Wrestling Water

 

Wrestling Water

Erik Bate, Part One

a Carolina Paddler Article

by Alton Chewning

“The art of living is more like the wrestler’s art than the dancer’s in this regard, that it must stand ready and firm to meet the sudden and unforeseen.”  Marcus Aurelius 

Johnsburg, Illinois is not in the heartland of whitewater paddling.  The Fox River is nearby with a few play spots but mostly it’s flatwater in this suburb of Chicago.

Johnsburg has a little over 6000 inhabitants, mostly of German descent.  It’s a prosperous town and a good place to grow up.

If you’re a big fan of the musician Tom Waits, you might recognize the town’s name.  It’s the homeplace of his longtime collaborator and wife, Kathleen Brennan.  She’s the subject of one Waits song, “Johnsburg, Illinois”;

You see I just
Can’t live without her
And I’m her only boy
And she grew up outside McHenry
In Johnsburg, Illinois

Eric Bate grew up in Johnsburg, along with his brother, Evan.  Their mother, Michelle, is a paddler.  She’s from Pennsylvania and started paddling in college. The Youghiogheny was her home river and is still her favorite. She enjoyed the paddling life and hoped her boys would too.

Erik and Evan came to love kayaking and as Erik progressed, Michelle faced a decision.  Use a sizable portion of the family’s nest egg, along with Eric’s summer earnings. Allow Eric to get on a plane by himself and fly off to Ecuador, spending six weeks running big rivers with a bunch of other kids.  He was fifteen years old, one of the youngest in the group.  They would live in hostels and tents, doing schoolwork in the morning, and kayaking until dark, day after day.  Michelle’s contact with Erik would be minimal but worry and concern would be her frequent companions.

She could have held him close, tell him to paddle the nearby Class I, attend high school with old friends.   She would know where he was every night and not dream of strainers and sieves and later, crocodiles.  Yes, crocodiles.

WOR, a summer camp for paddlers.

Week of Rivers is the signature event of the Carolina Canoe Club.  Starting in the early 1970’s, Week of Rivers has been attracting paddlers annually from the eastern US and beyond for nine days of fellowship and whitewater. The gathering of the tribes.  The Burning Man of the whitewater world. A place where reputations are made, where children grow up safe and free, where even adults become kids for a few days.  Keelhaulers from Ohio associate with Canoe Cruisers from DC.  The Foothills meet the Coastals.  Texans abound, fresh from a short sixteen-hour drive.  People meander in from Washington state, from Colorado, from Ireland.  And from Johnsburg, Illinois.

Michelle knew WOR was a good place to bring her kids.  Expose them to some good rivers and to lots of caring adults who were competent with paddles.  And to other kids, running like reservation dogs about the campground, under the watchful eye of all the adults and no one in particular.  What could go wrong?  More importantly, what could go right?

Erik and brother Evan, two years younger, took to the water. Michelle introduced boating early.  Erik: “She got me in my own kayak at probably 3-4 years old on a local Class I creek.”  Other families also water-fed their children.  The Bates soon met the Markoffs, Sabine and Terry and their three daughters: Annika, Ronja and Lisa.  The kids took to each other and to other families like the Whites and Fridgensens.

First there was the campground creek and later the rivers.  The creek was a magnet to the kids.  A place to play, to get wet and dirty, to invent games and to escape adults.  Or, as Annika Markoff puts it, “we stayed out of their hair.” If not on the creek, then the surrounding woods beckoned or the neighbor’s camps.  There were games to be played and good mischief to be had.

Eric recalled being welcomed by the adults, “To me, every adult felt like, not just another parent, but another person to look up to. Anyone in the community at WOR would literally invite you into their camp or have you over to eat something.  It was such a nice community down there.”

The adults were indulgent but also instructive.  Playing in the creek graduated to playing on rivers.  Rivers like the Tuckasegee and Little Tennessee.  The Pirates of the Tuck event was a sure draw for kids. Youthful war parties roamed the Tuck, packing water guns and a demonic drive to wet everybody in site.  Sometimes a swollen Tuck would precipitate a Pirates of the Campground. No place was safe.

Kid’s Camp was an early draw.

Eric Bate followed a path common to many young paddlers.  His mom brought him to WOR for the first time when he was five.  He paddled the Town Tuck first.  His mom and he would use a dual kayak called a Dynamic Duo to run bigger rapids. Erik remembers paddling a double ducky with his mom over the Nantahala Falls.  He swam often but, “actually thought it was fun.” By age six, Erik was on the Tuck Gorge in his own boat.  Soon he was doing the Nantahala except for the Falls.

