Balancing grades, world-class training no problem for SCC Early College student
By Tyler Norris Goode • Contributor
Rowan Stuart’s favorite kayak maneuver is called the “Phonics Monkey” and involves spinning the vessel on its bow like a pirouette for a full 360 degrees then flipping the boat end over end.
There’s nothing easy about the trick, but Stuart’s ability to cleanly achieve it at high-level competitions is a big reason she’ll be competing in the Freestyle World Championships, the premier competition for freestyle paddling athletes, that start Sept. 2 in the Nantahala Gorge.
What is freestyle kayaking?
Combining an array of difficult tricks, precision paddling and finely tuned choreography, freestyle kayaking can be described as aquatic gymnastics.
Meet the athletes
Peter Csonka
Age: 28
Country: Slovakia
Awards: 2012 World Cup Champion
Day job: Kayak retailer
I was 12 when I started paddling. We had a group of kids doing canoe sports, traveling around and doing competitions. It was really nice to have those trips together. At that time, we all were just starting to race and do rafting, doing small competitions, sometimes winning, sometimes losing.
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Bryson City readies itself for kayaking worlds
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“This event shows how this tiny town can come together and work together,” said Joe Rowland. “Everybody involved has invested a lot of time and energy into making a natural connection between Bryson City and the Nantahala Gorge.”
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Doc may have been most civic-minded Swain citizen ever
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Swain commissioners go back on pledge to fund school resource officers
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