Asheville Gets New Slalom Course

Slalom paddlers tired of crowds at the Nantahala Outdoor Center take heart: a new slalom venue recently opened on the French Broad River 10 minutes downstream of Asheville, N.C. "It's always been a place for local boaters to go after work," says Steve Thompson, an Asheville kayak instructor who helped design the course. "The NOC course has really been the only slalom site in the area, so the reception for this new one has been really strong."

More than 200 people showed up for the opening ceremonies at the Ledges Park Whitewater Center Nov. 14, including such notables as Scott Shipley, Scott Strausbaugh and Horace Holden. Thompson says the quarter-mile, Olympic-caliber course--built for $30,000 by local contractor and kayak instructor Steve Zarnowski--hopes to host such sanctioned races as the Junior Nationals in the future. "It's been a long, eight-year process," he says. "Different people have carried the torch at different times, and it's all come to reality now."

--For more information, e-mail River Link, a non-profit river improvement organization in Asheville, at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it --edb

Outfitter Hit Hard by Texas Floods

On Oct. 17-18, up to 20 inches of rain fell in southcentral and eastern Texas, much of it coming in a few hours. Water-surface elevations and streamflow discharges peaked at record or near-record levels in the San Jacinto, San Bernard, Lower Colorado, Lavaca, Guadalupe and San Antonio river basins. Scattered along these waterways were several outfitters forced to brave the storm. None were hit as hard as New Braunfels' Rockin' R River Rides, one of the largest rental liveries in the country. "Our offices, restaurant, boat barn and vehicles are now in the Gulf of Mexico," says company manager Kevin Webb. "We took a huge hit." Located on the banks of the Guadalupe River, Rockin' R runs a fleet of 450 rafts it rents to customers who float an 18-mile section of the river. Half of those rafts, nearly 250 in all, says Webb, were lost in the flood. "We keep everything in a two-story boat barn, and that building had 13 feet of water in it," he says. "Pretty much everything washed away."

The trouble started Oct. 17 when Webb went down to the Gruene Bridge at 11 a.m. and saw the river running at about 600 cfs. It then rose 10 feet an hour and hit 30,000 cfs by 1 p.m. According to the United States Geological Survey, the river rose 35 feet and crested at 130,000 cfs, a 100-year high. "It came up so fast we couldn't get anything out," continues Webb. "We moved two vans, a computer and a copier before it hit." Vehicle-wise, the company lost 12 trucks, nine large school buses and 10 mini-bus vans. "It took them and just twisted them around trees," adds Webb. "The next morning the river was back to about 1,200 cfs, but it was Ground Zero everywhere." The company is aiming to be back in operation by March 1. --edb

A True Boat Test

Sometimes the best feedback comes from the field. In a testament to boat durability that could never be duplicated in a testing facility, England's Guy Baker dropped his Pyranha Acro 275 kayak 1,000 feet into the Humbo Gorge last summer while hiking into Peru's Colca Canyon. According to reports, the kayak slipped from the back of a pack mule and bounced down a 70-degree precipice of scree and rock. It took more than five hours to recover the boat from the gorge, with damage restricted to a few scrapes and two missing end caps. As fate would have it, the rescue and ding-test was in vain: the kayak--loaded with three days' supplies, a digital video camera and a sleeping bag--was lost two days later when Baker swam on a Class V section on the river. --Heather Gunn

Water Cycling Association Formed

Bystanders passing San Diego's Mission Bay January 22 might have noticed some peculiar, larger-than-normal water bugs skimming across the surface. As part of a press conference announcing the formation of the North American Water Cycling Association, more than 12 manufacturers--including Meyers Boat Co., MicroCAT Marine and Hobie Cat--debuted a new breed of water-cycling craft to the public, giving attendees a chance to pedal rather than paddle across the bay. "Water Cycling provides all the benefits of bicycling without the inherent risks of pedaling on the road," says John Howard, a three-time Olympic bicyclist and partner in HydroCycles Inc., manufacturer of the pedal-powered Wave Walker. "I believe water cycling will be the next big revolution in recreational sport--you don't have to learn any special skills, or be a great athlete to enjoy it." Designs on hand ranged from pedal-powered catamarans to craft resembling compact power boats.

