39th Annual Kibler Valley River Run

When a whitewater paddling event has been going on for over 30 years, something has to be special about it… I’ve been in the kayaking community for +20 years and I’ve had several different mentions throughout the years by paddling pals telling me about the delightful nature of this event. Jennifer and I had the pleasure to experience this year’s edition on July 16, 2022 and we discovered all the positive vibes of this nice rural community with over a hundred other paddlers.

The 2 mile river run is a semi-continuous section of class II creek style whitewater – Similar to the Upper Nantahala without the larger rapids like PBJ & Troll Hole. The run gets it flow from a dam release on event day. The put-in for the run is at the small Danville Hydro-Plant now operated by Northbrook Energy. The run is nestled in a beautiful valley forming the head waters of the Dan River between Ararat, VA and Claudville, VA. “Fox Hollar” is the take-out and event site hosted on the private property of David Fox.

The valley is located near the state border of Virginia and North Carolina. Paddlers traveling to the area from the west or south will go through the city of Mount Airy, NC (The town that inspired “The Andy Griffith Show”). This well-known heartfelt town is less than 20 miles away from Kibler Valley.

The time trial downriver race is the featured event of the gathering. There are many different paddling categories of competition for kayak, canoe, SUP, tandem, etc… It is organized by the Red Banks Ruritan Club of Patrick County, VA. This is their largest fundraising event of the year. A $25 event fee enters you into the race, gets you a t-shirt, and all the shuttle laps you want during the afternoon. They are also grilling hot dogs and hamburgers with other concessions for sale at the take-out to keep you fed well during the day.

This turned out to be one of the best demo events in a long time for the Jackson Action Wagon! The shorter 2 mile run allowed paddlers to try out different Jackson Kayak models on multiple laps. It was great meeting several new folks and talking shop with them. Thanks to David Fox for the invitation to bring the JAW to support the event. We are already looking forward to supporting the event again next year!

The event concluded this year with over 170 race runs recorded. The Raritan’s had a nice awards ceremony giving many racers trophies from the various racing categories. They were very thankful to everyone who supported their cause. It left everyone feeling very positive about a good day on the river!

Pete Beck of the River Kings summed it up well with this video edit from the event and statement:

It is a kayak race. It is a casual float. It is a relaxing afternoon. It is an amazing time no matter why you come!