Paddling phenom Dane Jackson set a new Green Race course record of 4:04, just missing out on cracking the 4-minute barrier. We got to chat with Jackson after his big win and get some insights on how he prepared, how the race went, and what the future holds.
On the first Saturday of every November, whitewater creek racers from around the globe converge on the Green River Narrows in western North Carolina. This year marks the 24th running of the Green Race. A massive field of 145 paddlers stepped up to take on this intimidating steep Class V whitewater racecourse this year.
Dane Jackson continued his domination of all whitewater kayaking competitions at this year’s Green Race. Jackson is only 26 years old and arguably the best, most versatile whitewater kayaker in the world right now. He’s part of the Jackson Kayak family dynasty and sponsored by such big names as Red Bull and GoPro.
“This is my 10th year competing in the race, and I always look forward to it. It’s one of my favorite days of the year,” Jackson said.
Green Race Record Times
In his 10th Green Race appearance, Jackson took the overall title for the second year in a row. In the process, he laid down the fastest time down the course in history.
His time of 4 minutes 4.4 seconds was one second faster than the course record he set last year. Not only that, but he also set a new short boat record of 4:24.
Jackson’s performance was so dominating that he beat the second-place overall finisher by a full 8 seconds and the third-place finisher by a massive 16 seconds. His short-boat time not only gave him the short-boat win and set a new course record, but it was also good enough for 10th place overall.
How Dane Jackson Prepares to Race
Jackson took the Green Race super seriously this year, aiming to crack the elusive 4-minute barrier. Besides many top-to-bottom practice laps on the racecourse, at a wide range of water levels, he also analyzed tons of video footage.
For a month-and-a-half, he watched GoPro footage from previous races and practice laps. He analyzed every segment of the racecourse to optimize his lines. He even broke the course down into segments and took notes in a spreadsheet form to really digest the data he was collecting.
The fastest practice lap Jackson had recorded this year was a 4:06, so he was extremely happy with his race-day performance at 4:04.
Dane Jackson’s Race Boat
Jackson decided to try a lighter boat this year to help him chase that sub-4-minute time. He paddled a Jackson Karma Unlimited, an 11’10” racing creek boat, which he had custom made in a lightweight layup. Between about 4.5 pounds less plastic in the boat and removing some weight in the outfitting, he was able to lighten the boat by about 6.5 pounds.
Less weight in the boat made it easier to correct, turn, maneuver, float just a bit higher in the water, and keep the bow on the surface. All of this combined added just a touch more performance to an already race-proven design.