PADDLING GEAR

atagonia Paddling Jackets are multi-purpose but Pthey are far more than modified raincoats. Each garment, wen when new, has lived a previous lifetime and knows the rigors of high adventure. With a nearly 50150 mix of waterproof stretch and non-stretch fabrics, the Stretch Sidewinder Top provides the protection of a paddling jacket combined with incredible freedom of movement; the jacket moves where you do. The design of a paddling insulation layer should be simple, if not spartan. The Synchilla" Paddling Pullover fits perfectly under your outer shell. Finally, the Patagonia Skull Cap stretches snugly over your head to keep cold water out; the smooth, waterproof coating repels water to keep evaporative cooling to an absolute minimum.

patagonW 1cffSttydcr hlastiny a I,dc on the Ckmt Rtrwr, For a free color catalog, the name of your nearest dealer, or information on our technical clothes, layering systems and Photo: Kevrn O'Rrirn sportswear, write Box 8900, Dept. 725P12, Bozeman, MT 59715 or call 1-800-523-9597. Estabhshed 1n19R4, Patagon!a'senv~ronmentalt~thlngprogramdonates 10% of thccompanyi pre-tax profits to preserwng and restoring the natural enwronment Patagoma". Synchlllamand Y-Jmnt"are trademarks of Patagonla, Inc Pnddllnx Rdlorw american whitewater MaylJune 1990 Volume XXXV, No. 3

Teach Your Children...Well? - American Whitewater Special Section *Teaching Your Children to Paddle by Tom McEwan *A Kid's Perspective by Arnbrose Toscano *Practical Tips for Teaching Kids by Bob Rupland Bob Gedekoh *Speaking Kids' Language: The Little Engine by Mary Beth Zoliars Heigh-Ho, Silver! The Lone Ranger never had a ride as wild as that offered by Michigan's Silver River. by Mike Sklavos "Commander" Snake Bite Boaters aren't the only serpents that prowl riverbanks. by Bob Gedekoh Kayak Corps The next installment of our whitewater fiction feature. by Johnson Cerveau

American Whitewater Briefs *Russians top Nantahala 'SO, PerceptionMew Wave make donation *Matt Gaynes Dies in Auto Accident by Michael J. Mae *River Access: a growing issue by Ric Alesch Consetve Something rotton in West Virginia's Frut Basket, Small hydro still poisonous, Riverwatch program born, Dam might help Russell Fork, Chairlift on the Ottawa, Bio-Bio to be dammed

Safety Gurvey demonstrates whitewater's relative safety by Charlie Waibridge *Controversy: Reaction to account of Whtney Shields accident *Fatality on New York's Salmon Rlver End Notes The Rubber Kayak War: Boaters bring progress to a small town Cover: Paul Kammer of Pittsburgh's by Carla Garrison Three Rivers Paddling Club contributes photo of child's first paddling lesson.

WHAT IS AMERICAN WHITEWATER?

The American Whitewater Affiliation (AWA) is a national organization with a membership of over 1300 whitewater boating enthusiasts and more than 50 local canoeclub affiliates. The AWA was organized in 1961 to protect and enhance the recreational enjoyment of whitewater sports in America

EDUCATION: Through publication of a bi-monthly journal, the AWA provides Information and education about whitewater rivers, boating safety, technique, and equipment

CONSERVATION: AWA maintains a national inventory of whitewater rivers, monitors potential threats to whitewater river resources through its 'River Watch' system, publishes information on river conservation, works with government agendes to protect and preselve freeflowing whitewater rivers, and provides technical advice to local groups regarding river management and river conservation. AWA also gives annual awards to Individuals to recognize exceptional contributions to river conservation and an annual 'hydromania" award to recognize the proposed hydroelectric power project which woudl be most destrue live of whitewater.

EVENTS: AWA organizes sporting events, contests and festivals to raise funds for river consetvation. Since 1086, AWA has been the principal sponsor of the annual Gauley River Festival in Summersville, West Virginia, the largest gathering of whitewater boaters in the nation, other than at international racing events.

SAFETY: AWA promotes paddling safety, publishes reports on whitewater accidents, and maintains both a uniform national ranking system for whitewater rivers (the International Scale of Whitewater Difficulty) and the internationally recognized AWA Safety Code.

ORQANlZATIONAND PURPOSES: AWA was incorporated under Missouri non-profit cor- poration laws in 1061 and maintains its principal mailing address at 146 N. Brockway, Palatine Ilinois, 60067. AWA has been granted tax exempt status by the lnternal Revenue Service under Wctlon 401(~1131 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954. The charter indudes the following purposes: encb;iage the exploration, enjoyment, and preservation of Ameri- can recreationalwaterwarn or man-powered craft; protect the wilderness character of wa- terways through consewation of water, forests,-parks, wildlife, and related resources; promote appreciation for the recreational value of wilderness cruising and of white-water sports. PROFESSIONAL STAFF: Except for membership services and the Executive Director position, all AWA operations, indudingpublication of the bi-monthly magazine, are handled by volunteers.

AMERICAN WHITEWATER AFFILIATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS

AnRa Adarns Jack Hesslon John Porterfield Route 2, Box 614 241 E. 5th Ave. RR2 Box 668 Princeton, WV 24740 Anchorage, AK 99501 Orrington, ME 04474 Blll Baker Diana Holder Pete Sklnner 9429 W. Ontario Dr. Route 1 Box 90 Box 272, Snyder Rd. Uttleton, CO 801 23 Fairview Mt. Rd. W. Sand Lake, NY 12195 Pope Barrow Reliance. TN 37369 Keith Thompson 136-13th Street, S.E. Phyllis Horowitz 1171 N. 10th St. Washington, D.C. 20003 PO Box 329 Lararnie, WY 82070 Bob Gedekoh Phoenicia, NY 12464 Mac Thornton Box 228, RD 4 Chris Koll 322 10th St. S.E. Elizabeth, PA 15037 7987 #5 Rd. W. Washington, D.C. 20003 Dan Givens Fabius, NY 13267 Treasurer 463 Ave. H, Apt. 204 Sara Lawrence Claire Gesalman Boise, ID 83712 6660 Bacchi 6301 Hillcrest Place Bob Glanvllle Lotus, CA 95651 Alexandria, VA 22312 66 Deer Run Tom McAndrew Glenwood, NY 14069 5535 Ridge Ave. Philadelphia, PA 19128 Chadron, ten miles of class II and Ill pan and Chile suggest that dam buiMers water. are an ubiquitous menace to the world's But you better come and paddle environment. We can take some com- the Upper Loiresoonbecause the French fort, I suppose, in knowing that we are Friends, government is determined to build a dam not alone in our struggle to save white- below the bridge at Chadron. water rivers. --RHG THEY WANT TO KILL LA LOIRE The villages, with their three You have probably heard of the hundred year old farms, and the rivers Castles of the Loire or the wine of the will disappear. Every weekend people Loire Valley, which lies about 100 miles meet in Serre la Fare and protest the south of Paris. But do you know where project. They do not want their water Chris, the Loire, the largest river in France, taken anymore, they do not want to sell rises? the house that their great great great Love the magazine and organi- The Loire is bom in the Vivarals grandfather built. zation--HOT1 Hills, 5090 feet high, in the Central Mas- Help us save the Loire. Write to: Send me Information on how I sif. Here country people will probably not SOS Loire Vivante, 8 rue Crozatier, 43000 can volunteer! (I know a lot about non- speak English, but you will find hospital- Le Puy en Velay, France. Or contact the profit organizational management and ity, some of the best French cheese, dam builder: EPALA, Avenue de Buffon, continue to be amazed at the magazine scenic views... and great rivers. BP 6339,45063 Orleans, Cedex 2. and activism going on without staff. A tributary named La Gazielle has afour mile run; the first two miles are Merci, Best, class 2-4, then one enters a beautiful Dominique Goninet John Comeuson class IV gorge with one class V rapid, a Embrun, France League of American Wheelmen slide that rushes into a big wave. From Baltimore, MD that point you may paddle down to La Editors note: It is sad, but not surprising, Loire. to discover once.again that the killing of Editor's note: We love to welcome eager Another popular run is on the rivers is not unique to our country. Re- semi-professionals into the fold, John. Loire between Gaudet and the bridge at cent communications from Canada, Ja- Contact a AWA director near you.--C.K.

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A lighter hull, new thigh brace system, WEEK comfortable seat and A week of kayak instruction in a resort vacation atmosphere could be just the minicell foam walls break you need. Active and fun-filled, complete the outfitting. our quality 5day program emphasizes learning at ones own pace while having a great time! Experience the excite- Adult beginner and intermediate ment of whitewater in a courses include kayak, paddling gear, 5-day meal program, camping, DRAGONFLY 11. recreational facilities, instruction and river shuttles. Call or write for your Season: Mon-Fti; June-August catalog today! Cost: $389 (1335 US) .Couples Rate: 5359 (1309 US) Wilderness Tours Box 89,Beachburg, Ontario KOJ 1CO CANADA (613)646-2291 quality. This will be achieved by direct market pressure, over time. If peopie knew that dioxin and other chlorinated organic compounds Dear Risa, found in our rivers is a direct result of the Dear Chris, bleach process in papermaking, they might I received a membership to the opt to use unbleached paper products Your flattering portrayal of Ore- AWA as a Christmas present from my whenever possible. Unbleachedpaper is gon's whitewater resources is alsosome- friend Steve Demetriou, probably cause (not objectionably) light tan in color. what of an illusion. The story reflects the he got sick of me swiping his journals all Using it would be a small price to pay to typical newcomer's point of view: enam- the time. Anyway, I'm delighted to be on regain our rivers. ored with the rivers of Oregon and bliss- board. Is this anything the AWA might fully unaware of the dire political realities I'm writing because I thought want to address, on some level? There we face out here. Those realities are that the AWA mlght be sympathetic to the are many forms your involvement could every river that was so glowingly men- need for a public awareness campaign to take, and I'd love a chance to talk with tioned in the Goddard's travelogue faces Inform peopie about the terrible environ- you about them. Please write at your some sort of serious threat. In fact, every mental cost associated with highly convenience. Thanks. riverthat one can name in this area faces bleached, highly treated white paper. After a hugely uncertain future. We are fight- becoming totally frustrated with legisia- Sincerely, ing political firefights on so many fronts tive efforts to reduce the amount of color, Peggy Dwer that I oftencan'tdecidewhich issue is the odor and foam in Maine rivers, I began to P.O. Box 7 most pressing. A few examples: the research alternative methods. Brainstorm Livermore Falls, ME 04254 Kiamath in southern Oregon is described ing with other boaters, chemists and by many groups as the nation's most environmental engineers led to the con- Editor's note: Here's a question to the endangered river. Permit systems and clusion that a reduction in the use (and Amellrcan Whitewater readets--shouldAW restricted access are likelihoods on the thus a reduction in the production) of use recycledpaper?Ourquality --already Deschutes. Newly installed gates pre- highly bleached, highly treated white paper semi-professional at best--would suffer, vent access on the North Molalla. Rapids is necessary to substantially improve river but is the cause worth the price?--C.K. have been removed(!) on the Hood River A New Generation of Whitewater Playboats! MOHAWK XL SERIES More paddling, less swimming. MOHAWK'S Whitewater A shorter playboat - really quick turns.. . stable.. . dry Playboats are very stable and very dry. Our Playboats are easy XL12 fun in low water rapids.. . use in Grade 11, Ill, and IV to paddle and quick to accelerate. The round bilges which Whitewater. blend into flared sides, forward and aft, result in a canoe that turns on a dime, is stable-surfing and easy to roll. The Our most popular playboat.. .the more you paddle MOHAWK family of XL Playboats is the right choice for a XL13 it the better you like it.. . paddlers thru 250 pounds veteran expert daring to challenge Grade V Whitewater, or a are paddling whitewater thru Grade V.. . really novice learning to paddle Grade II Whitewater! We invite your stable.. .very, very dry.. . easy handling. comparison with any other such canoe. Paddle a MOHAWK XL, look it over, then make your purchase decision. If you can't try A short combination tandem and solo playboat.. . an XL, talk to someone who owns one or has paddled it. XL14 fun in rapids, and easy to paddle between rapids.. . more room.. . Whitewater thru Grade V.

