The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My Public Portal AboutSports: Kayaking��i`d1eS��'tdh Pd V / Of ) K k* he ven a y ii in 9 he competition is one thing. The atmosphere is another. But what tugs at the hearts of most ca- noeists and kayakers is as ageless as time itself. They love the rivers. They get their kicks from the power of the rapids. The feel refreshed by the clean, cold water. Talk to a com- petitor this weekend at the Pay- ette Whitewater Roundup and you're sure to hear about the riv- er. "I just like running them (the rivers)," Adam Boyd, 16, said. "The competing is fun and the people are nice we usually have a good time even when we're not in our boats. But the best times are on the river. There's nothing like it." Spectators can get a taste of the river's powerful attraction, too. You can lose yourself on the rocky hillsides curbing the South Fork of the Payette River, finding a comfortable rock and having your heart beat in tune to the steady rapids. There just seems to be something magical, a pure, ad- dictive passion, about whitewater in the wilderness. More than 300 tried it Saturday afternoon, lining the banks of the Bronco Billy Rapids, about an hour's drive from downtown Boi- se, and silently watching the com- �M A ,m petitors stream through the course. Even more are expected today when the final runs are contested this afternoon. Today's competi- tion is at the Staircase Rapids, approximately V/z miles east of Banks on the road to Garden Val- ley. Preliminary events begin at 9 a.m. The finals begin at 2 p.m. It's an excellent opportunity to experience the wild side of nature. But you also will see some of the top adult kayakers and canoeists in the Intermountain West 96 of them to be exact. Perhaps more impressive is the skill of the junior kayakers, who scissor through the gates and ride the whitewater ridges like sea- soned pros. Many of the top junior whitewater competitors in the na- tion are present. Included are 13 juniors from Vermont who have been touring the West or more specifically, its rivers on their summer va- cation. Boyd, a 16- year -old from Wood- stock, Vt., is one of them. A mem- ber of the U.S. Junior Team, Boyd is impressed with Idaho. He laud- ed its beauty, the friendly people. But every train of thought eventu- ally came back to the rivers. "Back east the rivers don't have as much water," Boyd said. "The water here is also clearer and Fourteen -; aar -old Brock Carr of Boice makes a new friend with Ghury as they watch friends compete in the Whitewater Roundup. colder. I like the rivers out here a lot more." Yeah, great, but what about the competition? "The competition is fine," he said. "They set up a nice course. The river is nice too it's pretty strong and there's a lot of water running right now." Boyd has a one -track mind, like many of the competitors on Satur- day. If you wanted to talk about the river with one, you were fine. Raise any other veins of conversa- tion and the dialogue is as inter- esting as an hour's worth of C- Span. The river also has led to cama- raderie off the rapids. The group from Vermont and the local group which organized this weekend's event have become fast friends. They know each other by name, joke around, play hackey -sack to- gether. The first stitches of friendship were sewn three weeks ago at the Junior Worlds in Wausau, Wis. The groups camped adjacent to each other and quickly formed a friendly rivalry. "We became great comrades and competitors," said Debbi Long, who helped coach the Idaho team at the Junior Worlds. "We had the sport draw us together. When we were on the water we were really concentrated and fo- cused, looking to beat each other head to head. But off the course we became good friends." Peter Kennedy is the director of Team Adventure the name of the Vermont group. He also talked at length about the love of a river, but managed a few addi- tional comments on the way it draws people together. "I've never seen two groups mesh so well," Kennedy said. "Some of the Idaho kids want to come out (to Vermont) and run our rivers and hang out for a couple of weeks. And we've got some kids who want to do the same over here. It makes every- thing a lot more fun." But like everyone else Kennedy directed the conversation back to the rivers his group has visited in the past few weeks. "The kids are havine a NO " hp said. "They're loving every minute of it. We've met a lot of friendly people and we've had a great time visiting different rivers." iweinuc[a v. UIV I arm.., the calm waters above the Bronco Billy rapids on the Payette River. 9td-fe 3 vndH J j� � 1Y,77' %c ;o1) fl K Andy Sherman, 21, of Kernville, Calif., fights to stay on the slalom course in the Lower Bronco Billy rapid as the river water rushes past his paddle. TO - °? Cascade a`tr T 55 4� Cz o N Crouc a a Banks Garden Valley oGf h Payette � Adyee Whitewater Roundup Horseshoe Bend To Boise Boise fl K Andy Sherman, 21, of Kernville, Calif., fights to stay on the slalom course in the Lower Bronco Billy rapid as the river water rushes past his paddle. Davis and Nancy IN leaving in the a streak mirror -like surface... . he only sounds breaking the unreal quiet of the early morning is the sloshing of their paddles, the screeching of an osprey or the whistling wings of ducks flying overhead. Fall is an ideal time to kayak Idaho's big lakes, from Lake Pend Oreille up north to the Payette Lakes near McCall. Gone are the waterskiers, motor- boats and wave hoppers. Idaho They're great for casual day tripping, wildlife photography, pic- nic paddling or just fishing. "You can actually sneak up on deer, bear and moose," says Travis Hatfield. Friends of the Hatfields recently paddled to the north end of the lake and watched moose. The Hatfields continued to cruise along Payette Lake's pine - studded, rocky shore, looking down into the lake's diamond -like waters. Giant pieces of driftwood hanging over the banks add to a coastal seascape feeling. Large dead trees are perches for ospreys looking for a fish dinner in the lake. The possibilities for paddling the 1,000 -acre lake are endless, says Nancy Hatfield. Paddlers can start at McCall and work