WHITE WATER SPRING, 1971 MITHRIL BOATS -. ~~... ..(~ithril construction 'offers a .custom built - - ' super- kayak-; of.'exfremely. light weight -. and' high strength.) HIGH PERFORMANCE PLASTICS features racing designs by Inter- national championship racers. We are the exclusive U.S. manu- facturing licensee for all of TONI PRIJON'S and KLAUS LETT- MANN'S 1971 designs. All competition boats comply with I.C.F. specifications. WE BUILD 22 DIFFERENT MODELS 4 - Slalom K- 1's 2 - Slalom C-2's 3 - Downriver K- 1's 2 - Slalom C-1's 4 - Touring K-1's 1 - Downriver C- 1 1 - Surfing K- 1 2 - Downriver C-2's 1 - Junior K-1 2 - Semi-open C-2's Four constructions are available though not all constructions in all models: MITHRIL - Extreme light weight and high strength. COMPETITION -All glass-cloth, top quality strength-to-weight ratio; second only to Mithril STANDARD - Less expensive, heavier construction for general paddling KIT - Hull, deck and other pieces, straight-from-the-mold, of standard construction We also carry a complete range of accessories - paddles, flotation bags, helmets, life-jackets, spray skirts and roof racks. High Performance Plastics Incorporated MAKERS OF MlTHRlL BOATS Write for brochure . Dealer inquiries invited. Hingham Industrial Center, Bldg. 56, 349 Lincoln Street Hingham, Mass. 02043 Telephone: (617) 749-5499 ~miccwWHITEWATER Sponsored by The American Whitewater Afiliation SPRING, 1971 Val. XVI, No. 1 Contents The SPECIAL OLYMPIC ISSUE American ARTICLES: Whitewater American Canoeing in the Crystal Ball Bob McNair 2 Souse Holes-The Ins and Outs Affiliation J. Sindelar and W. Harvest 5 Executive Director A Whitewater Park? . Trans. by Ed Alexander 8 ROBERT BURLESON Whitewater in New England ............ John P. Wilson 10 P.O. Box 844 Olympic Report ........ Jay Evans 12 Temple, Tex. 76501 New Slalom Rules for 1971 ... Introd. by John Sweet 15 So You Want To Be an Olympic Slalom Champion Me1 Schneller 20 Board of Directors 1969-1970 The Saco Saga ........................ Iris Sindelar 23 President The Not-So-Dead River ........ Arthur H. Tuthill 26 A Downriver Boat for Merano, 1971 .... Josef Sedivec 28 --EDGAR - ALEXANDER 6 Winslow Ave. East Brunswick, N. J. 08816 DEPARTMENTS: Vice President Films Available ............ 4 President's Soap Box .... 30 TOHN BOMBAY Book Review ..... 13 From the Editor ............ 31 . - 25 Lodge Court 1971 Racing Schedule .. 24 Affiliates .......................... 32 Oakland, Calif. 94611 ROBERT HARRIGAN Editorial Chairman and Editor: Iris Sindelar, 264 East Side Dr., Con- 51!3 Wehawken Rd. .cord.. -. X. -.TT. 03301- Washmgton, D. C. 20016 Editorial Committee: Ed Alexander, Dave Binger, 0. K. Goodwin, Bob Alexander, Charles Smith, IIenri Eble, Geo. Larsen BART HAUTHAWAY Business Manager: Charles Smith, 1760 Walnut St., Berkeley, Ca. 94709 640 Boston Post Rd. Advertising Manager: Hcnri Eble, 19 Oakvale Ave., Berkeley, Cal. 94705 Weston, Mass. 02193 Production and Circulation Manager: Geo. Larsen, Box 1584, San Bruno, If-..-... Qdnhh..... 1968-69 Racing Editor: Bob Alexander, 6 Winslow Ave., East Brunswick, N. J. ......nXll6 OSCAR HAWKSLEY Safety Editor: 0. K. Coodwin, 1240 Xoyer Rd., Newport Sews, Va. Route 5 23602- - Warrensl~urg, &lo. 64093 How to Write to American Whitewater Secretarv Send Editorial material and photos to the Editorial Chairman. HAROLD I(IEHM Send membership/subscription payments, changes of address, uon-receipt 2019 Addison St. of copies to the Circulation Manager, Geo. Larsen. Chicago, Ill. 60618 Send Race Schedules and results to the Racing Editor. Boh Alexander. Send Advertising copy, proofs and reques:s for information to the Adver- ROBERT McNAIR tising Manager, IIenri Ehle. 32 Dartmouth Circle Send Payments for Advertising and Club Affiliation dues to the Business Swarthmore, Pa. 19081 --Manazer.~~ ~~-~-, Chnrlps-- Smith.~- .~-. American Whitewater is mailed to all members of the American White- PETER D. WIIITNEY water Affiliation. an affiliation of 1:oatinz c1ul:s and inclividuals interested 459 Sixty-sixth St. in whitewatrr paddle sport. embers ship-is open to interested indivirlu& Oakland, Calif. 94609 at $3.50 per year and to clubs at $8.00 per year. Club membership in- cludes listing in the Journal. Publication is planned at 4 times yearly. Single copies, $1.00 each. Treasurer Surplus back copies are available at reduced prices. Write the Circulation CHARLES SMITH Manager for details. The Staff and committee members listed ahove are unnaid White- 1760 Walnut St. A~~~ -- . water euthusinsts who volunteer their timiaintl efforts to Ling affiliate/ Derkeley 9, Calif. member subscribers this journal. Your contrihtion of articles, letters, race results and schedules, photos and drawings are essential for their continued efforts and the timely ~uhlicationof the ~imericanWhitewater Journal. Cover: Erich Proehl, 1967 Canadian Centennial Whitewater Regatta, Elora, Ontario, Canada Photo by J. Pennell, Harvard, Mass. Pentax, 