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< July/August 2001
	Hotline
Hotline Blurbs

Ludden Launches New Type of First Descent
In August, movie star slash cover boy Brad Ludden, one of Dagger’s big guns, will launch First Descents, a summer camp that brings kids with cancer to Vail, Colorado, to learn kayaking. The camp program is aimed at helping kids cope with cancer at a young age and Ludden says he intends to use kayaking and other activities to improve such things as self-confidence and teamwork among the campers. The first two camps will be held in Vail in August—where a new kayak course will debut—and the third camp will be held in Ludden’s hometown of Missoula, Montana. "You gain wisdom with age and naturally want to give something back," says Olympic gold medallist Joe Jacobi, who coached Ludden in Chile. "Though Brad is only 20 years old, he has that and more, and his character far outweighs his paddling ability." Info: www.firstdescents.com.

Rafting Round-up
City slickers face opposition from paddlers on cattle drive near Dolores River
Don't worry—Billy Crystal types won't be bugging boaters in the Southwest. A recreation proposal that would allow "city slickers" to help drive cattle along the Dolores River near Slick Rock, Utah, was recently denied after the BLM received a corral full of letters from rafters opposing the plan. According to a story in the Cortez Journal, BLM field-office manager Mike Znerold told local ranchers that a new dude-ranching proposal would be expedited if the proposal included only the upland areas of their current grazing permit. "I felt like I needed to support alternative ways for ranchers to make money, but not at the degradation of the watershed," says Znerold. The ranchers withdrew the most controversial part of their request this winter after the BLM received numerous comments from rafters and national environmental groups opposing it. They plan to submit a new dude-ranching proposal to take riders across the 64,000-acre winter and summer grazing permits they lease in Dolores County. But not by the river, dude.

Adventure Racing Comes to Moab
Visitors to Moab, Utah, this spring saw a cross section of frantic athletes paddling the Colorado River. Then, instead of relaxing at the take-out with a beer, they hopped on their bikes and raced 27 miles on the area's trails and followed that with a 6.5-mile trail run. It was all part of the first of three AdventureXstream races kicking off a new adventure race series.

As well as the bike, run and 17.5-mile paddle, the 50-mile race also included a 250-foot rappel. Designed for weekend warriors as well as premier athletes, the event saw Vail, Colo.'s Mike Kloser cross the finish line first at 5 hours 42 minutes, followed by Boulder, Colo.'s Ian Adamson—who recently set the world record for miles paddled in a day—at 5 hours 58 minutes. Both Mike and Ian were on Team Salomon/Eco Internet, which finished first in the Borneo Eco-Challenge. "It was the most beautiful landscape I've ever raced in, especially the paddling portion," says participant Dan Abel.

The race series allows participants to register as solo, two- and four-person teams. Prizes are awarded to solo athletes and coed teams only. Athletes can also register as a three-person relay. The series heads next to Vail July 7 before winding up in Durango, Colo., Aug. 25. Info: www.gravityplay.com.

Tide Pool Paddling
Where Vancouver’s Variety Shines
Vancouver Island is well known for its triple-pronged paddling opportunities—mild river runs, surf kayaking on the coast and famous sea kayaking. But a world exists in between these three: the remote tidal current.

Though photos and videos have immortalized Skookumchuck—the most famous of the tidal current surf waves—many more exist among the chunks of land that choke the Inside Passage between Vancouver Island and the Mainland. The water here funnels through tight channels, creating currents and some extraordinary paddling opportunities. The current flows fast through the islands and playspots appear with features changing constantly, varying in height, size, shape and character. Waves become holes, holes become waves and the surging currents test a paddler's imagination, skill and ability to improvise.

Each ride is different. Where there is a flat, calm eddy one minute, a swirling whirlpool may appear the next.

One of the greatest parts of paddling tidal currents is that there are no guidebooks or rules. They are rarely found near a road. To discover new and exciting tidal rapids other than "Skook" you must be willing to explore. But beware: the remote nature of these rapids does require knowledge of tidal currents, rescue techniques and survival skills.

—Ryan Stuart