Newsletter of The Bluegrass Wildwater Association January/Februaryr 2005

In This Issue: Up-date From Film Festival Coordinator: Dave MargavageAt this NPFF! Bubba: “There is a Place for Everyone”BWA Roll Sessions: A Short History Thoughts on Survival GearPlaydini I-II Stories of a Rodeo Legend

Up-date From Film FestivalCoordinator: Dave Margavage

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Rivers In Canada, Russia, Italy, Norway,New Zealand, Ethiopia, Corisca, Uganda,

And Yes, The USA At This NPFF!

The National Paddling Film Festival is an visual appre-ciation of human powered watersport. This annualevent and gathering in Lexington, Kentucky is a judgedcompetition of amateur and professional paddlesportimage artists submitting entries of film, video and digitalimages.

For over 22 years the NPFF has brought together pad-dling enthusiasts from across the country and the worldto share their talents and paddling experiences plushelp generate fun and funds for waterway conservationand river causes.

In 2005, thanks to the great support of contributing pad-dlesport image artists from across the globe, volun-teers of the Bluegrass Wildwater Association are proudto present an amazing competition of videos from ama-

Our 23rd year supporting river conservation is off to abig start. We want to get you an up-date for Christmassince everyone is sitting around at Grandma’s for theHolidays…

The past few years you have seen some big changeswith the NPFF. But one thing has not changed, ourcommitment to river conservation. Last year theNPFF donated it’s proceeds to American Whitewater,American Canoe Association, Chattooga Conservancyand West Virginia Rivers Coalition. This year we arelooking to include Chris Spelius’ support of “FutaFriends” for the Futaleufu River, Chili and “RiversFoundation” and their work on the Magpie river inNorthern Quebec. In fact, we are expecting a filmabout the Magpie! The film follows a group of 20 pad-dlers, which includes such notables as Steve Fisher,

Cintinued on pg. 4

Special Film Festival Issue!

Bowlines is the Newsletter of the Bluegrass WildwaterAssociation, POB 4231, Lexington Ky, 40544

Club Officers 2003-2004Join in on the Fun!

BWA website: www.surfbwa.orgJoin the BWA! BWA Membership $20/individual; $25/Family year entitlesyou to receive the newsletter,10% discounts at many local and out ofstate outfitter shops, use of club equipment, discount at pool rolling ses-sions, a listing in the BWA Handbook, a stream gauge guide, and website with a listserve for member’s messages.Meetings are held at 7:30, the second Tuesday of each month atlocation announced on our website.

Submission of Newsletters articles preferred on CD, Zip or floppy disk (Mac orPC) or typed. Pictures can be digital or ready to be scanned. Please includedstamped envelope for return. Preferred method: Files can also be e-mailed to:TMiller732@aol.com

President Jason Bailey 859-278-0764Vice-President Phillip Sisk 859-231-6565Treasurer Pam Ward 859-312-5244Secretary Kelly Glasser 859-312-2031Safety Dave Thomas 859-243-0633Program Dale Perry 859-489-5334Newsletter Tim Miller 859-879-8012Cyber Communications Don Spangler 859-277-7314Conservation Larry Cable 859-744-5930Film Festival Coordinator Dave Margavage 502-876-0468Russell Fork River FestivalCoordinator John Foy 859-296-4967Equipment Coordinator Parker Art 859-271-0105At-Large Member: Chris Howard 859-254-9803Membership Coordinator Dustin Anderson 859-225-7915Wildwater Cats Rep. Brad Monton 859-225-8430Past President Dave Reed 859-527-5898

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school in the World. A member of the U.S. WhitewaterTeam almost every year since 1977, Kent posted sev-eral top 7 finishes in World Championships and wastwice World Champion in C-1 slalom team. He workedas the public address announcer at the last threeOlympics and several World Championships. Kent hasworked as an assistant coach for the WhitewaterSlalom World Championships and as head Coach forthe US Junior Team. Kent is the technical producer offourteen instructional books and videos known world-wide as the best instructional videos in outdoor sports.These include: Whitewater Self Defense, TheKayaker's Edge, Solo Playboating!, Performance SeaKayaking, and Performance Mountain Biking. A veteranof over 330 rivers in 27 countries, Kent has been amember of expeditions to the Soviet Union, CostaRica, Turkey, and Mexico.

Even if your not a film maker you can be a part of thefestival by entering the “Still Image” Photo Contest.

Still Imagesentries will beposted on theNPFF Website. Duringthis time youcan vote foryour favoritethroughFebruary 18,2005. The top10 imagesreceiving themost votes will

be shown at the NPFF Saturday February 26, 2005.You will cast the final votes at the festival and the win-ner announced at the Awards Party. The winningImage will also be used in future NPFF ads and promo-tional materials!

Then there is the Presenters Party, the World famousNPFF Silent Auction and the AWARDS PARTY! Cometo the Awards party and jam with this year’s musicalguest “Born Cross-eyed!”

