TriSarahtops and the Gorilla
A Carolina Paddler story
TRISARAHTOPS AND THE GORILLA
Photography and text by Alton Chewning
For many people -racers and fans- Sarah Ruhlen was the spirit of the Green Race. The sprite that raced from place to place, emerging one moment at the Narrows put-in, the next at Gorilla, in the editing room, the awards, the party at Club Verde. Here, there, everywhere in their hearts and in their heads, shaking them out of their anxieties and giving them the exhilaration to enjoy the experience, this day of racing. And then, she wasn’t here, not to be seen. A life brief but full, moved on to whatever river awaits us.
The organizers of the Green Race decided it was a fitting tribute to the spirit and contributions of Sarah Ruhlen to dedicate the 2022 event to her memory. A “thank you, Sarah” from all who love the race and the joy and excitement here. Her friends had racing on their minds, going fast, staying clean, enjoying the friendship and avoiding an injury on a swim or muddy trail. Amid all the activity her friends shared thoughts and memories of Sarah and what she means to us.
TriSarahtops is here! TriSarahtops is here!
Watching the racers hoisting boats on their shoulders, moving in herds, they resemble dinosaurs lumbering on some primeval shores, massive heads pointing towards the water. One dinosaur stood out, not the fiercest predator but one capable of taming Gorilla.
“What was Sarah’s favorite dinosaur? Triceratops.” Logan Kendricks
“I have a dinosaur in my PFD. Sarah always had one in hers.” Ava Christensen
“I don’t know where she got the dinosaurs. We never had them. It’s something she did.” Rich Ruhlen, Sarah’s dad
“The dino stays in my PFD. It stays in my PFD.” Logan Kendricks.
“Corey Volt’s daughter, Evelyn, was six years old when she met Sarah. They both loved dinosaurs and bonded over them. Evelyn named Sarah, “TriSarahtops.” Evelyn would run around the house, announcing, “TriSarahtops is here! TriSarahtops is here!” Adrienne Levknecht
I knew her before I met her…
“I knew her before I met her through videos, blogs, stories.” Tara Blair
“The funny thing is I knew Sarah Ruhlen from her media before I knew Sarah Ruhlen. Her stories, her videos. I was very, very impressed with her depth at such a young age and the content she put out always had a lot of feeling to it.” Shane Benedict
“I probably came in contact with Sarah at the NOC when she was quite young, maybe 13 or 14. I saw her and she was paddling an open canoe and I thought, I want that girl to be my friend. I was intrigued by her.” Adriene Levknecht
“You don’t see very many women who can paddle an open canoe or a C1 or a kayak or a raft and she does it all. She’s just a water woman.” Adriene Levknecht
“My mom, Maria Nokes, was really good friends with Sarah and she passed away in 2018. Sarah’s been around forever. I started kayaking with her. Matteo Williams
“I grew up paddling with Sarah. She made such an impact on the Southeastern paddling scene.” Evy Leibfarth
“We met the first time at the National Paddling Film festival just before Covid started. We were about the same age and had fun with each other. Goofed around together.” Tara Blair
“It wasn’t until her Celebration of Life that I realize how similar our upbringing was because my dad got me into kayaking and so for the longest time my paddling crew was the same age as Sarah’s, an older group.” Jamey Moore
“Then one day she put a message on Facebook saying she was looking for a room to rent in Asheville and I sent her a little message, come live in my house, rent one of my rooms. And that’s where I really met Sarah.” Shane Benedict
“Once I became friends with Sarah, a met a whole crew of people, she’s introduced me to so many people. She wasn’t just a part of “that” paddling crew, she was a part of every paddling crew.” Jamey Moore
“I live in Colorado and I’ve been coming out here for years now and would run into her. She was one of those people who could bring a scene together.” Avery Potter
Sarah and the Green Race
The excitement before the 2022 Green Race was sizzling, like the moment before going over the big drop. So many questions. Would Dane Jackson break the 4-minute mark? Would Isaac Hull catch Dane this year? Could race newcomer Evy Leibfarth overtake Adrienne Levknecht? What would the atmosphere of the race be without Sarah Ruhlen? What did she mean to the Green Race?
