in 2004. Kincaid has every intention of bringing the Reno River Festival crown back to the Reno-Tahoe area.
Ben Guska, from Palm Bay, Fla., has participated in several sports and started kayaking when he was 15. After entering some competitions, he began traveling shortly after high school and has been competing ever since. He has since relocated to Colorado to be closer to his favorite kayaking courses.
Bryan Kirk of Charlottesville, Va. is a five-time member of the U.S. Men’s Freestyle Kayak Team and was the 2002 Bronze World Freestyle medalist. He has more than 18 years whitewater kayaking experience, including professionally competing in freestyle events around the world.
Nick Troutman, a Canadian, placed third at the 2007 World Kayak Championships. After racking up a host of titles as a junior competitor, 19-year-old Troutman is strong on the scene in the men’s division.
Women
 Ruth Gordon, 2007 World Freestyle Kayak Champion and current Canadian National Champion, is also the first female kayaker to perform a flatwater loop. She has been featured in five kayaking films including Girls at Play and The Ultimate Guide to Sea Kayaking. One of Gordon’s primary goals is to encourage and foster the growth of women in the sport of kayaking.
Tanya Faux, an Australian kayaker and outdoor recreation instructor, is the returning 2005, 2006 and 2007 Reno River Festival women’s freestyle champion. Placing second at the 2007 World Freestyle Kayak Championship last week, one can bet that Tanya is looking forward to her rematch with Ruth Gordon.
Eighteen-year-old Emily Jackson, a member of the Jackson ‘first family’ of kayaking and the youngest female to navigate the Zambezi and Nile Rivers, became the 2007 World Kayak Champion in the junior women’s division. She will compete in the women’s division at the 2007 Reno River Festival. Emily first wowed the crowd at the 2005 Reno River Festival placing second in the Women’s Invitational Freestyle and third in the Women’s Open Boater Cross at the age of 15.
New Zealand native Nikki Kelley returns to the Reno River Festival after a 2nd place finish in the 2005 Women’s Open Boater Cross. At age 16, Kelley won a high school outdoor education scholarship to train as a raft guide and worked as a rafting guide until the age of 20 when kayaking took over her life.
Juniors
Dane Jackson, an amazing 14-year-old kayaker and son of Eric Jackson and younger brother to Emily Jackson, has come a long way with his paddling skills during the last year, placing third in the 2007 World Kayak Championships Junior Division last week.
Reno local Jason Craig took first at junior national kayak competition in Salida, Colo. The 13-year-old first learned to kayak at the inaugural Reno River Festival in 2004 and has since had a meteoric rise in the sport. Craig trains with professional Jay Kincaid on the Truckee River in Reno.
Photos by Keith Sheffield: Jason Craig and Jay Kincaid (top) hope to represent Reno well at the 2008 Reno River Festival. Ruth Gordon (below) knows that the other women will be gunning for her since she is the reigning World Freestyle Champion.
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