their way along the shoreline. The peninsula of Ponderosa State Park, with its secluded coves thick with hundred - year -old pines, gives paddlers a feeling of being in a wilderness. quiet," says Travis Hatfield, taking a few strokes to steer the lake kayak closer to the granite -rocky shoreline. "There's a fish," says Nancy Hatfield, pointing to a rippling ring in the lake's surface. Lake kayaks are built for touring, just like sea kayaks used on the coast. They aren't like river kayaks. For novice paddlers, touring kayaks are more stable, easier to steer, and can be paddled faster than a canoe. North Beach, located at the northern part of the lake off the Warren Wagon Road, is another good launching area. It is a good place to start for heading up the quiet waters of the North Fork of the Payette River, which feeds Payette Lake. Mergansers zoom by the Hatfields' yellow boat like minia- ture jet fighters making a strafing run. Touring kayaks are the ticket to finessing Idaho's finest fall flatwa- ter. Story and photo by Pete Zimowsky 9 The Idaho Statesman 11P }ale A-% Ftetracin the rap ■ BY PETE ZIMOWSKY * THE IDAHO STATESMAN Hang on! The Payette River rapids look different this year 51 Line up right of center and take the tongue. Get your momentum going be- cause the waves below are huge. Don't hit the rocks at left center in the entrance of the rapids. There is a big hole below them. Once into the waves start pulling slightly right. You want to avoid the two pour -over rocks on River Left. The di- agonal wave action will want to push you to River Left. Kayakers could also sneak the rapids at the entrance by going ex- tremely left. But you'll have to ride out the standing and exploding waves in the middle of the rapids anyway, and still have to pull right to avoid the pour - over rocks below on the left. The lower part of Slalom, just below the Recovery Zone is the same as it has been in the past. These rapids are located between milepost 1 and 2 on Idaho 17. I J Breaking diagonal waves Shark -fin rock Crashing ' diagonal wave Breaking wave Hole Pour -over rocks `\- `5 U MIN River left River right From the eddy on the left just above the rapids, set up just slightly left of center and then start moving right. Line up in the tongue and try to hit the right side of the breaking wave. Don't go too far right or you'll end up in the hole below the rock. The right side of the river is littered with holes, rocks and turbulence. There is a small tongue on the right side of the river but it's tricky and for kayakers only. These rapids are located b tween mileposts 77 and 78 o Idaho 55. q) 40 o* O� Banks e- Beware river Pats These river maps serve as a warning, alerting rafters and kayakers that rapids have changed on the South and Main forks of the Payette River. Do not use them as a guide for running the rapids or choosing the best route. Whitewater boating is a risky sport and these rapids are changing as flows fluctuate. River runners should scout each rapids before determining the best route. These maps are not to scale. 55 Crouch Garden Valley Banks PBNa�e Ak d° saes , Horseshoe Bend Eddy Breaking waves A Surf and play , waves �3 A Sneak kayak route Turbulence Mike's Hole hasn't changed so line up on the right and move left to avoid the infamous hole. Eddy If you take the sneak route on the left, just blast through the waves. Don't go to sleep. About 100 yards down- stream are some giant waves. Rafts can take them right down the cen- ter. Beginner kayakers may want to sneak the waves on the right be- tween the waves and the eddy. The New Play Wave is located be- tween mileposts 74 and 75 on Idaho 55. Hole A& �c. Route DOWNSTREAM u > Information for this page was provided by whitewater experts Tom Long, Conrad Four - ney and the staff at Idaho River Sports. > Graphics by Lisa Day[The Idaho Statesman 1 �t ldallo SAA&sm04 _ W/ -� _//�, 11 1 f "9" 6�3 "f I J/ A-If PS South Fork of the Payette �J -' Rock r%garden .J U Exploding waves Recovery zone A Hole Hole 8 1 Na�oo Gne ,� Sneak kayak route DOWNSTREAM Route CM Hole All Hole Hole Eddy Breaking waves Eddy Hole 1 Waves Pour -over rock Waves Route DOWNSTREAM .r BRONCO BILLY RAPIDS These rapids have gone from a Class IV to a Class III. It used to re- quire three moves — right, left and right. Now, it's center, center and center. Line up just to the right of the big rock at the head of the rapids. Continue that line down the center of the rapids. Avoid the pour -over rock in the center of the Breaking rapids and hit the stand - diagonal ing waves. Continue waves down the center avoiding the holes on the left side of the river, especially the one at the rock wall and the famed Bronco Billy Hole below. These rapids are located at milepost 4 on Idaho 17. d( -. lda,Co t�.sr�4 - 4//-1-X/ 97 Mudslides and floods have forever changed boating nn tha PavPtta BANKS — They're new. They're big. And, they want to gobble up your raft or kayak. Rapids on the Main and South forks of the Payette River have changed and whitewater boaters are in for big surprises this sea- son. Winter's devastating mud slides and floods, which caused serious damage to homes and highways, also dumped rocks in the rivers north of Boise and cre- ated new dangers. "It's phenomenal. It's huge," said Conrad Fourney, owner of Headwaters River Company, as he looked at new rapids on the Main Payette where the old Play Wave used to be. He and Tom Long, owner of the Cascade Raft Company, recently surveyed both rivers and were surprised by the changes. "This is not even close to what it was last year," said Long. Rafters will also see changes in Bronco Billy and Slalom rapids on the South Fork and below Mike's Hole on the Main Payette. Long and Fourney agreed that the new rapids are serious changes and whitewater boaters should treat the rivers as if they were running them for the first time. Fourney and Long said they will be retraining their rafting guides to run the new rapids on both rivers. They stress that private boaters should do the same thing and scout the rapids before launching. "They are new rivers," Long said. And, they may change again with very high flows this spring. The outfitters have