“I first ran across Sarah lurking around the Green River with a video camera. We struck up a conversation and I asked her if she’d be keen to help film the Green Race. Things just kind of went from there.” John Grace
“As Sarah got more and more into the Green Race, Sarah became the face of the Green Race media. People would say, “Wow, that’s Sarah’s work.” Laurie Levknecht
“She worked well under the pressure. She knew people. John Grace didn’t have to spend the time with other people because she knew the race that well.” Logan Kendricks
“Sarah was hired to showcase the athletes and energy of race week. She nailed it every time.” John Grace
“Sarah would be getting the video ready just before the pre-party. That’s what she liked about the Green Race. She liked being able to stoke everyone, to stoke everyone’s flames, get everyone excited. All the camaraderie and the racing and the carnage.” Logan Kendricks
“Sarah was in and out of the canyon, managing a team of videographers, logging and editing the footage afterwards, right up to that evening when we would premiere the video. It was full on every year” John Grace
“It was just the fact that Sarah knew everyone so therefore invited everyone to be a part of any gathering. The first couple years I was there with Sarah. I was living in the house and there would be 20 people hanging out cooking and chatting during the weeks leading up to the race. Chatting about race lines and video edits and goofy stuff usually involving sloths or Game of Thrones. The yard would be covered with tents, trailers, camper vans, and more boats than you could count, and most of them would be hers. She would have the whole Green Race video editing crew staying there, 10 competitors, and hangers on.” Shane Benedict
“This is one of Sarah’s favorite events and she brought so much stoke to it every year She would take all her friends back to Club Verde and make sure all her friends were having a good time. She was the heart of the Green Race.” Jamey Moore
“Last year at Club Verde, Sarah threw a ‘Goodwill’ party the Wednesday before the Green Race.All the guests had to arrive in clothing purchased at Goodwill to be admitted to Club Verde and the outfits were spectacular.” Chad Christopher
The Put-In
Sarah usually started her day at the put-in for the Green Narrows, where all the racers gathered. The atmosphere is charged with equal parts excitement and anxiety. She was there to gather footage for the highlight reel but her deeper purpose was to settle the contestants, to dislodge their fears with zany questions and in-your-face fun.
“I’m nervous as hell right now and I’d give anything to have Sarah here now to carry on with me.” Nathan Polley
“I struggle with mornings and she would always stick that camera in my face, and I’d say, “Naw, Sarah. Right now? Now,come on. But, I would do my best for her to get worked up, to get words out in the morning. She’d try to take the anxiety off.” Levi Rhodes
What dreams did you have? “I don’t remember any but ….if I was dreaming it would be dreaming about how fast I was going to go today. But not Gorilla. I don’t think like that.” Matteo Williams
“Gorilla. I’m going to be nervous as heck going into Gorilla.” Jamey Moore
“Wooo. I’m nervous. No, I’m happy.” Carlos Aranda
What did you have for breakfast? “Left over chicken strips from Chick fil A and sausage biscuits from Duncan Donuts. Bryze Aaros
“I had a yogurt. A good go-to.” Evy Leibfarth
What would she be asking? “She’d be asking me how many poops I’d taken.” Matteo Williams
“Really early, she would be in the parking lot at the put in, filming people, getting silly questions from people. Did you poop this morning? Everybody’s anxious and scared a little and if you ask them if they pooped it kinda breaks the tension. Keeps it light.” Logan Kendricks
“It wasn’t the most solid thing I’ve ever done but it got out of me.” Nathan Polley
“(Hearty laugh) Oh my gosh. I’m racing. Of course.” Evy Leibfarth
They weren’t just cool videos.
As many people mentioned before, they knew Sarah through her showcase videos and her writings for magazines and in her blog. She was a distinct personality to them even before they met.
“Talented videographer. Captured the essence of kayaking, not just the skill, the entire vibe of the river. She would capture people’s emotions in a very candid way.” Levi Rhodes
“She knew everybody. She was so plugged into the community. The videos weren’t just about a bunch of kayakers, it was about her friends. She knew her subject. It wasn’t like she was videoing people doing a cool thing, it was her friends doing a cool thing. I think that’s what made the difference.” Nathan Polley
“Her videos showed a sense of community. The hanging out. The still moments. The landscape. The feeling of being on the river.” Tara Blair
“Sarah was super authentic, which is a very hard quality to find. I always knew she would produce content that was on point yet unique, and for that reason she was given free reign to tell the stories she wanted. In that way we definitely worked well together.” John Grace
“She shot a really funny video with one of our friends. The friend was swimming down Triple Drop. Sarah panned with her boat going down the rapid, and then panned back up and our friend was holding onto the rocks above the drop.” George Markoff
“She would always make you feel like a super hero in the videos. She would put exciting music to it and show you at your best.” Levi Rhodes
The Better Parts
Sarah was one of those rare people who radiated sympathetic joy. She enjoyed your enjoyment as much as you did, maybe more. She wanted people to be happy and to prosper where they stood.