--For more information, contact the North American Water Cycling Association at (619) 259-8972. --edb

International Rafting Federation Formed

If kayakers can get together to create an association like the International Rodeo Committee, it's only natural that rafters could do the same. Following last September's World Rafting Championships in Costa Rica, inflatable aficionados worldwide did just that, banding together to form the International Rafting Federation (IRF), based in Cape Town, South Africa. "It will become the governing body for rafting competitions worldwide," says IRF administrator Sue Liell-Cook. "Its aim is to develop the sport of rafting to the benefit of all involved, while not getting caught up with bureaucracy." Bureaucracy, however, comes with the territory. As one of its first orders of business, IRF released its official IRF Racing Rules, an eight-page document outlining international race categories, competition schedules and qualifications. And, of course, administrators will have to contend with more than 20 teams of rafters--all speaking different languages--planning to attend upcoming World Championships.

--The 1999 Camel Whitewater Challenge (CWWC) will be held Aug. 15-21 on South Africa's Orange River; the 2000 CWWC will be held the last two weeks of February, 1999, on Chile's Rio Futaleufu. For more information, call (800) 467-6827 or visit http://members.aol.com/intraftfed. --edb

Dagger Endurance Grant Seeks Applicants

Harriman, Tenn.'s Dagger introduces the world's first paddling-specific endurance grant, offered to support exploration of ocean and river via kayak and canoe. The $5,000 grant will be awarded in June and applications are due by May 1, 1999. Qualified applicants should visit dagger.com for a Grant Application and detailed listing of rules and qualifications. "The grants will be awarded to modern day explorers who have a taste for adventure and a talent for organization," says sponsorship program manager Mike Steck. "The purpose of the grant is to help people paddle in places they would otherwise only dream about."

Info.: www.dagger.com , (423) 882-0404 --ahb

An Olympic Course Preview

The 2000 Olympic Whitewater course in Sydney, Australia, will be 975 feet long, 26-46 feet wide and include a conveyor belt to transport racers back to the start.

If George Jetson were a kayaker, he would feel right at home on the new 2000 Olympic Whitewater Course under construction in Australia. Housed at the International Regatta Centre west of Sydney, the course is only the second slalom site in the world--joining Barcelona, Spain's La seu d' Urgell--to have a mechanical conveyer belt, connected by ponds at each end of the course, to ferry racers back to the start. "I think the competitors will really like it," says U.S. Canoe and Kayak Team spokesperson Lisa Fish. "They won't even have to get out of their boats--they can paddle right onto the conveyor and get shuttled back up." Upon completion, the course will fall 18 feet in its 975-foot length, and will be between 26-46 feet wide with artificial beaches. Course designers will place boulders at will to create race features. The icing on the artificial cake are six three-foot-diameter water pumps located adjacent to the tail pond that will re-circulate 565 cfs back to the head pond to create the course's current.
--Peter Stekel

WWOC Championship Grants Available

Having trouble finding financing to attend the Whitewater Open Canoe National Championships (WWOC) in Colorado this July? Help is on the way. The Whitewater Open Canoe Committee of the American Canoe Association (ACA) is offering $2,000 in grants to ACA Paddle America Clubs, paddling schools and college/university canoe and outing clubs to help cover travel expenses to the event. "We're just trying to help paddling and college clubs and youth attend the event," says WWOC National Chair Kirk Havens. "It's a win-win for everyone." For information, contact Havens at (804) 684-7386 or (804) 785-2107, or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . --edb

Thinking Ahead

Wondering when the Saiko whitewater playboat is planning to be released by Montreal, Quebec's Riot Kayaks? Keep your helmet on. Marking one of the most foresighted production schedules in paddlesports history, company co-founder Corran Addison recently blanketed the market with a press release announcing the debut date for the kayak to be 12:01 a.m., Jan. 1, 2000. "Can you think of a better way to define a new millennium than with the most radically advanced kayak ever conceived?" he asks. "The 20th century is not capable of handling it."
--edb

Travel Discounts for Paddlers

If international expeditions and competitions have left you cash-poor, look into the new Fitness Travel Card (FTC) discount card which, among other things, offers a 50 percent discount on canoe and kayak passage on airlines for boat-toting paddlers. For a $74.95 annual fee, FTC members receive unlimited access to RacePlanner.com, the largest race information and registration website; members also can book travel reservations directly through the FTC Ticketing Desk. Continental, TWA and Delta airlines, as well as Alamo and Avis car rentals and over 10,000 hotels all provide additional benefits to paddling cardholders.

Visit www.fitnesstravel.com for more information.--ahb

Hantavirus Appears in Grand Canyon

Although it's hardly cause to pack mousetraps in your drybag, you might want to give paramiscus eremicus a little wider berth next time you paddle the Grand Canyon.

Last July, a commercial river guide developed the canyon's first reported case of Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS)--a respiratory illness transmitted by rodents--after sleeping beneath an overturned raft at Mile 19 Camp. "In the middle of the night I was awoken by a mouse running around on top of me," says the guide, who chose to remain anonymous. "Then I noticed a little moisture on my face--my reaction caused it to urinate."

