Daniel’s Birthday Eddy Exposed

By Clay Wright. Learn more about Clay.

March 20, 2006

On Daniel DeLavergnes 29th birthday, Jason Hale celebrated by re-defining the ‘sketchy’ lines on the Green. So you’ve done ‘Go Left’ at 100% and 200%, You’ve gone "Left at Sunshine" at 100% and "Down the Middle Sunshine” at 200%, caught the pothole eddy below Gorilla,freewheeled ‘blackwater falls’, tried left entrance to Powerslide and Rapid Transit, gone up and over the rock at West Prong, the right entrance to Hammer Factor, and all the little ‘Daniel’ slots in between.

But have you caught ‘the Birthday Eddy”?

It’s been there since kayaking on the Green began, but until now this eddy sat lonely, day after day, as boat after boat blew out of Pencil Sharpener intent on a clean line through ‘the notch’ above Gorilla without even giving ‘the Birthday eddy’ a passing glance. No more.

Jason, then Daniel, then Toby I believe popped in that first day and now it’s the ‘testpiece’ of cool-kid paddlers on the Green. ‘Have you caught the Birthday Eddy?” Here’s a look so you can see what all the fuss is about.

Clay

Jason Hale – the pioneer of the ‘Birthday Eddy’ doing what he does best: fire up the locals to put on a show for the crowd. “Get your ass in the eddy!”

Jason Hale – taunting the crowd from the ‘Birthday Eddy’ It’s the getting out thats scarey!

Brian Knight, as ‘in’ as it gets and just a foot from running ‘The Notch’ above ‘Gorilla’ backwards.

Jimmy Blakeney carves into ‘Daniel’s Birthday Eddy’ as Shane videos

Its the getting out that is the hard part!Jimmy Blakeney swings his bow around quick, but bounces off the left wall – as almost everyone does – on his way through the ‘Notch. It beats backwards or sideways!

Shane and Robert Pearson – wishing for backward or sideways.