By Sarah Kuper
Auburn University sophomore and Vestavia Hills local Bennett Smith is headed to Argentina this fall to compete in the Freestyle Kayaking World Championship.
For those unfamiliar with freestyle kayaking, it is like a combination of whitewater kayaking and gymnastics.
Competitors paddle kayaks into the wave of a river rapid and attempt as many tricks as they can in 45 seconds. They might do cartwheels, spins, rolls and backflips in their kayaks.
Smith began kayaking when a middle school friend came home from summer camp talking about it.
Unlike many competitive kayakers, Smith said he doesn’t come from a whitewater background.
“When I showed interest, my parents didn’t know what to think,” he said. “They aren’t kayakers and I don’t think they are even that comfortable in the water. But they are into it now.”
Smith found an instructor from Locust Fork and began taking lessons. He mainly practiced on the Coosa River, the Chattahoochee River and the Little Cahaba.
“Back in the day when I was just getting into it, I would just have fun and see what I could do. My friends thought it was weird at first but then they started following what I was doing,” Smith said.
By the time he was 16, Smith had gotten so good he qualified for the junior men’s division in the 2013 world championships in North Carolina.
The international competition is held every two years at a different waterway around the world.
Smith is one of four men representing the U.S. in San Juan.
Smith knew he was a formidable paddler, but he was surprised at how well he did at team trials in Colorado.
“I was really nervous about it because you get one opportunity every two years, but everything worked out perfectly. I had the ride I wanted to have and sealed my spot on the team. I came in third, which shocked me – especially in that group of people.”
Smith said the U.S. has some of the best paddlers in the world.
Once he qualified for the team, he said, he realized he needed to take his training to the next level.
He allows himself time to kayak for fun but then dedicates himself to perfecting tricks and beating the clock. He is also cross-training by running and working out.
For the Fun of It
Smith, who has never traveled outside the U.S., is excited to go to Argentina.
“At the last championships in North Carolina, it felt like a really big sporting event,” he said. “There were stadium seats set up along the river in the mountains and people from all over the world. I’m excited to see that in San Juan.”
Still in college, Smith doesn’t consider himself a professional kayaker. He said there are few people who make a living doing it. Most competitors are like him – people who took up the sport for fun and enjoy competing.
Smith said he is enjoying the ride and hopes to win in Argentina, but it is about more than competing.
“The reason I love it so much is that you get to go to all these places you wouldn’t get to go if you weren’t in a 6-foot-long boat. Like mountain rivers and remote little canyons. Plus, it is something you can do your whole life. It isn’t that taxing on your body. It is as hard as you make it.”
Smith said he feels fortunate to have the natural training resources available in Alabama.
“Alabama is a hidden gem in the kayaking community. Sometimes I feel like I have it all to myself,” he said.
As much as he trains and practices, Smith said there are always things for which you can’t prepare.
“Kayaking is a weird sport because it isn’t like track and field. The course is different everywhere. Different rapids mean different tricks. You just have to try to be good all around.”
The Freestyle Kayaking World Championships are Nov. 28-Dec. 2 in San Juan.
The Road to the Championships
Bennett Smith is raising money through a GoFundMe campaign to pay for his trip to compete in the Freestyle Kayaking World Championships. Smith and three others were selected to be on the team representing the U.S. at the international games, but the trip is self-funded. The estimated cost of going to the games in San Juan, Argentina, is $6,500. For those interested in helping Smith fund his trip to the competition, visit gofundme.com and search Bennett Smith Road to the World Championships.