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Specs. Length Beam Depth Bearn4"WL Weight Price* XL12 12'3" 32 15 29 54# $675 XL13 13'3" 32%" 15%" 29%" W $675 Durable Royalex hulls, Plastic decks, PVC gunnels with XL14 14'3" 32%" 15%" 30 60# $700 aluminum reinforcement, Aluminum thwarts. Also available - XL15 15'4" 35 15'/zH 32" 65U $725 all wood trim including beautiful wood inlaid decks, white ash 'Add freight to pricelsubject to change gunwales with drain slots. XL~ZXLI~,XL15 also avallable at: Westem CamIng Box 115, A#rotsfoml, B.C., Canada V2S 4N8 Phone 16041 853-9320 o facilitate fish migration. Every river side national forest boundaries is jeop PADDLF COMPANY once by emerging plans to put river so fish have more pools WHITEWA TER in. We lost a local gem: Fish whole run was filled with logs, nk to bank, all in the name of fish with proven abitat. Private landowners are limiting ccess on the White Salmon. The article 0 durability you want iled to mention the cat-and-mouse shuttle 0 value that makes $ sense me that has to be played on the upper Call or write for information & oulfil-ters in your area: ions of the White Salmon if hassles RD 1, Spring Mills, PA 16875 8 14-422-8844 locals are to be avoided. The list es on and on and the point is clear: is is not some kind of whitewater nir- .The rivers in yourstoryface threats GET READY FOR THE CANOE SEASON residential development, private WITH ADK CANOE GUIDES wners, outfitters, grazing, logging, c11 and misguided fish enhance- Adirondack Canoe Waters - North Flow We have more politfcal battles More than 700 miles of canoe routes in the St. Lawrence/ n we have people willing to Lake Champlain drainage basins, and more than 30 rivers in the north and central Adirondack Park. wish to amend to open invita- that the Goddards Issued for every- 0 Adirondack Canoe Waters - South & West Flow to come out here and boat. It's true Covering the Black River, Mohawk River, and Upper there is room for more boaters, but Hudson River basins. A must for whitewater paddlers. do not need any more hedonistic To order, call the Adirondack Mountain Club (518) 668-4447 itewaterfun-hounds.We already have VISAMASTERCARD ACCEPTED %. " o many of people around here who 'just wanna boat.' If you have no appe- t.ite for politics, stay away1 We need river ctivists who are willing to take an issue, uild some alliances, and engage the olitical opposition. We also need more edia attention focussed on the issues, ot the fluff. If we can't light a fire under ore boaters, then you can kiss most of he rivers in your story goodbye. Most of hem are being quietly threatened and 20 Years of Canoeing ery few boaters seem to know or care. & iincerely, Kayaking Excitement afety Chairman, Oregon Kayak and anoe Club

Editor's note: It is my intention to main- tain a balance of material in American Whitewater. Half the magazine is de- voted to serious stuff: conservation and safety issues. The other half features entertaining topics. Gloom and doom SEDA is the one with experience! doesn? attract new members-and the AWA needs numbers. But, I can sympa- Write or call for free catalog thize with your feelings-after long nights SEDA PRODUCTSyP.0. BOX997 wolking on American Whitewater, I often feel bitter toward boaters who put less Chula Vista, CAY92012 back into the sport. But we don? help the Tel: 61 9/425-3223 cause by limiting our constituency be- cause they aren rpoiiticaily involved. -CK Russian team tops Nantahala '90 competition Nantahala 'SO, a good-natured originating from both countries. A strong The event was co-sponsored international whitewater competition team calling itself United Germany, with by Project RAFT (Russians and Arneri- emphasizing inflatable skills, drew 240 paddlersfrom both sides of what was the cans For Teamwork) and the N.O.C. participants from 13 countries to the Berlin Wall, also drew much attention. Donnie Dove, the American director of Nantahala and Ocoee Rivers in mid March. Other nations competing in- Project RAFTspecialevents, announced Forty teams composed of six cluded Poland, Peru, Guatemala, Czecho- next year's competition will be held on persons entered the event which included slovakia, Costa Rica, Nepal, Canada, the tropical whitewaters of Costa Rica. slalom competitions for catarafts, rafts Austria and India. and kayaks; a kayak downriver sprint; a triathaion event of mountain bike, runner and raft; an orienteering exercise and river-rescue competition. PerceptionlNew Wave donate to AWA Topping the event for the sec- ond consecutive year was the team from The AWA is again the recipient facturer's choice. the Russian city of Gorky. Gorky won last of a $500 donation as part of a program New Wave Kayak Products of year's competition when the 10-year-old initiatedby Perception, Inc. forthe sale of Middletown, PA selected the AWA as its event was held on the Chuya River of the "Foxfire", the fiberglass version of beneficiary of the programand forwarded Siberia. the kayak company's new plastic slalom a check for use in AWA's conservation Finishing second was an Ameri- boat, the "Reflex". efforts. can all-women team named the Ama- Perceptlon made the mold of New Wave is the second manu- zonskis. A strong New Zealand team the Foxflre available to selected custom facturer to name the AWA as a benefici- was third, followed by three U.S. teams: kayak manufacturers under the agree- ary of the program. Watauga Laminates California, South Central and Southeast. ment that a $50 per boat/lO boat mini- also contributes a design fee for produc- The U.S. and Russia provided mum contribution be made to a conser- tion of the Foxfire. most of the competitors with 12 teams vation-oriented organization of the manu- cfLayaking

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WANT TO BE A RAFT GUIDE? Call our River Guide Hotline (717) 443-9728 ...a tragic reminder that the hazards of adventuring are never where you expect to find them.

By MICHAEL J. McRAE River Rally in Soviet Siberia, an interna- spinal cord trauma in Chicago has re- tional convocation of a thousand boat- gained much of his mobility. The driver Matt Gaynes, a gifted extraordi- ers, Gaynes placed fourth in the Class V was also killed, but had the collision been nary kayaker well-known in boating circles slalom event, although boaters there head-on, Sharpe surmised, everyone for his daring and exuberant good hu- probably will remember him more for his would likely have died. mor, was killed last November in auto galvanic personality and joie' de vivre accident near Jaipur, in northern India. than for his racing record. He was a Gaynes was travelling with two other perennial contenderforthe U.S. National "He lived for the river. " virtuoso boaters, Paul Shape and Kevin Team, but his first love was expedition- Padden, when the car they had hired ary kayaking. "That was his forte," said collided with a truck on the crowded, Mark Ritchie, a member of the 1980 free-for-all highway between Deihi and National Team and close friend. "He was Gaynes, 30, lived In Santa Bar- Jaipur. Thrown from the car, Gaynes better at it then anyone else in the U.S. to bara, but had many friends in the Aspen sustained massive head injuries, and my mlnd." area, where he had attended college. He though he remained alive for 10 hours, came from a theatrical family, perhaps never regained consciousness--a tragic explaining his skill as a campfire racon- reminder that the hazards of adventuring For anyone else who has teur. His father, George Gaynes, played are never where you expect to find them. traveled in the Third World, the doctor in Yootsie" and Commander The trio comprised the advance Lassard in the "Police Academy" series' guard of an expedition of whitewater the circumstances of the auto his mother, Allyn Ann McLerie, appeared superstars who were to have run the accident are all too familiar: in "The Way We Were," "Jeremiah tumultuous upper Chenab River for a a driver trying to hold his own Johnson," and "All the President's Men." television documentary. Sharpe and amid a pandemoniu~~of Along with his wife, both of Padden, both film documentarians from Gaynes's parents participated in a tradi- Aspen, Colorado, were part of the film passing trucks, overloaded tional funeral ceremony in Jaipur, which crew (Sharpe, you may recall, was part vehicles, and farm animals on his father described as having "aspects of the U.S.-Sino Upper Yangtze Expedi- the road. of a black comedy." The jeep in the fu- tion, which lost one member to acute neral cortege was too small to accommo- mountain sickness); Gaynes had been date the body, the funeral shroud blew brought in as leader of the river team, off in traff ic, the jeep stalled. "It was all so which would have included world cham- For anyone else who has trav- strange that it prevented us from sinking pions Richard Fox and Myriam Jerusalmi. eled in the Third Work, the circumstances Into our grief," George Gaynes said. Added Gaynes's wife, Robin, whom he had of the auto accident are all too familiar: a Robin Gaynes, "We thought that it Matt manied only last June, was to have helped driver trying to hold his own amid a pan- was looking on, he was having a good paddle a support raft on the lower river. demonium of passing trucks, overloaded laugh." An extraordinarily strong and vehicles, and farm animals on the road. Some of Gaynes's ashes were gutsy kayaker-he was 6 feet 3 inches Heading upcountry to film a camel festi- scattered in the Ganges, others in the tall, 195 pounds and rock hard--Gaynes val, the three passengers were unnerved ocean off of Santa Barbara, where he had an air of invincibility about him. He by several near misses. "If we'd had that trained daily. Friends also plan ceremo- once paddled a class V section of Roar- many dose calls on the river," said Sharpe nies at the Barrel Springs rapid in Glen- ing Fork River near Aspen at night by from a Seattle hospital, "we would have wood Canyon, Colorado, the first class V headlamp, and was the first American to gotten out and walked." rapid he ran, and on the upper Kern River be asked to join the Alpine Kanoe Club, Near Jaipur, the driver pulled of California, where he could often be an exclusive fraternity of German "hair out to pass and, as a truck in the oncom- found when the waterwas high. "He was boaters" renowned for running big water ing lane bore down on them, he seemed always more interested in the quality of in exotic places. His favoriie runs were in to fall into a trance. "At the last possible his life than in getting rich," recalled Cully Corsica, along rivers so steep and tech- moment, I lunged for the steering wheel, nical that they could only be negotiated in tried to turn back into our lane, but he half-size kayaks, and in Southem France, slammed on his brakes and we slid into Michael McRae is a Contributing Editor through the "Grand Canyon of France" the truck," said Shape, who sustained for Outside Magazine. on the Verdon River. He had also kay- two badly broken arms and a dislocated aked in Scandinavia, Mexico, and the hip. Padden was completely paralyzed Soviet Union. Last May, at the Chuya for a few hours, but after treatment for Regional coordinator viewpoint River access: an issue deserving scrutiny