“She would always bring you a gift, maybe a little trinket. She’s say, “Here, I have something to present to you.” Levi Rhodes
“She gave me the hat I’m wearing right now. She was always giving things away.” Adrienne Levknecht
“Shortly after I moved to Tennesee a couple of years ago I went to the CCC Easter trip. There was Sarah. She came running up and said Hello, Hello.” Laurie Levknecht
“I was fortunate to know her for a couple of years. She’d meet us at events. So joyful, Could sit in the rain for 10 hours and be joyful. Brought a lot of joy.” Dane Jackson
“She was always such a bubbly friend to be around. She was always checking in on people, making sure they were doing well. Cutting jokes. She was one of those friends who would ask you how you were doing when you had been quiet for a while.” Levi Rhodes
“Coming from Colorado into a tight knit community like the Southeast boating community can definitely be hard and she had a kindness and a grace and a strength of character about her. She was the core “heart” of the community. She embodied some of the better parts of the kayak community.” Avery Potter
“I grew up paddling with Sarah. She made such an impact on the Southeastern paddling scene. She was always lifting everyone up. Not to push yourself too hard.” Evy Leibfarth
“We all do this for the joy and the entertainment. She would hone in to the people who seemed to want it to be more than that and she would like, kinda kill them with kindness. She would get frustrated with them but she would give them that motherly Sarah and that love. She was just a great person.” Jamey Moore
“I occasionally got calls from the neighbors about the crowds (at Club Verde) but mostly folks were nice about it because, “everyone there is so nice and polite but it is a little loud”. It was such a pleasure to hang with all the folks. I got to connect with the younger gangs of paddlers in a way that I hadn’t in years. It was such a great time.” Shane Benedict
“Chad Christopher, Wade Harrison, Sarah Ruhlen and I went to Veracruz, Mexico for a paddling trip. Only planned to go for six or seven days but the car broke down in Louisiana. Had to rent a car and drive to Houston and buy car parts and go back to Louisiana. We were getting bummed and complaining. So, I remember the night that it happened we literally thought we were going to call the trip off. Instead of all of us moping in the hotel room, Sarah rallied us to go to a casino and we ended up playing on the penny machines and got drunk and the next day, it was like, okay, what do we need to do to move forward.“ Jamey Moore
The Other Gorilla
Sarah had two personas. The public one, the one most of us knew, as shown by her vivacious spirit and upbeat videos. A few saw the other one, the private one, the one that struggled with illness and depression, the other Gorilla, as witnessed in her reflective and sometimes somber writings.
“I knew her for years before I knew she had health problems. 4 or 5 years.” Adrienne Levnecht
“I knew she was struggling. I’m a nurse by trade so she certainly shared some things with me. I was around when she had some episodes on the Green.” Laurie Levknecht
“When we were down in Mexico, she didn’t kayak one time, she was throwing up and would still get up and rally and still get some of the craziest footage I’ve seen from Mexico. Tough as nails, man. Tough as nails.” Jamey Moore
“We were doing a clinic on the Upper Green and she flipped over and broke her humeris. And I helped her out and that was when she and I really bonded. It was an absolutely excruciating experience for her. We talked the whole time and that’s when I learned of her hardships and her health problems but at the same time she said, “But I will never let it slow me down.” Adrienne Levknecht
“I knew she had health problems but I knew she’d seen some doctors and seemed she had it figured out….it was a bit of a shock.” Avery Potter
“Did the physical challenges contribute to her upbeat qualities? Anybody with health challenges… it opened the door for her to bring everybody in. She wasn’t afraid to put it out there. She was open and shared with people.” Laurie Levknecht
“We talked about her depression. I appreciated her honesty. As our relationship grew we shared good times and some not-so-good times. It always felt genuine. Never fake or putting on a face. Completely open and honest. She would make jokes in a blunt way. After a trip to Mexico, I came home with digestive issues, a tender stomach. I sort of understood what she had been going through. We would joke about shitting our pants. I remember she joked with someone and said, “If you don’t do this thing right now, I’m going to shit my pants.” Tara Blair
“Never not thriving. She’d be going through hell but she didn’t talk about it. Maybe the people closest to her knew… She would write about it. I love her “Rules of Stoke.” Avery Potter
“She was always building people up and at the same time she was dealing with her own thing and she would do a blog post about it and that was how she shared a lot of her trials and tribulations. She was like, “It doesn’t matter if nobody reads this or everybody reads this.” This is the way I’m going to share it. She was so inclusive.” Adrienne Levknecht
I just wanna do something for her.
“This is one of Sarah’s favorite events and she brought so much stoke to it every year She would take all her friends back to Club Verde and make sure all her friends were having a good time. She was the heart of the Green Race.” Ava Christensen
“We memorialized Sarah by putting her on the shirts, having a moment of silence at the racer meeting, toasting her at the awards and paying tribute in this year’s highlight video of the event.” John Grace
“Never ran the Green Race before. Always been the Notch guy, sitting at the Notch with a megaphone, hanging out. It has a siren and I can yell at people. That’s been my faithful post for about five years. Sarah’s a really good friend so once I heard the race was dedicated to her, I had to go do it, at least one time. …I just wanna do something for her.” Jamey Moore
“They had a moment of silence today at the put in. A lot of people knew her and a lot of people needed that.” Logan Kendrick
“On race day, the community is one. We are one tribe of people doing something really difficult, knowing that this was one of Sarah’s favorite events of the year made a lot of us race extra hard in her honor. John Grace did a great job of dedicating the race to her and constantly toasting to her memory.” Chad Christopher
A Different Place
“It’s a different place without her here. The whole community is.” Nathan Polley.
