by Bobby Miller
“The young student finds the old master inimitable.”
– a saying from long ago, author unknown
If you have ever paddled in the Washington DC area, it is likely that you have met or heard of Tom McEwan. He is a quiet and humble man who emanates a deep love for the sport of kayaking that he passes onto all around him. He is a living legend who is a true pioneer in the sport, making countless first descents and running the most challenging rapids. He was part of the first group to go over Great Falls of the Potomac, a rapid that sets the standard for Class 5 paddling in the Mid-Atlantic region. He is ever wise and always willing to help another to advance their skills. Thousands of boaters have learned and met their potential from his tutelage, a legacy that continues to this day.
Photo: Jeff Macklin
My experience with Tom has been different than most, having met him much later in my paddling, already an established Class 5 paddler. However, his impact on my own paddling and perspective on the sport has been no less monumental. I began working for Calleva’s Liquid Adventures in the fall of 2016 and this was when I began to get to know Tom. We both share a love for adventure and have a passion for the sport that we love to share with others. As an instructor, I welcomed this opportunity to learn from one of the masters and really have tried to soak in not only Tom’s wisdom but also his patience. Tom believes in each person he instructs and pushes them to try things outside of their comfort zone.
On a creeking clinic last year on Maryland’s Top Yough, we worked with a group of enthusiastic paddlers on nailing their lines and perfecting their boofs. The wonderful and amazing thing about Tom was that whenever I needed an example of how to do a given boof, there he was executing the move with precision, launching his kayak out of the water, and landing perfectly. Through Tom, I have come to see that time cannot take away the motions your body is trained to do, the experience and knowledge in your mind, and the immeasurable strength of your heart when you are dedicated to the love of your craft. The harmonious dance Tom performed with the river that day was carried out as flawlessly as anyone could have done it.
I went to Mexico this past winter, with Tom, as one of the trip leaders on Calleva’s Advanced Tlapacoyan trip. We started our week with a run down the Roadside section of the Alseseca. The run has a ton of fun Class 4 drops but there is one major Class 5 called S Turn that gets your attention halfway through the run. Tom had suffered a serious injury at this spot the previous year, and had walked the rapid since then. As we got the group out to scout, Tom and I discussed the line. He casually mentioned to me that he thought he might give the rapid another try.
With Tom, there is no macho bravado and no slang terms like, “Fire it up!” or “Send it!”. He is always calm, contemplative, and you get the feeling from the serenity in his voice that what you are getting ready to paddle is just another rapid in a long line of many, instead of an intimidating maelstrom of doom! If he was nervous, you would never have known it. He planned his route as he had done time and time again from decades of paddling on this section, getting his angle just right, timing his boof, and navigating the twisting slot canyon below, which reminds one of a runaway mine car from an Indiana Jones movie.
After the run, I convinced the group that we needed to go check out a 50 foot waterfall near town called the Sidechick. This sparked Tom’s memories of the first descent of the Alseseca, when they had to walk around the unnavigable canyon above it and found the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, a clean 50+ footer. Although his group did not run this falls, he knew that someday someone would and he was very excited to go in there with us to see it. Four of us went over the falls that day and all had good runs. Tom stayed in his street clothes for this adventure, but I got the sense that being back down in that canyon after so many years and running the drop vicariously through his friends was a very meaningful experience for him.
A couple days later, Tom decided to join us on the Big Banana section of the Alseseca. Halfway through the run, there is a menacing 45 foot waterfall named Silencio that has a complex entrance and a chaotic boil in the landing. There is a menacing cave on the left and the height of the drop has crumpled the backs of a number of paddlers. Tom is well known for having run this drop at age 70. Now, 3 years later, I was curious to see if he would feel the desire to run it again. He scouted intently as a group of us prepared to run it. I went over to Tom on the way to my boat and asked him what his thoughts were. He responded in a very calm, matter-of-fact, “Tom-like” fashion with, “I think it looks good. I think I’m going to run it.” I got the sense that I was engaging in a dialogue with an old warrior who has seen so many battles that bravery and composure are not conscious acts, but rather something that has become engrained in his way of life. Sure enough, it was not long after that a green Remix, piloted by none other than Tom, was heading down the approach and past the point of no return where the water races toward the lip of the falls. I sat in the pool below, looking up and there he was, confidently executing his strokes and pulling off a majestic 45 foot boof, landing softly on the churning pile of foam.
It is clear that Tom intends to keep pursuing the sport he loves for years to come and why not? Pablo Picasso continued to paint beautiful works of art into his early 90’s. It is easy to draw inspiration from this man who continues to defy the sands of time. However, if you look deeply into the legend of Tom McEwan, you will see a man who embodies what all of us should strive for in life: love, knowledge, and adventure! I am proud to call him a friend and a mentor and look forward to many more exciting days on the river with him.
Editors Note: I met Tom McEwan super early in my paddling career. Tom shaped not only the way I kayak, but the way I see the world. The stories of adventure, and mis-adventure, especially those from the early years of whitewater, which Tom shares freely, are truly jaw dropping and impressive. He always tells them in a matter-of-fact kind of way, which is the way he sees them. Each adventure, no matter how challenging, is just another step forward in life. Tom also shaped how I teach kayaking, which is in a methodical way that is tailored to each student and continuously pushes their personal limits. My river safety skills were also greatly influenced and enhanced under Tom’s tutelage, which has helped save numerous people over the years, including myself. Tom is a living legend and his influence on whitewater kayaking will probably never be fully appreciated by the masses, but it will never be forgotten by those that know him. -Bryon Dorr
