Giving Back

Good karma. Bad karma. Our whitewater universe has a whimsical way about it that makes us do funny things in order to appease our river gods. We have our bootie beers, confessions, and hilarious videos... but, you know, it's funny... aside from all that, our community is truly one in which we take care of each other and our world. Whether or not that's to allow for some good river karma is up to your own interpretation, but I find that our giving back to this dirtbag community truly enhances our intense experience and provides us with a way to spread the respect we have for nature.
In the waters we find our sanctuary, so it only makes sense for us to protect such precious places that give us the freedom we find in paddling. Through volunteering our time to assist in conservation efforts, we are able to demonstrate our appreciation to these natural arenas. We preserve so that we might give future generations a chance to experience the enlightenment and delight that is whitewater.

New River

Photo by Lee Turner

Even teaching others about this sport gives us the karmic outlet to pass on what we have learned and bring awareness to our wild and wondrous environment. Girls at Play, American Whitewater, Team River Runner, Gnar Fairies, Dirt Bag Paddlers. These organizations and others like them help to facilitate our charitable spirits and show others of what they are truly capable. We find ourselves drawn to bringing these individuals into this incredible world, giving them an opportunity to find something they may have been looking for, such as confidence, adventure, or even courage. It's powerful for us to see this progression, and we feed off of these satisfying emotions we receive when we see others succeed.

HanGnar practicing her sweep 

Photo by Lee Turner

Some of us will donate our time by instructing, others by writing, and some with art. Our goal is to inspire and give back to the rivers and community that fostered us as beginners. Go out with someone new to whitewater and show them how to roll. Volunteer at your next festival or river clean up. Write about your experiences in a blog post. These are true ways to spread good karma. Get involved and continue to make our way of life even more fantastic.

-Gnar Lee

Here are some of the organizations I mentioned. Please check out their websites and learn more.

http://www.watergirlsatplay.com

https://www.americanwhitewater.org

http://www.teamriverrunner.org

http://dbpmagazineonline.blogspot.com

Also, Gauley Fest 2015 is still in need of volunteers! Sign up with the link below.

http://www.formstack.com/forms/AW-gauley_fest_volunteer_registration