one bit of important advice this season: "Scout, scout, and scout." ,Y74 IC Murphy places Jesse Murphy of McCall negotiates the gates at the 1997 Junior, Senior and Masters Slalom National Championships held last weekend on the North Fork of the Payette River near Banks. Murphy placed third in the solo kayak class for paddlers ages 14 and under and Photo courtesy Murphy family in race third in the two -man canoe division with partner Brooks Baldwin of Glacier Park, Mont. Les Bechdel, four -time national slalom champion from McCall, took eighth place in the solo kayak class in the masters division. About 85 boaters from across the U.S. competed. /0 /z_�_ /4? Empty kayak in N.F. causes stir by rescuers Valley County rescue teams got practice in river rescue Monday after an unmanned kayak became stuck on a rock in the North Fork of the Payette River. According to Idaho State Police officer Jim Eavenson, Craig Motkus, who is believed to be from Boise, was kayaking between Smiths Ferry and Banks on the North Fork when the bow of his boat became pinned be- tween two rocks in the river early Sunday afternoon. When Eavenson arrived, Motkus' partners had already sawed off the bow of his kayak in order to free him from the river, Eavenson said. Motkus was shaken, but uninjured from the pinning and extraction. The boat then washed downstream, and the kayakers were unable to re- trieve it. Valley County Sheriff's dispatch then received a call on Monday about a kayak upside down and wrapped on a rock in the river. Rescuers did not know if there was anyone in the boat, so they treated the situation as though someone was trapped in the kayak. Teams from the Valley County Rural Fire Department, Valley County Sheriff's Department, Cascade Am- bulance Service, and Cascade Raft Co. freed the kayak. Upon discover- ing a section of the bow missing, rescuers decided it was the same boat involved in the incident on Sunday. "We're kind of chalking it up to training," Valley County Deputy Darby Helms said. Also on Monday, emergency crews also responded to a pickup that went in the North Fork of the Payette River at 6:40 p.m., Eavenson said. A 1980 Toyota pickup driven by Joshua Loveless, 20, of Boise, went off the road on Idaho 55 near Milepost 98 and off an estimated 50 -foot em- bankment into the river. A passenger, Luke Bates, 18, of McCall, escaped the vehicle before it submerged, and Loveless freed him- self shortly after the pickup sunk. Both men were taken to Valley County Hospital in Cascade. Loveless was treated and released For back pain, and Bates escaped in- ;ury. Neither men were wearing a seat _)elt, Eavenson said. The pickup was later recovered from the river. No citations were given, but the case was under investigation. >i�f('s)7rn,i /21 /L'l Photo courtesy of Rob Lesser Kathy Shelby of Oregon runs Hounds Tooth on the Lower Five in 1981. Shelby was the first woman to run a section of the North Fork. Runningthe Lower Five m i les successf u I ly is the gateway to running the entire 16 miles of Class IV -V whitewater. Idaho's whitewater badge of courage 25 years of running the North Fork of the Payette By Roger Phillips The Idaho Statesman The North Fork of the Payette is Idaho's whitewater Everest, and after more than 30 years of river running, its reputation and status has not diminished. It continues to be a proving ground for Class V boaters and rite of passage for those trying to be- come "world- class" paddlers. "The North Fork is definitely one of the top badges of courage in the country for whitewater kayakers," said Eugene Buchanan, editor of Paddler magazine. "Everybody has heard about it, and it's on everyone's list if they're Class V boaters." Between Smiths Ferry and Banks, the North Fork is a runaway train of non -stop whitewater. It has more Class IV and V rapids in 16 miles than the Colorado River has in its 277 -mile stretch through the Grand Canyon. A top -to -bottom run of the riv- er's entire 16 miles remains one of whitewater boating's grand prizes. "It's not for the weak or the faint of heart," said Tom Long, owner of Cascade Raft and Kayak near Banks. There are many difficult white- water rivers in the U.S., but the North Fork's unique physical char- acteristics and rich history have earned it legendary status. All the right ingredients The North Fork's river bed was altered when Idaho 55 was built on one side and a railroad grade on the other. During construction, tons of granite were dumped into the steep, shallow river. Lake Cascade, a shallow reser- voir upstream, pours a steady flow of warm water into the canyon throughout most of the summer. The North Fork never strays more than a few hundred feet from Idaho 55, which provides excellent access and a safety valve for boaters who decide they are in over their heads. "You add all those ingredients, and it's a pretty rare thing," said Grant Amaral, author of "Idaho, the Whitewater State." Idaho kayakers had their eyes on the North Fork when the sport was still in its infancy. According to Steve Stuebner's book, "Paddling the Payette," there were only a handful of kayakers in Idaho in the late 1960s. Tullio Celano, a medical officer at the Mountain Home Air Force Base, was one of them. He knew legendary kayaker Walt Blackadar from Salmon, and in 1970, when Celano was 27, they planned to attempt the lower sec- tions of the North Fork. Celano, now a 58- year -old Boise urologist, went up to scout the North Fork a few days before Blackadar arrived, and he took his kayak with him. He decided to try the bottom five miles of the river by himself. "I can still remember it well," he said this month. Shortly after putting on the North Fork, Celano flipped and swam out of his kayak. The river gave him a thorough beating and smashed his boat on the rocks, breaking it in half. He called Blackadar to tell him about his disastrous first attempt on the North Fork, including los- ing his boat. Celano remembers Blackadar telling him, "Don't worry, I will bring you another." Blackadar and Ketchum kayak - er Al Beam arrived the following week, and the trio headed back up river. Beam at first refused to get on the North Fork, but relented and joined