By RIC ALESCH to provide a greater service to the white- by many to be the ultimate rivertrip in the water community: river access and United States. Unfortunately, commer- The American Whitewater Af- management. Presetving river access ciavprivate boater ratios were set in the filiation is a fine organization doing great means assuring that boaters have rights early 1970s when private demand was work for whitewater sports. In fact, it is to continue to put in and take out on far below current demand. Today, prl- doing an amazing job given that most of popular (and not so popular) whitewater vate boaters must wait for several years the effort is done by volunteers. AWA streams. In the west it also means assur- to get permlts to run the Grand, while spreads the word on good whitewater ing boaters' rights to float through private commercial trips (at great expense) can rivers, helps preserve these wild treas- lands. River "management" is a govern- be resewed just weeks before launch ures and promotes safety for river sports. ment term for plans and regulations that dates. The Grand is certainly the best The AWA safety program is an set use levels and control private and example, but it is only one of a growing invaluable effort-the only national pro- commercial boater allocations on popu- number of federal and state controlled gram of its kind to keep us informed lar whitewater rivers. This is especially rivers being subjected to river manage- about whitewater mishaps and ways to important to western river runners who ment plans and use regulations. The avoid them. The AWA conservation pro- wish to paddle multi-day trips on the Arkansas and Poudre Rivers in Colorado gram is producing highly innovative and classic wilderness rivers where use lev- are two recent examples of previously exciting projects, such as the national els are held below the demand for these "unmanaged" use rivers that now have whitewater inventory and the proposal trips. river management plans and use regula- for a national registry for whitewater riv- The classic example of a river tions. ers. management plan of keen interest to Government river recreation There is, however, one area in private boaters is the Colorado River regulators around the country have even which the AWAcouId expand its horizons through the Grand Canyon, considered formed their own organization-the

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Designs by Wilderness Systems, Wick Walker, Richard Fox, Tom McEwan, John Abbenhouse and Harrie Tieken; all boats vacuum bagged with the best materials available. Squirt boats Expedition K- 1 & C- I 's Sea kayaks Boating accessories U Custom helmets "American River Management Society." It is absolutely essential for private boat- I Whitewater Film Festival ers to be well-organized and well-repre- sented in these proceedings. You can be sure that commercial operators and oth- recognizes top slides, videos ers with financial interests are very well represented in river management plan- World's '89, a slideshow pro- The Film Festival opened Fri- ning issues. ducedduringlast summer's World Cham day night with a non competitive recep- This is not to say that AWA has pionships on the Savage, and A Com- tion featuring popular winners from past done nothing in this area. Indeed, AWA mercial Announcement, a humorous slide- Festivals. The competition ran through- members have worked hard to preserve show described as a PG13 rated ad for out theday Saturdayandfeatured eleven rlver access in places like the Great Falls new gear, shared Best of ShowIAmateur amateur and eight professional entries of the Potomac. What is needed is a honors at the Seventh Annual Whitewa- as well as a Best Slide competition. greater recognition of this purpose, and ter Film Festival held February 23 and 24 Judges for the professional class included the need to monitor government alloca- in Lexington, Kentucky. Adventures of representatives of number of boating clubs, tion of river use in AWA publications and theTsunamiRangers, aCalifomiaOcean while judges for the amateur classes in- other activities. For example, river ac- Kayaking Video won Best of ShowIPro- cluded representatives of the AWA, the cess and management could be listed fessional at the event. print and television media and from along with education, conservation, events More than 300 whitewaterdevo- manufacturers of whitewater gear. and safety as major activities for the tees attended this year according to Barry World's '89, produced by Paul organization. It certainly serves the pur- Grimes, Film Coordinator for the Festi- Kammer, won the Racing Category as poses described in the charter to "en- val, which is cosponsored by the Blue- well as tying for Best of ShowIAmateur. courage the exploration, enjoyment, and grass Wildwater Association and Menasha Kammer, President of Pittsburgh's Three preservation of American recreational Ridge Press. The Festival has achieved a Rivers Paddling Club, also won the waterways." We should encourage more well earned reputation as one of the na- AmateurIClub competition for another members to get involved in river man- tion's premiere whitewater events and entry, Try a Youth Clinic, highlighting agement representing AWA and private serves as a fitting spring kickoff to the TRPC's 2 day program forboaters age 6- boaters in the mocess. eastern whitewater boating season. 14. Kammer captured the prize for Best ~ocal'whitewaterornanizations have started to recognize theimportance of this concern to its members. In 1988, Not because you want to be different ... after the Arkansas River Management Plan consumed a tremendous amount of energy, the Colorado White Water Asso- Because you want to be ciation established a new board position to address river management issues. The National Organization for River Sports, based in Colorado Springs, has made BETTER! this top priority in its purpose statement Caper and Encore. Two new solo playboats and much of its work. designed to encourage, not prohibit, proper AWA has In the past had a reputation of being an eastern paddling paddling technique. Whitewater canoes for organization. it has made large strides in paddlers, not floaters. Call or write for free recent years to expand its horizons west- catalog featuring all five Dagger models. ward. A greater emphasis on river man- agement would address a major national concern and serve river runners in the west and throughout the country. AWA's presence would be strengthened by pre- serving paddlers' rights to access rivers and seeking guarantees of fair alloca- tions for private boaters on government- controlled whitewater runs.

Ric Alesch is an AWA Coordinator in the Rocky Mountain Region and also River Management Director for the Colorado White Water Association. He can be CANOEC OMPANY, INC. wntacted at 8718 W, FloydDr., Lakewood P.O. Box 1500 Harrirnan, Tennessee 37748 615/882-0404 CO 80227. Paw nammers aynamrc snor or a G-zream ar me sv worus won "Best Slide" at the 7th Annual Whitewater Film Festival.

Paddling Slide as well. THE SOURCE FOR CUSTOM A Commercial Announcement, BUILT BOATS produced by BWA member Carole Bryant, captured the Humor Award as well as tying for Best of ShowlArnateur. A!h' My Hometown, a video by Davld Rego documenting pollution in watenvays, Kqvg won the Conservation prize. '6ww?pc75 East Tennessee Rivers, a video high- lighting the Tellico, Citico and Little Riv- 7780 Chamber Hlll Rd. ers, by Rodney Rehder, was the winner in Harrlsburg, PA 1 7 1 1 1 the RecreationaVScenic Category. The 7 1 7-944-6320 Safetyllnstruction category was won by I squirt SO& Dealer lnqulrles lnvlted well-known open boater Bruce Penrod's video Canoeing Into the 90's. The winner of the Best Profes- sional Commercial Category was Can- ada's Madawaska Kanu Camp. The :fS RIVER GEAR the Madawaska Camp had also generously donated afive day Instructional trip to be given to the Best of ShowlArnateur win- Frequent Flyer Co. ner. Carole Bryant captured this prize in If you would like to get discount prices a drawing against cowinner Kammer, who took home an ample reward of whitewa- on NEW WAVE, EXTRASPORTS, SIDEWINDER, ter gear instead. BERMUDES, NRS, TIGHT SKIRTS, PD DESIGN, But the prize winners were not CRICKET PADDLES, RAPIDSTYLE, and MORE. the only ones taking new gear home from Give us a call or send your name and address the Festival. A new Perception and a new to 352 Cameco Circle /P.O.Box 2694,Liverpool Dagger kayak, donated by those respec- New York. 13090-2694 (315)652-8397 tive companies and the BWA, were raffled Top quality gear at real discount prices! at the Festhral. $500 ralsed by the raffle was donated to both the AWA and Ameri- can Rivers for river conservation. The Festival culminated with the Risa tradiiional poolside blowout Saturday night, Shimoda where BWA members demonstrated, once again, that they are the ultimate whitewa- Callaway ter party animals. Next year's Festival has already resigns as been slated for February 22 and 23 and BWA Film Coordinator Grimes is antici- AWA head pating an unprecedented number of entries. Those planning to enter presen- After two years tations should contact the BWA early at the helm of the AWA next year, since time slots at the Festival as its executive direc- will be reserved on a first come, first tor, Risa Shimoda Call- serve basis. away has resigned in order to devote more Paddle your canoa time to her professional Risa Shimoda Callaway pictured at last year's Ocoee pursuits. Rodeo. Callaway helped organke the event, co-spon- "Canoe," may have been the During her sored by the A WA. first Indian word recorded in Admiral Co- tenure, Callaway pro- lumbus' log in October of 1492 and its vided an invaluable measure of order at Caliaway also helped insthute use spread faster than tobacco in the old a time when the AWA regained its posi- and improve several other programs de- world. By 1493, the Caribbean word tion as the nation's leading whitewater veloped by AWA directors including the 'canoa' was included in the organization. The highly successful white- regional coordinators roster, the Gauley -rv of Nebriia. edited and water marketplace at the Gauley Festi- Festival and American Whitewater as published in Saiamanca, Spain.--A little val, the Ocoee Rodeo, retail distribution well as serving as an able ambassador known paddling fact submitted by Pro- of American Whitewater and a new AWA improving the AWA's visibility. fessor Alex SeIa, Hispanic Studbs, SUN Y products line were ail conceived and A committee of AWA directors Albany. instituted by Callaway. is currently searching for a successor.

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Address: Mail to AWA, 146 N. Brockway, Palatine, IL 60067 FRUIT BASKET Something rotten in the Fruit Basket

