THE KERN BROTHERS Whitewater Legends

In kayaking, there have been several teams of dynamic, accomplished brothers. Foremost among them are the Kerns. Closely connected yet distinctly different; Chuck, Willie, and Johnnie Kern each stand alone in the world of whitewater. Together, they were a force like no other. During whitewater’s biggest era of growth, the Kerns propelled the sport to new limits, both on big drops and far-out expeditions. California’s Sierra Nevada, the American Southeast and New England, Norway, China, if you visit any one of these regions for long you’re likely to hear a Kern story. From the heights of glory to the depths of tragedy, few have experienced the gamut of a kayaker’s life like the brothers Kern.

Words: Tyler Williams -

At 17, Chuck Kern was the oldest of three brothers who set off on a cross-country road trip in a high mileage Toyota van. Destination number one was a Grateful Dead concert in Wisconsin, halfway across the country from their New Hampshire home. Beyond that, their agenda was loosely based around finding a wave they’d seen Rob Lesser surf in a poster-ad, located somewhere in Idaho. Wide-eyed in the wake of the Dead show, the teenagers continued west until spotting the majestic Rocky Mountains, where they excitedly unloaded their kayaks, finally, at the Yellowstone River. Blissfully ignorant of the National Park Service’s no boating policy in Yellowstone, they enjoyed an afternoon on the forbidden water before learning from a passer-by that the run was illegal. The brothers escaped undetected, but…

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Kayak Session (Digital) - 1 Issue, KS#52 (winter 2014)

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