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Leland Davis
Hometown: Swannanoa, NC
Favorite River: Callaghan Creek, BC; Little White Salmon, WA; Watauga, NC
Sponsors: Astral Buoyancy, Brushy Mountain Publishing, Pyranha Kayaks
Biography: Leland first sunk his paddle in the Green River from the seat of a tandem canoe on the Lower Green in the summer of '82. He got more into paddling in his high school outdoors program in the late 80s, taking trips to rivers all over the Southeast. In 1990 he moved to CO to be a rock climber, but still got in annual trips to NC to paddle the solo open canoe he received as his high school graduation present. In '93, after seeing the video “Green Summer” in Utah, he moved permanently to the Asheville area where he bought a C-1 and has been paddling ever since. To support his habit he has been a camp counselor, outdoor guide, run high adventure and university programs, been a dish washer, waiter, valet, painter, videographer, graphic designer, sales rep, freelance writer, and pumpkin salesman. He has worked in the paddling industry for Savage Designs, Watershed, Stahlsac, Impex, Pyranha, and Astral Buoyancy, and was co-founder of the Green River Race.
He has spent many seasons as a wandering paddler, exploring rivers from the Southeast to British Columbia. Most recently, he authored a new whitewater guidebook, North Carolina Rivers & Creeks. Over the last two years he has gone back to paddling instruction, teaching a series of creek boating clinics each spring. Today he lives on a mountain outside of Swannanoa, NC - where he and his fiance/paddling-partner Andria have a small publishing company - Brushy Mountain Publishing - which creates books and DVDs. Look for them anywhere on the planet that rocks, water, gravity and gradient are found together in abundance.
AW Testimonial: As a lover of rivers, supporting American Whitewater is the most important thing I can do for the streams that we all enjoy paddling. American Whitewater allows the paddling community to have a concerted voice for the preservation of these beautiful areas. By opening up access to more streams, AW brings more people into the sport - creating more river lovers and an ever stronger voice for river preservation.