PADDLERS OF THE YEAR NAMED
The Everest Awards are given annually to the top male and female athletes in paddling.
Nikki Kelly at the 2005 Reno River Festival.
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Boaters Nikki Kelly and Eric Jackson were announced as “Paddlers of the Year,”
winners of the Everest Award at the 2005 Teva Mountain Games.
On Saturday, June 4, the sounds of victory and celebration echoed from the Dobson Ice Arena in Vail, Colorado. Inside, a spirited and enthused crowd celebrated the Everest Awards, the pinnacle of the Teva Mountain Games. The Everest Awards are the outdoor industry’s most prestigious achievement award, given annually to the top male and female athletes whose skill and innovation have pushed their sport to new heights and redefined the parameters of the achievable. The Everest Awards recognized athletes in Adventure Racing, Whitewater Paddle Sports, Climbing, Trail Running and Mountain Biking.
Nominees for “Paddler of the Year” included John Grace, Eric Jackson, Tommy Hilleke, Nikki Kelly, Rebecca Giddens and Deb O’Keefe. The impressive nominees were selected for their diligence and dedication to paddling. Nikki Kelly and Eric Jackson were announced as winners.
Eric Jackson at the 2005 Reno River Festival.
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In addition, a special “Expedition of the Year” award, presented by Veramonte, was awarded to explorers Gordon Brown and Pasquale Scaturro, who successfully navigated the entire length of the Blue Nile for the first time ever in recorded history.
Veramonte, a leading Chilean wine producer and sponsor of the Everest Awards, donated proceeds from the Everest Awards to The Women's Wilderness Institute, a non-profit organization whose mission is to teach outdoor skills while building courage, confidence and leadership for women and girls.
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