And for the first time the Festival and the Awards partywill all happen at the same location, the LEXINGTONCONVENTION CENTER! Right in the heart of down-town Lexington, Kentucky! Unlike years past, the filmswill begin in the afternoon and will run into the eveningfollowed by the Awards. We will be posting the finalschedule of films and their times on January 29, 2005.

For you “up-and-coming” film makers be looking for

At This NPFF, !Continued from page 4

announcements for this year’s film making seminar tobe held Friday afternoon. Arrangements are being madewith several talented professionals that will cover topicsranging from software, editing to the new high-rez cam-eras. Space will be limited so stay tuned… Visit ourweb site surfbwa.org/npff for more information.

We hope you will support river conservation by enteringand or attending the show February 25 & 26, 2005.

Roll ’em!

David MargavageNPFF Director

BWA’s Dave Alnutt ’s 2004 winning photo. These isstilll time to enter your photo, Deadline is February18, 2005-go to www.surfbwa.org/npff/enter.html

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Dave Margavage: Continued from pg. 1

Continued on pg. 2

Tyler Curtis, Brendan Mark and the Hitchins brothersdown the Magpie river.

Which leads us to this year’s film entries! Some famil-iar faces are back again. 2003 Paddlers ChoiceWinner Olaf Obsommer from Nussdorf, Germany hassubmitted two films this year!

We have some very interesting new film makers partici-pating. From Milano, Italy, Vittorio Pongolini and hisentry, KAYAKING – Where the days start. Vittorio isalso the director of Italian version of the NPFF. Wehave a film by Becky Bristow. Becky has paddled asan athlete in several extreme kayaking films stepsbehind the camera for her first time to document heroffbeat adventures in Russia in her film “The RussianWave.”

We are thrilled to have so many entries, There is some-thing for everyone. Here is the synopsis of someentries.

From Burnaby, Canada, Carey Robson, The 1859Brunette Survey: Six Members of the Royal EngineersHistorical Re-enactment Society retrace the route of theoriginal 1859 River Survey.

Milano, Italy, Vittorio Pongolini, "KAYAKING - Where thedays start: An international group of canoeists (kayak-ers) run some of New Zealand West Coast rivers likethe Waicoa, Karamea and the Mokihimui rivers. Theyrun several of the rivers on the same day others runsrequire food and sleeping bag and nothing else...

From Eugene, OR., Trip Jennings, LVM- Bigger thenRodeo: The Biggest and best new school freestyle andcreekin’ - includes Ed Lucero's 105 foot waterfall run!

From Avon, CO., Matt Solomon, Liquid Discipline 1:This film explores the trials and tribulation of a commer-cial outfitter, not know for its carnage, during the 2004Gauley Season. Many companies purposefully seekout flips and swimmers, this company prides itself fortaking people rafting, not swimming' - accidents DO andWILL happen. Cameos of guides "off-duty" doing res-cues also included. Enjoy the show. Note: All footagetaken from raw tapes of actual commercial trips. Mostcameras used were Hi-8 that adds an "aged" look tothis film.

From Canmore, Canada, Becky Bristow, A RussianWave: Two expedition whitewater kayakers, BeckyBristow and Dunbar Hardly, were hired by the RussianGovernment to assess white water rivers and tourism

potential in Northeastern Russia. Upon their arrival inRussia, all indications were that they were in for anincredible adventure, but a much different on e thanthey were hired for. They soon realized that theRussians understanding of whitewater was completelydifferent than theirs. A Russian Wave is a humorouslook at dashed expectations, adventure and cultural dif-ferences.

From Nussdorf, Germany, Olaf Obsommer, SICK-LINE3: Sick Line combines different people from differ-ent countries doing all the same: searching the SickLine! Explore new rivers like the upper Sorba in Italy orthe Tysselva in Norway with Arnd Schaftlein, FrancescoSalvato and Corran Addison. Follow Kiwi Ben Brown toNew Zealand and the English Deb Pinneger andCheesy Robertson on a road trip through severalevents in Europe. See the Whitewater Warriors Abbottand Allard getting big air on rocky slides andJapeneese Motoko Ishida fighting with big waterfalls!

And “STIKINE:” The first European team to descend theGRAND CANYON of the STIKINE. Markus Kratzer, OlliGrau, Michael Neumann and Olaf Obsommer completean exciting adventure to the STIKINE from source tosea. This is one of the hardest river runs on Earth!Great scenery, lots of humor and edge-of your-seataction. This Award-winning STIKINE film by OlafObsommer provides an exciting look into the wonderfulworld of kayaking and winner of the Golden Paddle atthe 7.european kayak film festival in Rosenheim,Germany.

These are but a few of the films that will be entering the2005 event. Last year we had over 40 films! Rumorhas it 3-time Paddlers Choice winner Rick Gusic, 2-timePaddler Choice winner, Milt Atkin and 2-time ProInstructional winner Ken Whiting are all planning onentering films this year!

Have you heard? This year’s guest host is Kent Ford!Let me share a little back ground on Kent Ford.

