Douglas C. Gordon
| Doug Gordon | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Douglas Cameron Gordon 1956 |
| Died | October 16, 1998 Tsangpo River, Eastern Tibet |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Harvard University |
| Occupation | Chemist |
| Known for | Whitewater kayaker |
Douglas Cameron Gordon, commonly known as Doug Gordon, (1956 – October 16, 1998) was an American whitewater kayaker, who was a member of the U.S. Slalom Team from 1981 to 1987, and a chemist. Gordon died in Eastern Tibet when he and three other paddlers attempted the first descent of the Tsangpo River.
Gordon was a member of the U.S. Slalom Team from 1981 to 1987. He obtained several medals from the National Championships and qualified four times for the Whitewater Slalom World Championships.
In 1995 and 1996, Gordon participated in expeditions to British Columbia, with Jamie McEwan and E.J. McCarthy on the Homathko River and with McEwan and Mark Clarke on the Dean River, respectively.
When Gordon heard about the death of slalom kayaker Richie Weiss' death in 1997, he wrote according to Jamie McEwan that "running hard whitewater is dangerous, and that those doing so must accept that danger as the price of pursuing their sport at a high level."
In 1998, Gordon participated in an expedition to the Tibetan river Tsangpo (named the Brahmaputra River in its lower course), sponsored by National Geographic. The team of middle-aged paddlers also included the brothers Jamie McEwan (Olympic slalom bronze medalist in 1972) and Tom McEwan (former slalom racer, with first descent experience including the Great Falls of the Potomac), and Roger Zbel. Three of them would use expedition kayaks, one a whitewater canoe. Gordon was the most experienced of the team, but all were considered expert river runners. A ground crew of five completed the expedition. Their plan was to accomplish the first descent of a 140-mile (225 km) section of the Tsangpo, passing the deepest river gorge on earth, the more than 4877 meter (16,000 ft) deep gorge between 7782-meter Namjagbarwa Feng and 7194-meter Gyala Peri. The paddlers had planned up to six weeks for the descent.
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