-ADAWASKAKANUCENTRE
fallinG fRom GRace
the [uNOffiCial] histOrY Of Waterfall reCOrDs
THE REMARKABLE HISTORY OF THE WORLD WATERFALL RECORD reaches back more than 20
years, but most of these hucks are strictly off the books. Given the stringent requirements for a record to
be recognized by Guinness, few extreme kayakers can be bothered with the rigmarole. In fact, the two
waterfall kayaking records—Longest Waterfall Descent and Freefall Waterfall Kayaking—in Guinness’
books date from the late ‘90s, set by Tao Berman and Shaun Baker, respectively. Given the fact that
Pedro Oliva’s descent of a 127-footer in Brazil this March doubled Baker’s 1996 record, it seems time for
Guinness to take notice. The kayaking community certainly has. —V.M.
pedRo oliva // March 2009 // salto Belo, Rio sacRe, BRazil
Brazil world Record attempt expedition member Pedro oliva
searched for two years to find a suitable world record falls.
locals led oliva’s team to Salto Belo, a football field-wide cas-
cade fed by 5,000 cfs of 70˚F rainwater. the Brazilian kayaker
freefell for 2.9 seconds and hit the water at an estimated 70
127’
miles per hour.
paul Gamache // DeceMber 2008 // cascade falls, cascade cReek, Bc
Seattle paddler Paul Gamache cleaned Cascade after four
hours of scouting and a 40-foot belay into the pool at the lip.
“the hit wasn’t that bad,” Gamache said afterwards, “Sort of
like a hard kick in the stomach.”
tyleR BRadt // SepteMber 2007 // alexandRa falls, hay RiveR, nWt
Bradt dropped 10-storey alexandra Falls four years after its
first descent by ed lucero. the 21-year-old Montana kayaker
stuck the landing without even flipping for a new unofficial
world record. 108’
ed luceRo // July 2003 // alexandRa falls, hay RiveR, nWt
107’
veteran steep-creeker ed lucero, 37, challenged alexandra’s
chocolatey chunder after spotting the falls from a roadside 105.6’
while on a river running roadtrip. Most paddlers discount the
record since lucero came out of his kayak on entry. “like div-
ing headfirst and having your pants pulled below your ankles,”
he explained later.
101’
david GRove // June 2004 // metlako falls, eaGle cReek, oReGon
Grove warmed up to his record plunge with runs of Mamquam
Falls (72’), where he was trapped inside a cave for four hours,
and Bridal veil Falls (88’), where he broke his hand. “My goal
was to be the first person to run a 100-footer and keep every-
98.4’
thing intact,” Grove said of his quest. a month after sticking a
clean first descent on Metlako, Grove returned to measure the
monster: 101 feet…mission accomplished.
tim GRoss // april 2002 // aBiqua falls, aBiqua cReek, oReGon
tim Gross’ inelegant, over-rotated descent and subsequent
swim at abiqua Falls ignited the heated stick-it-to-win debate:
Do you have to stay in your boat for your record to count?
Gross walked away from the mishap but was too sore to make
a second attempt.
coRRan addison // 1987 // hydRoelectRic channel, fRance
addison breeds controversy wherever he goes. the trash-talk-
ing South african’s claim to this unofficial world record is no
exception. Since addison allegedly ran the falls with no wit-
>i¼hV
nesses (aside from a local whose photo of the stunt addison
“lost” in his travels) while hitchhiking across France, Guin-
78’
ness—and many kayakers—didn’t buy it. G6E>9:9J86I>DC
tao BeRman // auguSt 1999 // uppeR Johnston falls, Johnston cReek, aB
after two hours of scouting and a two-second wild ride, then
20-year-old tao Berman set a new Guinness world Record 70’
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and instigated the creation of a second waterfall record cat-
egory—longest waterfall Descent.
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shannon caRRoll // 1998 // sahali falls,
little White salmon RiveR, oReGon
65’ XdbW^cVi^dcd[djihiVcY^c\^chigjXi^dc!
a first descent and the first of four unofficial waterfall records
to be set amid the steep and slippery slopes of oregon.
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coRRan addison // 1990 // lookinG Glass falls,
lookinG Glass cReek, noRth caRolina
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ever the fan of attention-seeking stunts, addison dropped the
falls into a plunge pool only five feet deep wearing a batman
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mask and little else. he paid the price for his bravado with a
broken back and a six-week hospital stay. addison’s take? “it
seemed like a fun idea at the time.” Don’t they all…
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shaun BakeR // SepteMber 1996 // aldeyJaRfoss falls,
49’
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skJalfandaflJot, iceland
welsh paddler Shaun Baker braved glacial meltwaters in
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northern iceland for this Guinness world Record. a year later,
he nearly drowned while filming on another iceland giant.
P
hoto
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shaun BakeR // January 1987 // sGWd-yR-eiRa falls, RiveR neath, Wales
B
Baker earned the first-ever Guinness Record for Freefall wa-
en
terfall Kayaking at a time when his 7’2” plastic kayak was the
J
a
M
smallest in the world (it had been designed for use in swim- in
ming pools). “the press said it was an unskillful discipline of the

h
J
sport, likely to lead to my death,” Baker recalled years later.
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MKC
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