Korg 3.0 Gets Wet

As promised, I returned to the River Fest in downtown Reno Saturday to be on the photo crew for a special occasion.

Grant, with the help of High Fives, the Korg 3.0 Movement, his amazing wife Shawna, and countless others, made his return to moving water under the watchful gaze of hundreds of onlookers.

I shot 800+ photos in a little over two hours as Grant slipped into the Truckee River, made his first paddle stroke outside of a swimming pool in over a year, and got right back to business; surfing the holes, throwing a few tricks, and smiling like the happiest shrieking baboon you've ever seen.

Here are a few of my favorite photos from the day (also, check out Matt's excellent work here).


Stoked


First paddle stroke!


Dropping in; time to focus


EJ stokes the crowd as Grant paddles in to the main hole


Fine adjustments


Surfing!


Riding high


Deep breath


Triumph


Still stoked

There were few dry eyes as his enthusiasm and gratitude were evident from the time he put his gear on until the time came to begrudgingly step out of his boat. Whether they were friends and acquaintances from the close-knit local kayaking community, fellow competitors from previous years' freestyle competitions, or casual spectators, all were able to grasp the importance of this pass along a short stretch of boiling whitewater.

Onwards and upwards!

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