By POPE SARROW

The Gauley River and its headwaters In the Monongahela National Forest are the heartland of Southern West Virginia whitewater. The area In- cludes a fabulous collection of whitewater streams of almost every variety and classification. So many whitewater streams are con- gested in this single water- shed that AWNS experts had to use a microscope to Hydro Project cram the river names along the rivers when they made thelr computerized maps of Map by John McCMllb West Virginia's whitewater for the Nationwide Whitewa- iouble in whitewater paradise: Gauley headwaters are threatened by two energy projects. ter Inventory1The North and South Fork and main stem ave turned up in the fruit privately owned and not Forest has been deslgnated of the Cherry are there. So asket-two large very rotten subject to any Forest Serv- as a wilderness area or as a is the Williams, Laurel pples in fact. One of these ice control at all-even control wild river, it does enjoy a Creek, the Cranberry and istasteful items is an all too over hydropower. Secondly, large measure of protection the Upper Gauley. The most miiiar meal for whitewater unlike National Parks, even from timbering, mining, and popular of these-the oaters: hydropower Federally owned lands hydropower development. Cherry, the Williams, and evelopment. The other is within National Forests are But to get forest areas the Cranberry can be Jest Virginia's worst envi- not sanctuaries from river officially deslgnated as paddled in a single week- ~nmentainemesis -strip abuse. Most govemment- wilderness or as a wild river end-often referred to as a lining. owned lands and rivers in requires an Act of Congress. "fruit basket" trip. Urban rivers the National Forests are Only the uppermost reaches For the most nd rivers that flow through managed under a "multiple of the Cranberry are now part, the fruit basket trip is a rivate lands just naturally use" theory. The basic laws protected as wilderness and journey down undeveloped ave all kinds of environ- are the Forest and Range- no river in the fruit basket is pristine rivers, originating in iental problems. But how land Renewable Resources yet protected under the Wild wilderness and flowing for an we also be having Planning Act of 1974 and and Scenic Rivers Act. virtually their entire length invironmental problems with the National Forest Manage- The minlng is- through National Forest smote rivers located within ment Act of 1976. Trans- sue: The minlng problem in lands with small primitive lational Forest boundaries3 lated from legalese "multiple the fruit basket is generating campsites along the way. Ire they not safely stashed use" means timber farming the most political smoke. it The fruit basket rivers have \way in Federal ownership and mining (also grazing out started when Mike Hewitt, a good fishlng and even better ndcarefully managed by west). Whatever recreation Richwood, WV car dealer camping-awelcome relief riendly forest rangers and and fish and wildlife can applied to the Federal Office from some the more angerettes? survive in the timbering and of Surface Mining (OSM) for developed whitewater else- The answer to mining are thrown in as a determination that he has where in the Appalachians. his puzzle comes in two afterthoughts. a valid legal right to mine Sadly, how- ,arts. First, much of the land Of course, if coal in 16,000 acres of land ever, some rotten apples vithin National Forests is an area within a National along the Cranberry and Cherry Rivers. In response dam the Gauiey, build a 230 the OSM has opened a WEST V'RGINIA acre reservoir, and tunnel public commei period to two miles through the hear public views on Whitewater mountain separating the two whether surface mining 1 watersheds (or possibly should be allowed in this pump water over the region. mountain if the tunneling Local environ- becomes too expensive). mentalists and river conser- The project wouid be a 6.5 vation groups are very Megawatt deal, generating alarmed about Hewitt's approximately enough mining application. The area energy for 3,000 homes. is a vast chunk of high coun- The power wouid be sold the try bordering the Cranberry Monongahela Power Com- river for miles and miles. pany which has transmission The Nationai Wildlife lines only a mile from the Federation is battling hard proposed powerhouse. on legal grounds to have the The damsite OSM deny Mr. Hewitt's ap- on the Gauley appears to be plication. American White- I within Monongaheia National water, through its Regional Vest Virginia's "Fruit Basket" area boats one of the highest Forest boundaries, but not Coordinator Jane Aiiinson, :oncentrations of whitewater in the country. on Federally owned lands. has written to OSM in Parcoal however, claims that opposition to the application. the area is not within the Meanwhile inia foremost river advo- well as ruin the scenery for National Forest. With so AWA, together with a coall- ate in Congress, Nick boaters and hikers. Write to much confusion about tion of 21 other groups with lahaii, included an amend- OSM, Room 246, Ten Park- issues as basic as where the a total membership of over nent in bill pending before way Center, Pittsburgh, PA, project will be situated, no 600,000, has been pressing 18 House of Representa- 15220. one is yet sure what the the Forest Service to review ves to provide interim The Hydro- effects of this grandiose idea 12 river segments in the lrotection for the Cherry and power Issue: Not far north of would be on the rivers Monongaheia National For- involved. To be on the safe est for possible wild and side, AWA, along with scenic designation, including American Rivers is interven- the Cherry and Cranberry. ing in the proceeding to The 12 segments were insure that whitewater on the hand-picked by AWA upper Gauiey, as well as the Director Mac Thornton and he Cranberry. If this passes the proposed strip mining fall releases from Sum- other whitewater experts as will give those rivers operation in the fruit basket mersville Dam, are not having the best chance of inother 3 years of interim area, and just southeast of destroyed. If we are not being designated wiid and rotection. Maybe that will the town of Webster successful the entire upper scenic. The Forest Service live the slow-moving Forest Springs, the Elk River takes Gauley could be diverted Chief, Dale Robertson, en- ;ervice enough time to a bend south and the Upper into the Eiki thusiastically agreed to get nake the right decision. Gauley (upstream of Sum- As usual with the work going on these 12 What you can mersviile Dam) takes a bend West Virginia river issues, segments more than 6 lo: AWA is asking its ail north. The two don't con- Congressman Nick Rahali months ago, but Jim Page, ioncemed members and af- verge, but they get within 2 has been quick on the draw. the local forest supervisor ~liatesto write to OSM to miles of each other. At the He is currently trying to has yet to follow up. In fact, rotest the mining applica- closest point the Gauley is effect at least a temporary as of this writing, local forest ion. Strip mining along 800 feet higher than the Elk. rescue. He inciuded the Up- service bureaucrats in Elkins hese rivers will jeopardize Taking note of this salient per Gauley in the amend- have not even established heir chances of ever being geological fact, another ment he sponsored in March their study prioriiiesi lesignated as wiid and West Virginia entrepreneur of this year dealing with the The slow pace icenic rivers. Not only are (operating under the name fruit basket rivers (see of activity has already led to hese great boating streams, Parcoal Energy) has applied above). This wouid give 3- some frustration, especially ut they are among West to the Federal Energy years of protection to the now that a mining appiica- lirginia's finest trout Regulatory Commission for river, possibly enough time tion has been filed for lands itream-acid mine drainage a permit to build a hydro- for river conservationists to right next to one of the best rnd sediment from the min- electric project on the Elk, get their act together. rivers in West Virginia. In ng operation wouid wreak using water from the Gauiey. March of this year, West Vir- lavoc with the fishery as The idea is to 7 Like a dying rattlesnake, SMAL L HYDR 0 : its bite is still poisonous by POPE BARROW The doom and declined. Proposals for new ally significant whitewater riv- gloom letters from hydropower projects are way down from ers continue to be threatened According to advocates did not go unan- their gold-rush peaks in the by hydropower developers who representatives of the hydro- swered. Within a week, both early 1980s. Oil prices are still refuse to concede defeat. electric power industry, the end the Times and the Post were soft and the Federal tax cred- Some of these projects are is near. In December of 1989 deluged with repiiesfromriver its for small hydropower are backed by groups with deep letters to the editor appeared conservationists citing an almost completely phased out. pockets. Drawing on these in both the New York Times enormous range of irrevers- Even the infamous Federal unlimited war chests, the pro- and in the Washington Post in ible environmental damage PURPA legislation that forced moters of these projects are December of 1989 bemoan- suffered by America's free- utilities to buy electric power entrenched and appear ap- ing the fact that the hydro in- flowing rivers... ail directly at- from small hydropower gen- pear unlikely to retreat. dustry was in shambles. As- tributable to unwise and ill- erators at top dollar rates has Atthe top of the saults from environmental considered hydroelectric power fallen on hard times. It is now endangered whitewater list are groups, fishermen, and white- development. under being questioned both the North Fork of the Payette water boaters were blamed HYDRO INDUSTRY IN A in Congress and in the courts. In Idaho and the Kiamath In for the industry's current eco- SLUMP WHITEWATER STILL Oregon. But they are not alone. nomic woes. Hydropower was For whatever UNDER SIEGE Even West Virginia's famous portrayed, of course, by these reasons, it does appear that So mu& for the Gauiey River, thought to be writers as a "clean, renew- the hydropower industry is good news. The bad news is protected under Federai law, abieenergysource'with none currently in a slump. Applica- that it is too eariyfor river con- is now threatened by a bi- of the environmental problems tions filed with the Federal servationists to declare vic- zarrre new project upstream of coal, nuclear, or oii-gener- Energy Regulatory Commis- tory. of the Summerviile reservoir. ated power. sion for new projects have Several nation-

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THE ROCK CREEK downstream recreation at new King. New developments are of Parcoal Energy in Beckley, DISASTER hydropower projects by requir- expected soon. A press con- West Virginia. It is known, Another dark ing in-stream flows at new ference has been scheduled however, that Parcoal plans cloud looms ahead. Hydro- dams and diversions. The by the developers to make an to build a 55' high diversion power boosters recently won State-required flows were importarit announcement re- dam and a 10,000 acre foot a big victory in the Federal always higher than those re- garding the project. Unfortu- reservoir at a location on the courts. The case is the State quired by the Federal Energy nately, the text of this news Gauley where it bends north of California v. FERC, known Regulatory Commission. was not availaule at the time near the Elk River. The Gauley as the "Rock Creek" case. In Hydro devolopers typically this article was written. Forthe would then be diverted by that case the court ruled that fought the States tooth and latest update, contact Wendy tunnel orpumping intotheElk, the FERC can override State nail on the instream flow issue Wilson at the Northem Rock- taking advantage of a 800' requirements regarding in- because each drop of water ies Rivers Project in Boise, drop in elevation between the stream flows below new hy- left in the river adversely im- Idaho. (208-343-7481). two rivers. This incredible dropower projects. The case pacts hydropowerprofits. The THE KLAMATH, OREGON scheme would serve a 6.5 MW shocked river conservationists Supreme Court is expected to A fierce battle powerhoue to be located at across the nation. It is now on decide the case early this is still in progress over Ore- the mouth of Dyers Run on appeal to the Supreme Court. summer. gon's Klamath River, just near the Elk. American Meanwhile, the California border. Just re- NORTH FORK Whitewater joined with other here is a run down on some of leased are two new draft re- SNOQUALMIE, WA enviommental groups under the key whitewater rivers still ports affecting the outcome of According to a the leadership of American's In danger. this battle, one by the Federal January 1990 report in North- leading hydropower lawyer, NORTH FORK OF THE Energy Regulatory Commis- west River News, a magnifi- John Echeverria, to file a brief PAYETTE, IDAHO sion, the other by the Bureau cent but little-known whitewa- in the Supreme Court on this Winner of last of Land Management (BLM). ter stream in Washington State, case. The case is important year's hydromainaaward, the The FERC re- the North Fork of the because, in the past, some GEM Irrigation District Proj- port proposes a "no dam' al- Snoqualmie, is now threatend States have managed to miti- ect on the Idaho's North Fork ternative which would be as by a proposed hydropower gate damage to fisheries and of the Payette is still alive and damaging to whitewater-if not diversion plan. The project, rnore damaging-than the proj- known as the McCloud Ridge ect proposed by city of Kla- project, involves a dam, pipe- math Falls. The city's project line, access roads, generat- proposed a new dam. The ing facilities, and transmission FERC proposal would substi- lines, all of which would per- tute a tunnel from the existing manently damage the rugged J.C. Boyle powerhouse. In- natural character of Ernie's I THE PROOF is in THE PERFORMANCE stead of burying the whitewa- Gorge (locally known as "Black ter of the Klamath, the FERC Canyon"), a class V section of would simply remove it to a the North Fork of the tunnel, leaving only a trickle in Snoqualmie. the riverbed to keep fish alive. For rnore infor- The BLM re- mation, contact Friends of the port, on the other hand, rec- Snoqualmie Rivers (206454- ommends that the river be 2442). added to the national Wild and Scenic River System. THE JAMES, VIRGINIA For more infor- The City of mation, contact Save Our Richmond appears to be Klamath River, P.O. Box 1956, moving full steam ahead on Klamath Falls, OR 97601. its proposal to build hydro- THE GAULEY, electric facilites at Belle Isle WEST VIRGINIA on the James River in Despite the Richmond. This project, as 1988 legislation designating the presently designed would Gauley River below Surn- wreak havoc with the white- mersville Dam as a National water now paddled by thou- Recreation Area, the river is sands of canoeists, rafters, WAVE Sports again under threat, this time and kayakers, right in down- P.O.Box 5207 Steamboat Springs, Colorado 80477 from a bizarre new project town Richmond, Virginia. For Write or call for your nearest dealer. (303) 879-4371 upstream of Surnmerville Dam the latest news on this one, I Few details are available about contact Charles Ware at 804- the new scheme, the bainchild 231- 0118. I..

