Running wild in the mountains of eastern Washington as a child, world-class extreme kayaker and entrepreneur Tao Berman continues to run wild through the record books and life.
A world-record waterfall-drop holder since his 98.4-foot kayak flight off of Upper Johnston Falls in Canada's Banff National Forest, Berman is a powerhouse, a living story of pushing envelopes to the unthinkable edge. "Going Vertical: the Life of an Extreme Kayaker" (written by Berman with Pam Withers) is his inspiring life story of adventure prowess, domination of an extreme sport, and personal audacity to go where others fear to tread.
"Once I've decided something is doable, it's all calculation, not emotion; nothing and no one can stop me. Fear is never part of the equation, especially not as I climb into my kayak at the cusp of a falls," Tao says in the book.
From the thrill of kayaking over waterfalls to the risks involved in building a career, Berman's exploits will give readers an exciting ride.
Berman holds three world records, including the highest waterfall descent. He has also completed more than fifty first-descents of rivers and is a Pre-Worlds champion for freestyle competition. He has starred in many extreme-sports videos and on programs ranging from Dateline NBC to CNN's World Sports "Play of the Day," and been featured in magazines including Sports Illustrated, Men's Journal, Rolling Stone and Maxim.
He lives in White Salmon, where he is currently running for state representative.
Withers is a longtime whitewater kayaker and author of 13 adventure novels. She is a former editor at River World and Adventure Travel magazines and has written for publications ranging from the New York Times to McCall's. She lives in Vancouver.
Going Vertical may be purchased at bookstores in August 2008.
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