Are you superstitious about running big rapids? Or is a ritual you always perform to calm your nerves and conjure up some good river karma prior to a big run? In case you need some luck, we asked nine pro whitewater kayakers share their go-tos.
9 curious superstitions and reliable rituals of pro whitewater kayakers
“Every time I run Spirit Falls, I look up in the sky, throw a handful of water up in the air, and watch each droplet fall back down. I’m asking my paddling buddies who are no longer with us for a soft landing each time.”
—Dave Fusilli
“Treat the river with respect, or it will remind you who’s in control. This means even talking nicely to it. They have found water crystallizes differently depending on the tone and what you’re saying to it. Mean and angry = non-symmetrical crystals. Kind and nice = beautiful symmetrical crystals. Every time I paddle, I focus on gratitude and sometimes even talk to my surroundings.”
—Emily Jackson
“I have this weird little eddyline thing on my home run, which is an unnamed rock 200 yards above Upper Zigzag on the Truss on the White Salmon River, and I tell myself my line through that little weird eddyline will be an indicator of how good my line on the next main rapid (Zigzag) will be. It’s probably pretty accurate since it’s a test of how well I’m paddling that day.”
—Leif Anderson
“I splash my face three times before any big rapid.”
—Mariann Saether
“Always put your kayak on the car going the correct way—facing forward, the way you want to go kayaking.”
—Adriene Levknecht
“Don’t spit in the water. I never spit in the water. I always think the river might throw some river karma at me if I do.”
—Mike Dawson
“River karma. We all have positive and negative behaviors on the river. When too many people are loose and unsafe, accidents happen within the community. Most of the time, it doesn’t make any sense; it’s unfair, random and tragic. I believe that, in some ways, we all have our own responsibilities. Every time someone gets lucky, someone else might not get away with a bad line or hidden hazard. I call it river karma, but I guess it’s more a probabilistic approach to whitewater accidents.”
—Nouria Newman
“Anointing your kayak with burning sage.”
—Natalie Anderson
“I always check my sprayskirt before leaving the eddy after I’ve scouted or left the boat. It’s not like I didn’t check it immediately after pulling it over the cockpit rim, but I check it again. Maybe that’s idiosyncratic more than superstitious, but I feel slightly off if I don’t. Also, when in doubt, I portage that stout with my boat always on the riverside shoulder, which I think is a strategy as much as superstition.”
—Ben Stookesberry
This article was first published in the Spring 2024 issue of Paddling Magazine. When faced with a big rapid, kayaker Charles Cailyer first slows his breathing to slow his heart rate. “Then, I think of my mother, who died a couple years ago. I thank her for giving me life and imagine her with me. Then, I focus and I send it.” | Feature photo: Caleb Gingras
