Rebecca Giddens, Photo by Mark Anders

At the 2004 Olympic Games, Rebecca Giddens threaded a thin, fast line down the whitewater slalom course—fast enough to earn her the silver medal and the respect of paddlers worldwide. Taking a break after Athens, the 27-year-old whitewater maven now splits her time between San Diego and the mountains of Kernville, California.
Her San Diego garage provides a glimpse into Rebecca’s world.

1. Double Dutch Optima “This boat is the one I paddled in the Olympics. And it’s the first one I’ll actually save. It’s going to go up in Sierra South, a shop on the Kern River. The other boat, with all the sponsor stickers, I’ll just keep paddling it.” $1,800; www.doubledutch.nl.

2. Yinger Surfboard “That’s Little Yellow. My first board was named Stubby—she had a broken nose. Very creative names, huh? Since we started surfing, we don’t go out in our kayaks in the ocean anymore. It’s just a little more exciting to surf on a board, because it’s so different.”

3. Giant Rincon “That’s my bike from 7th grade, with reflectors still on it and a kickstand. Oh my God, it’s hysterical. I have a nice new Trek mountain bike up at our other house. I don’t even know the model, but it has shocks and step-in toe clips. There are some pretty darn good bikers up in Kernville who’ve been taking us out riding lately. Physically, I can keep up, but technically, I have a bit to learn. It’s so fun though. I could definitely see myself racing someday.” www.giant-bicycles.com. www.trekbikes.com.

4. Sportcraft Best Croquet Set “We got into croquet with a bunch of kayak friends. It’s something low-key and fun to do between races on the side of the river. The only rule is you always have to have a drink in your hand, so you can’t use both hands. Whenever we can, we try to have mint juleps. It’s a way to make us kayakers feel all sophisticated and proper.” $60; 800-526-0244; www.sportcraft.com.

5. Nike Strength Training Ball “I use these medicine balls a lot for training. We have a six-pounder and an eight-pounder. They are good for doing sit-ups and Russian twists. Exercises for the core and back are a big part of my training, and with the balls I can do them wherever.” $35; 800-344-6453; www.nike.com.

6. Olympic Silver Medal “As you can tell, it’s been getting loved. When I go talk to schools, I just pass it around. Because people are always handling it, it’s getting tarnished, but I don’t mind. I’d rather have people hold it and be a little inspired by it.” Priceless; www.olympic.org.

Last Updated: Feb 24th, 2006 - 14:18:11
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