Surf’s Up! Let’s head for the Reach!
a Carolina Paddler Article
by Alton Chewning
Everything was running high at the Great Falls of the Catawba on Saturday. March 18 was the long-awaited opening day of releases on the new whitewater features and excitement was high. Water was high, waves were high, expectations were high, paddlers were… eager.
Paddlers started arriving, sizing each other up, checking the other boats and looking for friends. Jackson Kayak’s team spread an array of their boats. The Rescue squads were making last minute preparations. The sky was hazy, with sun breaking through, and the weather was perfect for a day on the water. A few people were familiar with the Nitrolee Access area and the routine of shuttling down to Stumpy Pond Access, coming back and paddling the mile over to the Channels where the Long Reach started. Others were confused and anxious but excited by the prospects.
Soon,the caravan of boats headed for the Paper Clip. Some people felt it was a long paddle down Fishing Creek and across the reservoir to the Channels; others took a different view. We’ll start our paddlerﾕs comments with Emily Critcher, a paddle board enthusiast.
Critcher: “I’ve been excited about the prospect of the Great Falls whitewater park for a year or more, when I first heard about it from fellow paddlers. I frequent the USNWC and thought how much of an asset and privilege it would be to have two controlled-flow whitewater parks within an hour of each other. Upon arrival to the Nitrolee Access parking lot, I was impressed with the new spacious parking facility as well as the on-site bathrooms. The 15-minute flat water paddle to the Paper Clip channel was a nice chance to warm up and enjoy the natural scenery on the Catawba – I especially enjoyed the colorful and fragrant wisteria blooming on the banks.”
Boaters arrived at the green poles of the Paper Clip, also known as the Boater Bypass Channel. This is the “safe” way to get down the channel to the Long Reach. Assuming you have Class III skills. The other way is the Main Channel, more challenging.
Leading up to the releases, Duke Energy placed danger signs and red poles indicating the entrance of the Main Channel. The primary purpose of these improvements was to provide a steady stream of water to bring new life to the Catawba River sections that had been dry for 120 years. Nothing prevented paddlers from entering the more ambitious Main Channel. Duke wasn’t prohibiting use of the channel since it leads to a natural, free flowing river. The warnings made plain entering the Main Channel was at your own risk. It didn’t take long for paddlers to take the risk.
With 150 or more paddlers convening on Paper Clip, the narrow run was quickly filled. Surfing and playboating were impractical with this much traffic. The eddies along the channel are small so not much parking area available.
First a trickle of boaters, after running Paper Clip once or twice, drifted over to the Main, and then the gates released, and a flood of risk-takers and spectators converged on the Main.
The experienced ones hit the upper two waves and the rippers tackled the third, a thrashing, splashing turbulence of water where boaters disappear and reappeared seconds later, bracing hard, turning, and twisting. It was a great show and those not up to the surf were on the sidelines, urging them on and exhilarating in a shared joy of the sheer power of the water and the skill of the paddlers. It was quite a scene.
Over at the Paper Clip, traffic had thinned, and play-boating and surfing were now a possibility. Many different craft were plying the waters: kayaks, canoes, duckies, paddle boards, river surfers, oar rafts, pack-rafts and shredders.
Smiles were everywhere. Many people ran numerous laps on the Clip, a few braved the Main for several.
As midday came, some people headed down river to run the two miles of Long Reach. The Reach had its own action with Class II and III rapids sprinkled with trees and rocks to avoid. Finally, the dump into Stumpy Pond ended the thrills and the take-out was a two-mile paddle away. Some people were lucky enough to get tow-shuttles from motorboats, a service that local Mike Vaughn and other outfitters will likely develop into a much-appreciated enterprise.
Great Falls offers much to many different groups. Here are notes and reactions from a rainbow of different paddlers: Class III kayakers, river surfers, rippers and more.
PAPER CLIP (marked by Green poles)
Eric Condrey is a second-generation paddler and teaches at the White Water Center in Charlotte, also designed by Great Falls architect, Scott Shipley of S2O.