Skinner from AWA served which will heal injured up sanguine stories of psyches and salve hurt Riverwatch is born government ghouls and feelings that strong words hydro horrors. State and adverse decisions have Beginning as an NPS, and the faithful were government representatives generated. idle dream of desperate beginning to wonder about politely howled about Most importantly, paddlers during the small -1 But after the joint bureaucratic bungling and however, the dozen or so hydro wars, the National NPSIAmerican Rivers dreadful decisions. Repre- NPS folks who attended Park Service's "RiverWatch training course at the sentatives of the power from Seattle to Philadelphia Program" was bom in the Nantahala Outdoor Center industry also criticized the got an earful from hydro last federal budget, based March 12-14, the River- lack of clear criteria for decision makers, technical on an allocation of Watch program is alive and decision making at FERC. experts and hydro fighting $200,000. Recognizing a toddling. Learning to walk FERC folks gamely fought guerrillas about what is serious expertise and none too soon. relicensing back with tales of new needed to create defensible advocacy vacuum at both ail across America is sensitivity to boating arguments to balance power the state and federal levels, beckoning their skills and recreation planning and production, fishery enhance- Congress earmarked this commitment. better opportunities for ment and paddling paradise. money to create a new In a historic paddler participation. Hopefully, they will be the capability in the NPS to gathering at NOC, for the All in ail, everyone cavalry reinforcements consult with FERC on first time, veterans of the had a fine time venting their we've been begging for for recreational issues in much hydro wars from California to spleens and getting to know so long. the same way the U.S. Fish Maine gathered to compare the real people who sign the Some real heroes and Wildlife Service consults wounds and vent their FERC letters and answer the emerged during the meeting. on fishing issues at every frustrations. J. V. Henry, the phones so far away. The John Echeverria of Ameri- hydro project. maverick and extraordinary NOC raftlpaddling trip on the can Rivers distinguished But six months full-time unpaid litigator from Nantahala featuring friend himself as the issue have passed since the California, lobbed salvos on and foe in the same craft sparkpiug and coordinator. money became available to the FERC folks with relish. created new personal ties Bern Collins of the NPS

Eureka, Jansport, ~lerraDesigns, Slumberjack, Cannondale, Peak 1. Chouinard, Cifa, Optimus, Cowe,

r - - - - &- --. A BOULDER, COLORADO 80306 UP

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20 (who still paddles a big conflict management and volume downriver boat) even a power plant visit deserves credit for organiz- nearby. The training ing and hosting the event. process was truly compre- NOC has certainly become a hensive and detailed and comfortable river sports audience participation was resort for all ages where extensive. good food, fast water, great Stepping back a bit, accommodations and the advent of the NPS southern hospitality combine RivorWatch program and to make the visit just great. this training course graphi- Most importantly, cally illustrated how far the the quality and quantity of river advocacy process AWA the discussion were excep- began in 1984 has come. tional. The 50 or so atten- Once lone cries in the dants and presenters went wilderness of hydro regula- at it with enthusiasm from tion, AWA's issues are now 8:00 a.m. until bedtime with front and center in agency organized debates and and FERC decision making. brainstorming. Topics So, if you have a included recreation and project you care about, get power economic analyses, NPS involved deeply and fishery impacts from early. Call Bern Collins in paddling release flows, Washington, D.C., at (202) hydro power paddler liability, 343-3761 for the name and legal issues associated with address of the appropriate relicensing, optimum flow NPS person who works on choice protocols, resource recreation issues.

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RT. 1 BOX 99 RELIANCE, TN 37369 Convenience or monstrosi~? River chairlift for the Ottawa? "Bizarre develop- ultimate in raft and swimmer ment" some have called it. dodging. Add many more A new era in convenience taking multiple trips and paddling others coo. From private paddlers can write off the Ottawa River Runners this river on weekends. club in Canada comes some The Ottawa River real news - a chairlgondola Runners recommend that lift proposed for the Lorne you express yours views by Rapids. A Mr. Dan Ma- writing letters to Honorable honey of Ottawa Valley Lucien Bouchard, House of Rafting Tours is proposing Commons, Parliament Hill, to build an mile long aerial Ottawa, Ontario, K1A-OA6, cable lift to cart rafters1 Canada and Mr. R. Mid- tuberslkayakers etc. back dlemiss, MNA Pontiac, 302- up to the head of the rapids 1 15 rue Princlpale, Aylmer, over the river among the Quebec J9H-3M2, Canada. islands for another run. At the very least, an environ- What's that, you say, a mental impact statement is Mike Miner surfs below the Lorens on the Ottawa. Is that a LIFT? in order. lift ticket on his PFD? It was bad enough that someone put up a giant viewing deck perched on the Proposed dam may aid Russell Fork releases rocks above Coliseum. That platform stands as a crass A flood control dam Congressional representa- downstream. (The fall human disfigurement of a on the Russell Fork that may tive in the area, Rick releases that make the spectacular natural resource actually enhance whitewater Boucher, Kentucky's gover- Russell Fork runnable now so that whomever can get to recreational opportunities nor is willing to share in the do not come from a dam on the site can watch stupid has moved several steps local costs. The governor of the Russell Fork itself, but whitewater tricks and cheap closer to becoming a reality. Virginia has not yet ad- rather on a tributary, the rafter thrills. Just like the The dam, which would be dressed the issue. Pound River.) boardwalk along the Cana- located several miles Once an agreement dian side of the Niagara upstream of the famous is reached betweenthe two Gorge and its nearby friend, class V+ Russell Fork state governments, the the cablecar over the Whiri- Gorge, near the town of Ha- ect must be approved by the 1 Bye -bye pool. But a paddler lift ysi, was originally approved Secretary of the Army. That above a whitewater rapid? by Congress in 1938, but approval would clear the I B~o-B~o? Come on now. remained a paper fantasy way for the acquisition of The lift will have a until the federal government land that could begin as Although prelimi- number of impacts to be appropriated six million early as 1992. Actual nary excavations started In sure. The vision of paddlers doiiars in 1983 to complete a construction is expected to January, there may still be and their respective boats, planning study by the Army take about seven years. time to save the Bio Bio tubes, rafts etc. suspended Cop of Engineers. Boucher said at a Dickenson from the Chilean dam over the river in chairs on a The Cop study is County Chamber of Com- builders. The dam project big cable will be quite a sight now complete and the Haysi merce meeting that he was conceived and initiated - visible for great distances project has received would do his best to see the by the military dictatorship of in both directions on the maximal federal funding, project completed during the Augusto Pinochet, who ruled river. Evacuation of passen- which amounts to 95% of 1990s. that South American natlon gers in case of a mechanical the 114 million dollars it will The dam has re- for the past 16 years. But in failure would be really take to build the dam. The portedly been designed to March, Patricio Ayiwin, interesting. And crowding. other six million doiiars must serve two purposes; to known for his concern for Already, over 100,000 come from the states of provide flood control and to human rights and social visitors clog this waterway, Kentucky and Virginia. enhance the potential for progress, became the new making river play the According to Virginia's whitewater recreation democratically elected president of Chile. middle of the Royal Flush the extinction of several Foreign visitors Aylwin's govem- Canyon. This is the very species of animals and come to Chile to see rivers ment is reassessing all gov- heart of the river. All of the plants. The Andean Condor, and mountains. The Bio Bio ernment programs in Chile. Bio Bio canyons from the already an endangered is one of that country's With sufficient public protest dam site to the Aveliano Hot species, would be further biggest attractions and from Chileans and other Springs would be flooded. jeopardized by the project. tourists will be much less concerned people around ENDESA, the Chil- Write to the newly likely to come if the Bio Bio the world, the damming of ean quasi-governmental elected government in Chile is dammed. the Bio Bio could be agency responsible for the and tell them how important The location of the stopped. dam, plans to place addi- the Bio Bio is to the world. dam Is dangerously close to The Bio Bio, con- tional dams on the river that Letters written In English are two active volcanoes and is sidered one of premiere will eliminate all the remain- acceptable. Address letters in an area where major whitewater rivers in the ing whitewater and wilder- to: President Patricio Aylwin, earthquakes have occurred world, features some of the ness sections of the Bio Bio. Palacio de la Moneda, within this century. The most difficult commercially The dams would Santiago, Chile, SA dams could fail during an navigated whitewater also destroy the last refuge Mention the earthquake resulting in anywhere. The river passes of the Mapuche Indians, who following: The first dam will tremendous devastation and through spectacular forested once lived throughout cost $300-$600 million loss of life. canyons, past hot springs, southern Chile and Argen- dollars and more than half of The Bio Bio Indian villages and a tina, but whose traditional the money will go to compa- damsite is too far from major smoking volcano. culture now survives only nies outside Chile thus population centers in Chile But the river will be along the Upper Bio Bio. increasing their foreign debt to be an efficient source of lost if the Pangue Dam Interestingly, the rights of and depriving domestic pro- electricity. builders have their way. The these people is said to be a grams of much needed For additional 370 foot dam will extend particular concern to the funds. The poor people of Information contact the Inter- from the river to the rim of newly elected Aylwin. Chile need schools, sanita- national Rivers Network at the canyon at the site of the It is believed that tion and roads, not big 41 5 986-4694 or the NORS One Eyed Jack rapid, in the the dams will also result in dams.

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Despite all you read about death grew 33% from 1983-1987, again accord- lions of dollars for canoe buyers. I had and doom in my columns, paddling is a ing to Canoe magazine surveys, but the wanted to return and study the records pretty safe activity when compared to number of fatalities remained stable. for succeeding years, but money and many other things we do. We tend to get Knowing this, the approximately 130 time were not forthcoming. intensely involved with individual inci- fatalities which occur each year in ca- A little over ten years later, in dents, but lets take a moment now to take noes, kayaks, and rafts seems pretty rea- 1988, I assisted Joan Maybee, a master's a moment to look at the entire accident sonable. candidate at Ohio University recently picture. Under the Boating Safety Act of hired as an Ohio Watercraft Officer, in 1971 all boating accidents are her efforts to gain access to these reports reported by the state Boat- for study. Her efforts became sanctioned ing Law Administrator to the officially by both the Coast Guard and U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) the American Canoe Association as a on a form (The Boating prerequisite for examining the files. She Accident Report, or BAR) de- and several assistants spent a week in signed primarily for gather- Washington studying the reports in- ing the details of powerboat volving canoes, kayaks, and rafts. As mishaps. This form is ex- part of her agreement with the Coast tremely awkward for report- Guard, steps were taken to protect the ing facts of interest to non- names and addresses of individual vic- powered boaters. To get tims and survivors. She was able to get useful information every- through the years 1984 (Canoes only), thing depends on having 1985, and 1986. Like us, she was frus- trained investigators. The trated by the poor overall quality of the quality of these reports var- reports which prevented her from using ies from excellent to horrible; the data in the way she planned. But her in states like Pennsylvania, numbers are nonetheless interesting Maryland, California, or Ohio enough to share with the canoeing pub- with strong watercraft de- lic. partments you get good The accompanying table wn- descriptions; in states where invedga- trasts the 1977 study with Joan's fid- By CHARWE WALBRIDGE tions are done by local law enforcement ings. She had discussed our procedures AWA S(Ifety Chairman officers without much boating experi- before going to D.C., so her methodol- ence it's often difficult to find out what ogy was quite close to ours and making happened. The information from the comparisons between the studies rea- I have always been amazed at reports is fed into USCG computers to sonable. the unusually strong media reaction which get the boating statistics which are pub- The first thing that jumps out at follows recreational canoe, kayak, and lished annually. The actual forms, inter- you is that most accidents do not occur in rafting accidents. Considering the daily views, and other materials in their files whitewater, but on calm lakes and riv- carnage on the public highways and inner are protected by the Privacy Act, and it is ers. Although use of life jackets is grow- city streets, paddling mishaps are rare. very difficult to gain access to them for ing, most victims, including many non- While each accident is certainly tragic, study. swimmers, still choose not to wear them. paddling has a huge base of participa- In late 1978 experts from the My guess is that over 50% of the fatalities tion. Surveys commissioned by Canoe American Canoe Association, American could have been prevented if the victim Magazine show that almost 19 million Whitewater Affiliation, and the US. Canoe had been wearing a life preserver. Other people participating in paddlesport ac- Association conducted a review of 1977 major factors include alcohol involve- tivities each year. The sport ranks be- accidents and fatalities for the Coast Guard ment, and wld water, both of which are tween Tennis and Downhill Skig in as a part of an ongoing evaluation of probably significantly under-reported. popularity. Although river rats are a flotation distribution in open canoes. The My guess is that at least 70% of all acci- definite minority, that's still a lot of people study, the fitof its kind, convinced the dents wuld be prevented by eliminating floating around. With so many people of USCG to concentrate their efforts on these three factors. Other factors lie all ages and abilities out on the water, education rather than design standards, dams, strainers, and high water, impor- someone is bound to get hurt. The sport saving hundreds of lives as well as mil- tant to whitewater enthusiasts, are less CANOEING ACCIDENTS important in this context. Spring and 1977 1984 1985 1986 summer are the peak periods, but the off- season is probably more risky, with more CANOE ACCIDENTS 95 fatalities per participant. CANOE FATALITIES 131 Separating the facts out in this SIGNIFICANT FACTORS way requires the judgments of an experi- WHITEWATER INVOLVED 24% enced paddlers, and the facts could not COLD WATER (UNDER 50) 48% always be determined hm the reports. INVOLVING DAMS 8% In some cases there was not enough in- INVOLVING STRAINERS 3% formation to determine the cause; no PFD NOT WORtVUSED 85% witnesses; just an overturned boat and a LACK OF SWIM ABILITY 60% body. These are listed as "unable to de- ALCOHOL INVOLVED 26% termine", averaging roughly 9%. OVERLOADING 3% The canoe fatality records are UNABLE TO DETERMINE 5% the most complete. The number of kay- TIME OFACCIDENT aking fatalities each year is quite small, DEC - JAN - FEB 5% making it difficult to draw conclusions. MAR - APR - MAY 45% Both include rented or guided craft. In- JUNE -JULY - AUG 39% flatable statistics are significant both for SEPT - OCT- NOV 11% what they include and what they do not include. They include a significant number KAYAKING ACCIDENTS of dingy tenders and powered craft which 1977 1984 1985 1986 were not under power at the time of the accident. 'lhey do NOT include air mat- KAYAK ACCIDENTS NA NA 9 tresses, tubes, or commercial rafting fa- KAYAK FATALITIES NA NA 11 talities. Outfitting fatalities are reported SIGNIFICANT FACTORS on a commercial form, which is even WHITEWATER NA NA 44% more awkward for our purposes. At this COLD WATER NA NA 33% time the Coast Guard can't tell us how PFD NOT USED NA NA 33% many commercial whitewater rafting TIME OF ACCIDENT fatalities there are, and the industry has DEC - JAN - FEB NA NA 0% only an informal reporting system simi- MAR - APR - MAY NA NA 33% lar to ours. JUNE - JULY - AUG NA NA 44% What can we learn from this? SEPT - OCT - NOV NA NA 23% Fit, that the overall safety record of paddlesport is good. Whitewater acci- Information on other causes limited because of low numbers of accidents available. dents are a more significant problem for inflatables and kayaks than canoes; but INFLATABLE BOAT ACCIDENTS the average "paddler" is not a river runner. 1977 1984 1985 1986 Education about the need for life vests and the dangers of cold water and alco- INFLATABLE ACCIDENTS NA NA hol abuse will give the greatest benefit INFLATABLE FATALITIES NA NA for the boating law administrator's dol- SIGNIFICANT FACTORS lar, while specific skill training, while WHITEWATER NA NA important, will have less of an impact. COLD WATER (UNDER 50) NA NA There is a desperate need for the Coast INVOLVING DAMS NA NA Guard to upgrade their BAR to collect INVOLVING STRAINERS NA NA more information of use to non-powered PFD NOT WORN OR USED NA NA boaters, and for that information to be LACK OF SWIM ABILITY NA NA regularly reviewed. ALCOHOL INVOLVED NA NA OVERLOADING NA NA My thanks to Joan Maybee, her UNABLE TO DETERMINE NA NA corps of assistants, and the US. Coast Guard TIME OF ACCIDENT for working with the ACA to make this infor- JAN - FEB - MAR NA NA mation available to the paddling public. APRIL - MAY - MAY NA NA JUNE -JULY - AUG NA NA SEPT - OCT - NOV NA NA