Kent Ford's highly acclaimed books, videos and instruc-tion have made him one of the most recognized pad-dlers in whitewater sport worldwide. Kent's uniquebackground includes twenty years of internationalwhitewater racing and coaching, combined with similarexperience teaching recreational boating to all levels ofpaddlers. His sixteen videos and books on paddlesportshave influenced the education of half a million paddlers.Kent's paddling resume includes ten years as aninstructor and several as manager for the NantahalaOutdoor Center, which is the largest canoe/kayak

teur, accomplished and professional competitors show-ing rivers from all over the USA and the wrold. Readmore about this years astounding line of below!

T h i s Ye a r s E n t r i e s

KAYAKING - Where The Days Start

An international group of canoeists (kayakers) run some of New ZealandWest Coast rivers. They will expore some of the most well known riverslike the Waicoa, Karamea and the Mokihimui rivers. They run some of therivers on the same day others require food, sleeping bag and nothingelse...Accomplished - DocumentaryVittorio PongoliniMilano, Italy

The Search III: A Paddlesurf Documentary

"The price of failure is extreme…” IN 2004 a group of top paddlesurfersfrom California traveled to Indonesia to tackle some of the most danger-ous waves in the world. This video documents the adventure andexplores the reasons these surfers choose to battle the surf in theirkayaks. This documentary also explores design and the evolution of theunique extreme sport of surf kayaking as well as the amazing people ofIndonesia. Submitted only days after thousands ofIndonesian people lost their livesin the devastating tsunami nDecember 2004; our hearts andprayers go out to all the peopleimpacted by the horrible tragedy.Accomplished - DocumentaryVince ShayShell Beach,California

The Grand Canyon

Yes. Another 'Grand Canyon' at thefilm festival. Something some mightsay is as needed as another play-boater on the Ocoee. Despite theabundance of these videos in thepast, this entry forges ahead with asomewhat different look at theCanyon. It blends in past history with apresent day trip. It provides a nice mix-ture of education, part video guide, andpresents a nice 'feel' for what's involvedin one of paddling's greatest adven-tures.Accomplished - DocumentaryRick GusicPittsburgh,Pennsylvania

PDX Kayaker 004 SwimAnother Day

PDXKayler '04 is the 4th in a series ofPortland, Orgon local kayak videos. Thisyear's video features some Travel,Playboating, Waterfalls, First dicents, andmovie spoofs with a Portland flavor.Chuck B.TaylorAccomplished - Documentary

Freestyle Trilogy: the art ofKayaking

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Freestyle Trilogy" explores kayaking as a art form, though a series of con-ceptual poetry and images provided by WaterMaps.info.Accomplished - General BoatingAndrea DeskyAshville, North Carolina

Cold Summer

Cold Summer is one mans journey through the summer of 2004. VewdaProduction takes you on a trip to Montreal, West Virgina & all overColorado. Enjoy.Accomplished-General BoatingDan PianoSteamboat Springs, Colorado

Tales of Tallulah

A compilation of the best (and the worst) of the seven years since Tallulahwas opened by American Whitewater for whitewater boating. An interviewwith Dane & Eric Jackson at Oceana, a study of the carnage produced byThe Thing, and some awesome raft wipeouts are all here.Accomplished-General BoatingMilt AitkenMarietta, Georgia

A Russian Wave

Two expedition white water kayakers, BeckyBristow and Dunbar Hardy, were hired bythe Russian Government to assess white-water rivers and tourism potential inNortheastern Russia. Upon their arrival inRussia, all indications were that they werein for an incredible adventure, but a muchdifferent on e than they were hired for.They soon realized that the Russiansunderstanding of whitewater was com-pletely different than theirs. A RussianWave is a humorous look at dashedexpectations, adventure and cultural dif-ferences.Amateur-DocumentaryBecky BristowCanmore,Canada

White Granite

White Granite is a short documentary ofour trip down the memorizing MiddleFork of the Feather, California.Amateur-General BoatingNick BarronKnoxville,TN

Gravity

Winner of the Tallulah film festival.Gravity is a composition of somesoutheastern classics such as theGreen River Narrows, North Fork ofthe French Broad, Overflow andTallulah rivers. It also containsfootage of the Moose in UpstateNew York, and various runs aroundColorado including Oh-Be-Joyful.Amateur-General Boating

Chris GormanAlpharetta,Georgia

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Hell or High Water

Hell or High Water is an incredible adventure on some of the best riversin the northeast and Canada.Amateur - General boatingJames CapozziAlendale, New Jersey

An Upper Yough Story

"What is the Upper Yough River like"? Asked by my friend Jim before Itook him down for the first time. Watch this video and see what rapidsawait as well as what others think it's like.Amateur-General BoatingPaul LangeWaterford,Michigan

Liquid Winter

Liquid Winter shows off the tremendous winter kayaking opportunities inWest Virginia and Western Maryland. Liquid Winter offers big timefootage of the New River Dries at over 60,000cfs, as well as, the lowerMeadow, Big Sandy Creek, Top Youghiogheny, Upper Glade Creek, andsome Shredder carnage on the Cheat Canyon that should not be missed!Amateur-General BoatingDan FowlerParkersburg, West Virginia

