river shorties
Irony is not lost on us On Eric Jackson’s April 1, 2005, Internet blog, he wrote: “We have discovered that there is no real money in whitewater and that the only way to sur- vive is to sell low-cost rec boats and high-dollar touring boats. It is a decision that was hard to come to, in my own words, ‘I can’t believe I am doing this, but hey, I’m in it for the money right, so let’s do it.’ April Fools.” This time it’s no joke. This spring the first shipments of the new Jackson Kayak recreational line of kayak hit the streets, in- cluding both adult and kids’ models.
Jet boat tours reign in Kicking Horse All’s not sunshine in Golden, B.C., these days as residents and users of the Kicking Horse River are all fired up over a jet boat operator running tours go- ing upstream. The Wet n’ Wild tours began earlier this summer, despite opposition that the upstream jet boat traffic creates a dangerous obstacle for paddlers (or the other way around, really) and too much noise through town. Proponents argue it is a beneficial tourist attraction for the town and that free enterprise should prevail… again. Either way, with a name like Kicking Horse and jet boats to boot, do we sense a gnarly whitewater rodeo?
Ausable’s not plausible It appears as though New York State’s class IV Ausable Chasm will be off limits to paddlers for another 40 years. New York State Electric and Gas has blocked access for more than 20 years, but American Whitewater won a small battle in 2005 when the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission agreed a flow and access study was needed and that public use would be beneficial. The full report was finally released—about two years overdue— with the power company requesting to continue the blockade. American Whitewater is taking one more shot at an appeal with a letter-writing cam- paign to reverse the river section’s fortune.
Athletes with substance Extreme kayaker Tao Berman teamed up with ques- tionable 2006 Tour de France winner Floyd Landis and mountain runner Andy Ames in Teva Mountain Games’ Athlete for a Cure benefit, June 2-3. It’s a two-day competition used to raise funds for prostate cancer research consisting of four separate races— road biking, kayaking, trail running and mountain biking. Landis, who was suspected of doping and recently underwent hip replacement, took on the road and mountain biking legs; Berman the kayak sprint and Ames, the trail run portion. They earned third spot overall. Asked if he was concerned about drug testing Berman said, “Not at all, just don’t put the sample by my apple juice again.”—NE
E V E N T S
August 12 KAYAK FOR A CURE Vancouver, BC
www.kayakforacure.ca
August 18 GORE CANYON WHITEWATER FESTIVAL Kremmling, CO
www.rapidpulse.com
August 24–26 UPPER GATINEAU WHITEWATER FESTIVAL Maniwaki, QC
www.gatineau.org
Official Trucks of Rapid Mag
September 8–9 GULL RIVER OPEN CANOE SLALOM RACE Minden, ON
www.whitewaterontario.ca
September 24
ANIMAL UPPER GAULEY RACE
Summersville, WV
www.GauleyRace.com
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RAPID
river shorties
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