Dane Jackson does it again, taking home the coveted glass trophy for the overall win at the 2021 Green Race. The elusive 4-minute barrier has yet to be cracked, however.
We chatted with Dane after this world-class whitewater creek race to get the inside scoop on what happened at what the paddling community dubs the “Greatest Show in All of Sports.”
As always, Dane Jackson is the person to beat in any whitewater kayak competition, but especially the Green Race. This is his fourth straight Green Race win, and he holds both the overall record (4:02) and short boat record (4:24).
Dane also started racing the Green Race at 16, only missing one year since his 2009 debut. That’s 12 Green Races under his belt, and many hundreds of practice runs.
The 2021 Green Race is the 26th running of the race and was named “The Fountain of Youth.” A fitting name for a race that saw record numbers of racers (180+), as well as impressive women’s (12) and junior’s (26) race fields. That all bodes well for the health of the whitewater kayak industry as well, which has seen its fair share of ups and downs lately.
The Green Race
Racing the 2021 Green Race
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Dane Jackson’s 2021 Green Race
Race Training
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2021 Green Race Results
Overall:
- Dane Jackson 4:12.0
- Isaac Hull 4:19.5
- Holt Mcwort 4:23.1
Women:
- Sage Donnelly 4:48.8
- Adriene Levknecht 4:49.6
- Emily Shanblatt 5:25.1
Juniors:
- Kaelin Friedenson 4:27.4
- Sam Sharp 4:30.2
- Cashion Porter-Shirley 4:31.2
Chasing Sub-4-Minute Times
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Pretty much everyone thought this would be the year Dane broke the 4-minute barrier. He was on track, with a 4:04 in 2019 and a 4:02 in 2020. Both those times were posted at slightly higher flows.
The roar of the crowd in the gorge, especially at the big rapid known as “Gorilla,” fuels racers to go hard on the extremely steep bottom half of the course, and can also throw racers off their game. No other whitewater race offers this level of up-close-and-personal paddling experience with such a huge crowd.
The steep Class V whitewater and hundreds of diehard fans that hike out to the race make it a special experience for all who compete. The race is all about bragging rights and competing against world-class paddlers on a world-class racecourse.
Will the 4-minute barrier be broken soon? Only time will tell. But Dane and other top racers are working hard every year to find those tiny changes that will give them the mental, physical, and gear edge to make it happen.
For all things Green Race, be sure to check out GreenRace.us.
What’s Next?
GearJunkie Editor-in-Chief Adam Ruggiero sat down with Dane Jackson on the GearJunkie Podcast last year to talk about massive waterfalls, expedition kayaking in remote corners of the planet, and the life of a pro whitewater kayak athlete. Check out this great listen.
Dane is a busy man, and we appreciate his time. Now that he’s completed, and won, the Oetz Trophy, Russell Fork Race, and Green Race in short order, he is now heading off to Kenya to join an international crew of top paddlers to chase some rain and big waterfalls. We wish him luck and can’t wait to see the footage of his exploits and talk to him again soon.