Rafael Ortiz

Date of birth- June 20th, 1987
Started paddling- summer 2001
Countries paddled- México, Canada, USA, Costa Rica, New Zealand, Australia

Made in México

Rafa Ortiz has grown up and become one of the premier extreme paddlers on the planet. Hooking up with the Clear H2O team (Ben Stookesberry and Jesse Coombs of Hotel Charlie Series), Rafa has been "getting after it" for the last few years with real gusto. Running 100+ foot waterfalls (only a handful of paddlers have ever done that), and the big water of the Hindus in Pakistan is just a sampling of what this guy has been up to. Rafa is one of the most down to earth, intelligent, kind, and funny guys I know. A "keener" on the Ottawa in his teens, and great friend to Nick and Joel, he has gone on to become an icon in a few short years. Now representing Team Red Bull in addition to Team Jackson Kayak he is easy to spot with his full face Red Bull helmet. Born and raised in Mexico City Rafa brings a great international presence to Team JK's factory team, after four years on our Regional Team. Congratulations Rafa and thanks for being a part of our family!

Eric Jackson

I take a long, deep breath and let it out slowly. I splash water on my face with my right hand to soothe my nerves. I look out at the horizon line once more and then focus on my line of descent. My first strokes bring me into the current, leaving behind the last chance to bail out. I paddle slowly to the edge of the abyss, so focused that I don’t even fear the frenzied water. Everything happens in slow motion. I reach the drop and, at the last instant, I can see it all. This is the most wonderful sight in the world, the one you get at the lip of the big drops. And then I fall.

But my tale starts long before this, I was eight when I first got into a raft in the rapids of Veracruz. The combination of water and adventured has thrilled me since I was small, and when I turned 14, my parents gave me a whitewater kayak. I never imagined that this would be the start of a long voyage that has never ended.

One day I found myself packing my bags to go to the other side of the planet, to the World Freestyle Championship in Australia. I didn’t have a trainer or much experience; all I had was the support of my family and my first sponsor, Jackson Kayak. I finished ranked 22nd in the junior category, becoming the first Mexican to compete in an event at this level.

I pressed ahead relentlessly, improving my technique for two long years. Then I met Ben Stookesberry. It was with him that I started going on expeditions and facing the challenge of huge waterfalls. First, it was three weeks in the jungles of Veracruz to complete the first descent on the Alseseca River. A month later I was in India exploring three tributaries of the Brahmaputra River. With each river came the challenge of finding falls that would satisfy –for a while- our constant need to live at the edge.

Then came the mighty rivers of Africa, Pakistan and Brasil. These trips taught me what a dangerous combination you can get when you bring water, air and adrenaline together. Even so, I doubt I’ll ever stop doing it, because the drop is breathtaking.

Time freezes for an instant as I find myself surrounded by drops falling with me. It all becomes so peaceful as you go down. Gravity speeds me up more and more as every muscle clenches for the impact. Then comes the crunch. My body pitched forward, the paddle to one side and my right arm protecting my head. The flight ends as I plunge into the water, hoping to float back up in one piece. I breathe. Time regains its normal rhythm, and I turn to look back at the falls. The mist gets in my eyes, but I wipe my face with my fist so I can enjoy the ultimate moment and feel the satisfaction of doing it.