As I write my first blog of this year, I sit out beside the silty waters of the Miapo near Santiago, Chile. A warm, dry breeze sweeps around this valley all summer long. The snowpack was good in the Andes Mountains this spring and that makes for a lot of great paddling opportunities awaiting us throughout this entire country. In the ten weeks I will be spending here I am excited to travel through nearly the entire length of the the country. I am also excited to take part in the Gap Year program which has just recently been developed.
About: David
- Website
- http://www.newriveracademy.org
- Profile
- David Gorski is a passionate athlete and a gap year student at New River Academy. He is also the winner of the Patagonia without Dams Scholarship. He learned to kayak with Ozark Mountain Paddlers and helped teach for them as well. He also learned from, and worked for Dvoraks' Expeditions in Colorado and surrounding states. Now, David is lucky enough to spend ten weeks with New River Academy in Chile and continues to pursue his athletic and academic goals with the school.
Posts by Gorski:
Author Archive
Rio Miapo
Saturday, January 9th, 2010
Bon Vo-yage New River Academy!
Saturday, May 16th, 2009
Isaac Holden leaves his mark somewhere in New Zealand (c) David Gorski
Emery Kate Tillman and Palmer Miller exploring and old car in Chile with the Pucon Volcano in the background (look closely). (c) David Gorski
David Nelson Jones (NRA senior) doing a HUGE pan-am on the New River Dries here in WV. (c) Zach Kathrien
West Virginia is in full bloom for graduation. “When we first got here we were kayaking in a wastland” said Zach Kathrien (NRA junior) refering to the lack of plantlife in early spring. The New River is running at good flows and most of our parents are getting ready to go rafting down the New River Gorge, (The Grand Canyon of the East). It’s hard to believe that this is the end of our New River Academy life. Many of us seniors are going off to college where it’s going to take some work to get are daily dose of kayaking that we’ve all become addicted to. Life doesn’t get much better when your traveling all over the world and kayaking every day, but we’ll manage.
Fourth quarter in North America has probably been our best quarter of the year as far as whitewater goes. At the beginning, we got some epic creekboating in places like the Tallula river in Georgia and the Green river in NC. We’ve also found some great waves such as Brave Wave in Tennessee, High Tension Wave and Bus Eater Wave in Canada, and the New River Dries and Surprise Wave in West Virginia. “I think this is one of the best quarters the school has ever had as far as big waves go” said David Hughes (NRA founder and director).
Lots of New River Academy alumni have been dropping in for graduation lately. It’s exiting to see all the great people and great kayakers that have come out of this school in the past. Well, I hate to stop writing with so few words on my last blog, but I have a speech tomorrow at graduation that I’ve got to get practiced up for so wish me luck!
Bon Vo-yage,
David Gorski
Big Waves Fourth Quarter
Monday, May 4th, 2009
Eli Speigle (NRA senior leader) launches into the air with a big bounce on High Tension wave
Tracy D'arbeloff competing at the Level Six Capital Cup
“I just want one good pass at a trick” said Eli Spiegel shortly before doing an enormous Pan Am on the Ottawa River yesterday. Unfortunately the water levels aren’t right for Bus Eater wave here on the Ottawa right now like we had hoped, but with really high water we’ve found no shortage of big water paddling opportunities. Some locals are saying that right now, the river is as high as they’ve ever seen it. At this water level some features like “Short Bus”, a high water version of Bus Eater have come in, and obviously we’ve been able to run some huge rapids as well. Between our experience on the Ottawa, the Level Six Capital Cup, and paddling the New River in West Virginia, we’ve found plenty of big waves to surf. Team Trials here we come!
So much has happened in the past week that it’s hard to look back to our experiences in West Virginia on the New River, but it’s certainly worth talking about. On the New River we were able to play on features like Upper Railroad Wave, the Ender Waves, and Surprise Wave. “I think that might be one of my favorite waves” said Keegan Grady (NRA senior leader and Canadian Freestyle Kayaking team member) after we surfed Surprise Wave for the first time. We were somewhat disappointed that the Dries of the New River didn’t come in, but all these other play boating opportunities have obviously kept us happy during our stay in West Virginia.
