U.S. National Slalom Team paddlers Eric and Rebecca Giddens. (Photo by Katharine Edmunson.) Rebecca continues to be the top-ranked women's slalom K1 in the U.S. The 2002 World Champion, and five time National Champion will compete in her second Olympic Games on August 17-18, 2004 in Athens, Greece. Eric was a member of the 1996 Olympic team, and has been one of America's top-ranked kayakers for several years. In 2000, he placed 5th overall on the World Cup circuit against tough International competition.

Originally from Atlanta (Eric) and Green Bay (Rebecca), the couple now divide their time between residences in Kernville and San Diego. Eric is a graduate student in Oceanography at Scripps, and when Rebecca isn't training in Kernville, she trains at the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista. They train on the Kern River frequently, doing two-a-day workouts at the new slalom course at Miracle Hot Springs, or the Cottonwood training site near Bakersfield. They work with local paddlers and clubs, and are always a big help at KVRC's Kern River Festival. We hope they're part of the Kern paddling community for many years to come.

Here's a photo (by Tom Moore) of Rebecca on the slalom course at Miracle Hot Springs during the 2000 Texaco Whitewater Slalom and Wildwater Nationals; and a photo of Eric working on the slalom course at the 2002 Kern River Festival.

See their bios on the USACK site for more info: Rebecca Giddens - Eric Giddens