Approximate figure; plus or minus 2% Account of fatal pinning sparks controversy

By CHRIS KOLL to resist verticalpins. It is about haythe size base of a low-head dam. A small boat is Managing Ediroa of a Dancer, hauwer, and1 question whether more likely to punch through holes, and a boat this small is a good choice for steep if stopped, more likely to sink out the An account of a fatal whitewa- creeks. Certainly, this choice may have posed bottom or grab onto downstream flow at ter accident presented in Charlie Walbr- an odded risk. Beyond that, I am left with the the sides of the hole. I had tsvo scary idge's Janpeb safety column has pro- observation that repeated runs of ClassV -VI swims occur after unplanned pour-over voked more controversy than any topic rapidr may eventually catch up to you re- surfiig in a full volume boat (more vol- covered in American Whitewater during gardless of your skill. ume than a Dancer). One of these swims my three-year tenure as managing edi- Reactions to Charlie's observa- ended in a body splat against a log, the tor. tions are as follows: other involved spelunking in an under- Whitney Shields, a well-liked cut. If I had been paddling a lower vol- and highly-skilled boater from the Wash- ume boat, the higher density might have ington, D.C. area, died after bow-pin- allowed me to ride the outflow from the nLg during a run down the class V lower hole without swimmiig (swimming, along Meadow in West Virginia. with filling the boat with water, are the Walbridge's description of the traditional ways to increase density and incident follows: Dear Chris, sink out of a hole). I consider myself The next group war composed of a lucky; the paddler who surfed and swam group of experts from Washington, D.C. and My sadness renewed upon read- on the Meadow above "Home to Sweet one California paddler touring in the area. ing the account of the death of my friend Jesus" fared much worse. The Meadow was running at a near-opti- Whimey Shields. In life and death, Whimey But whether his boat was too mum be1of 915 cfs. The victim. Whitney had a profound effect on all who knew big is not for me to presume. The point Shieldr, had made the run four orfive times; him - he'll be sorely missed. Though it is, large boats are not intrinsically safe. he war consideredone of the fistboaters in hurt to read, I appreciate the service Charlie To imply that more volume is less risky the D.C. area with dozens of runs aver the Walbridge provides by informing the is simply not true - more volume changes Great Falls under his belt. Eric Lundburg, paddling community of accidents in our the risks, and the boater weighs that fact who pulled him out, had a similar back- ranks so that we might avoid a similar at the put in. Boat selection is a very ground; the other two were new to the river. fate ourselves. But being AWA Safety difficult and intensely personal matter. They were on the laver part of the Chairman is not a licence to editorialize. I've paddled all sizes of boats, from run when they came to a steep rapid with a Statements such as "...one of the most wildwater boats to the smallest squirt trashy line. After scouting, they decided to incredible cases of poor paddling judge- boats, and lots of sizes in between. I'm run another slot over a medium-sized ledge ment... " regarding the Pequanock River Familiar with the effects of volume. I too on river left. Two members of the party made accident lack objectivity and reveal the own a Meanie, and it doesn't deserve to the run without incident; Shieldr pitoned writer's poor judgement. Charlie should be maligned by Charlie. It's smaller than and pinned vertically beneath the water. let the facts speak for themselves and not Full size boats, (but not "half the volume Rescue was immediately set up; using a tag interject his opinions on the events. of a Dancer"), so it punches and escapes line for support, Lindburg worked his way It is for that reason that I am holes better. It's much larger than the down to try to release the boat. Initially un- upset by conclusions drawn from Whit- current generation of squirt boats, so it succes@d, heslippedandfell,landing on the ney's accident. There are several issues I stays on the surface better. The design is bow of the boat which was not where he could discuss, but I'll restrict myself to excellent for all-around boating, includ- expected it to be. He quickly clippedthe rope one. The article mentions that Whimey ing "steep creeks". I've run rivers in into the bow, allowing the kayak to be dis- was in a "Screaming Meanie", implies quite a few boats, and on serious water lodged. CPR was begun immediately, twelve that it is a poor design and questions the Meanie works best for me. m&utes by the clock after the pin. An im- "...whether a boat this small is a good Whitney, like any boater, de- pressive time, but notfast enough. The body choice for steep creeks". It goes on to say cided what boat to use based on his was evacuated by local rescue workers who "Certainly this choice may have posed experience and skills, his understanding took hours to re&h the site. an added risk". These statements beg for of the boat, and the particulars of the run The accident, like the one described rebuttal. at hand. To second guess him is a cheap abate, had no clear cause other than the risks Smaller boats posses certain shot at Whimey, the Meanie, and anyone of running high-level whitewater. One thing advantages over larger boats, a fact not who paddles a boat smaller than a Hahn. may have contributed to it. Whitney Shieldr mentioned in the article. A big boat is There were several accidents reported, waspaddling a "Screamin' Meanie", a high- more likely to stop in holes, and be too but only Whitney's boat was mentioned. performance creek boat supposedly designed buoyant to leave, like a tennis ball at the Were the other victim's boats irrelevant 26 to their fate? Why weren't their boats should be submitted in letters to the editor and it's possibly inaccurate to gener- named? Is it the Safety Chairman's and not under the auspices of the Safety alize about their causes purview to pass judgement on which Chairman of organizations like AWA 2. drops that can piton a kayak often boats are safe and which are dangerous? and ACA. will not discriminate between a few I can see Charlie now, policing the put- I am a manufacturer, as well as gallons difference in the kayak they in, prohibiting access to those with boats a paddler, and I want to stress to fellow are stopping too small or too radical for his standards. boaters the importance of taking the time 3. no amount of technology or design to learn to paddle well, stay on waters will ever cover for everyone's indis- Sincerely, within your capabilities. travel with strong cretions on a river. Eric Johnson groups, and learn rescue and safety tech- Still, Charlie's point can be Silver Spring, MD niques. There is no need to jump onto seen from the fact that some boats, harder and harder rivers quickly. Master lie duckies specifically, and other cruis- the ones you know well. When you are ing boats that simulate duckies' bows are ready for them the more difficult creeks ~bviouslymore resistant to diving off of and rivers will still be there and you will imps and therefore safer in this format. paddle them with more control and en- [ consider pinning and pitoning to be joyment. This sport is meant to be fun, so major concerns in this type of steep please stay safe. mking and have long endorsed the use Dear Editor, ~f duckies for this extreme format. The John Schreiner Meanie was designed for steep creeking As the manufacturer of the Owner, New Wave Kayak Products in an effort to increase the perimeters of Screamin' Meanie, I took umbrage with safe performance through speed, ma- the remarks concerning Whitney Shield's neuverability, and boofability. It was not death, made by the AWA safety chair- designed as a safety net for people who man, Charlie Walbridge, in the Jan/Feb have made mistakes but as a perform- issue of the AWA Journal. I was un- ance potential enhancer. Just because happy that the boat used in this particu- Charlie has misinterpreted the facts in lar fatality was mentioned. Why weren't Whitney's case does not detract from his the other six boats involved in fatalities Dear Chris, point that the average buyer should look also mentioned? It seems that if any one carefully at the wide array of "creek" boat design is discussed then they all As designer of the "Screamin' boats available and should not assume should be. Meanie" kayak mentioned in Charlie that any are a cure all. I continue to boof Every boat has its advantages Walbridge's safety article in the January in my Meanie but see how it wuld be an as and disadvantages, paddlers we rec- issue. I would like to address his ques- inappropriate craft for some one who ognize this, and make our individual tioning whether Whitney Shields was in had never heard nor conceived of boof- boat selections. High volume boats are an appropriate craft for the situation. I ing. I fquently use a ducky to ply dan- known for getting stick in holes more would like to point out that this boat was gerous creeks, (over 200 fpm) because of frequently. The added buoyancy of the designed for this type of run and that its inherent safety factor. I would like to boats make them harder to escape from a only one person ran this untried line have fun creekin' and also have a good hydraulic. The previous drowning (be- before Whit and he also was in a Meanie. chance of coming home to my wife and fore Whitney Shield's death) on the Lower Whimey had not got out to swut the kid(s) and I also lie to boof bodacious Meadow occurred when the boater wuld drop and was unaware of the potential drops. I use my discretion to decide what not escape from the hole, became fa- for pitoning on the rocks hidden in the to run and what craft to use and I think tigued, and finally had to swim out. It is foam at the base of the drop. I'm not sure that everyone should think for them- possible that the higher volume of his where Charlie got the impression that selves on this subject. That way there is at boat contributed to the death, since he the Meanie is supposed to resist vertical least a chance of trusting ourselves enough was held for a considerable period of pins other than the fact that it is the best to leave out troubles on shore and let the time in the hole. Lower volume kayaks available boof boat and this technique river remain as always--a challenge that tend to slice through holes. Also lower can reduce the chance of pitoning. Whit is fun to accept in a wmpetent manner. volume sterns can be aggressively backed had also made several previous runs at into a hydraulic, causing an ender and this level with no complaints about his Missing my friend, exit. The boat Charlie referred to, the Meanie. Jim Snyder Screamin' Meanie, is definitely NOT a I do feel Charlie has raised some Albright, WV squirt boat. It does have a pivotable stem valid points, however. It seems to be capable of doing shallow pivot turns. Charlie's opinion that smaller boats have I realize that Charlie's job as a an inherent added risk factor, both in safety chairman is not an easy one. He pinning and pitoning and I think it would tries to make judgments so others can be unwise to disagree. But I would like to learn from previous mistakes or situ- point out that: Dear Chris, ations. However, these "judgments" can 1. most pins and pitons, lie this one, be used by litigious parties, so opinions are quirkish and unique in nature, Thanks for letting me answer the letters critical of my recent accident ence was not so radical as I had initially AQ. The main reason for this choice is analysis. As Jim Snyder points out, I am thought, so in retrospect my observa- that higher volume minimizes plunging not a practicing squirtist. I am nonethe- tions about the volume of his boat con- and bow pinning. less concerned because these smaller tributing to the accident were almost The AWA has always supported kayaks, have, for their numbers, been certainly mistaken. the right of informed paddlers to choose involved in a surprising number of fa- The high-performance hulls on whatever gear they feel is appropriate talities over the past four years. My feel- low-volume kayaks have tremendous for the river and to run any rapid they ing is that, like many other types of advantages, particularly in big water. feel up to trying. Whitney Shields bore whitewater gear, squirt boats can pose For those with the skills to use them, their the responsibility for his choices, just as I added risks in certain circumstances. ability to blast through large holes and do when I set aside my C-1 for an open Initially. I felt that Whitney Shields' death surf huge waves with precise control are canoe. The Nealy-esque concept of "de- might have been one of these. I had seen a real plus. But tight, steep drops de- sign police" for river put-ins, while several (Meanies) which were extremely mands the inherent stability and user- humorous, has never been considered. small. After consulting with John Schre- friendliness offered by more convential The almost infiite array of design char- iner and Jim Snyder, I learned that, like high-volume designs. Low-volume, high- acteristics, hull displkments, Ad out- most high-performance fiberglass kay- performance kayaks are harder to con- fitting available demand good judgment aks, the Meanie has been made in differ- trol and thus leave the user more ex- from the paddler making the purchase. I ent "cuts", some of which are a lot bigger posed to danger. Vertical pinning is a still have serious personal reservations than others. capricious event; as happened here, it is about the use of squirt kayaks in expert- Accordiing to information pro- not uncommon for several people to run level whitewater by paddlers of less than vided by Snyder and New Wave, the vol- a drop safely before someone is caught. elite skills, especially steep, obstructed ume of the bow of Shields' Meanie was Dancer-sized boats may not always be rivers. As a 42-year old river runner no about 22 gallons. My own measurement enough for paddlers weighing in excess longer anywhere near the "cutting edge". of a Dancer puts its bow at about 24 of Perception's listed "optimim weight" I make my choice of boat based on skills, gallons. At 175 pounds, Whitney would of 160 pounds. In Europe, where run- physical condition, and preference. I hope probably have been pushing the limit of ning rocky, obstructed streams has risen that these considerations, rather than a what most Dancer paddlers consider to to a fie art, preferred models are similar desire to look fashionable or radical, will be the limits of the design. But the differ- to the Perception Corsica or the Noah influence the choices of others.