Condrey: “My take on the paper clip channel is… it’s narrow and pushy with tiny eddies but they are there. The eddies are so small that it takes perfect angle and not too much speed going into them to NOT piton the wall.
That said, I do think there may be potential for slalom practice there.ﾊ Not sure if a person would be comfortable there paddling an expensive carbon fiber boat especially with the many rec boaters on the channel at the same time.
Feasibly you could use the Paper Clip channel for teaching lessons but it would NOT be conducive to “total beginner” lessons. A beginner thatﾕs totally “green” would be overwhelmed by the pushy nature of the current. The channel being so narrow would immediately put them in a defensive paddling mode in order to avoid hitting other paddlers. I don’t have to tell you how quickly it’s going to cause them to flip. I doubt it would take long.
I still think you could teach a great intermediate lesson there, especially if you scheduled it early or later, after the crowd has left.
*The Conservative lines on the paper clip: If you run the corners of all the drops with the angle of your Bow pointing back towards the middle you shouldn’t have any problems.”
Jennifer Stockwell is a ACA instructor and Safety Chair at CCC.
Stockwell: “The Paper Clip is like a mini, narrow version of the White Water Center, with play available in each feature. Some are shallow and maybe not great for big loops.”
Dominic Gold is a dedicated river surf enthusiast, the surfers without a paddle. He’s surfed over 60 waves, mostly in the West where river surfing is more established. He comments here on surfing Paper Clip and later, surfing the impressive Main Channel.
Gold: “At 99′ all the waves in the paper clip are very low performance and require high volume river boards to surf. I would not recommend any of these features. However, at the right flow perhaps one of the Paper Clip features could glass up. If one did, it could be akin to the Ratliff Wave on the Russell Fork at 800cfs-1100cfs or Denver’s Nickie Sixx at 150 cfs. Low flow waves can be really fun if they glass up properly.”
Clay Lucas is a play boater and was hitting loops on the Paper Clip.
Lucas: “The playboating opportunities are excellent! I’d say 4 of the 8 drops in the Paper Clip are really nice features, with the others being still surfable and fun as well. Drop #3 and #5 are deep for loops and cartwheels. Drop #2 is a slow wave/hole with a niceﾊfoam pile, for spins and low angle cartwheels. #7 is good for roundhouses and small wave tricks.”
Emily Critcher supplied this video of paddle boarding at Great Falls:
Critcher: As far as what it’s like paddle boarding the Paper Clip channel on a Saturday release day: It seemed as though most of the rapids could be surfed. What that means for SUPs is that if you are doing a down river lap you have to pop up the board to get over the rapids/waves and then stomp it back down after successfully crossing the rapid. This takes a lot of energy – so bring some granola bars for between laps!
That said, it was great to have an easy place to take breaks between each lap on the cement walkways surrounding the channel. We were also agreed that our first instinct was to ride the tongues on each rapid either right or left, but we found that would place you out of the main flow/current and push you around where you didnﾕt want to go. So, we just sent it straight down the middle of each rapid to stay in the flow and maintain momentum. It was mostly no big deal if you fell on any of the rapids other than the last one. You could easily get back to your board wearing a river-approved quick release leash.
Regarding the last rapid: all paddlers must eddy out hard right if they do not wish to continue downstream on the natural rapid. That proved difficult sometimes if you fell before or after the last rapid. Luckily a stellar rescue team was on site ready to help paddlers that didnﾕt make the eddy. The next to last rapid tends to push you into the wall on the right which could easily flip a paddle board and send you swimming down the last rapid. After a few laps, we determined that running the far-left line of the next to last rapid would set you up to cut the last rapid right so that eddying out at the end would be easier. Overall, I had a great time at Great Falls, and hope to be back soon! Also, I would not recommend it for novice whitewater stand up paddle boarders. Experience is necessary, in my opinion, at least on release days.”
THE MAIN CHANNEL (marked by Red poles)
Condrey: “It’s a hard channel but so good and Big surfs, everywhere. Obviously if you see it, it’s big, pushy and continuous from top to the bottom. That said there are multiple routes through it. There are great ferry moves at the very top, but they are high Intermediate to Expert level moves.
