Noc Stories

NOC Stories describes the Nantahala Outdoor Center’s first 25 years, a time of explosive growth in whitewater sports and instruction. NOC Stories by Payson Kennedy and Greg Hlavaty presents a history of the Nantahala Outdoor Center as seen through the eyes of early leaders and some of its dedicated staff. This history spans the years 1972-1997 and approaches the story of the NOC’s inception and growth in conjunction with the explosive growth of paddlesports and paddle instruction; in a very real sense, the great strides in paddle instruction and the growth of whitewater sports parallels the growth of the NOC. Many people today see the Nantahala Outdoor Center (NOC) for what it has become: a seminal Southeastern paddling hub and profitable business. What they don’t know is that the NOC started with a semi-utopian vision, the idea that friends could work together at pursuits they were passionate about, and that this endeavor would not only be profitable for the company, but also life-changing for the individual. That’s not something many businesses can say, but in the case of NOC, it’s turned out to be true. If you asked current culture-makers and business owners in the whitewater industry about their formative years, you’d find many were previous staff members, clinic participants, and visitors at the NOC. You’d likely also hear that the NOC was instrumental in refining their skillset and in inspiring them to become pioneers in their field. From rafting to river rescue, paddling instruction to Olympic competition, the one thing this diverse group has in common is the NOC. These people are the stories that have become the NOC’s legacy, and this book is an attempt to collect and make sense of them. But the book also features a very human element, a tinge of adventure that sets it apart from your standard history text. The stories in this book, in addition to their historical value, offer a testament to the experiential aspect of working at the NOC, that ineffable change that has affected so many staff and that forms the basis for outdoor adventure programs. The NOC was, and is, a dream; these are the stories of its dreamers.

Payson Kennedy enjoyed a fifteen-year academic career at Longwood College, Hampden-Sydney College, the University of Illinois and Georgia Tech. He worked at the new NOC in the summer of 1972 and then began year-round work at the NOC in June of 1973. He served at the NOC as President and later as CEO, Chairman of the Board and CPO (Chief Philosophical Officer) until his retirement from full-time work in 1998. He returned to full-time work at the NOC as CEO and CPO from 2004 through 2006. While working at the NOC, he also guided regularly on six rivers, taught canoeing and kayaking courses, worked as a ropes course instructor and led extended trips in Central America, the Cayman Islands and Nepal. Since retiring from full-time work, he has continued to serve on the NOC Board, guides a few trips on the Nantahala River, and especially enjoys regular bicycling, working in his pond and continuing to do adventure travel trips.

Greg Hlavaty worked in NOC Rentals for four years. He believes in combining nature experience with written reflection, and his essays have appeared in various magazines and literary journals, including Arts and Letters, Barrelhouse, Yale Anglers' Journal, and Bird Watcher's Digest. He has taught survival skills classes and led outdoor trips in North Carolina and Alaska, and his writing and teaching are founded on the belief that outdoor adventure and nature connection changes people for the better. He lives in Graham, NC, with his family. Find his website at greghlavaty.com or contact him on Twitter @greg_hlavaty.