BY BOATERS for BOATERS July/August 2006
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BY BOATERS FOR BOATERS July/August 2006 A VOLUNTEER PUBLICATION PROMOTING RIVER CONSERVATION, ACCESS AND SAFETY American Whitewater Journal July/August 2006 COLUMNS 3 The Journey Ahead by Mark Singleton 4 Safety First by Charlie Walbridge 5 News & Notes by Betsy McDonald 6 Events by Cheryl Robinson 8 Field Notes by Clay Wright 10 History: Whitewater and Paddlesports Industry by Sue Taft 12 Locals’ Favorite: St. Joe Drainage by Todd Hoffman 16 River Voices by Scott Bortee, Richard Styron, David Stentiford, Rocky Contos FEATURE - The State of Freestyle 24 The State of Freestyle by Risa Shimoda, Tanya Shuman, Andrew Holcombe and Clay Wright 20 Playboating in Our Backyard by Susan Doran FEATURE - Video and Photo Tips from the Pros 30 From Footage to Finished Film by John Grace 32 Still Photography Tips by Nikki Kelly and Johnnie Kern 42 Professional Video Tools and Techniques by Ammen Jordan FEATURE - Top U.S. Whitewater Cities 46 Asheville, North Carolina by Christie Dobson & Dixie Marree Prickett 50 Washington, D.C. by Steve Schaefer 54 Chico / Oroville, California by Dave Steindorf 55 Johnstown, Pennsylvania by Dave Hurst 60 Boise, Idaho by Ambrose Tuscano STEWARDSHIP 62 Green River, WA by Thomas O’Keefe 63 Hydropower Dams Must Obey Clean Water Act by Thomas O’Keefe CFC UnitedWay #2302 Support American Whitewater through CFC or United Way All the federal campaigns, and a few of the local United Way campaigns will allow you to donate through them to AW. Check to see if yours in one of them. Also, check to see if your employer will match your charitable contribution - double your money , double your fun! Publication Title: American Whitewater Marlow Long freestyling on Issue Date: July/August 2006 the Mini Bus, Ottawa River Statement of Frequency: Published bimonthly Authorized Organization’s Name and Address: American Whitewater P.O. Box 1540 Photo by Tanya Shuman Cullowhee, NC 28723 Printed on Recycled Paper River Stewardship: processes, grassroots advocacy, coalition building, EDUCATION: AW shares information with the An Integrated Approach empowerment of volunteers, public outreach and general public and the paddling community education, and, when necessary, legal action. regarding whitewater rivers, as well as river Our mission: “To conserve and restore America’s recreation, conservation, access, and safety. This is whitewater resources and to enhance opportunities RIVER ACCESS: To assure public access to whitewater accomplished through our bi-monthly AW Journal, to enjoy them safely,” is actively pursued through our rivers pursuant to the guidelines published in its a monthly e-news, americanwhitewater.org, paddling conservation, access, safety and education efforts under official Access Policy, AW arranges for river access events, educational events, and through direct the umbrella of River Stewardship. The only national through private lands by negotiation or purchase, communication with the press. organization representing the interest of all whitewater seeks to protect the right of public passage on all paddlers, American Whitewater is the national voice rivers and streams navigable by kayak or canoe, for thousands of individual whitewater enthusiasts, as encourages equitable and responsible management Together, AW staff, members, volunteers, and affiliate well as over 100 local paddling club affiliates. of whitewater rivers on public lands, and works with clubs can achieve our goals of conserving, protecting government agencies and other river users to achieve and restoring America’s whitewater resources and AW’s River Stewardship program adheres to the four these goals. enhancing opportunities to safely enjoy these tenets of our mission statement: wonderful rivers. SAFETY: AW promotes paddling safely, publishes reports on whitewater accidents, maintains a uniform CONSERVATION: AW’s professional staff works AW was incorporated under Missouri nonprofit national ranking system for whitewater rivers (the closely with volunteers and partner organizations corporation laws in 1961 and maintains its principal International Scale of Whitewater Difficulty) and to protect the ecological and scenic values of all mailing address at PO Box 1540, Cullowhee, NC publishes and disseminates the internationally- whitewater rivers. These goals are accomplished 28723; phone 1-866-BOAT-4-AW (1-866-262-8429). recognized American Whitewater Safety Code. through direct participation in public decision making AW is tax exempt under Section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Service. American Whitewater Board of Directors & Staff Journal Staff TOLL FREE NUMBER AW STAFF Editor Ambrose Tuscano Sutton Bacon Laura