NOC Stories

True Stories of Outdoor Adventure and Inspiration All fans of whitewater sports have been impacted by the Nantahala Outdoor Center (NOC) in one way or another. In 1972, the NOC was the outgrowth of an idea that friends working together to pursue their outdoor passions could change lives for the better. Today, the center is a seminal Southeastern paddling hub. Compiled by Payson Kennedy and edited by Greg Hlavaty, NOC Stories is a collection of 62 entertaining stories by NOC staff veteransmemories that describe the centers first 25 years. It approaches the story of the NOCs inception, a time of exponential growth in whitewater sports and instruction, a time when the NOCs contribution to paddling technique and instruction reverberated around the world. It is both a history of NOCs leading role in the evolution of commercial river running and an overview of when kayaking, as a sport, exploded in the United States. The remembrances presented here blend history with adventure as they document the NOCs singular vision.