The Markoff girls were attending Kids Camp at this point. The camp, sponsored by Endless River Adventures, ran a special program for kids during the WOR.  Led by Juliet Jacobsen Kastorff, the camp ran multi-day clinics for beginners, intermediates and advanced. Lisa Markoff shared, “The spirit at Kid’s Camp was the same as WOR; it was so much fun.  Every single year, half the kids are new, half repeats. “Hey I know you.”  Everyone was like helping each other out, “Can I hold your boat for a hip snap?”  Helping rescue other people.  I’m sure we got in each other’s way but it was really fun.”

The kids learned quickly and benefitted from the skills developed under Juliet’s patient hand.  She kept the experience warm and involving for everyone, but she also assessed the keener paddlers, the ones who wanted to go further.  Annika Markoff and Erik, four years younger, were among the few kids advancing to the more difficult levels.

“Gandolf was noteworthy for his interest in Hobbits.” 

Erik, the neophyte, would meet, Dennis Huntley—Gandolf, the apotheosis of paddling. Huntley had performed magic for years in a canoe or a kayak. A legendary first descent of Linville, 22 miles of uncharted Class V, sieve-filled, drop-drenched, plummeting water, requiring several miles of near vertical bush whacking just to get to the put in.  Gandolf, one of the few paddlers to run the Green Narrows in kayak, OC1 and open canoe.  Gandolf, the Wizard of Wilson.  Erik was touching the sky.

Erik’s progress had a lot to do with Dennis Huntley.  Dennis and his wife, Ginny, had a cabin near the Bates, both families occupying the same sites at Smoky Mountain Meadows year after year. The Huntleys were known to take an interest in young people. Ginny was an elementary school teacher and Dennis a guidance counselor.  Dennis was a legend in Carolina paddling lore.  Enough to earn a nickname. Gandolf, the wizard. The legend wasn’t just about his own prodigious skills.

Always eager to develop new paddlers. Huntley took Erik and Annika under his wing and began transporting them to bigger waters.  Erik recalls, “By 8 years old, I got on the Little River of the Smokies for the first time. He took me down the Middle Tellico for the first time.  The Tellico Ledges, Middle Ocoee, Upper Ocoee, Upper Nantahala, Snowbird Creek, Santeelah Creek.

Dennis has been the biggest mentor for me since I started paddling.  He was the one, besides ERA Kids Camp, who taught me to paddle.  Him and Ginny, I’ve grown up with them as paddling grandparents.  Hearing stories, getting advice. Everything.”

Erik tells a story about Dennis and the Middle (Earth) Tellico.  “So, one day at morning meeting at WOR, there is no water.  Ocoee is not releasing; Tuck is not releasing.  Nantahala is it and we’ve been on it all week.  So, Dennis looks at the weather, no rain in forecast.  He says I got a feeling the Tellico might pop in and he would take a small group over there. Said there is a 90 percent chance we’ll get skunked but he’s willing to take the risk. About ten people went with him.  Got there and no water. Dennis says, “Let’s give it about 25 minutes.”  He walks down to the water, puts his hand in it and over the next thirty minutes, with no rain nearby, it raised nine inches. We did laps and laps on the Ledges and Middle. That experience did make me question whether he was really Gandolf.”

Dennis could be demanding.  Annika and Erik were of comparable skills.  Dennis was taking them out regularly, introducing them to bigger water. One day he led them on their first trip down the Upper Ocoee.  Annika was 15, Erik was 12.  They tell the story, one of their favorites:

Erik:  “So we get to Alien Boof, We look at it, scout it.”  Dennis goes down to meet them at the bottom.

Annika:  “Erik and I spent a long time looking at it.  I think Dennis was getting impatient.”

Annika ran Alien first.  “It wasn’t good…“

Erik was next, “I get into my boat and go off and I plug it and flip. I rolled but he’s standing on the rock there and he tells me to come over to him.”  Dennis has already called over Annika.

Erik:  “Dennis grabs the front of my boat and pulls me up, catches my eye and quote for quote, tells me, “Get your asses back up there and do it again.”

And so they did. Was the second time good enough? Annika admitted, “Not good enough for Dennis, had to do it a third time.”

