The Tim Gavin Downriver Race is a yearly event held to have fun and raise money for WV river conservation. The race course traverses Class I, II, and III rapids. This is a fun race for all skill levels of boating. All money made from the event is used for putting on the Tim Gavin Race, rodeo and festival, and for donation to the following WV watershed groups: Friends of the Cheat, Friends of the Blackwater, and Friends of the Shenandoah River.

Have you rafted the Doah and think you're a pro? Prove your paddling skills by entering the Tim Gavin Downriver Race that starts at 10:30am on Saturday, June 14th! Arrive at River Riders by 9am and we will provide your race gear (PFD, paddle, & helmet) & we will shuttle you to and from the river. You will also get a 2008 Festival T-shirt, Entry to the Harpers Ferry Outdoor Festival in the afternoon, Dinner at the Festival, 20% off camping at the KOA, a chance to compete in the 1st Annual Harpers Ferry Cup, & bragging rights. Rafts will consist of 4 participants plus one of our trained guides. It's $70 per person, plus river use fee, & 6% sales tax to participate. Only 10 teams can compete so sign up fast!

Who is Tim Gavin? Tim Gavin was a local kayaker, friend, beloved son, brother and father who died in a kayaking accident on the Upper Blackwater River in Davis, West Virginia, March 1998. We hold the Tim Gavin Down-river Race to honor the memory of him. He was an outdoor recreation enthusiast and supporter of preserving our local natural resources for future generations. Since whitewater was such a large part of his life, money generated from this event is used to fund local river conservation efforts.