In The Same Boat

by Noble Sprayberry

Others may travel to the Nantahala River in western North Carolina for leisurely whitewater rafting or to ride on nearby mountain bike trails, but Philip and Seth Weizenecker consider the river a proving ground for a sport known for engendering frustration between partners.

They paddle a tandem canoe and qualified over the summer for a junior team representing the United States in world competition in Poland.

“I just enjoy being out on the river and being out with nature and being able to take it to the next level and compete,” says Philip, 18. “That really gets it for me.”

Understanding the brothers’ bond means understanding the careful partnership their sport requires. Every movement demands coordination, and frustration often results from a miss. But these brothers created strength from a potential pitfall.

“It’s more comfortable that I’ve known him for so long,” says Seth, 16. “It’s trust, and I know what he’ll do when we get into certain situations.”

Anticipating every move is critical, because these brothers compete in a sport far different from recreational canoeing.

They race in whitewater slalom and paddle a decked canoe, which looks more like a kayak than the canoes found on most lakes. They are braced on their knees, not seated.

“Our friends don’t usually get what we do,” Philip says. “It takes several times explaining for them to get it, and they usually have to come out and see a race.”

In competition, the brothers must negotiate not only whitewater rapids but also a series of gates that requires paddling downstream and, at times, upstream in a race against a clock.

But for this pair, putting family and paddling together is nothing new.

They all started about four years ago, says their mother, Jackie Weizenecker. “My husband, Dale, introduced us to it, and the boys have been racing for a year and a half. The whole family liked it right away, and the kids got really good at it really quickly.”

Their daughter, Amanda, 14, also paddles and competes.

Philip and Seth quickly learned that the sport offered more than the high-adrenaline moves seen on television commercials. Both said they wanted to learn how to gracefully run a whitewater river, a skill they saw mastered by slalom racers.

The two Knoxville, Tenn., residents turned to the Nantahala River in North Carolina and to former Olympian Lecky Haller to coach them. They drive to the dam-controlled river at least once a week, camping together before long days of training.

“The Nantahala, it’s really very nice,” Seth says. “Most people don’t have that, and we’re lucky to be able to drive just a few hours and have all of that.”

It’s a playground, and a sport, they intend to enjoy together long into adulthood.

“As long as we can sit on our knees in a boat,” Seth says, “I think we’ll still paddle together.”

Noble Sprayberry is a freelance writer in Brentwood, Tenn.

first appeared: 10/20/2002