After all these great play-boating opportunities in the U.S., our group was well prepared for the Level Six Capital Cup in Ottawa city. We got a little spoiled from staying in a hotel in the city over the weekend, but it was well deserved after we ripped it up in this pro-class event. Keegan Grady took first in junior men’s pro class, Isaac Holden took third and Steven Forster took sixth. Alex Shallhorn took second in junior women’s pro class and Tracy D’arbeloff and Palmer Miller tied for third. Julia Fisher (NRA Spanish teacher) got third in women’s. Jason Craig took forth in men’s pro class and over all, ever one in our group did to the best of our abilities.
After saying hello to Canada with this event, we’ve continued practicing on the Ottawa every day. Yesterday we took a trip to the Gatineau River in Quebec. For many of us, including me, this was our first time in a French-speaking region of the world. Halfway down this section of the Gatineau, deep in the silent, mysterious woods and swamps of Quebec, we encountered High Tension wave. This is one of the best waves that our group has ever played at and probably one of the best in the world. During our play session here, the wind kicked up spray from the crest of the wave and cold temperatures and rain beat down on us hard. But the weather didn’t stop us. Everyone in our group was doing HUGE tricks and many of us were landing freestyle moves that we had never done before. Palmer Miller, Tracy D’arbeloff and Katie Kowalski were doing solid bunts. Eli Spiegle was doing Helixes and working on Bread and Butters, Steven Forster was working on his KY Sequence, and I did some of my first Airscrews. These are all some of the coolest moves in freestyle kayaking.
Steven Forster on Bus Eater on the Ottawa
After spending as many hours as we could at High Tension wave, we paddled down to the takeout and waited for Tino to do shuttle for us. By then it was late enough in the evening that the cold started to close in on us, and we were all wet from kayaking, so most of us ended up huddled together for warmth in a nearby outhouse. By the time it started getting dark, Tino arrived with the oh so warm and cozy van and we were on our way back to Keenerville on the Ottawa.
Dvorak’s Expeditions
Saturday, May 2nd, 2009Bill Dvorak’s Kayak and Rafting Expeditions
Learning to kayak, for many, is a life changing way of interacting with the outdoors and other people.
Bill Dvorak’s Kayak and Rafting Expeditions was the first to organize a commercial guiding service in Colorado and the surrounding states. Many guiding companies in this area followed in Dvorak’s footsteps, but Dvorak’s Expeditions remains unique in a way that puts it on top of the commercial guiding industry in the American west.
Dvorak’s expeditions has permits on nine different rivers, and offers guiding in a wide variety of outdoor sports including rafting, kayaking, mountain biking, mountain climbing, and rock climbing. Whether you’re interested in a relaxing and scenic float down the Rio Chama, an action-packed decent of Gore Canyon of the Colorado, or guided hike to the top of one of Colorado’s fourteen thousand foot peaks, Dvorak’s can provide an personal and professional trip. Not only does this give the customer the ultimate variety in choosing a summer adventure but it gives the employees extra diversity in their work. This allows them to become some of the most skilled and adaptable guides in the area.
I learned a lot and had a great experience with Dvorak’s kayak school, Dvorak’s Teenage Whitewater Skills Camp, and Dvorak’s swift-water rescue course. Dvorak’s kayak instructors helped me to develop my skills in a safe and challenging environment. With the knowledge that I’ve gained from former Dvorak’s guides, I’ve come back to work for the company as a guide and instructor.
Dvorak’s has something to offer for all who enjoy an outdoor experience. Whether it’s safety and instruction, teen development, or simply a fantastic river experience that you’re looking for, Dvorak’s can suit your needs with your own customized trip.
Spring Break Surprise
Friday, March 27th, 2009
This past year I’ve been blessed with the opportunity to travel to many different great kayaking destinations and I’ve spent most of my time far away from home. In the mean time, back at home, a group of friendly folks that call themselves Ozark Mountain Paddlers continued to show a lot of enthusiasm for the sport without me.
