Gilles Zok (FRA)

Gilles Zok dominated wildwater canoeing through most of the 1980’s and was often described as “a monster to which was grafted a canoe and a paddle.”

Not only was Gilles Zok a superb athlete, his uncanny ability to read water combined with his tactical decision-making made him virtually unbeatable. These qualities were often emulated but not often equaled. He was a four-time Gold Medalist (1981, 1983, 1985, 1987) and two-time Silver Medalist (1977 and 1979) at the World Championships.

After retiring from competition, Zok applied these same legendary qualities to the sport of adventure racing around the world. He was a member of Team Raid (1995, 1997, 2003), a team captain in Eco-Challenge Australia (1997), and team captain, River Eco (2000)