Making waves at CC Whitewater

Paddler Klayten Perreault gets an early start in competition

By Kate Hayden

khayden@charlescitypress.com

Crowds lined up and down the Cedar River this Saturday didn’t seem to bother paddler Klayten Perreault too much. He had a wave to catch.

Perreault, 11, may not have totally conquered the whitewater feature, but he was one of the youngest kayakers out of nearly 50 participants at the 2016 Charles City Whitewater Weekend Challenge –– ending the competition with four medals, including first place in the Youth-Best Surf contest.

Any first-time competitor should feel proud, but Perreault, who started kayaking two years ago with his family, likes to focus on the challenge.

“When you’re upside down and ‘on the wave’, as you can say, it’s real fun,” Perreault said in between contests on Saturday. “I’ve been trying to get on the wave. I just can’t seem to get all the way up.”

He’s got the support to accomplish it –– Perreault started learning from his dad at Lake Macbride, and moved on to his first rapids at Manchester Whitewater Park. At Charles City’s Challenge, Perreault worked with paddlers Hannah Childs, Marty Colbert and Carl Neubauer to tackle the feature.

“You got to keep your edges and stay alert all the time…you try to come back up and try to keep your upriver edge above the water or you basically get flipped,” Perreault said.

The Perreaults traveled three hours from their home in Mount Vernon, where they stay sharp practicing in their backyard pool between trips. Parents Kris and Emily each had their own recognition during Saturday’s award ceremony –– Kris received first place in the SUP Best Surf/Novice Male category, and Emily received first in BoaterX Longboat/Novice Female and third in SUP Best Surf/Open Female.

“If we’re going camping at a campground, we might stay for two or three weeks or so and just play in the water,” Klayten Perreault said.

Ever-willing to meet a challenge, Perreault still seems to know where his strengths lie –– in the kayak.

“I’ve tried paddleboarding before, but I’m just not a paddleboarder,” he shrugged.

He’s focusing on one wave at a time.