River Report | Paddler Profiles | Recent Trip Highlights | Documentary Trailers PADDLER PROFILES [More Paddlers]
Corran Adisson | Nico Chassing | Steve Fisher | Alex Nicks | Allen Braswell
Corran Adisson, sponsored by Riot, Cebe and Suunto has to be one of the most controversial paddlers to have ever sat in a kayak. However his results (2nd place in two world championships as well as being an Olympic finalist), and design acclaim speak for themselves.
The self confessed chocolate and coke addict, (that's the drink I presume) rates The St Laurence and the Zambezi as his best rivers, and for playspots, Aero and rapid 18. Swimming is not high on his agenda and apart from one swim last year on the Rouge in flood, his previous unscheduled exit from his kayak was in 1986!
Since coming to Zambia he as added Amarulla, a Southern African liqueur, to his list of interests, along with snowboarding and woman. However, he goes on to add, that his nastiest experience was "a he dressed as a she!" ...Story Corran?
Any rodeo tips? "Forget rodeo. Have fun!!"
French pizza chef and video tycoon, Nicolas Chassing, has to be one of the classiest paddlers around. His consistently good placing in the top events and smooth technique have made him one of the paddlers to watch, not only medals wise, but sheer ease on the eye. He won the Camel Challenge in 1996 and most recently took the Bronze medal at the 2000 Pre Worlds.
When not tearing up the monstrous waves on the Zambezi more aggressively then paddlers twice his size, he can be found indulging in his favourite pastimes: Kite flying or Coleman riding (A crude type of wakeboarding, involving a cooler box lid, a fast boat, crocodiles and alcohol).
His sponsors are Riot and Peak UK and his favourite playspots are Fulljames, in NZ and Joinville Dam near Paris. Best rivers, "Ze Zambezi and Ze Dry Meadow Creek".
Paddling wise he reckons; "Ze secret is in eating more Cheese on ze pizza's"
Known as the Baboon, not only for his strong paddling technique, mental ability and bar room antics, Steve Fisher is one of the leading paddlers whose progress should be closely monitored.
Trained by Johnny Snyder's Whitewater School, or so Johnny claims, Steve's list of credits include first in the Oregon Cup Series 1999, World Bronze Medallist 1999, Camel Challenge 2000 and many other top events on the US circuit.
Riot, Ropegun, Seven 2, Peak UK and epaddler.com are his sponsors and he rates The Zambezi and The St Laurence as his best rivers, whilst giving 12B and rapid#11 the honours in the playspot division.
Top tip, "never sit down with a light bulb in your pocket"
Englishman Alex Nicks, paddling for Necky and also sponsored by Stohlquist, Teva, Snapdragon and Lightning paddles lifted the European Championship in 2000 to add to his fifth placing at the 1999 World's as his best results.
His favourite rivers are the Zambezi and the Futalafue with 12B and Hurley his best spots for playboating. The Gaireze River in the Eastern Highlands of Zimbabwe was where he last took a swim and says that "thinking I could fart with confidence in Indonesia" was his nastiest experience.
Apart from boiled beef and cabbage (old family favourites at the Nicks household) he enjoys all types of food and alcohol and reckons he is addicted to adrenaline. Filming, climbing, travelling and plotting his next kayak mission are his other interests and he enjoys "travelling to many ports"…most of them in a storm I presume! Any comments Alex?
And, "don't forget to lean downstream!"
Hailing from Murphy, North Carolina, Allen Braswell is without doubt the man at the front of the C-1 pack. Sponsored by Perception, Liddz helmets, Palm, Adidas and Smith sunglasses he is a two-time World Champion in the "one armed bandit" category of paddling.
He rates a two or three-day trip on Fantasy Falls as his favourite section of river and his best playspot is a hole on the Chattooga known as "jammer". His last swim was at the bottom of the 55' waterfall where Dan Campbell broke his back.
When not dining at the "Y" he enjoys a spot of bowling, and reckons the nastiest thing he has ever seen was watching the same Dan Campbell necking his own piss. In his Southern drawl he adds that his favourite pastime is "hangin' out with my buddies on the river, kickin' it."
Top tip: "Don't give up, keep trying it over and over!"
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