Ducktown, TN — The 2002 Teva Whitewater National Championships concluded seven months of intense competition on the Teva Tour, thirteen events held across the United States. Competitors from all ability levels were invited to compete at the Olympic Whitewater Center on the Ocoee River based on their Teva Tour performance.
Among the athletes enjoying a fantastic fall weekend in the heart of the Appalachian Mountain was Deb O’Keefe from New York. Deb earned the bronze medal in the Women’s Pro Division and stated, “I was proud to be a part of the tour and learned a lot by making a commitment to the entire series. It has created a fantastic season of training, paddling and competing. I am especially thankful to the organizers and volunteers for hosting such an incredible event.”
The Championships marked a number of firsts in the sport of freestyle kayaking. The event was the first to recognize champions from each age and ability levels. The event also became the place for amateur athletes to earn their pro status for 2003. Rob Terry from Maryland was one such athlete. Terry placed fourth in the Mens’ Expert division giving him the opportunity to compete as a pro athlete in 2003. Terry said, “To me, Nationals was everything a competition should be: it combined a sweet feature, loud music, an enthusiastic crowd, warm sunshine, and fierce competition.”
Tennessee native Javid Grubbs wowed the crowd with an impressive array of aerial moves clearly identifying that a new era in freestyle paddling is here to stay. Grubbs went on to become the Men’s pro National Champion. The National Championship had a purse of $10,000 in cash and prizes.
Full results for the event can be found at www.americanwhitewater.org/events/id/22/.
The 1996 Olympic venue on the Ocoee River was chosen for its superior ability to comfortably host athletes, spectators and the media. . “
everyone worked tirelessly to present what, in my opinion, was one of the best freestyle events ever held,” said Adam Druckman, Sports Marketing Director for Teva Footwear.
American Whitewater chose the Ocoee River to host the National Championships to further publicize the Tennessee Valley Authority unwillingness to provide water on the Upper Ocoee in order to support the local economy through a healthy whitewater and tourism industry. For more information regarding the TVA’s involvement in the Upper Ocoee River , please contact Kevin Colburn at 828-252-6482.