Tribal Journey '97
In case you noticed a fleet of Aboriginal war canoes gathering at Cowichan
Bay in Vancouver Island, British Columbia, last summer, don't be alarmed. It
wasn't an Indian invasion, just the largest gathering of First Nation canoes
in anyone's living memory, perhaps the largest ever. Some paddled these cedar,
dugout canoes the entire length of British Columbia's rugged, treacherous
coast down the Inside Passage to attend this 19th Century-style gathering.
Navigated by experienced canoe chiefs and propelled by paddlers of all ages
wielding brightly painted, hand-hewn paddles, the craft averaged about 80 km
per day on the voyage. Upon their arrival, after much ceremonial ado, paddlers
were carted off to a traditional Potlatch celebration at the tribal gymnasium
in Duncan. Canoes from 15 First Nation communities in British Columbia and 10
Nations from Washington State made up the more than 1,000 paddlers present at
the fourth such Tribal Journey. The event was timed to reach the 1997
Indigenous Games where they were greeted Aug. 3 by more than 20,000
spectators. The next Journey is scheduled for 2001.
--Francis E. Caldwell
Timber!!
Next time you're scouting for strainers, you might want to look up instead of
around the next bend. Paddlers on the Middle Fork of the Flathead had a run-in
with an unusual strainer last summer when a 100-foot-high cottonwood fell on
the lead boat of three commercial rafts running a Class III-IV section of the
river east of Glacier National Park. Talk about timing. The lead boat was
pinned by the tree and several passengers washed downstream. Quick reactions
from guides prevented any fatalities in this "natural disaster," but several
passengers were injured badly enough to be evacuated by helicopter.
--Charlie Walbridge
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Kayak Computer
Think kayaking hasn't hit the mainstream? No one told that to computer giant
Hewlett-Packard, which recently introduced a new line of HP PC workstations
called Kayak. Why the affiliation with kayaks? "This represents a strategic
move to distinguish HP PC Workstations from HP Vectra PCs," says Jon Weisblatt
of HP's Corporate Communications Department. "The HP Kayak name is meant to
connote best-in-class performance across the board and first-to-market with
new technology. The HP Kayak family includes a range of solutions for
performance-oriented customers." Sounds like kayaking to us. Prices, of
course, are a little steeper for workstation kayaks than they are for
whitewater kayaks, ranging from $2,250 to $17,760.
Rogue Rodeo Sheds Sponsors
In a move bucking the trend of event organizers selling their souls for
sponsorship, last year's Nugget Rodeo on southern Oregon's Rogue River near
Medford was a welcome change. "It's gotten too big for the wrong reasons,"
says event organizer Scott Larson, who felt crowded by products, sponsors and
booths at previous events. "I wanted to see more people lined up in the eddies
than on the bank pushing product." In the end, Larson did away with
sponsorships and held the rodeo for fun's sake. "The industry is peaking and
we don't necessarily need the sponsor's help anymore to get people's
attention," he maintains. "It's all about fun." In all, 50 competitors showed
up at the sponsorless celebration, and more than 75 spectators lined the
banks. Of course, not having sponsors also meant not having resources. Instead
of using wooden gates for the slalom course, Larson had to make do with
balloons--the previous winter's floods wiped out all the surrounding trees.
--Eric Hansen
ACA/WWOC National Championships Come to Richmond
Marking the first time the event has been held in an urban setting, downtown
Richmond, Va., has been selected to host the 1998 American Canoe Association
(ACA)/Subaru of America Whitewater Open Canoe (WWOC) Downriver and Slalom
National Championships June 18-21 on the James River. The eight-mile, Class
II-IV downriver course will go from the river's Huguenot Bridge to Mayo's
Island. Both OC-1 and OC-2 competition will be provided for ages 10 years and
up with 48 racing classes, including Youth (10-14 years old), Cadet (<16),
Junior (<18), Senior (>25), Master (>40), Century (combined age>100), Mixed
(one male and one female) and Premier (any sex any age). A special race for
Scouts (boys & girls) will be held in conjunction with the event. College
teams and youth paddling organizations should contact WWOC National Chairman
Kirk Havens at (804) 642-7386 (kirk@vims.edu) for information on how to apply
for travel funds. For information on slalom events contact Jon Lugbill at
Richmond Sports Backers, (804) 285-9495 (richmondsportsbackers@erols.com).
For additional information contact Ed Sharp at (540) 752-5400
(e.sharp@worldnet.att.net). Also visit the WWOC webpage at http://www.aca-
paddler.org.