There is more to the “Gandolf and the Alien Boof” story.  Dennis works with generations, sometimes teaching the kids of kids he taught before.  In this case, it’s the younger siblings.

Lias Markoff, “Last summer, Evan and I did Upper Ocoee.  It was so much fun. Of course, we were with Dennis Huntley who helped us so much.

At Alien Boof, Dennis told us, ‘if you do this poorly, you’ll have to carry back up and do it again.’   Annika and Erik had told us their stories.  Evan and I boofed it and got the Dennis approval, Thumbs Up.”

Does this mean Evan and Lisa are better paddlers?  Lisa demurred, “Uh…, you know what, your words, not mine.”

Despite their troubles at Alien Boof, Annika and Erik continued to progress.  Annika: “Dennis took Erik and I on the Middle Ocoee one time.  It was really, really high.  Not many people were on it. The whole run took 15 minutes.“  Erik muses, “Dennis has always been like a grandfather to me.  I’ve always looked up to him.”

The Elven Queen

Huntley was not the only influence on Erik.  Other adults shared their time and skills.  Erik learned from paddling with other kids, like Lisa and Annika.  His time at Kid’s Camp was profound, such as perfecting his roll.  Juliet Kastorff is known as a high priestess of the roll. If Huntley is Gandolf. Juliet is Galadriel. Their styles differ but each is effective.

Juliet is valued for her warmth and enthusiasm. Annika: “I think Juliet is responsible for me and my sister both loving whitewater kayaking. A large part of that was Juliet. Getting kids on the water together, being patient with everyone.  Everyone has a fun time, building good memories.“  Lisa agrees but adds, “It isn’t Juliet is not encouraging. When it’s like… you need to get over this, and run this rapid, she’ll let you know.  She knows the happy medium,”

Erik balances it this way, “Juliet definitely helped me, mainly with my roll and getting more confidence on the water.  Dennis has always been very… “tough-loving” is a good way to put it.  His is more straightforward. He points out a lot of little things as well, as does Juliet, but he’s more one-on-one instruction. Juliet’s was more of a camp feel. Juliet is more about building you up in stages, going one by one—going to the lake, going to the river, whereas Dennis would take you down the river and critique. Different little things and test you more than ERA would.”

“I credit it 50/50 between Juliet and Dennis in my development. Before I got to World Class Academy.”

Michelle

Evan and Erik were raised largely by their mom, Michelle.  Michelle is described by many people as being an excellent mother.  Ronja Markoff says simply, “Probably the best mom I know.”  Lisa adds, “Michelle is always there for her kids, encourages whatever they want to do, anything outdoors. It’s testament to her, how much energy she puts into raising her kids.”  Ronja says, “This job might be easier if the boys were more sedate but,” she adds, “Erik and Evan are crazy–very fearless.  Always been that way.”  Michelle must balance allowing her boys freedom and protecting them, letting them be active and expressive but not letting them be self-absorbed or “spoiled.”  Again, Ronja pipes in, “They are so well trained.  If they are loud or obnoxious in any way, Michelle would say, ‘Boys quieten down.’ And they would.”  On top of this they were thoughtful and courteous. “They would help everyone.”

Part of the Family

One story lends insight into Erik’s behavior.  The Bate and Markoff families would get together a couple of times a year outside of WOR.  Considering the Markoffs live in Ohio and the Bates in Illinois, it involved some planning and travel.  Once the Bates came to Cleveland during the summer to visit the Markoffs.  When it was time to return home, Erik asked if he could stay longer. The Markoffs said “sure” and Erik stayed another two weeks, going to work with Terry, the dad, helping around the house, being more than a good visitor, being a part of the family.

 

“Erik likes to do stupid things.” 

Erik is spirited, a bit of a show-off.  Annika points out, “Erik likes to do stupid things so that people can watch him do stupid things.  That’s my impression.“ Ronja offers, “He’s definitely a little court jester. Once in eighth grade he got stuck in a baby swing. At eighth grade graduation somebody dared him to get into a baby swing and it cut off his circulation and they had to get the fire department to cut him out.  There is a photo of it, him smiling with thumbs up.  Very Erik thing to do.“

Erik is personable, very easy to draw into conversation.  Ronja, “He’s very confident with how he interacts with people. Not overly much, not cocky.”  Erik himself says when he has a chance to talk to someone for a while, they start to understand each other.