Blackadar and Celano. Despite his first beating, Celano was willing to try the river again with Blackadar. "I figured Walt would protect me," he said. They launched into the North Fork below Hound's Tooth Rapid, and Celano made it through the first set of rapids. He eddied out, looked upstream and saw Black - adar swimming downriver. "I said, `oh s - - -, now I'm really in for it, "' Celano said. Shortly thereafter, Celano flipped, swam, and started his second beat- ing by the North Fork. "I thought I had bought the farm," he said. But rather than labeling the North Fork "unrunnable," it became an ad- venture waiting to happen. Celano eventually ran the entire North Fork 20 or 30 times, then took a near -fatal swim during a high -wa- ter run in the 1980s. "I got eaten absolutely alive," Celano said. "That was the last time for me." Celano's first tries on the North Fork started a series of attempts to prove the river could be run. Taking on new challenges According to Stuebner's book, several years later, Boise kayakers Roger Hazelwood, Tom Murphy and Keith Taylor ran the bottom few miles of the North Fork with- out swimming and proved its Class V rapids were not insurmountable. The following week, Blackadar, Boise kayaker Mike Norell, and Ron Frye of New Meadows — who pad- dled a decked canoe — made the first descent of the entire lower five miles. "It took us years to work our way up to the North Fork," Norell said. "We ran everything around here, and by the time five years was up, we were ready for the North Fork." Norell and Celano said they had no idea at the time they were lay- ing a historical foundation for pad- dling the North Fork. They were part of a small clique of kayakers taking on new challenges. "We never told anybody. We just got together and we'd go," Norell said. "When we started, it was a true adventure," Celano explained. "It doesn't quite have the same allure of exploration and adventure that it used to." Those whitewater pioneers in fiberglass kayaks started a Manifest Destiny for the North Fork that con- tinued through the 1970s. The advent of plastic kayaks, which bounced off the North Fork's sharp rocks rather than shattering like fiberglass boats, allowed the next wave of paddlers to move up- stream. "Plastic was absolutely essential," long -time North Fork boater Rob Lesser of Boise said. "That was the thing, in my mind, that made it pos- sible." In 1977, Lesser and a group of Kentucky kayakers started taking on the upper sections. That spring, Lesser and the group had been paddling Class V white - water throughout the state, and they ended up on the North Fork. After running the Lower Five, the lure of the upper North Fork was too much to resist. They made the first known descent of the Upper Five. "It was there for the taking," Less- er said. "If anybody had ever done G% Photo courtesy of Rob-Lesser Rick Fernald runs Disneyland in 1977 in a first- generatiorrplastic kayak. Plastic" kayaks allowed kayakers to take on the feared upper sections of the North Fork of the Payette River. Fiberglass kayaks could not stand the punishment of the river's rocks. Then they headed for the dread- ed Middle Five, where the steep- ness of the river increases from the North Fork's average gradient of 106 feet -per mile to about 240 feet - per mile. (By comparison, the Main Payette between Banks and Horse- shoe Bend averages about 13 feet- per mile. Unfortunately, Lesser had sched- uled himself for nose surgery months earlier, and he had to leave the group before they attempted the middle section. "That was a disappointment that day," Lesser said. "We had been building up to a crescendo, and I had to walk away." Class VI becomes Class V The Kentucky boaters were cred- ited with the first descent of the Middle Five, including the former Class VI known as Jacob's Ladder. (A Class VI rapid is usually con- sidered unrunnable. After it is run, it becomes a Class V.) According to Stuebner's book, the group spent two hours scouting Ja- cob's Ladder — a steep and violent rapid with a variety of obstacles and serious penalties for error. Kentuckian Bob Walker declared, "There's no way." Then he got in his kayak and headed straight for it. "Forty-five seconds and four rolls later, he was sitting in an eddy be- low the fourth drop saying, `There's no way," " Stuebner wrote. His two fellow kayakers dupli- cated his feat and proved him wrong. The North Fork's individual hur- dles were cleared in 1977, but one prize remained. Two years later, another group of paddlers took on the North Fork's final challenge. After running the river in sections over three days, kayaker Rick Fernald vowed to run the river top -to -bottom in a single day. The following day, Fernald, John Wasson, Don Banducci and Paul Hoob- yar agreed to attempt it. According to Stuebner's book, Banducci even "wrote a will and penned a last - wishes letter to his girlfriend." The four successfully ran the entire North Fork, despite a harrowing swim by Wasson in Jacob's Ladder and Fer- nald getting pinned against a rock. At the end of the day, the group had continuously run all the North Fork's rapids and made history. Kathy Shel- by of Oregon joined them on the Low - er Five and became the first woman known to paddle the river. Lesser published an article about the trip in Outside Magazine and Ban - ducci wrote another for Canoe Mag- azine. The North Fork's reputation spread throughout the U.S., which was Lesser's intent because a hydropow- er project was threatening the river. "It needed the use and the notori- ety or we wouldn't have been able to battle (to protect it) as effectively," Lesser said. Although the big first - descent prizes were claimed, the North Fork's histo- ry book was not sealed, and it contin- ues to be written. A spot in history Over the next 20 years, paddlers found news ways to etch their names in its history, including descents in tandem kayaks, inflatable kayaks, opens canoes, catarafts and paddle rafts. Kayakers also continued to top themselves. Bob McDougal paddled the river three times in one day, set- ting a standard known as the "vertical mile" because the combined vertical drop of three runs added up to