--Ed Sharp
New 24-hour Kayak Endurance Record Set
Paddlers taking advantage of the Big Sur surf wave on the Colorado River near
Grand Junction, Colo., last spring saw one kayaker whip by without even taking
a second glance at the rarely seen wave. The paddler in question was ultra-
endurance multisport champion Ian Adamson of Denver, who broke the world
distance record for paddling a kayak over a 24-hour period on June 8, 1997.
"There were more than 50 people surfing at Big Sur when I paddled by," says
Adamson. "But I didn't have time to stop."
According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the former record of paddling
157.1 miles in a 24-hour period was set on Poland's Vistula River in 1987. By
paddling the Colorado from just below Kremmling, Colo., to the Big Bend area
of Utah--traveling through Glenwood Canyon, Grand Junction and on past the
state line--Adamson set a new record of 211.5 miles, crushing the previous
record by more than 50 miles. "I was pretty wrinkly by the end of it all,"
says Adamson, who was on winning teams in New Zealand's Southern Traverse race
and British Columbia's Eco-Challenge in 1996.
Although Adamson had to portage his Prijon Downriver Racer on a couple of
sections, including a dam in Glenwood Canyon and the Westwater Canyon section
of the Colorado in Utah, the miles he portaged were not included in the final
tally. To make sure he adhered to record requirements, Ted Burnell, president
of the Colorado Canoe and Kayak Racing Association, was on hand every step of
the way. "I believe I fulfilled all my requirements from Guinness and am now
just waiting to hear back from them," says Adamson, at former marathon
canoeist from Sydney, Australia. Adamson adds that he never once had to roll
during his record-setting performance--except at the very end when, after 24
hours, he twirled his paddled over his head in celebration and promptly tipped
over. "That made me lose my lucky hat," he says, "but by that stage I think I
had enough luck already." As for anyone wishing to better his feat, don't look
for him to roll over and give up his claim to fame. "If someone out there
beats me," he says, "I know I can do more. I think I could do 260 miles next
time."
--edb
Canoe Museum Fulfills Father's Dream
The story of the canoe began thousands of years ago when cultures worldwide
began developing craft from readily available materials to hunt, trade and
travel long distances. Last July, the story continued with the opening of the
long awaited Canadian Canoe Museum in Peterborough, Ontario, on the Trent
Canal System. "It is certainly worth going to see, and it has become a
pilgrimage for people who are into paddling in Canada," maintains Canadian
Recreational Canoeing Association Executive Director Joseph Agnew. "There's no
doubt about it. This is the world's largest collection of canoes, kayaks and
paddles, and it features some really interesting pieces."
The museum is the dream and life-long passion of my father, Kirk Wipper. (In
Canada, the name Wipper is synonymous with canoe.) The collection includes
west coast dug-outs, birch bark canoes, arctic kayaks, as well as an extensive
collection of "modern canoes" dating from the 1850s to the present. The dream
of the museum began in 1950 when my father accepted the position of Director
at the Board of Education's Bark Lake Camp in the Lake District of Ontario's
Haliburton region. Memories linger of sunset canoe paddles with my mother and
father, of coming to understand the passion my father held for these craft,
and of realizing the importance the canoe had for native peoples. In many
cases the success or failure of aboriginal groups hinged on their watercraft
technology. The story and purpose of the canoe has colored every facet of my
life, and it is not surprising the Wipper family went on to operate a
successful youth canoe camp and outdoor education facility called Camp
Kandalore.
It was here that the canoe collection started. At first canoes were purchased
for camp programs. Then my father began taking canoe collection trips. Some
people collect stamps or coins, Dad collected canoes. As my brother David and
I began taking our own trips in search of canoes, collecting became a family
affair. Having literally traveled the world over in search of hand-powered
watercraft, with a belief it was his duty to preserve every canoe he
encountered, Dad eventually found himself with a number of craft which had no
practical use in camp programs. However, knowing their historical
significance, the first version of the museum was born. Located in a wooded
section of the camp, close to the lake, the Kanawa Collection opened to the
public and soon grew to 700 craft. Renamed the Canadian Canoe Museum last
July, the museum is now located in Peterborough, Ontario, and is operated as a
non-profit organization, administered by a board of directors. Anyone who has
an interest in history and has spent time in a canoe or kayak will be thrilled
with the collection.
It may be some time before the importance of the Wipper collection is fully
realized. But perhaps through study of the museum's craft, paddlers will come
to learn that people long ago traveled the oceans and continents far more
extensively than historians currently believe. And the story of the canoe
continues...