Flush'D

In this battle of man versus plastic a handful of local northeast paddlerstake on some not-always-so-deep, but steep tributaries of the Delawareand Hudson Rivers.Amateur-General BoatingSpencer LincolnTivoli,New York

Sickline3

Whitewater kayaking - one of the most fluid and thrilling outdoor sportstoday: movement, speed, thrill. It's a lifestyle, a never-ending expeditionthrough a world of water. Jens Klatt and Olaf Obsommer hooked up withsome of the worlds sickest kayaking athletes - and banned it all on tape.SICKLINE 3: Sick Line combines different people from different countriesdoing all the same: searching the Sick Line! Explore new rivers like theupper Sorba in Italy or the Tysselva in Norway with Arnd Schaftlein,Francesco Salvato and Corran Addison. Follow Kiwi Ben Brown to NewZealand and the English Deb Pinneger and Cheesy Robertson on a road-trip through severaal events in Europe. See the Whitewater WarriorsAbbott and Allard getting big air on rocky slides and Japeneese MotokoIshida fighting with big waterfalls!Professional-General BoatingOlaf ObsommerNussdorf am Inn, Germany

The River Runner's Edge

This energizing instructional masterpiece unlocks the secrets of compe-tent river runners: Water reading, strategies, strokes, maneuvers, andbasic playboating. All are presented in a manner that demystifies andenlightens. Novice and experienced kayakers alike will profit from thisupbeat production designed to set your foundation right! (edited for theNPFF to 15min Actual length 110 min.)Professional-InstructionalJohn DavisSacramento, California

The Ultimate Guide to Sea Kayaking

A four part video by world champion Ken Whiting and expert sea kayaker,Alex Matthews which provides both new and experienced paddlers with

the knowledge and skills necessary to safely and comfortably enjoy seakayaking.Professional-InstructionalKen WhitingBeachburg, Canada

Twitch V

Twitch Paddlers Tao Berman and Josh Bechtel team up with NO BigNames' Ben Stookesberry and Eric Seymour to run first descents inWashington, Idaho, Alaska, British Columbia & Argentina.Professional-General BoatingEric LinkLevenworth, Washington

Long Live A Free Magpie

In 2004 a Quebec dam producer slipped through a loophole in Quebeclegislature and set to work on plans to dam the Magpie River in NorthernQuebec. A handful of whitewater leaders got wind of the plan and joinedforces to put an end to the plans. Join a hand full of the top paddlers inthe world including legendary Steve Fisher, World Champ Brendan Mark,National Champions Tyler Curtis, Chris McDermott, Vincent Dupont andinternational paddling stars as they make their way down the endangeredMagpie. Visit this new exciting paddling destination for the first time andmeet each of these stars as they let their voices be heard against thedamming of a top multi-day whitewater gem!Professional-DocumentaryJames Mcbeath and Lisa UtrenkiAlmont, Canada

Hypoxia 2

A whitewater kayaking film by Irish Kayakers Rob Coffey & Nick Doran,Featuring the Baaletiari River, Jean, The Blue Nile, Ethiopia, Italy,Corisca, Uganda, British Columbia and Norway.Professional-General BoatingRob CoffeyDublin,Ireland

Extreme Kayaking

CBC Producer Ben Aylesworth takes a look at white-water kayakers dur-ing the Moose River Festival in New York.Professional - documentaryBen AylesworthToronto, Canada

For complete and timely information on the NPFF:

http://www.surfbwa.org/npff

Schedule of 2005 NPFF Events:Friday Feb.25,2005

* Final Cut Express HD Seminar Presented by Apple Computer:UK Nursing Bldg., 1pm-3pm

* Presenter's Party:Boone Creek Lodge, 7pm-12am

Saturday Feb.26, 2005

* NPFF CompetitionGuest Speaker: Kent FordLexington Convention Center,Noon-9pm

* Party & Awards CeremonyLexington Convention Center,9pm - 1am

The new year brings another BWA clinic. 2005 Clinicapplications will be available at the roll sessions or atwww.surfbwa.org/html/events_clinicN.html. Spots fillfast. Clinic dates are April 23-24, 2005. The fee is $80before March 25 ($20 late fee) and includes camping,three meals, two days of top notch instruction, a 1year BWA membership, and loads of fun. If you don'tneed instruction then plan on volunteering. There's aplace for everyone.

Bubba

Bubba: “There is a Place forEveryone” at this years Clinic

General Clinic InformationAny updated information about the clinic will be posted at

www.surfbwa.org

Clinic Dates and LogisticsThe clinic will be held on April 23th &24th, 2005 at the Emory-Obed River. Thelocation for camping will be on the EmoryRiver at Nemo Bridge outside Wartburg,Tennessee. Clinic participants areresponsible for their own transportationto and from the camping site. Thoseneeding directions or assistance in trans-portation should contact Phil Sisk at thephone numbers listed on the applicationform. Transportation from the campingsite to the river will be by private vehicle.We will coordinate shuttles for the tripfrom the campsite to the river.