about a mile. Kayaker Doug Ammons of Missoula, Mont., performed a series of astound- ing feats on the North Fork. Ile did five top -to- bottom descents in a sin- gle day, hand paddled the entire riv- er. then hand naddled the vertical mile. F lClCt r7Z0 r(_ rive top -to- bottom descents in a sin- gle day, hand paddled the entire riv- er, then hand paddled the vertical mile. Ammons also ran the river at ex- tremely high flows, including one run at more than 6,500 c.fs. — about three - to -four times higher than the normal level for paddling. Many other boaters hold unofficial records for paddling the North Fork Tren Long, Tom Long's son, became the youngest paddler on the North Fork when he successfully ran the , Lower Five at 12 years old. He then ran the entire river at age 13. Tren took the record from his older brother, Chad, who ran the North Fork at age 14, who took it from their older brother, Ken- neth, who ran it at age 15. Lesser, now 55, has continued to paddle the North Fork every year since 1977. He is probably the oldest North Fork boater and has ran it more times than anyone. He doesn't intend to quit any time soon. I figure I will probably be running it well into my 60s," Lesser said. History continues And the North Fork's history con- tinues to present day. Earlier this month, Sam Goff of Boise held a Class V downriver race on the Upper Five, and at 10 a.m. on July 14, another downriver race will take place on the North Fork during the Payette Whitewater Roundup. During Goffs race, 14 boaters ages 19 to 40, including one woman, ran the section with no swims, accidents or injuries. People have to realize we had high - end paddlers who made it look easy," Goff said. In the past, informal races between friends had been run on the North Fork, but Goff made this one official by getting insurance and permits for the race. Class V races have been held on oth- er rivers for years, and Goff said it made sense for the North Fork to have one. People traveled from Oregon, Washington, Colorado and Utah to compete in the race. "It's world - class, Class V whitewater," Goff said. A goW "People come from all beach to over the world to see eat ffled , it and get on it" chicken BENS? TO MCCALL North Fork"" earns respect By Roger Phillips of boaters The Idaho Statesman Rainbow ie t Talk to boaters about the North Fork of the Bridge — r ; Neat: 55 Payette River and you will hear one word con - stantly repeated — respect. Great pancakes The North Fork is one of the most challenging / 4, y s � Howard's whitewater stretches in the United States. SO11 "s 11 Plunge — "You have to make moves, and there are conse- FenY Great for uences if you don't," Boise ka aker and North Fork watching �l Y y Watch for whitewater veteran Sam Goff said. geese action Tom Long, owner of Cascade Raft and Kayak near Keep your Banks, has trained many people to run the North Fork, eyes on d St,.. including his three sons. the road = N"k—ke Long said the evolution of kayak equipment and bet - or ru you'll ` a= ann ter training have made the North Fork within the grasp running t rapids !n of more whitewater boaters than ever before. your truck It But he still considers the North Fork a "10 percent" °s -T "" river, meaning only the best paddlers should attempt it. Yom! -� "I'm still an old - school guy who thinks that river can Blackberries 7^. sen along the :, kill you," Long said. "I've seen enough people die and tak- river �, "°"h"' to """ en enough bodies out to know some people don't belong ch,",. on the North Fork." y, MOM, M MO Ewa The river has killed four boaters since 1988, injured J `the many others, and given lots of paddlers the scare of their Maw lives. 6 "It's dangerous," Tullio Celano, the first person to V attempt the North Fork, said. "And it hasn't gotten any safer." Alan Hamilton, co -owner of Aire, a raft manufac- turing company in Garden City, was one of the first boaters to row the North Fork in a cataraft. 5.1 He has flipped three times on the river and emerged unscathed each time. i But he has also seen the worst. M 14 , oar Tooth In 1988, another boater joined his good, c lose -up view group of catarafers and got of whitewater tossed out of his raft below Ja- oNttslw,p,, - -: action cob's Ladder. Despite hav- ,"ke,` h To ptzzA nr ing several catarafts in the Banks 't Dos &*Me CROUCH vicinity and a safety crew put -in ,c- rr,,, Leg n9W s a� RWt on shore, the boater died. `' rta•r +` "On the North Fork, ^ks f,�� . r' `` .% you're r ally on yourr w.w.,o, "'"ii,iom ! �' own," l arm ton Sam. WIN. le3 � . ,�,,A � �'� - "It really makes you ce Lea Ji respect the river." #` 1 Banks beach— Although more pad - Good picnicking _ dlers are attempting the ti 55 North Fork in newer and bet- % Lunch C—der ter equipment, the river's dan- gers remain, especially if you have to swim. "R-k "You can't turn it off like an amusement park ride," Jt Hamilton said. "It's going to punish you." R `,+ Kayaker Doug Ammons is arguably the best kayaker to M,kds xae ever paddle the river. A good place to see rafts flip AMF V1d; My Fiend - a th;ng elaei o McCall 0 Lowman 'r TO HORSESHOE ' N BEND But he also felt its destructive power when he was slammed against a rock during a high -water run. The impact injured his shoulder and neck and the North Fork nearly killed him before he reached shore. "At that point, you know what it feels to be a deer crunched on the front of a semi," Ammons said. Kayak instructor Long said the minimum requirements for pad- dling North Fork are proper equipment, expert paddling skills, the right frame of mind, and "survival intellect." He cautions kayakers against attempting to paddle it in modern low - volume playboats and low- floatation lifejackets. "You're starting to dance with the devil," he said. Long -time North Fork paddler Rob Lesser said anyone consid- ering paddling the North Fork should be prepared for a four -hour wrestling match with the river's powerful hydraulics. "Once you put yourself out there, you have to perform con- stantly," Lesser said. To offer story ideas or comments, contact reporter Roger Phillips at 37.3-6or)15orrphillips@boise.gannett.com hat h t The North Fork of the Payette is