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Archive History Spotlight Series

Spotlight: Master Craftsman Keith Backlund

Reissue of a classic bio from the Throwback Thursday Spotlight series on master craftsman Keith Backlund

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Archive History Rafting Wallace whitewater

BLACK SATURDAY. by Jay Young PART 1

Jay Young brings to life the story of the Cheat River in the aftermath of the Flood of 1985 in this first of a two part series

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Archive Kayaking

AMERICAN GOLD! ~ The South Fork of the American River. By Nick Carlson

“As long as there are young men with the light of adventure in their eyes or a touch of wildness in their souls, rapids will be run.” –Sigurd Olson This is where America went for the gold. Literally! When gold was discovered on the South Fork of the American River in 1848, it sparked the […]

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OVERCOMING THE FEAR OF WALLACE ~ A PFD on the Upper Nantahala. byLauralyn Chrisley

Upper Nanty. Photo cred Rick Thompson I wrote this on April 28th of 2015, after my personal first descent (PFD) on the Upper Nantahala. With Nantahala Outdoor Center’s GAF (Guest Appreciation Festival) coming up, we’re seeing a lot of people considering running this section for the first time. This is what it was like for […]

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THE BEAST OF THE EAST ~ West Virginia’s Gauley River. by Kelly Gladen

The mighty Gauley River, known for its world class whitewater, is ranked in the top ten in the world and number two here in the United States. It boasts over 100 rapids in a 24 mile stretch. The Upper Gauley sports 5 Class V drops, like the famous Pillow Rock and Sweets Falls in the […]

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INDEPENDENCE DAY ON THE OCOEE ~ Pushing A Bucket Boat down an AmericanClassic. by Michael Potter

Bottoms up! Ashley Law, Lee Torbush,  and Kate Shaffer at Tablesaw on the Ocoee. Photo: Ashley Law FIRST… a short historical sketch of the Middle Ocoee Dam #2.    The Toccoa River starts in the Appalachian foothills of Northeastern Georgia and continues 56 miles to the state line in the twin cities of McCaysville, Georgia […]

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FOR FEAR AND GLORY ~ The North Fork of the Payette. by Jesse Delamotte

The North Fork of the Payette. That is about all that needs to be said to start this story. A river long feared by many and rafted by few. This fear is rightfully so. A river so mean and powerful that few take the chance to raft it. My move to Idaho a year ago […]

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SUMMER PADDLING IN THE UK ~ Rivers Tees & Ure, Risk & Rewards, andObservations of a Young Dirtbag. by Chris Macdonald

EDITOR’S NOTE: Although only eighteen years of age, Chris Macdonald is a longtime DBP Admin and member of our Magazine Staff. We invited him to share with us his recent adventures across the UK as we continue our month long “OUR RIVERS, OUR WORLD” series for the August issue in celebration of our 3rd Birthday! […]

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NEW ZEALAND IS FOR DIRT BAGS ~ Sending Aniwhenua Falls on theRangitaikiRiver. by Lee Laughton

Aotearoa, New Zealand has been my home for the last 34 years, and in that time I have paddled a lot of rivers, ranging from Class 1 through Class 5. I grew up in California and moved to NZ at the age of 15. I have great memories from every river trip I have ever […]

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LAST LOOK JULY ~ Photos from around the world. by DBP Admins

We conclude the July issue of DBP MAGAZINE ONLINE with some photos from Admins old and new, as we prepare to celebrate our 3rd Birthday next month. With a beefed up Admin team of 150 paddlers representing every discipline from 30 countries around the globe, we had a lot to choose from. To paraphrase Jerry […]