Mark your calenders. plan to attend! 1990 AWA River Festivals scheduled

Ocoee Rodeo Gauley River Festival June 23 and 24 Saturday, September 20 5 p.m. until midnight featuring: New River Gorge Campground *The National Squirt Boating Championships *Decked boat and open canoe hotdog contests featuring: *Scavenger Raft Race (open to outfitters and private teams) *Live entertainment Great prizes... Boat raffle *Whitewater Marketplace *Class 6 party at Sunburst Adventures *AWA Silent Auction Great prizes... Boat raffle Contact: Diana Holleran, *Hot food, cold beverages Rt. 1, Box 90 *The largest nonracing whitewater Reliance, TN 37369 gathering in the world Contact: Anita Adams Route 2, Box 614 Princeton, WV 24740 I...., I....,

My column is editorial in na uncomfortable position: serving as a hue, based on my own observations, am referee for what was at time a heated Novice boater may not represent the views of the AWA debate between people I have known its editors, or directors. One of the strength and liked for years. of American Whitewater is that it ha On one hand, I support abso- drowns on served as a forum to air controversia lutely Charlie's right to make a judgment issues that the main-line "canoeing" pres call on matters of whitewater safety. For is afraid to tackle. What I found mos nearly two decades, Charlie has moni- NY's Salmon upsetting about this entire matter wa tored and analyzed paddling incidents, the frenzied reaction of a small group o promoted river safety techniques and report drawn from news accounts kayakers. Dozens of letters and phm~ conducted whitewater safety clinics. > calls were made by this group to AWA' Charlie's inability to squirt does A 24-year-old Rochester-area directors and editors, yet no one con not lesson his credibility as one of the nan drowned in early March after his tacted me. It took a lengthy exchange o sport's leading authorities in river safety. rayak overturned in the Salmon River letters and several meetings initiated b: I am damned glad to print his opinions. tear the upstate New York village of me to find out what could have beel On the other hand, as a paddler Pulaski and he became trapped under a handled in a single ten-minute phon~ who favors low-volume kayaks, and ree while hying to swim ashore. call. I have always been open to discus whose boats of choice are designed by Sn A team of about 50 rescuers and sion, and I found this refusal to dea yder and built by Schreiner, I'm very state troopers worked for for four hours openly and directly with me frustratinl sympathetic to their concerns. dong the shores of the river to reach and disappointing. I hope that futurt The issue is obscured by labels. Dean Middleditch of Webster. disagreements will be handled differ The Meanie is not a squirt boat. It is, The man and three other Roch- ently. however, of a lower volume than kayaks :ster-area residents had been on their typically considered as creek boats. ;econd kayaking run down the river when And so the debate here is not he victim's boat overturned. The Salmon, whether squirt boats are safe, but rather msidered to be an easy class lI/III run, As letters, faxs and phone call are lower-volume designs inappropri- was running bankfull due to an early flew back and forth, I found myself in a ate for certain runs? mowmelt. No... and yes. Second-year kayaker Scott Grif- No--if the boat is paddled by an :en said Middleditch was a novice at individual skilled enough to make its whitewater. Griffen said Middleditch What Royalex Canoe is superior performance characteristics off- 3ipped his boat while attempting to push Lightest? set the high-strung nature of the craft. >ff from the southern shore of the river. Toughest? Yes--if the paddler is too preoc- Griffen said he paddled over to cupied with catching edges, back-ender- Middleditch and told him to get out of Best handling? ing, or pearling the nose to make the boat Easiest to roll? he water as quickly as he could. perform to its capacity. Middleditch, who was wearing Dryest playing? The real danger of low-volume a wet suit, let go of his kayak and paddle, boats is their efficiency diminishes once and started swimming toward a long Introc lucing the that fine line is reached. High volume wooded island in the middle of the river, White sell "Lite." boats can't offer the same performance, Griffen said. but don't provide a penalty if a paddler "He hit this log that was hang- overextends his abilities. ing into the water," Griffen said. "In- stead of pushing against it (with his feet), he grabbed for it and was pinned. He slipped right under." Another novice kayaker, Helen Chemiack, also overturned her boat in Satisfaction Guaranteed the same area--at almost the same moment- -but managed to float to an eddy. After What we do others can't imitate, several attempts of her own to reach even though they keep trying. shore, a state police helicopter called to Call for our free video and see why. the scene airlifted Cherniak from the water, 404-325-5330 weekdays Griffen said. Griffen and the fourth kayaker, Dennis VanKerkhove, managed to reach shore safely with their kayaks. ;1 r rt I of Qua ry Rlvir 1, ~prrrtrr I PO Box 209 %r~nd~eldOR 97477 1 The body was recovered after 503 (347-5272) an upstream dam was shut down to !362-C Dresden Drive, NE, Atlanta, GA 30341 Toll-Free Order Lme 1-800-223-7238 lower the water by more than a foot.

29 TEACH YOUR

by TOM McEWAN

Last time you took your kids on the river it was a rainy 45 degrees. While everyone froze, you searched for the takeout for twenty minutes. Once off the river, your offspring rushed to the car and remained shivering under covers, while you had to carry all the dripping equipment yourself. You yelled at them for abandoning their gear ...arg uing that it wasn't really that cold. Everyone was miserable. All the while a nagging little voice was tell- ing you that this was not the way it was supposed to be. Now it's 60 degrees, the sun is high, the ground saturated from days of rain, the birds are singing, and you sug- gest to your household that it would be a great day to get out on the river. "No thanks" is the instant reply Paul E. Kamrrmr phot from all sides. "We didn't have fun the last time. I don't want to go. I don't want to get wet. It's too cold. I don't lie it any more." The litany continues. How can you convince your kids that paddling isn't only work and The joys of whitewater are often not obvious to discomfort? That it can be fun. I've had both success and fail- children: American Whitewater reveals techniques ure in getting kids out on the river. One time I bet my six year old son and eight to demonstrate to your kids that paddling a tippy year old daughter a dollar each that they craft throughfearj6ul rapids in miserable weather wouldn't jump in the Sacandaga River in New York....in April. They both went in. can be one of life's rewarding experiences. but I had to first. Once they paddled down the Ottawa River with me, carrying the short class IV and V rapids, watching their more experienced elders surf gigantic waves and holes from the safety of the shore, but running the 11s and IUs. Another time I went down a river in Mexico with my son, then nine, that we thought would be suitable for his abilities. Halfway down the river we discovered it was too hard and we had to walk out over the hills, reaching the nearest