a Class V river, which is considered the most difficult whitewater that can be navigated. The North Fork is typically divided into the three sec- tions of roughly equal lengths, but differing levels of difficulty. The "Lower Five" starts at Hound's Tooth Rapid and runs to the North Fork's Confluence with the South Fork of the Payette. The "Middle Five" is considered the hardest section. It contains "Jacob's Ladder," which was long considered un- runnable and was the final hurdle be- fore the entire North Fork was run. The "Upper Five" is a testing ground for those graduating from the Lower Five and contains "Nut- cracker," one of the most feared rapids on the river. On the cover: David Norell of Boise cuts through the bot- tom drop of Nutcracker on the North Fork of the Payette River during a recent Class V downriver race. Photo by Roger Phillips / The Idaho Statesman Arl /0 Roger Phillips / The Idaho Statesman Tom Fredricks of Bend, Ore., emerges from the rapids of Nutcracker. The North Fork of the Payette R iver has some of the most difficult and exciting white - water in the United States, which is re- spected and revered bywhitewater paddlers. "That river defines being an expert," said Bob Gedekoh, editor 4 of American Whitewater magazine. "When you look at the people who can do it and do it well, they can paddle anything." A: Drew West of Boise was one of 14paddlerswho took on the North Fork's Upper Five sec- tion during a downriver race earlier this month. Roger Phillips The Idaho Statesman v, ..., 1 z` S tofesmcw I-- /r7 -.200/ Pa,6e/ 0(2 WHITEWATER WUNDEMND Jesse Murphy, McCall, won the junior men's freestyle kayakingworld championship in Spain earl ierthis month. He has fun spin ningaround in crashing whi +c�u�inr hnlcc Champ of (churning McCall teen -ager whips up frenzy with world title in freestyle kayak Pete Zimowsky Idaho Statesman NORTH FORK AYETTE RIVER — Jesse urnhv is a human cart- His kayak is like a spoke in wheel as it spins relent - essly in a crushing white - water hole on the North Fork of the Payette River, slapping the water with loud thuds each time it goes around. And Murphy is the hub, keeping his kayak on track as he makes wild moves in the powerful, churning, rock - strewn waters of the river known worldwide for its ul- timate challenges. All that practice in the North Fork and on other Idaho rivers helped Mur- phy, a shy 17- year -old from McCall, spin his way to world glory earlier this month. He won the world championship for junior men in freestyle kayaking in Sort, Spain. The honor is like winning • world cup competition for • sport that can easily be de- scribed as gymnastics on wa- ter. It's the biggest event for freestyle kayaking in the world. "I knew I had a chance to win," Murphy said. "I figured it all depended on who would have the best day. It ended up being me." It's with that attitude that he goes about his life as a kid in a mountain resort town helping his dad, Mike, teach kayaking to other youths and also doing odd jobs around the house. Since he won the junior championship, he has an au- tomatic invitation to com- pete in the men's world freestyle championships in Graz, Austria, in two years, and the pre -world champi- onships next year in the same place. In his off -time, Murphy will continue to train on rivers like the North Fork and attend other competi- tions, such as the Subaru Gorge Games in Hood Riv- er, Ore., this week. The Gorge Games will air Aug. 26 and Sept. 2 on NBC. Nicknamed Weasel in the boating community for his quick moves, Murphy slith- ers his kayak in and out of the washing machine of whitewater on the North Fork with all the grace of a river ballet. It took that grace under pressure when he went up against stiff competition from 50 other junior pad- dlers around the globe dur- ing four days of competition in Spain. He competes in freestyle competition, a pro event where the kayaker stays in one spot in a river hole and performs tricks. It is unlike a slalom race where com- petitors speed downstream. "It's a lot more fun spin- ning around in a hole than paddling a course," said Mur- phy, who paddles a Percep- tion Shock kayak, which is a boat designed for freestyle _ricks. "It's like doing aerial flips on skis rather than go- ing downhill. It's a little more relaxed and laid back." Freestyle kayakers are judged much like gymnasts on moves like cartwheels, loops and reverse cart- wheels. They also are judged 5�af� s m a,h /7- 014V o � Rz� a, oF'_�z Freestyle kayaking is like being a gymnast in whitewater. Jesse Murphy practices on the North Fork of the Payette River near Smiths Ferry. Kayaker on how vertical they can get their kayaks straight up from the river level. Murphy pulled off the championship with a new move called a Tricky Wu, which he has trouble putting into words. But put him in a river and it comes automat- ically. It's embedded in his brain. It's sort of like three moves with cartwheels going in both directions and popping the kayak out of the water. Anyway, it's like being a human cartwheel. "It's real- ly brand new," he said. The competition in Spain was intense each day as com- petitors would get eliminat- ed. During the finals, Murphy found himself with four oth- er boaters in a 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 knockout before thousands of spectators. Each com- petitor was eliminated until only Murphy remained. "The biggest thing about Jesse is that he worked as hard or harder than everybody else," said Shane Benedict, Murphy's coach at the Acad- emy of Adventure Quest. "He put in a lot of time be- ing mentally prepared, too" Benedict said. "And, that's as much a factor in his win as his physical ability." Murphy wasn't always a powerful paddler. "When he came to Adven- ture Quest he was a little, skinny, scrawny kid. We called him the runt," Bene- dict said. Murphy worked hard in kayaking and credits his suc- cess to his love of the sport. "It's always fun for me," he said, whether at world com- petition or just paddling on his home waters of the Salmon and Payette rivers. He believes that's the key to his success — the fun of the sport. It has been like that since he started kayaking at