It is a little known fact that long before whitewater rafting became the international adventurous pursuit that it is today, it used to be called OHMIGOD HANG ONNNNNN!!! This was difficult to spell for most people, particularly with the varying number of Ns and exclamation points, so this was changed to the much more descriptive whitewater rafting. If you find yourself unintentionally shouting the original name while on the river, you are joining part of a long, panicked tradition.
Can you call 60 years a long tradition? Probably not. That’s how long modern-day whitewater rafting has been around. Previous to this, people knew what whitewater was, and what rafting was, but never would have thought to combine the two, at least not intentionally. With the advance of rubber technology, the modern version of rafts saw a great deal of use in World War II. These rafts withstood Nazis *and* pesky rocks. After the war, the rafts were sent back to America and like good surplus war goods are supposed to, found a fun recreational job. So carrying on the tradition of whitewater rafting is good for the spirit and perhaps in some small way keeps fascism at bay. Do your part to keep fun AND freedom alive by finding your nearest whitewater adventure.
How To:
Before you get anywhere near the water, you can get a decent primer from this video, which features some sweet saxophone-scored topic transitions.
Live near Charlotte, North Carolina and have a hankering for outdoor adventure? AND you like well-designed posters?? The U.S. National Whitewater centre has you covered on all fronts.
(Seriously, look at these posters!
Leland Davis, a 20+-year river veteran, provides his list of the 10 best river trips in North America. He wanted to include 11 rivers, but none of us could possibly pay attention for that long these days.
Rafting America says ANYONE can go rafting, mainly because it would like ANYONE to spend money on its rafting trips. Enjoy its inclusive, positive spirit.
When you’re feeling down, do you have the instinct to map an unknown tributary of a dangerous river despite a debilitating lack of experience and the constant threat of tropical disease? Theodore Roosevelt had that instinct and just barely survived the ordeal. Read about an example of a rapids trip going really, really wrong and your minor capsize fears will quickly float away, down ‘The River of Doubt’.
Gear
Raft:
Oars: How much rowing you’ll be doing depends on the rivers flow, but at some point you’ll be called upon to help steer away from that big jagged rock that will tear the boat in half if you hit it head on, so left side ROW ROW ROW
Life Jacket: Intentionally or unintentionally, your raft is flipping at some point, it’s just part of the experience. Drowning however, is not. So floaty, orange life jackets are compulsory.
Top Spots:
Colorado River
Zambezi
Zimbabwe
United States
Chile
Canada