Blalock 14076 Northwoods Blvd. Truckee, California 96161 866-BOAT4AW e-mail: [email protected] [email protected] Bookkeeper Atlanta, GA Cullowhee, NC Assitant Editor Tim Catalano [email protected] Graphic Design/Production/Photo Editor Christie Dobson Chris Bell [email protected] Tim Kelley Contributing Writers Asheville, NC [email protected] Kevin Colburn Ambrose Tuscano, Mark Singleton, Charlie Walbridge, Betsy McDonald, Cheryl Robinson, Clay Wright, Tanya Shuman, Potsdam, NY National Stewardship Director Risa Shimoda, Sue Taft, Andrew Holcomb, Todd Hoffman, Rich Bowers Moscow, ID Scott Bortree, David Stentiford, Rocky Contos, John Grace, [email protected] Don Kinser Nikki Kelly, Johnnie Kern, Ammen Jordan, Christie Dobson, [email protected] Dixie Marree Prickett, Steve Schaefer, Dave Steindorf, Bellingham, WA [email protected] Dave Hurst, Thomas O’Keefe, Richard Styron, Susan Doran, Marietta, GA Mike Hoffman Dave Cernicek Carla Miner Photo Contributors [email protected] Mark LaCroix Membership Manager North Carolina Rivers & Creeks, Tanya Shuman, Reno-Spark Jackson, WY [email protected] West Valley City, UT Convention & Visitors, Charlie Walbridge, Chris Emerick, Thorton, NH Tom Johnson, Charles Pazeshki, Todd Hoffman, Scott Savage, [email protected] Rocky Contos, Marlow Long, Jenning Steger, Nate Elliott, Adam Cramer Nikki Kelly, Johnnie Kern, Bobbette Schaefer, Eric Petlock, [email protected] Evie Locke Johnstown Convention and Visitors Bureau, Megan Seifert, Thomas O’Keefe Thomas O’Keefe, Norman Deets II, John Clements Washington D.C. [email protected] Charlemont, MA Pacific NW Stewardship Director Events / Advertising Coordinator Ben VanCamp Seattle, WA P.O. Box 1540, Cullowhee, NC 28723 David Ennis phone 828-713-5825 [email protected] Eric Nies [email protected] e-mail: [email protected] Bryson City, NC [email protected] Morgantown, WV Safety Editor Charlie Walbridge Mark Singleton Route 1, Box 329F, Bruceton Mills, WV 26525 Steve Exe e-mail: [email protected] [email protected] Aaron Pruzan Executive Director Cullowhee, NC Stewarship Reports Editor Mercer Island, WA [email protected] Kevin Colburn, [email protected] Jackson Hole, WY [email protected] Liz Ferrin American Whitewater Magazine Task Force Norwood Scott Jeff Espy, Dunbar Hardy, Dale-Marie Herring, John Mason, [email protected] Dave Steindorf Tanya Shuman, Ambrose Tuscano Santa Barbara, CA [email protected] San Francisco, CA California Stewardship Director Missing Copies and Address Changes Paradise, CA [email protected] Jennie Goldberg [email protected] Charlie Walbridge [email protected] American Whitewater is printed by [email protected] The Printing House in Quincy Florida Seattle, WA All rights reserved. Bruceton Mills, WV Ben VanCamp Joe Greiner Outreach Manager [email protected] BOARD OFFICERS EDITORIAL DISCLAIMER Raleigh, NC Cullowhee, NC President: Sutton Bacon [email protected] The opinions expressed in the features and Vice President: Don Kinser editorials of American Whitewater are those of Kristine Jackson Secretary: Norwood Scott the individual authors. They do not necessarily [email protected] Treasurer: Chris Bell represent those of the Directors of American Rock Island, TN Whitewater or the editors of this publication. On occasion, American Whitewater publishes Andrew Jillings official organizational policy statements drafted [email protected] and approved by the Board of Directors. These Clinton, NY policy statements will be clearly identified. 2 American Whitewater www.americanwhitewater.org www.americanwhitewater.org American Whitewater 3 July/August 2006 July/August 2006 Public Outcry Over Chattooga Headwaters Ban By Mark Singleton After 11 years of political wrangling to river conservation organization, has taken gain Chattooga Headwaters access, AW the lead in attempting to overturn a 1976 fi led suit against the US Forest Service on ban on public paddling on the uppermost May 18th 2006. Traveling up and down 21 miles of the Chattooga. For more the chain of command in the US Forest than 10 years, American Whitewater has Service for over a decade and having the pressed the Forest Service for access to American Whitewater ticket punched each these waters. Forest Service offi cials have step of the way, it became apparent that not been able to produce any evidence that resolution of this issue would require the private hand-powered watercraft, such as attention of a federal judge. Our lawsuit kayaks and canoes, threaten the river is aimed at strengthening an otherwise corridor, yet the 30-year-old ban remains collaborative relationship with the Forest in place. Service. American Whitewater values the agency as a partner on River Stewardship The lawsuit challenges the ban on the issues across the country. However, this