The Wintering Grounds

For most of the year, bands of worldclass freestyle kayakers roam the land in search of waves. But when the rivers freeze, they find their way to a special spot on the Chattahoochee River on the Alabama-Georgia border. Squatting in an abandoned parking lot, they spend the winter training for the next world championships on North America’s best winter whitewater. Although called “certifiable lunatics” by the locals, this tight-knit group is proof of the power of family and that indeed, everything is more fun with friends.