What is provided?All camping fees were included in the price of the clinic.Saturday breakfast, Saturday supper, and Sunday breakfastwill be provided. You will need to bring food that you can carryon the river with you for lunch on Saturday and Sunday.Tupperware or similar containers are recommended (No glasscontainers please). If car-pooling, which we strongly urgebecause of limited space for cars , you will want to stop to eaton the way down on Friday night and on the way homeSunday night. So bring some cash. Fill your gas tank and getice before leaving Wartburg Friday night to go to camp. Therewill not be time to return to town for anything during the clinic.

What Do I Need to Bring?

Camping: Tent, tarp, sleeping bag, ground cover, water,snacks for the river, etc.Boating: You should either have your own equipment, rentthe gear, or list items needed on the application form for BWAto lend items that you need. All paddlers must have the equip-ment listed below.Boat: The boat will need to be designed for whitewater recre-ational use.Paddle: Check length for comfort and fit as well as correcttype for whitewater.

Life jacket: Coast Guard approved Type III or Type V. Do notuse kapok horse collar or Mae West type vests.Helmet:: Mandatory for boaters. Bicycle helmets are notgood because they are designed for a different type of impactscenario.Spray skirt:: if you are borrowing or renting equipment,check to make sure that it fits both you and the cockpit of theboat before you get to the put in.Clothing: DO NOT bring cotton clothing of any type! In theevent of a roll or swim, cotton soaks up water and keeps it in.Cotton clothing insures that you will sink, freeze, etc. Be pre-pared, past clinics have been conducted in conditions from75 degrees and sunny to near blizzards. Watch the weatherforecast and prepare as needed. Regardless, the water willstill be chilly. Wetsuits are great, unfortunately that will not beissued with the gear borrowed from the BWA. If you don'thave or can't borrow a wet suit, pile garments, polypropyleneundies, and wool will do. The important properties are thatthe material wicks water away from your body and providesinsulation when wet. If possible bring enough so that you canhave a couple layers of under garments, so you can adjust

for the weather. Wear some typeof waterproof shell over theabove-mentioned garments, atleast for the upper half of yourbody. Tennis shoes will be ade-quate for open boaters, kayakersand C-boaters need to be surethat their footwear will facilitate atimely exit from an upside downcraft. Cheap knock-offs at a dis-count store is fine.

What to Expect:

Expect to have FUN! We will bepaddling the Emory/Obed and possibly the Big South Forkrivers. These streams on the Cumberland Plateau inNorthern Tennessee contain some of the most magnificentscenery in the Eastern United States. If you do not feel com-fortable with a section of the river, you will be allowed to optout. If you have questions on or off the river, ask!

Camping is done in a primitive setting near Nemo rapid. Atnight you can hear the sounds of the rapids as you go tosleep. Nemo Campground is both a put-in and a take out,depending on where your instruction takes place. Space ittight, but somehow everyone finds a place for pitching a tent.The Club puts up a huge tarp in case of damp weather andthat is also where the kitchen goes! Most years we have bothgood weather and good water lev-els... but it has been knowto be rainy and cool for the clinic. So come prepared!Facilities are limited to porta-potties.The club brings in barrelsof drinking water, lots of food, and all the equipment need forthe weekend of learning and fun! That is no small task...mostyears that means taking care of the needs of over 100 stu-dents, instructors, and support people.Once off the river,there will be tons of other activities from getting to knowmembers (or hopefully soon-to-be members) of the BWA todrum circles!

There has been a lot of talk on Boater Talk andAmerican Whitewater lately about what to take assurvival gear for winter paddling trips. while I don'tprofess to be an expert, I've spent my fair share oftime sleeping out rolled up in my poncho, so let megive you some of my lessons learned.

What is Wilderness Survival? At the basic level, it'skeeping the body within an acceptable temperaturerange, reasonably hydrated and with enough fuel toadequetely support normal body functions. It impor-tant to understand what body functions take priorityand address those issues.

Simply put, you will die of hypothermia/exposurebefore you die of thirst, you will die of thirst beforeyou starve to death. The military survival courses(and the Boy Scouts) give ther priority of work asfirst aid (they are assuming an aircraft crash), shel-ter/protecton from environement, water and thenfood. From a boater's point of view and the timeframe that we are talking about, only the first threereally effect us, particularly shelter/protection fromthe environment and water. Lets take a look at theseindividually.

When we talk about shelter/protection from environ-ment, what we are really trying to prevent ishypothermia. So how does the body lose heat? Thebasic mechanisms of heat lose are conduction,evaporation, convection and radiation. So how do weprevent and/or slow these processes? The first andmost important step is to dress for the environment.For winter and early spring boaters, in my opinion, aminumum level of dress should be drytop, layered

pile/poly, neoprene or fuzzy rubber pants, anddecent shoes. A farmer john isunder the drytop is better, a drysuitis even better and agoretex/breathable drysuit is ideal.Remember that drysuits do notinsulate, so wear the proper layersunder it. If you can't wear shoes inyour boat, get a different boat forwinter creeking. Carry a helmet linerand a spare pair of pile of poly glove,you lose a lot of heat throught yourhead and hands. As a side note, if

you are hiking, carry a full rain suit, apile or wool hat and a pair of gloves.

