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It’s spring, and time for the
earth to come alive once again.
The snow melts, trickles through
the land, and each plant takes
what it needs as the water
continues on to eventually flow
into creeks and rivers, causing
them to bulge, and rush
helter-skelter into a whitewater
frenzy. It’s fast and dangerous.
It’s beautiful and breathtaking.
And at this time of year, when
most outdoor sports are on hold,
extreme kayakers grab their
gear, and head for the
whitewater.
Unlike the usually placid lake kayaking, whitewater kayaking is a radical
sport, finding fast growing
acceptance amongst extreme
sports enthusiasts. There are
basically two types of
whitewater kayaking: playboating
and creek boating. Playboaters
paddle rivers, where the focus
is on finding waves and holes
for performing tricks. Some play
boaters will stay at one river
feature for an entire day doing
spins, cartwheels, and aerial
flips called loops, until the
sun sets. |
Whitewater playboating, like
skateboarding, is a sport for
people who get a kick out of
perfecting difficult moves in a
very dynamic environment.
Playboaters are constantly
honing their craft, practicing
to get each trick perfect. And
of course, they’re always on the
lookout for new tricks, and
spots with better holes and
bigger waves.
Playboats are short with low
volume bows and sterns allowing
the ends to be submerged easily
in whirlpools and other
hydraulics
in the river. They also have
flat bottoms called planning
hulls that allow the boat to
accomplish 360-degree spins,
even on a green wave. (A green
wave is a nice surfable wave
that is growing in size, but
doesn’t have a white cap yet.
Once it has a white frothy top,
it is called a hole). These
boats are built for people who
want to spin, shoot into the air
for a loop, or dance end to end
on the water in graceful
cartwheels. |
In his article,
Looping it Up! on playboatingnorthwest.com, Jacob
Selander claims, “Just about
every new playboat shoved into
the market these days is
allowing paddlers to catch
air—sometimes insanely HUGE
amounts, earning frequent flyer
miles!”
Scott Rulander, a whitewater paddler and videographer from Sandpoint
suggests several places for
prospective kayakers to get
started in the sport.
“The Spokane River from Coeur
d‘Alene to Spokane is probably
one of the best spots for
beginners to learn,” he says.
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“It has
mostly class 2 and 3 rapids year around.
It’s also a good place for beginning and
expert playboaters to find good holes
and waves where they can do everything
from soulful surfing to throwing huge
air.”
The Spokane River closely follows
I-90 on much of its journey and is
easily accessed with several places to
put-in and take-out. On the Spokane,
holes and waves have earned their own
names, such as Dead Dog Hole near Post
Falls and
Zoo Wave near Spokane.
A more advanced playboating spot is the Kootenai River, below the falls,
near Libby, Montana. “This is a place
for advanced to expert boaters only,”
warns Rulander. “It has intense volume
and strong whirlpools. When the water is
running high, even expert kayakers
avoid the Kootenai.
But when
the flows are right, it’s a popular
run.” |
Before diving head first into this
sport, it’s a good idea to take a class,
and go out with others who know what
they’re doing. You’ll learn faster and
more safely with experienced boaters
along. And, because the character of
each run can change drastically from one
day to the next, depending on the water
levels, everyone should check the
river levels and flow information on the
many websites that update regularly
throughout the day before
heading downstream.
Creek boating is the other main
type of whitewater kayaking. Unlike
playboats, which are designed to go
under water so they can do tricks, creek
boats must stay on top of the water when
they make long drops over waterfalls.
For this reason, they have a higher
volume in the bow and stern, making them
more buoyant (like trying to shove a
beach ball under water). |
The goal of a creek boater is to seek out steep gradient rivers. While
other boaters stay clear of anything
resembling a waterfall, creek boaters
search them out.
“Running creeks is a serious game
that requires great boat handling
skills, an almost sixth sense for
reading the water, and a true focus on
safety,” says Rulander. “Kayakers should
not only have rescue gear with them, but
they should know how to use it. Trapped
by a strainer (a fallen tree with limbs
sticking out all over the place), is no
time to learn how to throw a rope.” |
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Rulander suggests that beginners start
out on a lake and learn to roll.
Then move on to the Spokane
River, and get the hang of paddling
and rolling in moving water. For
the next step, try the Moyie River above
the falls, where you will find class 2
and 3 rapids. “It starts out a roadside
run, then gets into a section
that has a wilderness feel. It’s a good
place to learn to scout and get a taste
of commitment,” he says.
(For the uninitiated, a class 2 rapid
is gentle and often swimmable, with
minimal whitewater, but still provides
swift movement and a few refreshing
splashes. A class 3 rapid features
moderate whitewater, and is exciting,
but not too wild.)
An intermediate paddler will have
a blast on the St. Joe River, north of
Avery, Idaho. Or, they may want to try
the Clark Fork River near Missoula.
Rulander also recommends the Yaak River,
on the way to Libby, but stresses that
you must be very good at all the other
runs mentioned before attempting the
Yaak. You should also be with a
good solid group if you decide to
try this run.
“Early spring, when the water is
running high, is when we make the
local runs,” says Rulander. From April
to early July, the Upper Pack
River, north of Sandpoint, is a good
run, but he warns that anyone
considering creek boating should get
information from someone who has
paddled the area before. “In the
summer we often times head for the
bigger rivers to the south. But we
can also extend our paddling season
by heading north into British
Columbia, where the glaciers feed
the creeks and rivers into late August
and September.”
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“Idaho is known as the whitewater
state. It has a ton of great runs, and
Sandpoint is quickly becoming a
destination for professional whitewater
boaters who are looking for more
challenging runs. It might be
wise to go elsewhere in Idaho first, to
learn your skills on tamer water, then
come to Sandpoint to play.”
Kayaking provides the thrill of
seeing places that you wouldn’t get
to see otherwise. Some places appear to
have never been touched by a human. And
don’t forget the wildlife you may see on
the way.
“My buddy Dan and I were paddling the Upper Pack River when a moose came
crashing out of the brush and ran down
the creek between our kayaks,” Rulander
remembers. “It’s a little nerve racking
to have a huge animal that close. Our
heads were about at its knees. I’ve also
had a couple of black bears swim across
rivers right in front of me.”
A kayaker must be prepared to go
the distance, because in some remote
areas they may be surrounded by steep
canyon walls, where there is no easy way
to get help. It’s essential to do your
homework on a run before ever putting
your boat in the water. There are big
hazards on all rivers, and especially on
creeks, the main one being trees that
have fallen across the water. Be sure to
always paddle in control. Pull over at
eddies and scout the areas up ahead.
With any type of kayaking, it is the law
and common sense to wear a Personal
Floatation Device. |
It is also
essential to have a whistle attached to
it in case you need to alert your group
that you’re in trouble. Always wear a
helmet. And, nobody should try any type
of whitewater kayaking without first
knowing how to roll.
Your local Kayak retailer should
have information about good places
to paddle in your area, or be able to
put you in touch with someone
who can.
So… when was the last time
you learned a new sport? (No, thumb
action on the remote control
doesn’t count.) Take a class… go
on a kayak tour with one of the local
retailers… or simply drive out to the
Spokane River and watch the
playboaters in action. Chances are
you’ll be chomping at the bit to try
it yourself. Go ahead. It’s okay. Get
wet! |
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