Just 13, Jessica Harrison sits in her kayak only a moment before shoving off, rocketing down a 15-foot ramp, soaring off the end and doing a kayak bellyflop five feet below in the Tennessee River.
“It was cool,” Harrison said. “I was scared for a second, but then I just went on and did it. It was epic.”
Staff photo by Dan Henry/Chattanooga Times Free Press – Garrett Mayes and Drew Harrison, left boat, attempt to knock Jessica Harrison and Trevor Noblitt, right boat, into the water during a canoe jousting event at Outdoor Chattanooga’s wacky paddler olympics on the first day of River Rocks October 01, 2010.Jessica was the first girl down the ramp Friday at the Wacky Paddler Olympics, a set of events that kicked off the first RiverRocks festival in Chattanooga. Her bravery won her fans and a cheering section in the crowd at Ross’s Landing.
Events, including biking, runs and paddling, will be held all over the Chattanooga area through Oct. 10.
Along with kayak jumping, Friday night’s event at Ross’s Landing included canoe jousting – where contestants stand in canoes on the water and thump each other with large, padded sticks until someone falls in.