Spring Break Gone Wild: Team Necky in Alabama

Download the video. Click Here! 6.9mb quicktime format

Well, I’ve always wanted to be like those people on MTV’s Spring Break, and this weekend I’ve finally gotten my chance. As a result of the lack of water for this year’s creeking competition, Spencer Cooke, Joey Hall, and myself packed up our boats and headed to the partying mecca of the East Coast– Guntersville, Alabama. My professors were nice enough to let me take my exams on Thursday, so we left Asheville at 3:00 on Thursday. Seven hours later we arrived at our destination, and finally got to sleep in the deluxe Motel 8 accomodations after hours of hanging with Carson Daly and all of our groupies. Here’s a picture of us in front of the Alabama state capitol building, built in 1789, very historic.



To our surprise there was also a kayaking competition going on nearby on the Warrior river and Short Creek! Short Creek was the site for the first day of competition; the waterfall was about fifteen feet tall, and probably the most user-friendly drop that I have ever seen. It would be very difficult to hurt yourself on this one. There were tonnes of good paddlers present, throwing all sorts of tricks off of the drop. I think that I watched more freewheels in three hours than I ever have in my whole life, and there were also some new tricks ripped out for the judges. The highlights were definately Andrew Holcombe’s attempted backflips ending in a faceplant every time, Spencer’s two-point freewheels, and Charlie Center’s winning rock-spin to kickflip. The races were also a super fun event, with three paddlers racing at a time off the waterfall, around a buoy, and then back underneath the veil to the finish line.
Here are some photos of the waterfall event:

Spencer hucking his way to a third place in the big trick.


Joey representing for the Saluda boyz.


Me going for the back pan-am.


Spencer and I going for the double.


Joey wheeling again.


Spence wheeling up close.


Day two was the more traditional freestyle competition, with a big-trick and a hole-riding competition held at Ender Hole on the Warrior. Although the water was on the low side, the hole was still fun and most tricks were still possible. Andrew Holcombe and the Jackson Kayaks small hole experts were the obvious favourites for these two events, but other highlights of the day include the sick kicker ramp that was built at the campsite, the kegs donated by Sweetwater, and the unlimited amount of chicken that was cooked on Saturday night. Thanks boys for a sick event! We'll be back next year.

Check out the video from the event.
Download the video. Click Here! 6.9mb quicktime format

Music on this video segment is by Despistado

Thanks to Mark Travis of the NAWF for additional filming.

*All photos by Joey Hall and Layla Eissa*