Michelle has raised her kids to be independent, to not shy away from challenges. Erik remembers swimming his first few times over Nantahala Falls.  “It didn’t scare me.  It was fun.”  Ronja describes Erik’s bravado, “Definitely very little fear.  Somewhat concerning at times.  Little fear and a lot of confidence.”

Balance that confidence with another charming trait.  Trust.  Acceptance.  What sometimes is called “gullibility.”  Accepting what other people tell him as the truth.  Ronja, again at her perceptive best, gives an example.  “He trusts people a lot.  Operates his life like that.  He reminded me recently of the time I told him  if you take a sharpie and draw an X over a mosquito bite the bite will go away.  He went years thinking that was the truth.  My fault.”

Whatever people think of Erik, they seem to remain friends with him, in times of fun and times of trial.  This past summer (2023), Evan and Erik packed up and drove through Ohio to pick up Lisa.  Off they went to Ohiopyle and the Youghiogheny River.  They had been there before.  This is where Erik dropped his first waterfall, the 18-foot Ohiopyle Falls.  He was successful then and wanted to try something different this time.  Something a little more “showy.”  Erik had spent a couple of years gaining experience so maybe this wouldn’t be showing off, it would be demonstrating.

World Class

Erik isn’t sure when he first heard of World Class Academy.  Could have been mentioned at WOR; after all, several older kids were headed to WCA or had already been. Erik does remember when WCA became a fixture in his head.

“When I was six or seven, we received an issue of a magazine, can’t remember which one it was, a paddling magazine. There was an ad for World Class Academy and stories about WCA. I read about it and thought it was the coolest thing in the world.”

During the next summers, Erik would be around other family friends, one with kids a little older, like the Minors or Freidensons.  Paige Minor was several years older.  She dreamed of going to Wica (as WCA is called) and she realized her dream.  The Friedensons were other friends, Trogon and Kaelin and father Eric. They lived in DC, paddled the Great Falls and spent lots of time in North Carolina. Kaelin, a few years older than Erik, would go to WCA. He and many other Wica grads participated in the 2023 Green Narrows Race.  Kaelin won it, edging veteran Dane Jackson by a couple of seconds.  WCA was obviously a training ground for elite paddlers.

World Class is not cheap.  The cost of tuition can be found on the World Class Academy website.  Eric presented the idea to his mother. He started looking for jobs to help pay for the tuition. In the back of his mind, he wondered if WCA would take him. Only 20-25 students attend each semester.

In his freshman year of high school, Erik applied to WCA.  “I didn’t think I would get in but if you apply multiple years, your chances are better about getting in. So, I applied my freshmen year hoping to get in my sophomore year and didn’t expect to get in. I ended up getting accepted.  I think honestly, mainly due to the recommendation of Dennis Huntley.

“It was a big commitment by my mom; I was working 2 or 3 jobs during the summer to pay for it and all that money went to Wica.  I was working all my summers except when I was traveling to NC.  Delivering pizzas, being a photography assistant and working in a plastic injection molding company.”

What did Michelle think?  Sending a child off to paddle big rivers in remotes parts of the world. Lisa Markoff sees Michelle like this, “Whatever fear she has for her kids, she pushes aside because Evan and Erik are so passionate about kayaking and she’s willing to do anything for them.”

The World Class Academy’s year is divided into quarters, about six or seven weeks each.  Normally the first quarter starts in Canada on the Ottawa.  It’s big water, but low consequences and thus a good place to gauge the new paddlers.  However, in Erik’s first year, WCA was still under the spectre of Covid.  Canada was not welcoming yet.

Erik packed to leave for his first quarter.  He was allowed a paddle case and two duffel bags, one with camping and kayaking gear, another with clothes, personal items, school supplies. “That’s what you live out of while you’re there.”

Eric gets on a plane alone in Illinois and flies to Ecuador, meeting the other schoolmates and staff there.  They pile into several sprinter vans and trucks towing kayak trailers and head off to the countryside.  The destination was the Rio Quijos, one of the world’s most loved whitewater rivers.

In the next part of Erik’s story, we’ll follow him in his adventures in Ecuador, Chile and more.  Videos of a run down the monumental Zambezi, him dropping a 30-footer in Chile, a free style move at Ohiopyle Falls.  The rivers, the relationships, the return home.  We’ll also look at his competitive side, his involvement with Team Jackson and his thoughts on the future.  Next month in Carolina Paddler.