Although he didn't think twice about it at the time, a week after the trip he became extremely ill, confusing doctors with a high fever, aches, pains and swollen lymph glands. "It fools a lot of doctors," he says. "The symptoms are a lot like the flu--they tested me for everything under the sun." Eventually, a blood test confirmed Hantavirus and the victim remained in intensive care for four days before recovering. He was lucky. According to Dr. Tom Myers of the Grand Canyon Clinic in Grand Canyon National Park, the survival rate for victims of HPS is only 44 percent. And the disease has been responsible for six deaths in Arizona since it was first discovered in 1993.

After the case was confirmed, two studies were conducted to determine the virus' prevalence in the canyon. Larry Stevens of the Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center set 100 traps at mile 19.5--where the victim was camped--and brought 43 live mice back for testing. Four tested positive. Last September, the Arizona State Vector Control, a division of the state health department, conducted another study, this time gathering 98 mice from seven different sites along the canyon. After sending specimens to the Infectious Disease Lab, two tested positive. "I don't know if we'll ever be able to determine how long it (the virus) has been there," says Dr. Myers. "It's probably been there a long time...the circumstances were just right this time for it to finally surface."

Helping it surface was last year's abnormally high mouse population, which many attribute to increased moisture from El Niño. "But I don't think people need to lose sleep over it," adds Dr. Myers. "What happened was such a fluke it would be rare to see it happen again. But it does pay to be cautious."

Those wishing to be extra cautious can do so by planning their itinerary; while it might not mean anything, says Myra Leslie of Arizona's State Vector Control, all of the positive tests came from river left. --edb

Duo Canoes from Wyoming to Washington

In a day and age when most multi-month canoe expeditions rely on sponsorship, it's comforting to know there are still a few Huck Finns who resist the corporate calling.

Such was the case last summer as Tom Delman, 25, and John Jolley, 27, took 80 days and just $2,000--including boat, gear, food and travel--to become perhaps the first people to canoe down the Snake and Columbia rivers from Jackson Lake, Wyo., to the Pacific Ocean. "We were doing it for our own personal glory," says Delman. "We did it completely unsponsored--although we did get a lot of help from people along the way."

For those who noticed and/or helped them, their lack of sponsorship was as obvious as the route to the Pacific. Apart from their Kevlar canoe and K-mart jackets, all of their trappings hinted of Lewis and Clark. They wore long-sheathed knives on their waists, fished for most of their food, cooked over an open fire in a cast-iron skillet, carried a rifle and a pistol, drank from a jug of whiskey, rolled their own smokes, and dribbled Bleach into river water for drinking. Documentation-wise, all they brought were two disposable cameras.

Naturally, onlookers gawked, and Delman kept a list of the things they were called along the way: crazy, certifiable, stupid. People on shore screamed warnings of their impending death, to which Delman and Jolley would smile and lean into another stroke. The farther they traveled, however, the more acrimony turned into awe. "I knew right away these were two good kids," says Don Mays, a Twin Falls, Idaho, outfitter who was guiding a raft trip on the Snake when Jolley and Delman tied up to his raft. "They had a goal and were fulfilling their dream."

To reach their goal, however, they first had to survive the Class IV-V Milner Mile and Murtaugh Canyon sections of the Snake. And neither of them had ever seen that kind of whitewater before (their first foray with water above Class II came Day 2 in the Snake's Alpine Canyon). After honing their skills--and through Lewis and Clark trial and error--they made it through Murtaugh in four days, lining only one rapid. It was in Murtaugh, at a wave called The Idaho Connection, where they had their first broach, spilling Delman into the Snake.

Hell's Canyon was "Disneyland" after Murtaugh, says Delman, although they punctured their canoe at Granite Creek during the trip's only flip and received a $200 citation from a ranger for paddling the canyon without a permit. The next 30 days were spent paddling against relentless winds along the Columbia. They portaged dozens of dams and paddled through endless reservoirs with ever-elusive horizons. They even survived the Cascade Locks just west of Hood River, Ore., eventually landing at Washington's Fort Canby State Park.

On the drive home, the two spoke little as exhaustion blended with a creeping realization of their feat. "We were sitting up on the hood of the truck at this gas station and a guy walked up and asked what we were doing," says Delman. "We kinda shrugged. Then he said, 'Where you guys been?' Then John just looked at him and said, 'Now that's a damn good question.'"

