Kayaking
Meet Dane Jackson, the man who kayaks over massive waterfalls
Dane Jackson is an extreme kayaker who regularly drops massive waterfalls and his latest trip tackled five monsters in seven days. We met him to ask how he does it.
Tumbling through the air amid frothing white water is an everyday thing for waterfall kayaker Dane Jackson and he just hit up five massive drops in one awesome week of kayaking. If you've ever wondered how it feels to paddle off the edge of huge waterfall, this extreme freestyle kayaker is the man to ask.
His latest trip, in America's kayaking hotspot of the Pacific Northwest, took in some of the best, cleanest waterfalls in the world and all but one of the seven days involving a jaw-dropping tumble. The list - included Tokatee Falls (20m), Outlet Falls (21.5m), Money Drop Falls (18m), Bridal Veil Falls (24.5m) and the notorious Abiqua Falls (27.5m). "It was definitely a pretty full on week," said Jackson.
Here, Jackson reveals how it panned-out and explains why and how he takes on these massive, churning monsters.
Dane Jackson on dry land
© Lucas Gilman/Red Bull Content Pool
What was special about this trip?
It was a great mix of the classics and some new challenges to tick-off the list, including a couple, like Tokatee Falls, that are just really hard to get and notorious for people getting skunked after driving out.
The whole experience – driving around with the crew, checking all we could think of, the tension, the great feeling of it going so smoothly when we ran one – that's what made it such a great week.
Jackson is among one of the best freestyle kayakers in the sport
© Michael Clark/Red Bull Content Pool
Which drop gave you the biggest buzz and why?
I was stoked to run Bridal Veil Falls, because it's a really stout sequence that's hard to nail. It's delivered some bad injuries to people, so I was fired-up on pulling that one together. I think it was a 'one-and-done' for me, that one.
We did a second run on Abiqua Falls and that was the kicker, because it was a perfect way to finish-off an insane week. To bring back a sick crew and everyone having good lines in such an unreal place was a highlight.
Did anything go wrong?
No, nothing. Running that many big drops in such a short time, you'd expect to get a bad line or an injury, but I got the best lines, no swims, no broken paddles and no blown skirts. Except for a sore elbow, it was perfect.
What was the best moment?
Coming out of Abiqua feeling 100 percent was definitely a big thing. The drop is almost perfect, but it's still a super tall drop. It's one of those drops where you don't want anything to go wrong and we were on it.
So, why do you paddle over waterfalls?
Falling off a waterfall is one of the greatest experiences I get to have, but it also comes with big risks. So many things have to go right, there’s so little time to do what you need and odd things sometimes happen at the bottom.
Deciding if you're confident enough to run a waterfall and whether it's worth it if it were to go wrong is a brutal process. However, that allows me to be at peace with whatever is about to happen and that's an amazing feeling.
Dane dropping-in
© Lucas Gilman/Red Bull Content Pool
When did you start?
I started kayaking when I was two and ran my first waterfall, a 3m dam in Maryland, USA, when I was five. After that, I worked my way up little-by-little, learning techniques along the way, both from good lines and mistakes.
What's the biggest drop you've ever done?
I've done four drops over 30m. The tallest was Encanto Falls in Mexico, which is 40m and was a first descent. The most recent was Alexandra Falls in the Northwest Territories of Canada, which is about 33m..
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Dane Jackson takes a few drops in Mexico
Watch kayaker Dane Jackson tackle whitewater and big drops in Mexico.
What's the technique?
The first split seconds of the drop determine how the rest is going to go. You need to do everything right at the lip and I wait until the absolute last possible second to either throw or tuck-up my paddle.
I try to control my angle for as long as possible down the drop and once I have it where I want it, I will tuck-up. If you commit too soon, sometimes your bow can come up, or start to cork out to the side.
How do you scout a waterfall before trying it out?
We look at the lip first, because if the lip doesn't look like you can stay in control and set your angle where you want it to do the drop right, there's no point scouting any further.
At the base, you're looking for big pools, because they’re likely to be deep. We often also look at waterfalls without much water, to see if there are any hidden shelves, rocks, caves or undercuts to watch out for.
Sizing-up the waterfall in Hilo, Hawaii
© Lucas Gilman/Red Bull Content Pool
How do you make the final decision on whether to go or not?
It doesn't matter if dozens of people have fallen-off of the drop before, because different people have different confidence levels with different move. So, you need to have a set-up that makes you feel safe.
There's always at least one person below the drop in a boat, or on shore, and if there's a higher level of risk – like a chance of becoming unconscious – we can sometimes have as many as five people down there.
You always have to make sure that whoever is running the drop knows the safety is positioned where they want it, because having that confidence plays a huge part in being able to put it all on the line.
Safety is paramount. Having other kayakers on an expedition is necessary
© Alfredo Martinez/Red Bull Content Pool
How do you feel when you're paddling towards a big drop?
It's insanely nerve-wracking. There are usually 100 scenarios rushing through my head and I try to focus on what's about to come, but once you're past the point of no return, approaching the lip, everything kind of goes blank.
When you start to fall over the lip, it's actually one of the most calm and surreal moments. You just keep staring as you drop over, wait until you see the chaos below you and then set your angle.
Jackson tries to remain focused and calm when he goes down a waterfall
© Lucas Gilman/Red Bull Content Pool
For me, it's almost like I black out and my body just takes over. I used to make lots of plans, but I started to realise that I would almost never stick to them, as my body would naturally react if something isn't going right.
So, over the last few years, I've focused on just deciding where I want to be when the lip comes and letting my instincts take over from there. Not much goes through my mind then, just total focus on staring down the drop.
Has anything ever gone wrong?
Oh, yes. Once, when I was 14, I was in Newfoundland and fell-off line on a 6m drop. I landed on a shallow part of the falls, ejected the boat and my body got churned around below the drop for almost a minute.
I started blacking-out, but luckily I popped up okay. It was definitely not a fun experience, but I had some safety below, including my dad. I was pretty shaken, but it didn't stop me wanting to do more waterfalls.
What tips would you give to someone who wants to paddle a waterfall?
Go to a drop you're comfortable on and practice your tuck and your paddle placement at the lip before you move up a level. That way, you can try something different and not stress if it doesn't go perfectly.
When you start getting past certain heights, everything changes in terms of the time and room for error you have in setting your angle, so you need to be confident that you can hit the line.
Learn how and when to keep hold of your paddle, because although there are tons of waterfalls where you can throw your paddle and not worry what's downstream, there are lots where it's crucial to have a paddle at the bottom.
Technique is all-important
© Alfredo Martinez/Red Bull Content Pool
There are a lot of paddlers who just don't know how to tuck with a paddle, so when the time comes that they need to, they haven't practiced, so they feel nervous and that won't help with the line.
Finally, never make a huge jump in size just because someone else is doing it, or it's one of the 'easy' ones. If the drop's way bigger than your previous tallest, do some smaller ones and come back when it feels right.
