The “Goshen Pass” section of the Maury River is a classic mid-Atlantic run. A staple of every boater – from intermediate to expert – who lives in Virginia, it is the most reliable whitewater in the western part of the state. This section of river has hosted the crowd-favorite Goshen Race for eight years now. For the past couple years there has been loose talk of having a rodeo on this fun and beautiful playboating river. This year, thanks mainly to Josh Pecaric of Richmond and Josh Tracy of Charlottesville, it finally happened. Pyranha playboats made up a quarter of the small but talented field. In order to maximize the wealth of features in Goshen Pass, a “rolling rodeo” format was chosen. This allowed for competitors to show off their stuff on a varied set of features – splats, holes, eddylines, and downriver freestyle. All the “old-school” moves are new again on the Maury River! Even though it took awhile to cycle all the competitors through each feature, the eddyline comaraderie was strong. And so was the trash-talking. I found myself laughing almost too hard to splat at one point during my first ride. Despite having too much fun, I managed to walk away with the win at this inaugural event. Already looking forward to next year!
The Goshen Pass section is one of the prettiest spots in the state and it is littered with perky playspots, creek slots, and “training” moves. Check out just a few of of them here:
Playing in the Pass
A huge Thank You to all those who organized and volunteered at this event.