Here Comes the New Kid

October 22, 2014

I guess I should introduce myself, I'm Gnar Fairy Hannah Groves. You could say that water has always been one of my elements. I learned how to swim before I could walk and I was always finding a way to explore the creeks at the park down the road from my house. When I was a kid my Aunt would take me on float trips down the French Broad and I would swim and mess around in her friend's whitewater kayak in branching off creeks. You could say that I was being gently coaxed into the world of whitewater. By the time I was 12 I had experience whitewater rafting on the Pigeon River and Section 9 of the French Broad. I would continue to raft on the Pigeon until I was 15. I wouldn't get back on a river till I was 18.  But during that time I was always trying to find a way to learn how to whitewater kayak and I would dream about the days I would spend on the river with camps, youth groups, or family.
By my senior year of high school I decided to act on my dream of being a raft guide. I tried to apply for a rafting job and failed to find a good starter outpost and sadly had to put my dream off another year. This only fueled my drive even more and in the Summer of 2013 I began my rafting career with Rolling Thunder River Co. on the Nantahala River in Bryson City, NC.  Since then I have been trying to further my knowledge and experience on the water. This past January I began breaking ground on my new adventure of whitewater kayaking. I went to different local colleges an attended their roll clinics, absorbing as much information as I could. After that I continued on gaining experience with another summer on the Nantahala with Thunder and a few more experiences with kayaking.
This past summer definitely immersed me even more in the love of whitewater. I started planning for festivals and fun runs on different rivers so that I could keep it a constant in my life.  It also helped my learn what I want to do for the rest of my life as a career.
This all eventually led me to meet fellow Gnar Fairy Lee Turner at Gauley Fest 2014. We rafted the Upper Gauley together and with mutual friends. We had an instant connection and our paths became woven through some sparkly helmets and the urge to experience whitewater to the fullest.
Yeah, I am an extreme novice when it comes to kayaking but, this crew isn't about experience and skill. It's about being a girl who wants to have an epic time on the water. I am so excited to have this opportunity to increase my knowledge, skill, and integration of my love of art and my love of whitewater.  So stay tuned for the triumphs, the failures, the learning experiences, the boofs, the bails, the art, and the airs!

- The New Kid (Han-Gnar)

My Whitewater Philosophy: Lee's Story

My days on the river began when I was young. Staring at the banks of the New, I had this connection to the water I would not fully comprehend until college. My father, a backpacker, and my mother, a scuba diver, found balance with one another by taking my brother and I to paddle every chance they got. I explored many a river and lake before I hit the peak of boredom. I wanted to go faster. I rowed in high school and college until I embraced kayaking once more. This time, though, it would be on something much more powerful.

At this point in my life I saw whitewater as a tool to prove myself and my worth to others. However, it wasn't long before being on the river became a deeper, more primal need. Whitewater became my home, my sanctuary, and everyone I had tried to legitimize myself to became obsolete. Only through time and experience did I learn to respect those waters that seemed to embrace me no matter my flaws. I paddle for myself and myself alone, striving to discover of what I am ultimately capable. Whitewater gives me a kind of spiritual guidance that I could only hope to share with anyone in the sport.

It's why we started this team. This isn't just something we are doing to pass the time or provide a temporary adrenaline rush. It is the lifestyle I have chosen to lead. A way of life I can pour my heart, soul, blood, and sweat into. I paddle with a fierce love and respect for the river that has given me an extraordinary purpose that I will continue to purse the rest of my days. It will be something I will absolutely pass on to future generations.

Whitewater shows me my possibilities and how they are truly endless. I will seek, find, and conquer obstacles I face as my story continues. I will welcome them with open arms and be the person I would dare to say is

happy.


-Gnar Fairy Lee

Our GNARly Intro

We start with an experienced paddler and a beginner. Each has a different motivation but the same end goal in mind. Here, we want to show from different perspectives the challenges, the triumphs, and of course the whitewater we face. What will each new experience mean to us and how will it make us better paddlers and most importantly better people? What will each river have to teach us on this journey to enlightenment?
We hope that whatever we have to share in the near future will help paddlers just like us to conquer fears and push themselves to their personal limit. When we are out there on the water, we each have something to prove to ourselves. Through every swim and every boof, we learn.

We are the GNAR Fairies.

I hope you enjoy all that we have to show you.