Rusty Rages at Rodeo Pre-Worlds

Rusty wasn't rusty in New Zealand. Taking the time Down Under to go up and over the competition, 17-year-old junior Rusty Sage of Orangevale, Calif., took home the rodeo crown at December's 1998 Rodeo PreWorld Championships on New Zealand's Waikato River. "The whole reason I decided to compete with the seniors was just to humble myself and learn something," he says. "I knew I was pretty good on a national scale, but I wanted the experience of getting my ass kicked by the big boys. I guess it kind of backfired."

That could well be the understatement of his here-to-now short-lived kayaking career. Held on a giant breaking wave on the Waikato's Full James Rapids, the PreWorlds are the dress rehearsal for the Rodeo World Championships, to be held at the same site this December. Because of that, it drew a Who's Who of top-notch rodeo paddlers the world over, each trying his or her hardest to wind up on top. But it was Sage, a decade younger than the majority of attendees, who stole the show. And he did so the same way competitors in other classes wound up on the podium: consistency.

A new finals system required competitors to push themselves while still playing it safe. For the 90 male competitors, the 20 semi-final spots were selected on scores from the best three out of four rides. The top 20 then took two rides each, which whittled the field down to 10. The system continued until just two exhausted paddlers were left, Sage and Germany's Ollie Grau. "Ollie had a great ride in the finals," says Sage. "But I had a routine going and I just stuck to it. I can't even remember what I did in the ride--I just kept moving.

"The key to the new system," he adds, "was being average. Not being the worst, but not being the best. You didn't want to do too good on one run because then you would be exhausted for the next."

That fate might well have been what kept 1993 World Rodeo Champion Eric Jackson from the podium. In the preliminaries, he had by far the best run of the weekend, racking up a whopping 750 points with the judges' new multiplicator point system. In contrast, Sage's final run tallied 259 points compared to Grau's 237. "Eric had by far the best, single-highest scoring ride of the entire event," says Sage. "He doubled, tripled and even quadrupled other people's scores."

It's not the results or rule changes, however, that most competitors will remember. More likely it will be New Zealand's friendly people, gorgeous countryside and, of course, the nearby Kaituna River--which competitors flocked to after surviving their energy-depleting heats. "It's a mile and a half of pure play," says Sage, who ran it up to three times a day once the competition was over. "I was pretty pooped after the competition, but after resting up I paddled it everyday--it was nice to just hang out and not worry about competition."

--The new Rodeo Worlds rules are available at www.worldkayak.com. --Paul Villecourt

 RESULTS

Men's K-1
1       Rusty Sage        USA
2       Olli Grau             GER
3       Corran Addison  RSA/CN

Women's K-1
1       Deb Pinneger     GBR
2       Brooke Winger   USA
3       Jamie Simon       USA

Junior Men's K-1
1       Helge Westeraas     NOR
2       Aiden Lynch                 IRL
3       Skay Arne Randen    NOR

C-1
1       Allen Braswell  USA
2       Eric Jackson     NZL
3       Paul Eames       USA

OC-1
1       Mark Scriver                CAN
2       Schorschi Schauff     GER
3       Paul Eames              NZL
 
James Brown has nothing on these guys.

In fact, if the Godfather of Soul was a kayaker, chances are he would be right alongside Ed Lucero, Chris Emerick, Tamara Robbins and Brennan Guth this year as they embark on their first annual Soul Tour to river festivals across the country. The idea, says ringleader Lucero, is to promote safety and good judgment while providing a venue for people to test new products. "I started thinking about it after Chuck Kern's death in 1997," says Lucero, whose original plan was to tour the country in a bus with the back chopped off to serve as a stage platform. "The whole purpose is to give people something to look for safety-wise and get them psyched about river running. I want to get old-school paddlers into new school products--which are better and safer--and at the same time bring old-school ethics to the new schoolers."

Sponsors seem open to the idea, with such companies as Surf the Earth, Orosi, Mountain Surf, Riot, Dagger, Eskimo, 5.10, Patagonia and Salamander all signing on to align themselves with soul. "I think it's a great concept," says Eskimo's Terry DelliQuadri. "That's the essence of what kayaking's all about. Our slogan is 'Spirit of Kayaking' and a soul-boating tour fits that perfectly."

Each event the group attends will feature free demos, a booth, pamphlets, sponsor banners and, of course, a whole lot of "I feel good" soul. It's this soul that Lucero hopes will convince more people to join the tour and follow it throughout the year. And, of course, it's hard to ignore the tour's hidden agenda: "It's going to be like Endless Summer was for surfing," says Lucero. "And naturally we'll get to paddle a lot of great rivers along the way."

--For more information, surf www.mountainbuz.com/soulboating --edb

Originally Published, Paddler May-June 1999