I carry water pirifications tablets with me on rivertrips. While you can probably survive for severaldays without water, especially in the southeast,dehydrations effects preformance fairly quickly andmakes you a lot more likely to become hypother-mic,so water becomes a survival issue a lot soonthat most people realize. Take the tablets along andstay hydrated. A good alternative is a water bottlewith the built in filter. Then all you need to do isscoop and drink. Be aware that silty water with cloga filter in a heartbeat, as will high tannin levels. Iwould still carry the tablets as a backup even withone of these units. Pur makes a chlorine basedtablet if you are sensitive to iodine.

So what do I carry in my survival kit? A survival blan-ket called a "heat sheet", LED flashlight, butanelighter, 2 "Wetfire" firestarters, a candle, water purifi-cation tablets (Potable Aqua), a small tube of sun-screen/bug repellant (this isn't a critical item in thewinter, but I leave it in there anyway, a Fox whistle, asmall compass, a piece of aluminum foil (wrappedaround the candle), backpackers toilet paper (mysingle concession to civilized standards) and somekind of energy bar. All of this fits into a 32 ozNalgene bottle with a bit of room to spare andweights around a pound. I prefer the "heat sheet" toa "space" blacket because it's a bit larger and theoutside is blaze orange. Any of these aluminizedpoly film blankets to an excellent job of slowing radi-ant heat loss and help with evaporative and convec-tive heat loss by blocking the wind. They do very lit-tle to prevent conductive heat losses, something tokeep in mind if you end up trying to sleep in oneovernight. The "wetfire"tinder blocks are small, burnhot, and will light when wet, and important issue ifyou are trying to start a fire with wet wood. An alter-

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More good advice from Mr. Safety:Larry Cable

Roll, Roll, Roll, Your Boat!

Be ready for the Spring rains!

Don’t miss the Final Roll sessions:February 11, 18

Learn to roll your canoe or kayak!New in the sport and need to learn how to roll your canoe, kayak,or C-1. The Bluegrass Wildwater Association can help you. Eachwinter & summer BWA members volunteer their skills to help pad-dlers lean how to roll their boat when they flip. This is a must learnskill if you paddle whitewater.Everyone is welcome...even if youhave never paddled before. roll sessions are informal with sharedBWA member's boats and equipment available on a first comefirst served basis or for assured equipment bring your own gear.

Cost: 5.00 member,10.00 non-memberUnder 12: 3.00 member, 5.00 non-member

New Time: 7:30-9:30 pm

New Roll Pool Location in February: North Lexington Branch of the YMCA

381 West Loudon Avenue, next to the Health Department & behind Lexmark .

859-258-YMCA (9622).

Remember to wash you boat off before taking it to the pool!

native to these are "esbit" fuel bars. They are smalland will also light when wet, although not as easy asthe former. The candle is a back up, it puts out sur-prising amount of heat if you sit it between you legsand block the wind with the survival blanket. You canactually heat water over it if you have a canteen cup(you can fabricate a cup to heat water with out of thealuminum foil in a pinch). The sound of a Fox whistleis supposed to carry farther than the standard, but thisis something that I haven't tested. The compass Icarry is a small Silva compass that will cIip to a pock-et. I use a Princeton LED flashlight because of thesize, brightness and long battery life. This kit is easyto throw into your butt pack or day pack if you decideto go for a hike too.

I carry a seperate first aid kit in a drybox, although itis easy enough to put these items into a Nalgene bot-tle (the cheapest reliable dry storage). I carry a CPRshield and gloves in the pocket of my PFD, along witha whistle and a knife, my preference is a foldingSpyderco Rescue. I carry a basic pin kit in a seperatesmall drybag (pin kit= 2 prussik loops, 2 carabiners,and 15' tubular webbing) plus a 5/16" spectrathrowrope to complete my basic creeking gear.

A couple of parting thoughts if it comes to the pointthat you are going to have to walk out/spent the nighton the river. Walking out in the dark can be very dan-gerous and it's very easy to get lost if you are not ona clearly defined trail. Find or build some shelter andsettle down for the night and walk out the next day.Be familar with the basic orientation of the area thatyou are paddling, where the roads and access pointsare and how to get to them. If you seperate from therest of the party, they paddle out and you can't, havea plan on where you are going to meet and what thecontingency plan will be if you aren't at the meeting.Learn how to build a fire when the wood is wet (hit:only the outside of the wood is wet generally, shave itoff and burn the dry part. The dead limbs close to thetrunk of standing trees are often dry even after a rain.If you end up sleeping out, try to insulate yourself offof the ground with dry leaves or dry grass, it helpswith conductive heat loss into the ground.

Hope this helps if you ever find yourself in one ofthese situations.