135 mm. Tri-X, f8, 1 /1 000 156 American Canoeing In the Crystal Ball By Bob McNair - Director AWA, Swarthmore, Pa. I hear that 78 canoe companies sold similar, though thirteen years apart. over 50,000 canoes last year, that 4 mil- Each felt they were being ignored, that lion people went canoeing, that canoe- they must not waste effort on politics ing is second only to skiing in growth but should strike out on their own to rate. I can believe it. America has won- fill the obvious needs. An alert ACA derful rivers that are a public right of could have nipped both secessions. In way through scenic wonders-at once a 1953 the ACA could have financed the challenge to youth and a fulfillment new sport of canoe slalom. But the non- to mature paddlers. They are our finest ACA whitewater clubs financed the wilderness recreational asset at a time gear and then turned down the sugges- when wilderness becomes scarce and tion that entrants must be ACA mem- needed. In the wake of the whitewater bers. In 1955 the AWA, then only an club development comes a popular ex- interclub committee, might never have odus to the rivers. Our national canoe- opened to individual memberships and ing organizations should be rubbing issued a magazine if ACA had asked their hands in glee. But they are not Joe Lacy to be their whitewater editor ready. and had offered a cheap subscription In merrie Eneland there are 300 ca- rate to recreational paddlers. In 1967 noe clubs and tYhe British Canoe Union ACA might have kept the midwest in boasts over 5000 members, this in a its fold by appointing Charlie Moore country with a quarter of our popula- National Marathon Chairman and giv- tion, where canoeing is a recent inno- ing him a budget without waiting to vation, and where flowing rivers are haggle over amending their consti- generally private property keep off. tution. Idle speculation, no doubt, but The per capital participation in canoe the point is you cannot expect the con- organizations in such countries as troling old guard to have the insight Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia is said into new canoeing patterns for such to be even greater. By comparison we bold steps. If it was hard to hold us to- should have 20,000 members in our ca- gether think how much harder it will noe associations and be headed for the be to recombine us. Those who have sat 100,000 mark. Perhaps we can muster through ACA annual meetings grow 2,000 in all three national organizations. faint of heart at the thought. The traditional American canoeist is Suppose for a moment that all the an isolationist. He seeks escape from an AWA and USCA members, over- overpopulated, overly complex world. whelmed with loyalty to the grandest The rivers belong to him because he and oldest canoe organization in the found them. Alas, the dam builders, world, were to give up their own hard- sewage dumpers, stink potters, and earned traditions and defect 100 per bulldozers all have plans for the same cent to the ACA. I think the result rivers. The paddlers had better wake would be tragic. All the extra officers up and get together. would stop working and go back to Small groups do wake up, become paddling. ONE ORGANIZATION RUN upset, and take action. In 1954 a group BY AMATEURS IN THEIR SPARE formed the American Whitewater Af- TIME CANNOT BE BIG ENOUGH TO filiation and did a wonderful job of DO THE FULL JOB. Indeed, I predict promoting the infant whitewater sport. the birth of more national canoe un- In 1967 another group formed the ions as groups become unhappy about United States Canoe Association and special problems that all present na- are making canoe history in the promo- tional groups are neglecting. I also pre- tion of marathon racing and general dict the rise of state canoe associations. river running in the Midwest. These Many states will have fifty to a hun- breaks with the old American Canoe dred clubs and will need to give proper Association (ne 1880) were remarkably attention to state regulations, local American WHITEWATER DIRECTOR (paid)* I EDITOR (paid) SERVICE V. P. COMPETITION V. P. Service Ed. Safety Paddling Cruising Ed. Instruction Slalom Competition Ed. Guidebooks Marathon Conservation Ed. Movies Poling Equipment approval Sailing CONSERVATION V. P. LEGAL V. P. LIAISON V. P. Legislation Canoeing rights ICF Wild Rivers Boating- laws ARC Clean Streams BSA GSA Camping Assoc. State Canoe Assoc. Special Canoe Assoc. laws, water control, stream pollution, other who could give full effort to the and such. Perhaps you can begin to Federation Committee, perhaps an ex- foresee the magnitude of the duties that commodore or ex-executive secretary. must be assumed by a national federa- The first job is to find a professionai tion embracing all associations and Editor for a joint magazine. Combined clubs. circulation might be high enough that Each vice president would have a job advertising would pay for the maga- bigger than the top job today.