Rafa Ortiz and friends find world-class Class V whitewater a stone’s throw from our nation’s capital.
“Being on the river and running waterfalls has a lot to do with embracing the present moment,” said Mexican kayaker Rafa Ortiz,
known for his steely nerves and incredible skills paddling the
gnarliest whitewater on the planet. “As soon as I’m in my kayak and the
water hits my face, everything else just washes away.”
Rafa puts himself between a rock and a hard place
© Greg Mionske
Growing
up in Mexico City and learning how to kayak in Veracruz, escaping the
city to find that feeling of freedom on the river meant a minimum of a
four-hour drive. So when Ortiz met Tom McEwan in Veracruz and learned
about Great Falls on the Potomac River, he couldn’t wait to come check
it out.
(Lots of photos follow.)