age 8. "My dad got me started," he said. Kayaking is such a part of his life that Murphy made the sport a part of his schooling. He has been attending the Academy of Adventure Quest in Brownsville, Vt., where students go through high school, but are also al- lowed to excel in outdoors sports such as kayaking. He's a straight -A student leaning toward a career in en- vironmental engineering or hydro engineering, where he will also be able to use Span- ish. He has traveled through several Spanish- speaking countries. "He's fantastic and such a cool kid," said Benedict, who has known Murphy since he started at the school four years ago. "Everybody loves the Weasel." Benedict knows kayaking talent. He's a rodeo boater himself and took third in the world championship freestyle competition in 1993. Besides being a coach at Adventure Quest, Benedict also designs kayaks for Liquidlogic Kayaks in Hen- dersonville, N.C. Murphy will be a senior in the fall at Boise High then re- turn to Adventure Quest for spring competition. But no matter where he is, he'll keep thinking about the Tricky Wu that made him a world champion. s Photo for The Star -News by Matt Moehr Photography Margaret Brennan holds hands with the bronze statue of her late daughter Kelly Brennan after the unveiling of the sculpture on Saturday at Kelly's Whitewater Park in Cascade. Family, friends celebrate dedication of Cascade whitewater park statue BY CARISSA SINDON For The Star-News Through tears Kristina Pickard recounted how her sister, Kelly, chose to move way from family and friends in Pennsylvania so she could be near to her while she was attending the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. "Kelly was a wonderful gift to me and my family and she changed my life," Pickard said. "I mean she was my big sister and she was always there for me." Tears were plentiful last Saturday among the almost 300 people, many of whom were family and friends, who flew in from all over the country to attend the dedication of a life -sized bronze sculpture of Kelly Brennan, the namesake of Kelly's Whitewater Park. Brennan died in 1997 at age 23 as a passenger in an auto accident on a Utah highway. The dedication opened with a special performance by Jason Castro of `American Idol" fame who played a heartfelt rendition of "Somewhere over the Rainbow" on a ukulele. "It's an honor to be here to celebrate the opening of Kelly's Whitewater Park," Castro told the crowd. "I got to have her for a year before she passed away and that wasprobably the most incredible year of my life," Pickard said. "We justhad so muchfun and really bonded and we really became such close and best friends," she said. The last concert the sisters at- tended together was a music festival in Park City, Utah, that featured Blues Traveler, she said. See STATUE, Page B -2 "I got to have her for a year before she passed away and that was probably the most incredible year of my life." - Kristina Pickard /z e.- I Statue (Continued from Page B -1) "It was just one of those great memorable incredible memories," Pickard said. "I had so much fun, so it's very meaningful to have Blues Traveler come on her 36th birthday - happy birthday, Kelly - and perform for us." Kelly's mother, Margaret Brennan of Pocanos, Penn., also spoke at the dedication. She said that they had the gift of Kelly's life for 23 years and she continues to keep giving. Kelly's Whitewater Park we hope will live forever and everybody in the area will enjoy it and I hope we get a few Olympian kayakers," Brennan said. Kristina Pickard and her husband, Mark, live in Miami Beach, Fla. and have a home at Tamarack Resort. The couple donated the money for construction of the whitewa- ter park and visitor center. In addition, the Pickards have pledged up to $100,000 per year for 10 years to sub- sidize operating costs and to build an endowment fund to support the park. - �h/q Kayaker rf (Continued from Page 1) Kayaker was an Searchers found his kay- ak as well as his paddle a rock about wedged under two miles below the point expert on the where he disappeared. His life vest also was found about knew two miles downstream. water, � Forster was a skilled pad- dler with the experience to be on that stretch, but anything the risks can happen in such strong conditions, especially if a kayaker is ejected from the boat and has to swim through Stephen Forster presumed the rocks," Ward said "While only 19, he has drowned while training for been kayaking for a long Cascade kayak competition time. His father, Bob, is an avid kayaker," said Joe Kow- alski with Wilderness Tours, BY DAN GALLAGHER a Canadian river outfitting company with a kayak pro - For The Star -News The family of a 19- year -old Connecti- gram called Keeners on the cut kayaker presumed drowned in the Ottawa River. Forster had learned first raging North Fork of the Payette River hope people will remember him for the aid, swift -water rescue and way he lived, not the way he died. high -angle rope rescue as well as writing compositions "We need to get people to focus on his and learning photography life, not his death," �a and video, Kowalski said. "Stephen was an expert said Andrea Forster, mother of Stephen kayaker and the North Fork ,,, Forster, who disap of the Payette was within his skilllevel, "he said. "Stephen Feared in the North ^ A " was an All- American boy if Fork on June 28. "We're doing as well Stephen Forster there ever was one." Forster transferred as expected." Stephen Forster disappeared into the from Wilton High School North Fork near the Boise County -Val- to New River Academy, a college preparatory school ley County line. His body had not been for whitewater kayaking in recovered as of Wednesday Forster, of Wilton, Conn., was slated Fayetteville, W.Va. to compete at the U.S. Freestyle Kayak On the New River Acad- National Point - Series Championships emy Web site, Forster said he was able to test his Spanish in Cascade this weekend. Forster was ranked 14th in the field of while studying and kayaking about 24 pro men at the last competition in Gunnison, Colo. He was a member of in Chile. "Stephen was always the team for Shred Ready helmets. pushing his