Nothing easy about them and the consequences for screwing up could be swimming in big, aerated class 4 waves and holes. Not an easy swim and the swimmer’s boat is going for quite a way until probably hanging up in the tree line below the outlet pool/take out ramp for the Paper Clip channel.
The Main channel boasts some great surfing with each wave hole getting bigger and stronger than the previous. All the safe eddies between the big waves/surf spots are located on the right except for a big eddy on the left at the entrance into the main channel.
This entrance eddy is a great eddy to work on hard-ferrying from left to right and back over. It’s difficult but doable and it takes pinpoint bow angle. Too much downstream angle and you’re NOT making the ferry, not enough angle and you’re only going partly out and maybe getting stuck on the eddy line and even flipping if you’re not extremely focused.
If you’re not really wanting to chance a surf in the big stuff but feel confident enough to run the channel, I recommend scouting it from the Right side of the channel on the concrete apron first.
Once you’re looking at it you can see a definite (but narrow) green tongue of water in the middle of the second drop, this “tongue” of water is what I would call the conservative line. However, it’s not easy to hit it and if you don’t, you’re probably getting pushed into the meat of this rapid and it’s gonna be rowdy. You will need confidence in your roll because it’s probably going to flip you.
If you do hit the green tongue, make sure you have a slight bow angle pointing to the Right. ﾊ If youﾕre turned slightly right as you run the drop you should be able to catch the ﾔriver right eddyﾕ easily. Have a breather and get ready for a great peel-out with good speed so you donﾕt get bogged down in the next set of waves and holes. ﾊ
As you’re approaching the end of the Main channel youll see a slight horizon line that is a slanted ledge pour-over, it’snot a huge deal but you should still time your stroke at the lip and pull back on the thigh braces so you keep the bow up upon landing. I recommend going off this ledge on the right of center side so you can make the turn and ferry over to the take-out ramp, assuming you’re planning on walking up and doing it again. If not, then drive off the middle and keep going down the natural section of this beautiful stretch of river.
Dennis Huntley is one of the Southeast’s most accomplished paddlers, having pioneered runs of Linville, Watauga, Wilson and running the Green Narrows in open canoe, C-1 and kayak.
Huntley: “We saw many skilled play boaters surfing the biggest waves in the channel, even the most intimidating ones that would trash the average paddler. You must be able to roll in a wave. There is a shallow ledge that extends two thirds the way across the bottom with a core of shallow, very retentive ledge holes, one of which has rocks backing up the extensive backwash so that there is no easy exit even for the more experienced paddlers. All the people surfing managed to avoid these holes, boofing over the ledge on the right edge, on part of the concrete that connects to the ledge. The photos do not do justice to the backwash in these ledges.
Richard Ellington has a long history of kayaking and surfing. He describes the three distinct waves in the Main Channel.
Ellington: “The First wave is very smooth and has a long green face. Great for a longboat. The Second wave is one of the best waves I have ever surfed in my 24 years of kayaking and I’ll just leave it at that. The third wave (I’ll call it the Cackalacky wave) is Big and only for the bold.
Big eddy to recover in between the second and third wave. Again, the third wave is just for the bold. It tends to hold you in the center and has a nice flat face to recover and spin, but it wants you in the center. No getting out of the wave on river left, and you really have to work your way out on river right. Then you’re straddling a huge hole right behind it. I went through it three times and the last time it grabbed me. Very violent, almost snatched my paddle from my hands. This area is no place to be out of a boat. Like I said Cackalacky wave is only for the bold, but this and the one above it will draw people from all over. Totally worth a trip.”
Be sure to watch Richard’s video. A wild ride.
Stockwell: “The Main Bypass Channel is epic. What a resource to have an hour from Charlotte. The young rippers are going to show us some cool moves on it. I personally loved it and I’m grateful for the resource!”
Dominic Gold discusses river surfing the Main Channel.
