Canoe Focus Summer 2017 | Page 64

64 65 White Water Rafting provides you with the excitement and challenge of white water. It emerged following the Second World War when enterprising adventurers in America realised that they could take unwanted inflatable rubber pontoons and use them as a means of descending some of the country’s most challenging white water. We asked some of our winners what they thought of the experience and whether it has inspired them to take on another paddling adventure... Caroline Awesome day... great to meet Steve Backshall. Proud to be part of the launch of National Go Canoeing Week... Feeling Inspired to go out and have #thebigadventure, especially as I seem to have overcome my fear of white water. I laughed all day! Our competition winners took to the Olympic course at Lee Valley to experience the thrills, spills and adrenaline pumping challenge of rafting and were lucky enough to spend their first time on the rapids with adventurer Steve Backshall who famously tackled some seriously impressive white water in his latest TV series ‘Down the Mighty River’. Sarah Absolutely loved my first time rafting and it definitely won’t be my last! It has inspired me to get into paddlesport adventures and I have already been stand up paddleboarding since. I have never tried white water rafting or any type of paddlesport before and didn’t know what to expect. It was a great adrenalin pumping experience and something I will definitely be looking to do again! Chris