limits and was well on his way to becoming The North Fork is rated as a Class 5, which is described as exceedingly diffi- amongthe bestpaddlers any- cult with violent rapids that go on almost where," New River Director Matt Smink said. without interruption. It continues that "But he knew the dan- way from Smiths Ferry to Banks. Forster was kayaking with expert 28- gers. He was aware of how year -old Boise boater Bryan Ward. treacherous that (Payette) River is, and was well- quali- WardtoldtheDaily Wilton newspaper fied to handle it," Smink that Forster was laughing and shouting said. It's just a terrible up until the last moment when he was tragedy." swept into a hole in the water. See KAYAKER, Page 2 _ f � BARKER AT SURF WORLDS Devorl Balker of AIcC: +not" by Chris B'-"h tll is sllo «zl challeliguig t-lie AtNncc Ocean on North C.0 Olin's 011ter B auks (lluulg the recent stut kat ilk 4oild champlollslups Bzu ker placed fotuth in the HP class• the totu-th time she has oracle it to the flnillspt the event. Stuf 1-f -"h'k9 uses speciifflY clewed kayaks to ride a xeaV e in much the same I ar that 11)oard stufer W oUlcl. In colupetition stuff kayo ers zu•e judged on how cIyujuricallh- they ride a wave. cruljlr& slaslulkg, iuld tlu•oitlllg furishiug mores. Outdoors Page The StarNews !yle nationals to rrtnrn to Cascade Judy 7 -8 Kelly's Whitewater Park in Cascade has secured the bid to hold the U.S. Freestyle Kayaking National Championships for a second straight year on July 7 -8. Freestyle involves timed, gymnastic somersaults and spins on the artificial standing waves before a bankside audience. "Everyone on the tour loved our waves last year so that helped a lot," said Devon Barker of McCall, two-time national freestyle champion and director of Kelly's Kayak School of the whitewater park. This year the event will be a stand -alone national championship. In 2011, it was the last event in the point series and overall scores from the tour determined the champions. The total purse of $15,500 will be the largest in freestyle competition this year, more than even the popular events held in Reno and Vail, Barker said. Last year, Eric Jackson won the men's competition, Jackson's daughter, Emily, took the women's and his son, Dane, won the junior men's and canoe classes. S.- file... K.m* enth,m.ts mU ergot a repeat t the U S Nv,shie F:w:rk g Nahowd OmwpoushWsm Jrilv at 1.P YS MO—An, Pmt: Last year's event attracted about 4,000 visitors over its mufti-day run. Page 1 of 1 http: / /www.mccallstamews.com/pages /outdoors _page.php 4/19/2012 Prep Sports Page The StarNews Page 1 of 1 Ilem 6atle W -Nm 6)K)I�Swv)m FWAT MST- Iushvctor Fivd Conell Vpvs a tug of encasageuteut as wewbers of the hf Call - Potwell - High School fieshmeu loss n"d uew waters lemauug to kavA from the shores of McCall's Rotas. Pm�k on Pavette Lake 6mt Fndm- The elms is pait of the auuual ph)wal education wsuix' - MlIculuui cooiduiated by M -P teachaf Kelly O'Connell O'Conell Pictuird in foieground mr Twuin Bwgesou, N vii AfiHei and H.vumh lVdsou. http:// www. mccallstamews .com/pages /prep_schools _page.php 9/20/2012 Star -News News Announcements Page McCall author Ostis wins National Outdoor Book Award BY DAN GALLAGHER for The Star -News Recommendations for training and practice in whitewater safety by McCall author Nate Ostis has earned a 2015 National Outdoor Book Award in the instructional category. The book, "National Outdoor Leadership School River Rescue Guide," picked up the honor for the best in outdoor writing. Ostis is founder of Wilderness Rescue International and teaches swiftwater �" rescue training across the globe for government agencies, rescue crews and . rafting guides. 9 He made the first descent by kayak on a 160 -mile section of difficult whitewater on China's Yalong River for the film "Into the Unknown.' He also is a field instructor for the NOLS program, based in Lander, Wyo., which takes students of all ages on remote wilderness expeditions and teaches them technical outdoor skills, leadership, and environmental ethics. Thsisthecoverofthe book that won Nate Ostis of McCall a Ostis said the award announcement came as an exciting surprise. National Outdoor Book Award. "I woke up and there was an email in my box; he said. "There it was and I thought, 'How about that ?'" The award will further his efforts to help boaters prepare for rivers, which are unforgiving with mistakes, he said. That comes with up- toAate information and regular practice. "The intent is to be more on par with backcountry skiing technology," Ostis said. "There's almost a paranoia to not be up to date with the latest and greatest snow science." Ostis included the insight of whitewater experts such as Les Bechdel of McCall in his book. "We see more incidents in Idaho than almost any other state, largely in part because we're the 'Whitewater State,' wfth over 3,000 whitewater miles," he said. "What we don't have is a collective culture of people being ready." Sponsors of the award include the National Outdoor Book Awards Foundation, Idaho State University and the Association of Outdoor Recreation and Education. Page 1 of 1 http: / /www.mccallstamews .com/pages /announcements _page.php 11/19/2015 25,000 visit kayak park during its first season .'k concert and a volunteer and staff picnic brought the inaugural season for Kelly's Whitewater Park in Cascade to a close last wekend. Almost 25,000 people walked through the gates during the three -month season at Idaho's first white - water park, some from as far away as Australia, said Wayne Brown, the park's interim director. "I talked to a number of people who indicated it was their first time to stop in Cascade," Brown said. "However, one of the most gratifying things to me was when local people would drop by and then come back again and again with their family and friends," he said. See WHITEWATER, Page A-16 Kayakers enjoy the manmade features of Kelly's Whitewater Park during June's grand opening. Park (Continued from Page A -1) Major events during the park's first season included the grand opening on June 14, the Blues Traveler concert in August and the dedication of Kelly's statue and the flag pavilion.