Now I sure hadn’t forgot about these people who got me started on the sport that I would eventually completely commit myself to, but I got caught up with moving forward and lost touch with them. When I got back home for spring break, I found out that Ozark Mountain Paddlers was having weekly pool sessions to do what they do best . . . bring new people into the sport of kayaking. I decided to show up for this to help teach and when I got there Ed McClung (club officer for safety and education) immediately handed me a monthly news letter with an article about me and my adventures with New River Academy. Later I talked to some other folks who were excitedly asking me questions like, “What’s the water like down in Chile?” and “How’d you get so lucky?” Many of them said they had been reading my blogs.
It was really a thrill to discover that the people involved in Ozark Mountain Paddlers still see me as one of their own. I guess it pays off to stay in touch with all those people that made a big difference in your life early on.
Surfing in Chile
Saturday, March 7th, 2009
Enjoying sunny skies in Chile and beautiful waves on the ocean. I’m in Pichilemu, Chile with New River Academy. I’ve been surfing my kayak every day in the ocean and just today I tryed boardsurfing. It was tons of fun and I got trashed quite a bit.
Life in Pichilemu
Monday, March 2nd, 2009Life in Pichalemu
This is some free-writing I did in World Literature
The only other white man in this town is strolling around on the dusty park center below me, which happens to be the cleanest place in this town. Now that I’ve seen him in his white sneakers, blue jeans and tee-shirt it’s hard not to feel self conscious being perched up on a railing doing a world literature assignment. It’s also hard to believe that I’m going kayaking today but fortunately it will happen as always does. But none of that matters to me, what matters is that the order in which things often happen to me, in which opportunities are presented to me happens so fast that I’ve given up trying to think of what I’m going to do next and where I’m be in the next chapter of my life.
All I can do to keep myself from going off subject is squint into the sun that has been wearing away at my eyes and skin for the past month, and watch the little children playing happily in the dirt. Occasionally I’ll get a look from one of the locals which is quickly followed by a glance down at my ripped shorts and blue wife beater with guacamole stains all over it. As much as I’d love to keep things simple in my mind, the meditation that I’ve fell into during this writing has only made me think of home and what I need to do when I get there.
Chilean Sunshine
Saturday, February 21st, 2009
“It’s time to roll out” said Keegan Grady (student leader) with a mouth full of blackberries and a kayak on his shoulder. Other New River Academy students nodded in agreement and reluctantly left the giant, wild blackberry bushes that surround the trail to the Rio Fuy. This was just the beginning of the many delightful surprises that we experienced on our exploratory decent of the middle Rio Fuy. And that was just another afterschool activity that we were able to take part in during our last week in the town of Choswanco, Patagonia.
That Sunday afternoon definitely wasn’t the first time that New River Academy students enjoyed a trip down the middle Rio Fuy, but it was the first time since last year, and we weren’t sure exactly what it was going to be like with different water levels. We put on the water just below a mysterious gorge that was only explored by NRA teachers Ian Buckley and Matias Nunez due to the class five rapids and steep canyon walls. The put-in itself was a spectacular place to be with the dramatic rock structures, and crystal clear water away from the road and in the Chilean wilderness. The rapids on this section were expected to be shallow and rocky with lower water, but right off the bat we were experiencing continuous class four boulder gardens. After about a mile of this type of whitewater we came upon the crux of the run. This rapid is hard to describe because I can think of five different ways to run it off the top of my head. We found some pretty challenging lines but we also found a little moss-covered slide on the right side of the river that was a piece of cake to run. This offered a good option for those who were intimidated by the rapid and many of us were running it backwards just for kicks. Just downstream from this rapid was another section of continuous whitewater that we made into our race-course for the boater cross that we did on our last day in Choshwanco. This race was quite invigorating for us, I won after an exhausting neck in neck battle with Keegan Grady and Jason Craig came in closely behind. Another congrats is due to Palmer Miller for winning the girl’s race. What a great way to say goodbye to the Rio Fuy.