Thanks,Larry Cable

Early members of the BWA quickly realized in the first year ofthe club that they needed a way to learn and practice how toroll their boats. The club was formed in late 1976 and the fol-lowing winter BWA roll Sessions were first mentioned in theNovember ,1977 (Vol. 2, No. I issue of Bowlines. It announced:Roll Sessions- in U.K. indoor pool, will begin sometime in

November and will be held every Sunday morning 8am-12noonthrough the first of March...depending of course on outside envi-ronmental conditions. This is a great time to learn to roll adecked boat or tosharpen up yourabilities for thespring. Askaround SAGE forthe exact dates.

Roll session con-tinued there in thewinter of 1978,but we never gotvery excitedabout the loca-tion. It was hardto find a close place to park, you had to carry your boat throughthe men’s changing room to get it to the pool and the poolwater was always cold (for the racers). A start time of earlySunday morning was a downer for a club that liked to stay uplate on Saturday night and party.

We finally made a move for the winter of 1979 to the Y atCrosskeys. The YWCA had bought the facility from the AquaClub and our move to the Y meant no more early Sundaymorning s in a cold pool. Members could drive up to the backand carry boats through the side door and drop them in thepool. Weeknight sessions also meant that the roll session nolonger interfered with weekend parties or paddling trips.

From the December 1978 (Vol. lll no. I) issue of Bowlines:Rolling at the “Y” !!?

As the temperatures outside decrease, so do the number ofpeople who are calling up every Thursday night want to go on aweekend trip to some remote whitewater stream somewhere. Itis really odd how personalities often change with the outside airtemperature. When it is above about 50 degrees and the BigSouth Fork Gorge is at 3000 cfs, paddlers eyes sparkle andevery one and his dog want to ride with you to the put-in atBurnt Mill bridge. Below that magic temperature however, thesesame conditions will only stimulate these same individuals intodreaming up reasons why they really can’t go this time. Howmany sick aunts can there be at one time??? Cold weatherpaddling can be a lot of fun if you are prepared for it!!!

BWA Roll Sessions: A Short History

For the third year in a row, many of the cold weather refugeesfrom the BWA are find our weekly indoor pool sessions a greatplace to learn to roll a kayak or a C-1, work out on slalom gates,or just keep those delicate muscles from turning soft. The poolsessions are being held every Tuesday evening form9pm-11pmat the YWCA at 1060 Cross Keys Road. After Christmas, wewill probably switching to another night, so check to be sure. Itcosts us $2 a head to rent the pool, so don’t forget to pay andsign-up at the desk.

We are going to be conducting an organized pool slalom oneSunday in February, which should prove to be a lot of fun foreveryone. As soon as we get an exact date and a confirmationform the YWCA, there will be a flyer going out with all the info.

Even if you don’t have any of your own equipment, there isalways enough gear around for everyone to share, so come onout with your kids, spouse, etc, (sorry no dogs!) and learn to rollat the “Y”....which we have dubbed the Young Women’s CanoeAssociation!!!

Now that the YWCA at Gardenside is closing it doors at theend of January the hope is to find a place that has been asgood for us for the future.

Roll sessionsare just onething the BWAhas done topromote riversafety andwater skills. Inthe early eight-ies it held thefirst non-gov-ernment RiverSafetySymposium.

Soon after it started winter roll sessions the BWA started anannual weekend Paddling Clinic for teaching whitewater skills.The club has also co-sponsored members in safety classes,had river safety poster contest via the NPFF, and has a mem-ber who job is safety chairman for the club.

All of these thingshave been possiblebecause memberspass on knowlegethey have learnedfrom earlier mem-bers of the BWA.This tradition andspirit of volun-teerism has made the club a success for many years and youmight say it began with the winter roll sessions.

Don Spangler

The BWA used Memorial Coliseum poolfor the first two years

The BWA has taught hundreds of paddlers howto roll canoes and kayaks at the GardensideYWCA pool over a period of almost 28 years.

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Part I

I first spotted Playdini in an eddy on the UpperTiddy Bu Bu. The Upper Tiddy is a fun but veryremote river in Central Africa. It’s technically aclass 3+ stream with a lot of playing opportunitiesbut has class 6 consequences. If you don’t have adynamite roll you become a dynamite meal for Mr.Croc. That’s if nobody else swims beforeyou............. It’s a good reason to boat with lots offriends or perhaps an enemy or two. With a burst ofspeed and a duffek stroke, I was sitting next to theworlds greatest play boater, Playdini.

I was speechless but managed to blurt out, “What’sthe line?” After describing half a dozen rodeomoves and the obvious route, he explained why hewas alone on this dangerous river. Five boatershad flipped and missed their rolls in “TheGauntlent” where huge crocodiles hang out in adeep but small pool below a 20 foot waterfall. Eventhe great Playdini carried around this drop. Someboaters can’t resist a waterfall no matter the risk.

