Emily catching fish Click on pic to view Huge Experiences' photogallery

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Quick Bio

Hometown: Rock Island, TN

First boat paddled: Euro Kayak Cyphur

Favorite boat: Liquid Logic Pocket Rocket

Accomplishments: 2nd Black River Rodeo 2002, 2nd Gauley Rodeo 2001, 2nd Muapin Boater Cross 2003, 2nd Canyon Creek Extreme Race 2003, 6th Oregon Cup 2003, Coached 90% of the US Jr. Freestyle team, coached 5 juniors to top ten finishes in the 2003 world championships, former NCAA wrestler, 2nd TN Greco Roman State Championships 1988, founded the Academy of Huge Experiences.

Favorite river: The Marciangdi in Nepal has it all-beautiful snow capped peaks, class V gnar, Class III play, a rich and diverse flora of plants, and there are Nepalese villages with a nearby school. The Nepalese people will watch you play from the terraced rice mountain fields. This river is my most incredible experience of boating.

Favorite park & play spot: Rock Island is the perfect playspot. You can learn any move here whether you are a beginner learning to spin and catch waves or a pro perfecting McNasties or the Helix you can do it either at the Rock Island hole or catch big air on Brave Wave.

Whitewater hero: My whitewater heros are the unsung volunteering persons who start kids into kayaking. They spend more time with individuals developing character, and are selfless in their efforts. To name a few-Marty Roode, Mike Murphy, Devon Barker, Mike Harvey, Jeff Moore, Dru Smith, John Mavity, Sean Smith, David Levitt, Tim Smith, Sylus Treadway, Pete Gallo, Lee Leibfarth, Jeff West, Heath Cowart, Melinda Hindershot, Phil Urban,É I wish I had a day to research everyone who has selflessly helped students begin their kayaking journey. These people are not gaining sponsorships, personal recognition, excessive pay, or appearances in magazines and videos. They are the core and heart of our sport, and are present because they love kayaking. And Kayaking loves them.

Best thing that has happened to you at Huge Experience: Huge Experiences is the best thing that has happened to me. Executing a philosophy of education I had when I was taking collegiate education courses is incredibly rewareding. When I taught in public schools administrators informed rookie teachers, "you are delusional," and "your first years you are in the survival stage." I have always despised it and been motivated when people told me I could not accomplish things. Everyone was waiting on the promise land, retirement. Something had escaped the majority of the teachers who at some time must have had the same delusions of motivating students and teaching in an environment without the distractions of partying, TV, and where students were actually excited to learn and come to school. Watching students at Huge Experiences lunch discuss To Kill a Mockingbird, and complete homework assignments prior to boating daily has been my daily observation. Developing the philosophy of positive experiences combined with a rich education is my substance, passion, and drive within the Academy of Huge Experiences.

Scariest or biggest thrill in whitewater: When I started creeking I ran Little River Canyon in northern Alabama before I was ready. The first waterfall is a 12 footer immediately followed by a 25 foot drop. In between the drops is a boulder that has the potential to stop a boat and cause a vertical pin I was informed during the scout.

I went over the top drop straight, and soon thudded to an abrupt stop as I thought, "Oh God! This is it, I am in the vertical pin." I took my normal progression of escape. First, I shook the Freefall LT as aggressively as possible. There was no movement of the craft. Next, I released the paddle and pushed myself up on the cockpit rim, and would be immediately knocked down to my deck. I could not hold myself up against the high water current for even a moment. On the fourth or fifth attempt I could not budge myself off of my deck.

It was at this moment I thought, "I can not believe I am going to drown because I am too weak." I next wiggled again aggressively and my body and hip popped loose to one side of the boat. Now, I started swimming down the waterfall trying to work my highly torqued legs free from the constricting cockpit and foam walls. This would not work, but it did manage to free at least one leg almost to the knee. At this point I reached behind me and grabbed my legs attempting to break my legs in order to free myself. Later, Clay Wright and I had this discussion and he informed this would only mean you are stuck in your boat with broken legs. Maybe so, or maybe they would have been limber enough to release from the cockpit rim. I agree with Clay, and advise not to try it. If anything the situation gives you an idea of how close I was to death.

While I had full mental capacity the only thing I cannot remember is whether I could breathe. According to me being mangled and beat up on my boat as I hung down the waterfall I must assume there was no breathing.

Next in this moment of desperation, a technique I learned in order to stop and escape from a body recirculating hole came to me. I didn't learn this in a kayak clinic, rather I learned the technique at Double Suck on the Ocoee during raft guide training over 8 years prior. The technique would save my life, and I now teach it with every safety course I offer. The method to escape a recirculating hole I had learned is to wrap your arms in a circle and grab as much water as possible as you recirc aggressively into the ledge. Combined with a proven locking of hands method I knew from years of wrestling the method could hold tons of pounds of water. I wrapped my arms in a large circle and locked my hands holding and encircling water as my body became a lever. The body lever pried my boat off of the pin. I never actually escaped the confines of my cockpit rim, but successfully pried myself to a swim twenty five feet below, and a visit to the ER for pain in my nonwalkable muscle torn legs.

As I flowed over the twent-five foot drop I thought, "YESS! I AM GOING TO LIVE!"

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