Up and coming Maryland-based paddler beat out paddling legend Tao Berman on his own turf April 12 to take first place in the Washington Canyon Creek Race.

Now in its 16th year, the event drew almost double the number of competitors expected and a huge crowd of spectators who scrambled up and down cliffs and scaled rock walls to get to the drop zone (the last set of waterfalls) to watch the action.

It was a fantastic day, with clear skies, highs in the upper 70′s and an afterparty that went into the wee hours. Good times.

But it’s the history of the Canyon Creek Race that makes me smile. In 1991 a developer got a permit to drain all the water out of the river for a micro-hydro project to generate electricity. As a way to fight the project and raise awareness, American Whitewater Regional Coordinator Andrew Wulfers and Alder Creek Kayak and Canoe organized the first-ever Canyon Creek race. The strong show of support and popularity of the race put the hydroelectric project on hold.

But the permit still exists. And the Canyon Creek Race isn’t just a fun whitewater event. By paddling the river, river users are able to demonstrate a record of use that is key in fighting hydroelectric licensing. So if you were lucky enough to be one of the people who either showed up to watch or compete, you were also part of a plan put in place 16 years ago to protect this incredible river.