Anatomy of a Rapid

Running a rapid is an all-or-nothing proposition. Unlike tennis, there’s no second serve. Unlike fishing, there’s no reeling the line back in to try another cast. Shooting a white-water rapid requires that you get it right the first time.

There’s the roar of the white water, the boat drifting slowly toward the drop, the seconds stretching until it seems as though they’ll snap. The boat slides down into that strangely smooth section of water known as the tongue, a kind of calm before the storm. Then, the first wave. Your heart pounds, your fists clench, and you are in it: white water.


 
 
 
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