Chris Gorman, a Virginia Tech senior, was one of the organizers of a kayaking rodeo at the New River's McCoy Falls earlier this month.

Tech kayak club president Matt Ellenberg (green hat) scores a kayaker's style while observing from McCoy Rock in the New River. "I was a judge partly because there are so many out there way better than me at freestyle," Ellenberg said, laughing.

Photos by MATT GENTRY The Roanoke Times

At the end of the semester, members of the Virginia Tech Canoe and Kayak Club held a whitewater kayak rodeo on the New River. Watch a video of the competition at newrivervalley.com.

Outdoor enthusiasts know the New River Valley is rich with options for adventure. The mountainous terrain and waterways provide all sorts of outlets for camping, hiking and boating. When the rains come down it makes for some of the best whitewater conditions on the East Coast.

"It was the reason I came to Virginia Tech," said Matt Ellenberg, president of Virginia Tech's Canoe and Kayak Club. "But don't tell my mom that."

The Richmond native took up kayaking at summer camp at the age of 12, eventually transitioning from camper to counselor. Now in college, Ellenberg continues to share his love of the New River by organizing outings and teaching others the proper technique to right an overturned kayak.

For enthusiasts such as Ellenberg, being in Blacksburg means being within just a few hours' drive of such prime spots for kayaking as the Balcony Falls section of the James River in this state and the New River Gorge and the Gauley River in West Virginia.

According to Jason Stancil, manager of Venture Out at Virginia Tech, the most popular forms of kayaking in the area are river running, creeking and playboating. River running and creeking focus on making one's way down the river while playboating is a freestyle form of boating that involves performing stunts in areas known as play holes.

"It's a pretty steep learning curve at first," Stancil said, "but it gets easy fast after that."

Stancil said involvement in clubs and kayaking networks helps novices by making instruction available and offsetting initial equipment costs.

As kayak club president, Ellenberg has made it a priority to get more people out on the water. In addition to teaching roll clinics, he has worked hard to find discounts on gear for club members. To help promote the sport, he and fellow club members Preston Brown and Chris Gorman organized a kayaking rodeo at the New River's McCoy Falls earlier this month.

The rodeo consisted of a freestyle competition and a race. Competitors were allowed three attempts to chain as many spins, flips and tricks as they could into each 45-second run. Ellenberg acted as judge, scoring the routines on creativity and degree of difficulty.

"I was a judge partly because there are so many out there way better than me at freestyle," Ellenberg said, laughing.

The race portion of the rodeo was organized into five-boat heats with the top two in each moving on. Routes were adjusted and required moves were added to increase the challenge for the participants.

"We have a lot of Class V (expert) rated kayakers in the club," Gorman said. "Some of the guys have pro sponsorships and a lot of famous names in kayaking have come from Virginia Tech."

Former Hokies Bryan Kirk, Jimmy Blakeney and Andrew Holcolmb are all well-known on the professional kayaking circuit. In 2007, Holcolmb took first in the Green River Race in North Carolina, one of the world's best known creek races. Gorman estimates that 10 to 15 of the world's top kayakers have ties to Virginia Tech.

Gorman, a graduating senior, knows what he's talking about when it comes to kayaking. He produces videos from runs he and his colleagues have made around the country and has a job in Colorado lined up for the summer as a safety kayaker.

"I'll be working in Vail and Aspen following groups down the rivers and helping anyone who falls or gets themselves into trouble," Gorman said.

As the weather warms up, the rivers become increasingly active with spring runoff. More challenging rivers increase the demand for safety kayakers.

Both Gorman and Ellenberg concentrate primarily on river running and creek boating. Gorman also incorporates some playboating in his training. The more difficult the challenge, the better they like it.

"For me, steepness is what makes a good river," Gorman said. "For me an elevation drop of about 500 feet per mile is ideal."

When it rains, such gradients produce the sort of water that is perfect for a challenging run.

"I'm a slave to the rain," Gorman said. "That's when you find the best rapids and play spots."

Paddlers capable of handling Class V (the most challenging) conditions stress the importance of safety. Ellenberg offered advice to those wanting to take up the sport.

"You have to get a buddy," Ellenberg said. "It's crucial for safety, but you'll also have more fun. Even if you're both on the same level you'll progress faster, learn new things and just enjoy it more."

Stancil added one last piece of advice for future paddlers: learn to swim.