Generating crosscurrent momentum is a core competency for running whitewater rivers. It was a life-changing skill and a paradigm shift for me as I spent more than a decade running and guiding whitewater rivers throughout North America.

The idea is that in order to run any river well, you need to be able to generate your own momentum — not only to move safely and effectively through turbulent rapids, but also to slow yourself down by catching and tagging eddies even in the gentlest moving water.

By learning skills to generate your own momentum, you can be in more control and “slow down” the experience on a river that might otherwise push you downstream like a freight train, right into an obstacle. The more effective you can be at mastering crosscurrent momentum, the more likely you’ll be able to get where you want to go – and enjoy the journey.

I’ve carried this concept with me throughout my life, and it’s shaped how I view working with community leaders on tourism. With increased awareness of the existing current, skills to navigate the obstacles, drops and eddies, and a willingness to slow down and make the right moves, we can generate our own crosscurrent momentum to propel us where we want to go, not where the world would otherwise take us.