Bring the Thrill of the Rapids to Your Coffee Table With This New ‘Whitewater’ Book

From the first moment you read the book’s forward by award-winning author and adventurer Kevin Fedarko, you realize there is something more to Whitewater than its gorgeous photographs and intimate essays. There is genuine spirit, both in the unforgiving worlds it explores and in the community of intrepid adventurers who call them home.

“I came not only to love the whitewater itself, but also the community of men and women who count themselves among the most ardent disciples of a river’s mad and gorgeous dance,” Fedarko writes. “Over the years, seeing whitewater through their eyes has added depth and richness to my own sense of why so many of us are pulled toward rivers, what we find so compelling about the time we spend in their company, and how difficult it can be to turn from their embrace.”

The third and newest hardcover book produced by Yeti, Whitewater is a 156-page journey teeming with entrancing photos—from shutterbugs including Pete McBride, Chris Burkard, and Forest Woodward—alongside immersive personal accounts by thrill seekers who have devoted their lives to navigating some of the world’s most hair-raising rapids. Each story offers something unique from the last, with topics that range from the technicalities of choosing a river’s lines to philosophical observations on the role of rivers throughout human history.

Courtesy of Yeti

In one chapter, sisters Nikki and Colleen Cooley discuss growing up on Navajo Nation, where they learned the cultural significance of the region’s river systems and gained the skills necessary to become commercial river guides. Today, Nikki claims the distinction of being the first Navajo woman to guide a whitewater trip in the Grand Canyon.

Flipping through one riveting spread after another makes evident just how intimate our connection to these wild waterways is, as well as why the protection of these rivers is more important than ever. Today, two-thirds of the United States population sources drinking water from rivers during a time when freshwater ecosystems struggle against the impacts of damming, pollution, and drought.

More from this issue:

• 3 Cabins, 3 Styles: Is This the Ultimate Forest Hideaway?
• These Road Trips Aren’t Just Epic, They Can Be Done in an Electric Car
• Bikepacking 101: Why You Should Try It and How to Get Started
• Feeling the Heat? Try These Drought-Tolerant Plants in Your Garden Now
• Go Ahead, Forage Your Own Food. But First Know the Rules

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American Rivers has been at the forefront of river preservation since 1973, boasting 300,000 supporters, members, and volunteers who are endeavoring to stem the aforementioned effects before the damage of human interference becomes irreversible.

Due to a partnership with Yeti, the proceeds from 650 of the first Whitewater copies sold—a total value of more than $150,000—will go toward funding American Rivers. Additionally, those who purchase Whitewater using this form will be entered in a sweepstakes to “win the mother of all river trips,” the American Rivers form says: a 17-day trip in October down the Grand Canyon with OARS. The winner will be notified June 17.

Whitewater marks another milestone in the ongoing collaboration between Yeti and a river community that was one of the first to adopt its gear. In fact, Yeti’s foray into content creation jolted to life with its first “Yeti Presents” film, In Current, a whitewater production released seven years ago.