The last two miles were non-stop with playful

rapids I’ll never forget. Big Tiddy Falls, Cleavageand Tripple Nipple were the highlights. They wereunique but somehow familiar. After being nearlytrampled by a herd of water buffalo at the take out,we were fortunate to find a local club where wedrank monkey beer and ate termite dip. Although,the dip was surprisingly tasty it was expensive.

Of course our conversation turned to boating.Playdini asked me if I had ever boated the sectionabove the Upper Tiddy. “The Top Tiddy? You’vehad to much monkey beer! I thought that was asacred stretch of river.” I shouted incredulously.

“Only to the Bu Tu tribe” Playdini grinned. “Are youup for the greatest ride of your life? The water lev-els perfect! No crocodiles because the gradientstoo steep. Ten miles of class 5 reptile free pad-dling.”

It may be crocodile free but there were rumors of atribe of headhunters still living along that stretch ofriver. I reluctantly declined the offer, drank onemore monkey beer and went to bed dreamingabout my day on the Upper Tiddy and meeting

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Playdini. The next day Playdini was gone! Would Iever see him again? Did I make the biggest mis-take of my life by not doing the Top Tiddy? Littledid I know that I would be meeting Playdini manymore times in very remote locations.

Part II

I was in French Quebec playing pool and beating aboater from Ontario only because he had more todrink than me. We were in a French touristymotel/restaurant thankful to be out of the rain.When he got tired of me beating his skinnyCanadian ass, we ordered dinner and watchedthose sweet French waitresses prancing around.After an hour of drinking, thinking & winking, I waswishing that I had paid more attention in FrenchClass during high school and college.

As usual when two or more boaters get together,the conversation turned to boating. Francoise, thebartender, was giving us free drinks by this timebecause he loved to hear me talk. He thought mysouthern accent was funny. I didn’t care as long asthe drinks were free. When he heard me mentionPlaydini, he informed me that Playdini had beenstaying in the motel for a month and probablywould be eating soon.

In walked Playdini smiling like he had just won arodeo. In fact, he had, but he was still there onlybecause of a local creek that is rarely navigated.The Pudhomme! The locals call it “Le Pud”. It israrely run because it is rarely up. It rises and fallsquickly but can stay up longer if the conditions arejust right, but when it is up it is a ride you willremember for a long time. It is a local favoriteamong women who are lucky enough to hop on it.

Although, it had been months since I met Playdinion the Upper Tiddy, he acted as if it were just yes-terday. He quickly described the Pudhomme as abonified Class 5+ run and said that 12 inches werebeing predicted. He said that when it rains thathard at night, the Pud is always up in the morningwithout fail. I agreed to meet him at 7am for break-fast and had agreed to boat with him. It would bemy first time on “Le Pud”. I felt anxiety as I driftedinto a deep sleep because 12 inches sounded likea lot of rain.

The trail to the put-in was not always obvious but

worth the effort if you took your time and paidattention to the clues. At times you had to bushwhack through tangled vines, briars and the inces-sant horde of black flies and mosquitoes. It wasworth the effort. The trail led to the majestic ViagraFalls. Immediately, testosterone began racingthrough my veins like cheap crack. I wanted tojump into my boat and ride that rapid until I wasspent. However, after closer examination, I beganto feel inadequate. Viagra Falls was no floozy but acomplex high class rapid. The drop may not be aslong as you would like but the moves necessary toreach the bottom safely were many. I just couldn’tblindly hop on and expect to get my way. I knew Ihad to be patient and only go where the water invit-ed me. Only then would I reach that great surfinghole at the bottom nestled between two mossencrusted boulders.

I ran the rapid 5 times and smoked a cigarette forthe first time since high school. I was in love. I hadrun the ultimate rapid and didn’t want to paddle anyfurther. I was content to just run that rapid for therest of my life. It invigorated me. I had felt bloodrush through my body as I penetrated holes andnavigated tight lines hurtling towards that play holeat the bottom. When I dropped into that hole, noth-ing else existed until I exited.

Paydini had to smack me to my senses to get meback on the river. He said he didn’t need me to runthe remaining 12 miles of non-stop class 5+ whitewater, but did want me to photograph him runningStiff Creek Falls, Johnson Falls, Tallywhacker,Salami Rapids, Midnight Dangler, Ramrod Chute,Mighty Joe Young and Chicken Choker. I agreed toget back in my boat only because I didn’t want todisappoint Playdidni again like I did back in Africawhen I had declined an offer to run the Top Tiddy.

My hands shook while putting on my spray skirt.Could I paddle another rapid after Viagra Falls?

To be continued!

The Author of this story is a world class playboy and whitewa-ter enthusiast who wishes to stay anonymous. He has datedclass 6 women from around the world and regularly paddleswomen-I mean whitewater.

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Bluegrass Wildwater AssociationPO Box 4231Lexington, Ky. 40504

BWA Meetings at New Location

BWA meetings are at Sontino's,450 Southland Drive, Lexington,Ky.

Meetings held Second Tuesday ofevery month at 7:30pm

To eat during the meeting come alittle early so you can place yourorder before the meeting starts.

For up-to-date info on meetings always check www.surfbwa.org