About Us
The Oregon Rafting Team (ORT) is a collection of whitewater paddlers who compete on a variety of rivers throughout the West Coast in multiple 4 man paddle raft teams. We race head to head with other teams and against the clock through rapids ranging from class III (mild) to class V (extreme).
ORT is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization. Our mission is to promote the sport of whitewater raft racing at a national and international level. ORT educates and trains athletes to compete at this level and manages the Western Whitewater Championship Series (WWCS) and United States Rafting Association (USRA) events. We serve our community by providing river trips to disabled veterans, youth organizations, and various other community groups. ORT participates in river cleanup events throughout the Willamette Valley where we are based.
ORT is supported by a variety of sponsors; AIRE Rafts, Aquabound Paddles, Shred Ready Helmets, Immersion Research, Next Adventure, the US Outdoor Store, Whitewater Designs, and OS Systems.
We are currently seeking adventurous, aggressive, and motivated athletes to help our crews. NO EXPERIENCE necessary, our seasoned guides will insure that you are a reliable and competent river athlete.
History
ORT began it’s evolution in 2002 when 20 year river running veteran and football coach Tim Brink gathered a crew of his past and current teammates from rugby and college football for a local race. After dominating the regional whitewater raft racing scene for a number of years, an unfortunate career ending rugby injury forced Tim to focus his competitive fervor exclusively to raft racing hence ORT began. After training one summer with world class guides from Colorado, Tim returned home to the Portland area with some new found racing knowledge and began recruiting paddlers. During the initial season, ORT raced with a co-ed team as recruiting enough committed paddlers to form two teams proved to be difficult. ORT has placed in the top five nationally each of the past 5 years and has won 33 of the 35 events entered at the regional level during that same period.
ORT athletes will have to compete with each other to earn a spot on the “Red” team for 2011. However, ORT has a no cut policy as equipment is provided by Aire rafts, Aquabound Paddles, Shred Ready helmets, and Immersion Research, we now have enough gear to race 3-4 teams at any given event across the country. The athletic backgrounds of our athletes include 4 former college linebackers, dragon boat racers, endurance runners, skiers, snowboarders, mixed martial arts, kayakers, catarafters, drift boaters, skateboarders, rugby, and of course a few river guides.
Off the water once the gear is put away all the seriousness stops and the fun begins. With nicknames like the Ox, WFE, Cuddy, Dr. No, CK, Skinny Fat Kid, etc., let your imagination do the rest and the resulting perception may actually be accurate. We are proud to say that ORT is the first of it’s kind. Not a team of guides or even river veterans, but rather an athletic, charismatic body of energy that successfully engages in a variety of adventures throughout the year while reinforcing the bonds we have created through the medium of whitewater raft racing. ORT, we are more than just a racing team.