On departure from Choshwanco we had originally planned to go to the Rio Futalefu early do to the low water levels on most other rivers. Although we were unable to book a spot on the ferry that we need to take in order to get that far south. Instead we have just moved back to our base in Pucon. Many would consider this a disappointment but the whitewater surrounding Pucon has hushed any complaints that would have been made. Today we did a double dip (two laps) on the Rio Palguin. The Rio Palaguin is pristine little creek about thirty minutes from our base. The rapids consist of introductory slides and waterfalls which serve as excellent creek boating practice for our group. “This would make a good after-work run” said Ian Buckley (NRA math and science teacher) with dreams of moving to Chile. On the ride home from this trip it was pretty hard not to feel satisfied with an epic day of hard work and good kayaking.
Now as the sun has set, steam from the volcano that towers above us glows faintly with a red heat from deep within the earth. Study hall is soon to be over for my classmates and I, and the light of my computer will be replaced with a warm, natural fire light from outside. With this gathering at the fire will come the start of a new week of school and kayaking in the Chilean sunshine.
Peace out,
David Gorski
Into Patagonia
Saturday, February 7th, 2009
Jason Craig and Eli Spiegel enjoy a photo shoot at Chile’s Rio San Pedro Bridge. (c) Emery Tillman
Just three days ago, we left our base in Pucon on our way to Patagonia. On our way to this fascinating place deep in the south we took advantage of the Rio San Pedro which flows approximately halfway in between these two destinations. The Rio San Pedro is a high volume river that flows from a lake surrounded by the foothills of the Andes mountains. This river took us through the peaceful wilderness of Chile with sunny skys, big rapids, and great playspots. We found a lot of good surfing waves along the way. One of these was a three to four foot wave with an eddy next to it, making it the perfect place to hang out and surf for an hour or so.
Stephen Forster runs Las Leonas in a Ducky on the Upper Fuy, Chile. (c) Emery Tillman
As soon as we got off this river we were on our way further south to the town of Choshuenco and the Rio Fuy. The Rio Fuy flows through the heart of the Andes mountains, over waterfalls, passed caves, and under volcanoes. It’s possibly the most fascinating place I’ve ever been. We just did the upper section today which took us down some spectacular, clean waterfalls and rapids. The river was extremely low due to a low snowpack last winter in the Andes but that didn’t keep the smiles off our faces. This low water level just happened to open up a little passage in the rock wall on one side of the river that lead us into a little cave that was lighted from below due to a reflection off the bottom of the deep river. Tino Spect (NRA Coach) showed us into this cave saying it was his favorite place in the world.
I believe that the Rio Fuy is one of the most amazing places on this earth and I can’t wait to do it again tomorrow. But as for the hear and now, I have a high school diploma to work on, so I must write no more
Ciao, David Gorski
Student Academic Report: Maori Culture and Perspective Learned
Monday, November 17th, 2008On Friday of last week New River Academy went to a museum in Rotorua. This gave students the chance to discover the culture and history of New Zealand and it’s native people. Our tour guide, Brian McEntee was impressively enthusiastic (being an older man) and kept every student and teacher interested and inquisitive throughout the entire tour. He gracefully led us from one room to the other as we learned about everything from the native, Maori people to the museum itself. The MAOri people are mysterious in the sense that historians and scientists are unsure of exactly where they derive from. Just like the Natives of other Polynesian islands, the MAori came to their homeland on unique crafts of the ocean composed of two wooden canoes lashed together with a mast and sail similar to that of the European explorers on the other side of the world.
The museum itself was originally built in 1908 to serve as a spa. The building is situated directly above one of the largest geothermic areas in the entire world. Hot mineral water was directly harvested and used to help people relax or recover from an illness. After this business diminished the building only survived to become a dance hall throughout most of the twentieth century. And now, as it existed once on MAori land, it is a well rounded replica of New Zealand’s history.
This is just one of many unique things we will do outside of the “classroom” to serve as school for this quarter. Through plenty of good paddling and a bearable amount of schoolwork, the spirits of the group have been lively and optimistic since our arrival in this beautiful country.
by David Gorski, student leader
New River Academy
Rt. 2 Box 245
Fayetteville, WV 25484
(304)- 574-0403
Fax: (304) 513-2247
New River
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