Kayakers Are Crazy!!

[dkjos]

Bob,
I had the TV on very early this morning and caught a sports show with a segment showing a half-dozen kayakers. They didn't get in the water right away because first they slid/paddled down a huge-ass snow covered mountain, headwalls and all, before taking about a 20' drop into a stream.

A whole new definition of "white water".

[Bob Putnam]

When I was young and stupid (us "mature" people think that's a tautology) I did stuff like that. Of course, I also remember crashing into a tree at about 15 mph too. Couldn't stop laughing as I nursed my (and my boat's) bruises.

Fortunately, the kind of racing that I do is much safer, although there are now "extreme" races that are semi-life threatening. I lost a good friend two years ago, practicing on an extreme course. Richie Weiss was an Olympic Silver Medal winner in '92 and one of the nicest guys you'd ever meet.

I plan on dying in bed, one way or another.

[Jim Holden]

Bob:

Just make sure that the "bed" you die in isn't some riverbed somewhere...

Morty

[Ikestaa]

This past summer we did some white water rafting in Costa Rica. All was going great until I fell out in the beginning of a high class 4 rapid. It is definately one of the scariest experiences I have been through. All I could see (during the rare event my head was above water) was brown water and huge rocks. I got back in the boat only to get wrapped around a rock one minute later. All I wanted was to make it out of the canyon and sleep in a warm bed.

[Ikestaa]

Sorry, posted twice