AVA CHRISTENSEN I’D RATHER BE CREEKING

18-year-old Ava Christensen has paddled 200+ days for the past 3 years. From Charlotte, NC, and currently a senior at World Class Academy, Ava represents the next generation of river-runners subscribing to the mentality of simply wanting to run as many different river sections as possible while exploring the world around them. An old-soul, Ava impresses with her easygoing off-river attitude and her sharpened technical skills. I caught up with Ava while she was catching some California spring run-off.

YOU ARE FROM THE SOUTHEAST USA, AN AREA RICH IN WHITEWATER HISTORY. IS THIS WHERE YOU FIRST LEARNED HOW TO KAYAK?

I was