Gold: “At 99′ the 2nd feature on the main channel was the best wave at the park. The wave was good for the 5’8 Wave Bandit Retro Fish Quad fin considering the feature was on the line of a hole and a wave. I also used my 5’2 low volume Odysea JOB PRO on the feature, but the wave lacked proper high performance glass. Still very fun considering that I could get a true surfboard on the feature and make some actual turns. The wave is very easy to catch, which is not always the case for river surf.
The eddy was tight and I had to use all of my skill to ensure that I caught it. I was able to catch it ever time for 2 days of surfing. Unfortunately the downstream consequences (hole 3 and hole 4) are VERY dangerous and potentially fatal. I have swam equivalent things (e.g. New River Dries Waves at 36k), but prefer safer river waves. I ensure that I am in peak river surf fitness at all times in order to be able to swim to eddies. Also, I had to stay very conservative on thrashing and tricks to ensure that I would get to an eddy. Many river waves limit full surf freedom because they are low energy and low performance; this wave limits pure surf freedom due to fear of not catching the eddy. Because of this, the wave is better suited for advanced surfers, which is a shame. I like the concept of whitewater parks for the purpose of 1. Excellent waves and 2. Accessibility for beginners (beginners can enjoy the same wave as advanced surfers generally speaking). The true test of the waves will be when a river surfer has to make that swim.
I could see the wave becoming extremely high performance and glassy (e.g .like the Lunch Counter on the Snake, the Glenwood Wave at Glenwood Springs, the Locsha Pipeline in Idaho) at the right flow (world class river surf???) Hole 2 on the main channel reminded me of a larger scale version of the wave at Casper Wyoming at 3,000 cfs. Even hole 3 shows some signs that it could glass up, however there is no real eddy for that feature.”
Cohen Atkins is another river surfer enthusiast and foresees starting a Facebook group just for Great Falls river surfing. Provided some questions are resolved.
Atkins: “The second feature on the large volume Bypass is definitely the best wave here but it has an extremely dangerous feature directly behind it. What makes this wave challenging and dangerous, is not the wave itself. From what I saw the wave has very easy access as far as an eddy and the wave was holding a low volume board so it definitely is a river surfing wave, but the danger below makes this more of an expert level wave. Ultimately it’s a little early to make the assumption that Great Falls will become a river surfing hotspot in the south east, but the river community certainly hope so.”
Lucas: “The main channel has deep, powerful waves. The 2nd drop is 30ft wide with a nice foam pile, good for carves back and forth, spins forever. Saw a couple of nice blunts and a kick flip. Wave below is a little rowdier but served up big blunts and pan-ams. It’s a quality river with features for all levels of freestyle ability.”
THE LONG REACH
The Long Reach certainly has its shares of thrills and challenges. The first rapid below the concrete structures are solid Class IIIs. The river is so wide that many lines exist and it will take paddlers a while to sort out the better ones. Most paddlers will prefer to work right after the first mile to avoid trees and to enter a narrow, tranquil corridor named Peace Valley by Dennis Huntley and Mike Vaughn. Rest up because thereﾕs more whitewater to come before you slide into the big easy of Stumpy Pond.
Condrey: “Below the Man-made course, there are trees on the shoulders of all the rapids mixed in with rocks. Be cautious and use eddies behind rocks to scout if unsure.”
Stockwell: “I like how Kevin Colburn describes it on the AW site as somewhat like French Broad 9 but with trees in the channel. I would call it an FB9 Lite for the natural river section and super scenic.”
We’re all still learning what the Great Falls Reaches have to offer: to paddlers, nature-lovers, campers, local businesses, and townspeople. Carolina Paddler will continue to follow the story of the rebirth of this lovely section of the Catawba River.
Many thanks to all the paddlers, businesses and on-lookers who supplied comments, videos, and photographs for this article.
Special thanks to Steven C. Price, an event photographer, who filmed almost everyone here.
Carolina Paddler, the journal of the Carolina Canoe Club, posted another article on Great Falls leading up to opening day.