village at 2 o'clock in the am. As the director of a summer program for kids, as a leader of river trips, and as a parent, I know that there are different perspectives about taking kids out on the rivers. As a director, you wonder what you might have to be explaining to par- ents, insurance companies, and even to a judge, regarding incidents on the water. As a trip leader, your main concem is making sure that everyone has the best possible experience while get- ting down the river, while minimizing the risk of an incident ...g oals that obvi- ously may sometimes be conflicting. As a parent, you want to share with your kids something that you love about the outdoors and outdoor adven- ture. Certainly it is in my role as a parent that I have taken the most liberties. If you want to get your children out with you on the river the best thing you can do, rather than shoving them into a boat, is to go ahead and enjoy your interest yourself, making sure they see how much fun it is for you. Even if you - cant figure out how to get them on the c water with you, just having them around rivers, skipping stones, hiking, building dams and listening to war stories in the van, will give them a good idea what paddling's about. If you're lucky your shuttle driver will watch them while you're on the river. Of course, having friends their age who paddle is the best encourage- ment you can find. Foster this by having them join a formal or informal youth Teaching kids the dynamics of a hydraulic at a Riversport kids' clinic. group within your paddling club. You might not be able to motivate them in paddling, but their peers certainly will. them back to shore when they get stuck river hiking are great for gaining With kids it's best to be goal in the middle. At fmt we give them dence and a realistic feel for the forces of oriented and save the theory for later, unfeathered paddles. the river. This is, by the way, a good time after they are exhausted. Let an attain- Aspiring C-lers need lots of to teach them about self rescue, how to able, fun goal do the talking and teach practice on their stroke at the water's swim in rapids with rocks, and not to just enough technique to help them suc- edge before experiencing that quintes- wade or stand in deeper currents where ceed. The hardest thing about paddling sence of frustration, the maiden C-1 foot entrapments may occur. whitewater boats when you are just voyage. I have often seen children afraid beginning (remember?) is making the If children are comfortable in to tackle a rapid in their boats that they darn things go straight. the water and aren't afraid, they can start feel perfectly comfortable in swimming. Remembering that novice jet learning early on how to jump out of and Of course, when swimming rapids kids plane pilots are taught in simulators, capsize their craft. Learning the "eskimo must be wearing safety gear and be closely where there is freedom of movement, rescue" and to roll will follow. lifeguarded. Make sure you pick a safe instant feedback and a minimum or risk. A difficult milestone is getting rapid for these exercises, not one that Kayaking is best learned in a safe, con- them out onto open, moving water. This contains sizable holes or undercut rocks. trolled environment too. is really scary for most children (and Look for subtle dangers as well. YOU At camp we start four and five some adults), so I have found that the want to avoid unpleasant experiences, year-olds out in a little thirty foot cove in best approach is to do it without their because you are trying to teach them to our two acre lake. Sometimes we tie a boats. Yes... assuming they are sWng respect, but not be afraid of, the water. string to their grabloops so we can pull swimmers... rapid swimming, wading and Many river maneuvers such as 31

onfi peel outs, eddy turns and ferries can be lot of fortitude as well as skill, and this is At about this time you may have done by swimmers. Just ask Jeff Snyder. where all the things like paying them to come to the end of your teaching experi- This teaches kids how to truly use river jump into cold water, Stein Coolers and ence. Now you will have to concentrate forces. When they go back into their war stories overheard in the van pay off. on self preservation and trying to keep boats they can put this new found knowl- Kids need to know just how gutsy it is to up. If you are lucky, and if you don't edge to work. stay in your boat upside down underwa- complain too much about the music, and Once kids become comfortable ter in the middle of a rapid. if you don't slow the group down too in their boats and know the eskimo res- Not that many people in the much, you might still get invited to go on cue technique, we encourage our camp- whole world are that gutsy...or even want your kids' boating trips. ers to try the Stein Cooler, invented by to be. And, even if the time comes one of our former counselors. Have them Just ask anyone on the street if when they're paddling something a bit flip at the top of a wide, deep rapid and they would like to be hung upside down too tough for old mom or dad, don't float through upside down. If they can from boat in a river rapid and see what despair. They'll always need a shuttle roll at the bottom, great, otherwise offer they say. driver who knows the way to the take- a bow rescue. This is best tried on a hot When kids understand that hanging in outs. day with nose clips in place. Make sure there is truly an awesome, heroic achieve- the rapid is deep enough so that they ment, they will usually be highly moti- Editors note: Tom McEwan is one of the won't hit their heads. vated to pull it off and roll. nation's foremost expeditionary paddlers and Now they are dealing with that Of couxse kids don't earn the rwrs the Valley Mill Camp for children in Fmal hurdle to becoming a whitewater highest recognition until you witness that the Washington, D.C. area. He has helped boater...being able to roll in whitewater telltale lurch of an overturned boat that launch the careers of smofthe best boaters after an unexpected flip. This is, of course, comes from an unexpected encounter in the country, and his own children are well a big obstacle for novice adult boaters as with a underwater rock, followed, not by on their way to kayaking fame and fortune. well. a swim, but by a successful (Hallelujah!) Still, it's hard to imagine Tom as anyone's Rolling in whitewater takes a roll. shuttle driver! Rivereport School of Paddling photo Practical tips on teaching kids to boat by BOB RUPPEL and BOB GEDEKOH

1. Children learn best when they are having fun. Use games to 5. There is nothing more frightening than feeling trapped with break the monotony and to make them comfortable with their your head under water. Teach the child how to do a wet exit gear. Try aquatic variations of water tag and follow the leader. and make sure she is comfortable with the technique before she Games that require the child to perform underwater tasks will needs to use it. Don't try to teach a child to roll until she is very make the child more comfortable in this inevitable situation. comfortable performing wet exits.

2. The younger the child the shorter her attention span. 6. Teaching your own child to boat is a loaded situation. Your Children get tired and bored quickly. Keep sessions and river child may desperately want to please you, and that may work trips brief and take plenty of breaks. to your advantage. On the other hand, for any number of reasons, your child may resent and resist your efforts. Make 3. If a child is fearful... back off. Let the child set the pace... don't sure that your reasons for wanting your child to boat are good use undue pressure to force him to do maneuvers that frighten ones. Are you feediig your child's ego or your own? Avoid him. Try to avoid scary situations. When a student has a bad the temptation to pressure your child with comparisons to experience, reassure him, don't berate hi. When a child other children. Let your child know that your love and ap- overcomes one of his fears, no matter how silly it seems to you, proval are not merely a function of her boating accomplish- praise him. ments.

4. Make certain that the child's gear fits appropriately. Don't 7. Remember that kids get cold easily. They have a much higher wedge the child into the boat so tightly that a wet exit will be surface area/body mass ratio than adults so they loose heat difficult. Make sure her life preserver is not too big or small and faster. Much of that heat loss occurs through the scalp so keep that the paddle fits her hands. their heads covered on cold days. Watch for signs of hypoth- mia. A cold, shivering, miserable child is not going to learn much and probably won't look forward to boating again.

B. Not many kids learn to roll before the age of twelve; emotional maturity seems to be as much a factor as strength and ability. Actually, kids can enjoy paddling without learning to roll since they tend to have a low center of gravity and are less likely to flip. Lots of kids love to paddle but are very afraid of flipping. Don't make an issue of this.

9. Learning to roll is easy for some, hard for others. It is very Frustrating to teach. Choose warm days with warm water or start at a pool session. Clear water is a plus so that the student can see what she is doing. Noseplugs and goggles may help. Teach rolling slowly and in steps. Don't try to do it in one day. Fist work on the hip snap. This may be difficult since the child will be relatively loose in the boat. Add the paddle later. If a diving paddle is a problem, a block of foam taped to the surface blade may help.

10. A few words about outfitting... Small children do best in tandem open boats with adults. On the other hand, most kids are too small to solo in open boats. Most kids start out in kayaks Riversport School of Paddling photo rather than Cls. Although some would argue this, most in- structors feel that kayaks are more stable and easier to learn to roll and paddle. A Dancer XS is a good choice for kids less than 100#. Keep things in perspective... Dancers and Jetis are good for larger kids. Various kid kayak molds are available but very low volume boats are not desire- Maybe your child isn't destined to be the able since they are less stable and the child may feel trapped in next Jon Lugbill. Just so he doesn't turn the boat. As the child progresses he may want to try a slalom boat. out to be the next James Watt. Many paddles are too heavy and thick shafted for kids. RIM paddles by Perception are durable and seem to work well. Some instructors liie to start out with blades that are not feathered though most kids adapt to feathered blades quickly. Extrasport produces floatation devices in small sizes for children. Protec makes an extra-small helmet which fits most kids.

11. Kids liie to paddle with other kids, not just with adults. They usually learn better if there are other kids around and they are less likely to get bored. Sometimes a bit of competitive rivalry within the peer group helps.

12. Keep things in perspective. For most people boating is just a hobby. Every kid has strengths and weaknesses. Maybe your child isn't destined to be the next Jon Lugbill. Just so he doesn't turn out to be the next James Watt.

Editor's note-Bob Ruppel offers a special swnmer camp for kiak at Riversport, his whitewater school on the Youghiogheny River at Conjluence.His oldest daughter, Kara, is a nationally rankedslalom racer; his youngest daughter, Erica, seems destined to be a hair boater. Bob Gedekohdelivers kidr for a living and thinks everyone should have lots of them.

-1 Riversport School of Paddling photo Teaching "Little Engines" Explaining strokes in kid's terms by MARY BETH ZOLLARS

In the spring of 1989 the members of Pittsburgh's Three Rivers Paddling Club sponsored theirfirst weekend clinic to intro- duce kid to the joys (and tribulations) of whitewater boating.What follows is one in- structor's recollectwn of the event, dedicated to her favorite little engine, Jonathan Car- son.

Once upon a time, not so very long ago, on a dismal, dreary day by the banks of the Connoquenessing River, deep in the middle of the woods, a little tiny engine sat on a moss covered rock sur- rounded by a poison ivy jungle. The little engine was staring at the swirling, choco- late brown waters of the Connie and pondering his fate. One by one, other little engines joined him, finding their own rocky pedestals, where they sat mes- Riversport Schwl ol Paddling photo merized by the mighty river. swept downstream. He had no idea the The next day the little engines Not so long before all the little river wuld be so powerful! Fear crept woke up to sunny skies and they knew it engines had been sure that they wanted through every cylinder! One of the big was time for The Big Stuff. Soon they to be fitted into boats so that they could engines rescued him quickly and brought were paddling down a class I section of paddle about on the river. But now, him back into the safety of a quiet pool. the Slippery Rock Creek. The big engines looking at the cold, dark water, they The big engines decided to keep led them through a series of games in- were not so sure. The heavy spring rains the little engines in the pool and to teach cluding zigzag and hide behind the rocks. had resulted in more than just the lush them stroking and follow the leader. When A swing along the river offered some poison ivy and the Connie was very, very the littlest engines got to the bottom of respite from the boats for a while. full. All the little engines had spring the pool the big engines towed them The very littlest engines were butterflies in their tummies and, after upstream again. towed when bridges came in sight or looking at the river, some of the big The big engines soon diswv- when things got tough... but after lunch engines, who were there to help, had ered that words like "perpendicular" the real tow lines were replaced with butterflies too. and "degree" and even "left or right" imaginary tow lines and the little engines The little engines ranged in age had little meaning to the little engines. still did fine. Sometimes the big engines from 6 to 14. As they huddled together to Techniques had to be explained in simple, even followed the more confident little fuel up on chocolate chip cookies and to concrete terms. "Slap-slide-grasp" be- engines. be outfitted for their adventure, the big came the chant for holding the paddle That afternoon A Real Rapid engines unloaded all the equipment that correctly, while the chant for each stroke sent all the little engines scunying be- they had gathered together that might became "punch-punch-punch". hind the big engines, but one by one, possibly accommodate little tiny engines. At lunch the little engines using imaginary tow lines, the big en- There were little canoes and Dancers and watched themselves on video and mar- gines led them over the drop and down Microslips and Apples. veled at how good they looked on the the mini-wave train. Even so, outfitting the boats for river. Each one said, "Maybe, just maybe... I At the bottom the little engines the little engines proved to be quite a can." proclaimed, "That was the Big Stuff. I task. It took gobs of foam padding and Back into the boats they went thought I wuld...I knew I wuld! Let's do duct tape in every boat before each little for an afternoon session in the protected it again." And so they did. engine fit just right. pool. One of the little engines got so Afterwards all the little engines Finally it was time to challenge confident that he announced that he was were very tired but the big engines were the river. One bold little engine thought tired of the games and he wanted to try even tireder. The big engines all agreed he was ready to explore the big chocolate The Big Stuff. But the big engines kept that they would need to do a lot of resting milkshake rushing by, but when the them all in the pool, working on tech- before they tackled the Kid's Clinic for current got a hold of him he was quickly nique and building didence. 1990. 35