--The Canadian Canoe Museum is currently accepting donations. Call (705)
748-9153 for more information.
--Douglas Wipper
Flow-Phone Resources for the Curious Paddler
Want to find out where the water is? Instead of combing the country with a
divining rod, use the following list of flow-phone numbers from East to West
to let your fingers do the walking (for a more complete list check your local
guidebook or retailer--there are way too many waterways to provide a complete
listing). We've left a few states out, but have hit most of them of interest
to flow-seeking paddlers. One other source for flow information is the United
States Geological Survey (USGS) website:
http://water.usgs.gov/public/realtime.html.
Alabama: National Weather Service Forecast Office, Birmingham: (205) 664-3010
Arizona: Salt Lake City Bureau of Reclamation river observations: (801) 539-1311, Salt River Project: (602) 236-5929
Arkansas: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers: (501) 324-5150
Southern California: Waterline National River Information Hotline: (800) 945-3376, K-Flow: (916) 368-8682/(800) 206-8881
Northern California: Northern California Rainfall Report: (707) 462-5256, Department of Water Resources: (707) 445-7855, Bureau of Reclamation "Grapevine" reports: (800) 742-9474, Department of Boating and Waterways, Sacramento: (916) 445-2615, Department of Parks and Recreation, Sacramento: (916) 445-8828
Colorado: Department of Water Resources Watertalk Network: (303) 831-7135; automated by division/gauge, Department of Water Resources, Denver: (303) 866-3581
Connecticut: Appalachian Mountain Club, Whitewater Hotline: (860) 657-4743 x 401
Georgia: National Weather Service Forecast Office, Peachtree City, (770)
486-1133
Idaho: Idaho Department of Water Resources: (208) 327-7900, National Weather Service: (208) 334-9867/(208) 327-7865, Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation, Boise, Idaho: (208) 334-2284
Kentucky: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District Office/Cumberland River Basin: (800) 261-5033
Maine: Appalachian Mountain Club, Boston: (617) 523-0636, National Weather Service, Gray, Maine: (207) 688-3216, Great Northern Paper Co. (dam releases): (207) 723-2328
Maryland: National Weather Service Washington, D.C., District Office: (703) 260-0305
Montana: National Weather Service Forecast Office, Great Falls, Mont.: (406) 453-2081
Nevada: National Weather Service Forecast Office, Reno: (702) 673-8107
New Mexico: USGS Water Resources Hot Line: (505) 262-5388, Bureau of Land Management, Taos: (505) 758-8851, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Albuquerque: (505) 766-2636, Bureau of Reclamation, Albuquerque: (505) 248-5321
North Carolina: Tennessee Valley Authority: (423) 632-6065; Lake and River line: (423) 623-2264/(800) 238-2264, National Weather Service, Greenville, S.C.: (864) 848-9670
Oregon: National Weather Service Forecast Office, Portland: (503) 261-9247,
Pacific Power and Light Co., Portland (dam releases): (800) 547-1501
Pennsylvania: National Weather Service Forecast Center, State College: (814) 234-9861, National Weather Service Forecast Center, Mt. Holly: (609) 261-6612,
National Weather Service Forecast Center, Pittsburgh (western Penn. and Ohio
drainage basin): (609) 261-6612
South Carolina: National Weather Service Forecast Office, Columbia, S.C.: (803) 822-8135
Tennessee: Tennessee Valley Authority: (423) 632-6065; Lake and River line: (423) 623-2264/(800) 238-2264, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District Office (Cumberland River Basin): (615) 261-5033
Utah: Bureau of Reclamation River Observations, Salt Lake City: (801) 539-1311/(800) 277-7571
Vermont: Appalachian Mountain Club, Boston: (617) 523-0636, Western New England Hydrological Service Area of the National Weather Service, Albany (New York and Vermont): (518) 869-6347, National Weather Service, Burlington: (802) 862-2475
Virginia/District of Columbia: National Weather Service Washington, D.C., District Office: (703) 260-0305, National Weather Service, Richmond: (757) 899-4200
Washington: National Weather Service River Forecast Center: (206) 526-8530,
National Weather Service, Seattle: (206) 526-6087
West Virginia: National Weather Service, Pittsburgh: (412) 644-2890, National Weather Service Washington, D.C., District Office: (703) 260-0305, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers: (304) 529-5211, National Weather Service, Charleston: (304) 746-0180
Wisconsin: National Weather Service Forecast Office, Minneapolis: (612) 361-6708
Wyoming: National Weather Service Forecast Office, Cheyenne: (307) 722-2468 x 493