WOMEN KAYAKERS TAKE CENTER STAGE AT THE 2ND ANNUAL RENO RIVER FESTIVAL, MAY 12-15, 2005
RENO, Nev. (May 4, 2005) — From what was traditionally a male-dominated sport of freestyle kayaking, women paddlers are taking charge, claiming titles and championships in competitions around the world. Several have even made the list of the top 50 kayakers in the world, according to Playak.com and Boatertalk, two of the most respected paddling sites on the Internet. And many of these top-rated ladies, including champions Tanya Shuman and Brooke Winger, will travel to Reno-Tahoe this May 12-15, 2005, to take on the river, and their esteemed male counterparts, during the second annual Reno River Festival.
The Reno River Festival, set on the new Truckee River Whitewater Park in the heart of downtown Reno, brings together the industry's top-rated kayakers, both male and female, for a weekend of competitions including the Wave Sport Open Freestyle, a professional invitational freestyle, Wave Sport Boater Cross Race and the Lotus Design Down River Race. The Reno River Festival also offers a series of free clinics for all skill levels taught by the professionals, plus an expo featuring today's hottest products and gear, food, music and more.
"Female kayakers are really making their mark on the sport, and having five of the industry's most recognized women athletes here in our own Truckee River Whitewater Park adds diversity and excitement to our event", said Deanna Ashby, executive director of marketing for the Reno-Sparks Convention and Visitors Authority (RSCVA). "The Reno River Festival aimed to bring the best of the best to the water for this year's competitions and they were able to achieve just that. The women's competition should be an exciting one, and we look forward to seeing all of the paddlers battle it out for first place this year."
Professional female kayakers scheduled to compete at the Reno River Festival include:
Tanya Faux: Aussie Tanya Faux is known for her consistently gutsy style and fearless attitude. She first became addicted to the sport of kayaking during her time at Swinburne University in Australia while studying outdoor recreation in 2000. She now instructs outdoor education at the university while still competing on the professional kayak circuit in the United States and Canada. Although she has spent only a short time in the world of professional kayaking, Faux's awards include Women's Big Air Freestyle champion, Australian Whitewater Freestyle Kayak champion and 2004 International Freestyle champion.
Nikki Kelley: A native of New Zealand, Nikki Kelley is known for her technical skill and extreme mental toughness. She says she would rather paddle than walk, which is why she has grabbed the attention of such esteemed water-sports publications as Kayak Session Magazine, when she made the first-ever female descent of the Stikine, a technically challenging river in British Columbia. Kelley is also the focus of Rush TV's next filming expedition, concentrating on the rivers of Russia, and she is also working on a video project with world-class kayakers Jimmy Blakeney, Tanya Shuman, Andrew Holcombe and Brian Kirk.
Amy Jimmerson: Twenty-five-year-old Jimmerson went pro by the age of 17. With sponsors like Liquid Logic, Surf Wyoming and Nifty Tricks, Jimmerson has conquered rivers all over the West Coast along with Costa Rica and Canada. Paddling as often as 200 days a year, Jimmerson placed sixth in the Women's World Freestyle Kayak Semi-Finals, which earned her a spot on the 2005 Women's U.S. Freestyle Kayak Team.
Tanya Shuman: Shuman is rated No. 9 on Playak.com and Boatertalk's World's Most Famous Paddlers List. With championships in numerous competitions across the globe, Shuman is one of the most recognizable female competitors in the sport of professional kayaking. A late-comer to the sport and addict of big waves and surfing, Shuman, 33, knows she is just getting started. She is an aspiring photographer and graduate of Villanova University in Philadelphia and has made it to the finals in every freestyle event since 2001. She currently holds the U.S. national title and has been a member of the U.S. Womens Freestyle Kayak Team since 1999.
Brooke Winger: Twenty-eight-year-old Winger has plenty to be proud of. With her academic sights set on a doctorate in physical therapy, Winger knows about setting the benchmark. She has spent 13 years on the waters of the United States, Chile, South Africa, Spain, Austria and Fiji, among many others, which has earned this California native many accolades in the paddling community. A member of the Women's Freestyle Kayak Team for more than seven years, Winger currently has more wins than any other freestyle kayaker, is a four-time national champion and two-time world squirt-boating champion. Winger lives in Eugene, Ore., an area known for its wonderful whitewater opportunities, where she teaches kayaking clinics in the off-season.
For further information of the 2005 Reno River Festival or the athletes competing in this years event, visit www.RenoRiverFestival.com. For more information about Reno-Tahoe, Americaâ's Adventure Place, logon to www.VisitRenoTahoe.com or call 800-FOR-RENO (800-367-7366).
The Reno River Festival is held at the $1.5 million Truckee River Whitewater Park, located in the heart of Reno's booming downtown business and arts district. The park, with rapids rated class 2 and 3, is both Nevada's and the region's first whitewater park and kayak slalom racing course, totaling 2,600 feet in length and featuring north and south channels that surround an outdoor amphitheater and park. There are 11 "drop pools" and specially-placed boulders for kayaking maneuvers, a slalom racing course, and 7,000 tons of smooth flat rocks along the shores for easy river access and spectator seating.