Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, May 6, 1990 TAG: 9005040662
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: M.J. DOUGHERTY CORRESPONDENT
DATELINE: MCCOY LENGTH: Medium
But this was no ordinary crowd seeking relief from the heat. Some license plates told the reason for the gathering: I KAYAK 2, KAYAK AQ, GON YAKN.
It was the third annual Southwest Virginia Whitewater Kayak Rodeo.
Kayakers rode the waves at the very convenient "Ender Hole," an eddy on the New River. The hole, which is part of a Class II/III rapid, gets its name from the "ender" maneuver, in which the kayaker stands the boat up on its nose. The strong flow of the river at the hole makes that possible.
"The current is hard down there," said Shawn Hash of Blacksburg, who placed fifth. "It's not like most holes. You can drive up to it. You can put your boat in and paddle right to it. Then, when you've finished, you can paddle up the staircase [the rapid] and come back to your car."
The group turned the river into a colorful place, filling it with pinks and purples, blues and burgundies, yellows and oranges, adding to the natural beauty of gray water and rocks and greening trees on shore.
The combination of color and coordination helped to lure spectators to the river.
"I'm just trying kayaking," said Kitty Burgett, who came from Roanoke to watch the event. "I've been wanting to get out and see what people who knew what they were doing looked like."
Even when the rain came, it did not detract from the spectacle.
"I was in the eddy, getting ready for my run, when it started raining," said Kathy Bolyn, a North Carolinian who finished second. "I wondered if I was going to be able to see. But once I got in there, it didn't make any difference, I was concentrating so hard. And I was wet anyway."
A record 27 entrants were judged on the difficulty of their moves and how well they maintained control of the kayak. Distance did not seem to matter to the competitors, who came from as far as Washington, D.C., and North Carolina.
"The ability to win some prizes has drawn the attention of some really good people," said Dave Bogner of Blacksburg, who won the initial competition in 1988 and finished fourth this year. "The level of competition has increased logarithmically."
The turnout showed how the rodeo, which started as an outgrowth of the Roanoke County kayaking program, has expanded into a regional competition.
"An event like this hadn't been done in the state," said Ricky Showalter, outdoor adventure and education supervisor for the Roanoke County Recreation Department who coordinated the rodeo.
"Growing up here, I knew about this spot. We got it together two years ago and it's grown every year."
The top three finishers came from Bryson City, N.C., a six-hour drive from Blacksburg. All three work for an outdoor center where they teach kayaking and lead rafting trips.
"Rodeos are few and far between," said winner Tom DeCuir. "There's a lot of good competition here, a lot of good people. It gives us a chance to keep up with things. And the prizes help to pay for the gas."
DeCuir won a new kayak for finishing first. Bolyn took home a canoe as second prize.
Some of the kayakers had more attainable goals, however.
"I just came out to support the local paddling scene," said Rick Roth, a doctoral student at Virginia Tech. "My objective was not to go swimming."
Memo: correction