“The Green race is very different for me now. I miss the mass camaraderie of Club Verde and I know that I am always welcome. It is my house after all. 🙂 But it’s different. If Sarah was still with us and I lived at Club Verde we would have binge watched House of the Dragons together and put together some other random video about the favorite animals of the Green Racers. It’s a different event for sure. For me it’s being less connected to the youthful core of the sport in a more relaxed way. I am always interacting with them in the gorge at the lip of Gorilla rather than over a bowl of Mac n’ Cheese.” Shane Benedict
“It will be weird to watch videos and not see that Sarah put them together for my first Green Race.“ Jamey Moore
“At the Russell Fork Rendezvous, Sarah used to do “Mac and Margs.” Macaroni and Cheese and Margaritas. This year, Dane’s girlfriend, Chloe, made like 20lbs. of mac and cheese. Bunch of margaritas. Good for the community. I never thought of mac and cheese as a healing experience and I’ll never look at mac and cheese the same way ever again.” Adrienne Levknecht
“She’s here through all her friends brought together.” Ava Christensen
“I’m sad about Sarah not being here, but it’s good to be around other people who cared for her, too. And I’m excited to share that atmosphere with everyone here today.” Jamey Moore
“Coming out here now, seeing, everybody knew her, everybody has a part of her in there. She had a belief when paddlers passed on, they go to maybe their favorite river or set of rivers. I firmly believe she’s out there watching out for everybody today.” Avery Potter
“I’m sad about Sarah not being here, but it’s good to be around other people who cared for her, too. And I’m excited to share that atmosphere with everyone here today.” Logan Kendricks
Her unending positivity.
“A great role model for women paddlers. When it comes down to it, a great role model for the human race.” Laurie Levknecht
“Her spirit, personality. How welcoming she was, how giving. She would help everyone, even if she didn’t know them.” Ava Christensen
“Her unending positivity.” Morgan Cox, who at this point starting crying. Not the only tears shed this weekend.
“It’s hard for me to define her legacy. Sarah meant something different to everyone who knew her. To me her lasting impact will be inspiration. It’s no secret she dealt with health issues, but never once did it slow her down or did she use it as an excuse. Her dedication and passion allowed her to push through adversity in a way I have never seen.” John Grace
“Sarah was the most unassuming human being that you would ever know. Meanwhile, behind the scenes she takes these breathtaking photographs.” Adriene Levknecht
“I think Sarah will live on through her spirit and outlook on life. I’ve heard multiple people already make comments about how easy their problems are compared to Sarah’s struggles.” Chad Christopher
“I just really loved and appreciated that she could connect with people way older than her, like myself and people younger than her and her age and people who were elite athletes and people who were Class II, she could connect with everybody, and in fact, bring them together. That’s an incredible strength so few have and she had it in spades. “ Shane Benedict
“Sarah had the amazing ability to be accepted in multiple demographics within the paddling community. Her spirit unified paddlers across age, religion, race, craft, and region.” Chad Christopher
“She was an amazing soul. She was always helping everybody. She helped a lot on the Green Race and on other races. Always ready with her camera.” Carlos Aranda
“She’s around, she’s in the Green. She’s everywhere. It’s hard to think she’s not around, she has to be.” Adrienne Levknecht
“Her spirit definitely lives on. I’m constantly reminded that no matter what we’re going through, to do our best and see the best in everything. Celebrating Sarah.” Levi Rhodes
“She was a person to celebrate and I don’t ever want to stop celebrating her.” Adrienne Levknecht
“Our last conversation was by text. Told each other, “I love you.” Tara Blair
Sarah has passed through the Notch and vaulted over Gorilla and beyond. Sarah is with us on the river but she is paddling lines we have yet to see.
Thrive Like Sarah Fund
Terry Forrest, Sarah’s mother and Tara Blair have started a memorial fund for Sarah.
Tara: “We are still working out details of the fund. Whether it will be one time or ongoing. We are planning on awarding the money to someone in the paddling community to help cover medical expenses and perhaps to donate to other causes for which Sarah was passionate.
Here is a direct link to contribute to the fund online: https://cfwnc.fcsuite.com/erp/donate/create/fund?funit_id=6808.
Donors can also write a check to CFWNC or Community Foundation of Western North Carolina and indicate in the memo line Thrive Like Sarah Fund. That can be mailed to us at 4 Vanderbilt Park Drive, Suite 300, Asheville, NC 28803.
Thanks everyone who was a part of this article.
Beautiful.
Ruhlen.
Well done. She is missed…