Favorite Park + Play
Put-in, New River Dries —Bryan Kirk, reigning U.S. National Freestyle champ and Fayetteville boater
The New River Gorge is one of the most well-known paddling and rafting destinations in the country, but the Dries, which only runs after heavy rain thanks to the diversion of water from the dam, is the gorge’s lesser-known counterpart. Playboaters love the Dries because of the surfable waves throughout the run, and right at the Put-In is arguably the best wave below the Mason-Dixon.
“It’s a phenomenal feature that changes characteristics depending on the water level. At low water, it’s mellow and just big enough to throw aerials. At high water, it’s the biggest wave I’ve ever surfed,” says Kirk, who surfs Put-In as often as he can. “The spot gets sun and it’s spectator-friendly too. You can easily spend an entire afternoon surfing that one feature.”
Playboating Cred: The Put-In is a mainstay of the Fayetteville boating scene, but surprisingly, no competitions have been held on the feature. However, the wave has been featured prominently in the former “Big Gun Show,” an annual aerial playboating competition where paddlers send in videos of their best tricks from all over the world throughout the year. Videos from the Put-In have been winners.
Rapid: The Put-In gets good for experienced playboaters at 25,000 cubic feet per second, when the wave gets big enough for aerials. At 35,000 cubic feet per second, three big waves form. The top two are world class, but if you get kicked off, you can catch the third wave downstream and surf it like a guard rail to the eddy to paddle back upstream. At bigger levels, 50,000cfs and up, the three waves form one massive feature. “At that level, you’re spending half your time in the air,” Kirk says. “Basically, you’re just skipping on the face of the wave and getting five feet of air.” You’ll only see the wave at this level once or twice a year, but you can find surf at the Put-In at lower levels consistently 30 days a year.
Logistics: The put in for the Put-In is just below Cotton Hill Bridge on Route 16, eight miles outside of Fayetteville. Play all day at the wave, or paddle the whole Dries for six miles of surfing and class IV whitewater, and take out above the Gauley Bridge on Rt. 16. Try ACE, or one of the other half-dozen rafting outposts in and around Fayetteville for gear or guided trips.
Watch video of Bryan Kirk show off his US National Freestyle Champ skills on the New River Dries.
Rock Island, TN —Haley Mills, Chattanooga-based boater and reigning national freestyle champion
Rock Island State Park looks like something out of a postcard, with a wide waterfall spilling over a lush cliff into the Caney Fork River, but look closer and you’ll see paddlers in snub-nosed boats throwing massive tricks at the base of that waterfall. Two natural features at the base of the cascade have drawn boaters from all over the world, turning this state park in the middle of Tennessee into a world-renowned playboating destination.
“There’s a great shoulder to surf on the main wave, but if you get into the pit of the hole, you can throw big tricks too,” says Haley Mills, who has no qualms with listing this wave at the top of her favorites list. “It feels like you’re riding a wild bull.”
Rock Island isn’t just for national champion kayakers though. Depending on the water level, the top wave can offer mellow surfing and easy access for first time playboaters.
Park and Play Cred: Team Jackson Kayak, which has no shortage of world champion and national champion freestyle boaters, claims Rock Island as their unofficial home wave, and the wave repeatedly hosted a leg of the World Cup of Freestyle Kayaking alongside Canada’s Ottawa River, which many say was the birth of big wave river surfing. Pro boaters come from all over the country to play at Rock Island, even without the incentive of a competition.
Rapids: There are two distinct features to surf at Rock Island, a mellow wave (Top Wave) and a much bigger, more aggressive hole (Main Hole). The Top Wave is glassy with fun surfing. The Main Hole farther downstream is big enough for cartwheels and loops but also offers solid shoulder surfing.
Logistics: For park and play action, put in at the Rock Island Picnic Area and hop your way to the wave in front of the waterfall. You can actually run the Caney Fork for a mile of downriver play between Great Falls Lake and Center Hill Lake. Put in above Blue Hole picnic area and take out at the Rock Island Picnic Area. The waves can be massive and munchy depending on what’s being released from the power generators.
Watch video of Team Jackson Kayak throw tricks at a newly discovered wave at Rock Island,Tennessee.
