FIBArk, Foldboats and Fifty-Three

As an editor sometimes a delightful occurrence falls into the lap and a connection is made between different people, places and things.  An alignment of planets occurred in the this issue of Carolina Paddler, with no planning on our part.  So, tucked away among some of the stories are references to FIBArk, to foldboats and to the year, 1953.  There are also articles such as a wonderful lesson in paddle blade placement and angle by Larry Ausley and a follow up to Zach Schiada’s popular “Lost Rapids of the Haw.”  Stan Cole reports on the Doug Woodward book, “Wherever Waters Flow”  and I do a report on a delightful novel written long ago for young girls, “White Water.”  Our feature story is “The Duffek Maneuver,” about the man and the maneuver that changed paddling.     –Alton Chewning, Editor, Carolina Paddler

FIBArk

FIBArk stands for “First in Boating the Arkansas” meaning the Arkansas River in Colorado.  The FIBArk whitewater festival, started in 1949, is based in Salida, Colorado.  The first race, “an invitation to death” was a fifty-seven mile run from Salida to Canon City with the finale being the Royal Gorge Canyon, a Class IV section with mile-long standing waves.  On that first race day the river was five or six feet above normal level.  Twenty-three entrants participated.  One paddler won First place, no second or third place awards were given because only one boat made it to the finish line.  Thus began the oldest whitewater festival in the United States.

The first race had a motley collection of boats and rafts but soon the serious contenders were paddling the state-of-the-art “foldboats,” wood-framed, canvas-covered vessels modeled after Innuit kayaks.  Foldboats-see below-had proven them selves capable in European racing.  They were low, fast, relatively durable and easy to transport.  Still, a crash into a rock could be a boat-destroying event.

In 1953, the first slalom race in North America was held as part of the FIBArk Salida competition.  Racers flocked to the event from all over the world.  A special train brought people from Denver to the small town of Salida and an estimated 10,000 people lined the banks of the Arkansas.  FIBArk continues through the present day with various events and festivities accompanying the river racing.

Foldboats

Foldboats were the first white water boats.  Inspired by kayaks used by Innuit and Aleut people for thousands of years, Germans builders replaced the original skin and bone materials with wood and canvas.  The canvas was often impregnated with wax and other substances to make it more durable and waterproof.  By the late 1800’s Northern Europeans were running Alpine rivers and a new sport was born.

I have a special affinity for foldboats.  Inspired by “The Happy Isles of Oceana,” Paul Theroux’s account of paddling among all the island groups of the South Pacific, my first kayak was a Folbot Cooper, made in Charleston, SC.  I still have it and another Folbot, a Gremlin.  The Cooper is sixteen and a half feet long, two feet wide, with a black and teal Hypalon skin.  It’s sleek and fast, my best looking boat.  The Gremlin is short and squatty, with a looser, albeit tougher Elavoy skin, and is easier to pack for week long trips.  Flying places is relatively easy with these boats and I’ve taken them on solo multiday trips to Honduras, Montana, Utah, Missouri and elsewhere.  I try to stick to flat water rivers but paddled a section of the Buffalo River in Arkansas with numerous Class II’s with little damage.  Still, I can’t imagine running a Class IV with one but braver people have.  The feel of paddling a foldboat is unlike that of a hard shell vessel.  The boat is supple and fluid, almost alive, and flows over moving water in an organic way.  They can be sleek and nimble but it’s best to avoid sharp rocks and oyster beds.

1953

The year, 1953, figures prominently in this issue of Carolina Paddler.  It wasn’t by design.  In the article on Milo Duffek, we learn 1953 was the year when he rose to international fame and introduced the world to a revolutionary paddling technique, the Duffek.

Also in 1953, as mentioned above, the first slalom race in North America took place on the Arkansas River near Salida, Colorado.

One of the books featured in our Water Words reports is “White Water,” a novel published in 1953, as part of a popular series of books for young girls.  The book was written, after much research, by Vivien Breck and follows a young protagonist as she recovers mentally and physically from a skiing accident and finds a new sport, foldboating.  Excelling at her new found love, she dreams of competing in the biggest of races; you guessed it, the Arkansas race at Salida. First, she and her friends take a trip down the Green River through the fabled Gates of Lodore.