one crazy and super talented kid

[Den Socling]

https://www.facebook.com/stephen.wright.370/videos/1083897078358212/

I hope this copy/paste works. I used to kayak white water but I never even imagined that anybody (this kid is 14) could hand surf anything like this. I didn't think he was ever going to be able to get out of that hole. WOW!

[Czech_Made]

Impresssive!

I used to canoe white water - C1, single slalom canoe.

[Ljohnsaw]

And that is all done without a paddle on purpose or did he loose it?  NOT for me!

[Den Socling]

On purpose. If you can do it, you get an indescribable feeling!

[Den Socling]

This was me in the old days.



 

[Just Me]

 Nice!

I did the Canyon in an inflatable, broke my leg in Lava the second time and had to get helicoptered out. Kinda backed off after that.

[Czech_Made]

I only have pictures of the water, not mine either :(

Off site photos deleted by Admin.  Refer to photo posting rules.

[Chop Shop]

Is there some kinda skill involved?   It kinda looks to me to be about the same as jumping into a tornado and hoping to be spit out sometime?

Not for me I guess.

[Den Socling]

There is a lot of skill. The first thing is to feel the water and let the boat become part of your body. You are going to get tossed upside down. You stay calm and look for an opportunity to do a hip-snap. That puts the boat under you and you grab some air and prepare to get tossed again. One time I jumped off a waterfall. The water under a fall rolls backward. I rolled up over and over again. It ended up funny when I landed high and dry on top of a rock. But then I had to slide backwards into the whitewater again. There I resumed my self-rescues (rolls). It is exhilarating. Really!

[Ox]

Good lord.  I wouldn't let MY 14 year old do that.  Craziness.

[Den Socling]

At the end, you see guys in kayaks on the water watching the kid. The people on the bank are being entertained. The guys in kayaks are there for rescue if he needed help.

[Ianab]

Being Skillful means you survive to do it again.  :D

Locally guys ride boats like that in the surf. Different to a standing pressure wave, but often a lot bigger. Was out there surfing and watched one guy get his take-off wrong and flip end over end 3 times before he gathered it back in and kept paddling.  :D

Different boat, but this guy has some surf skills

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNt6aMpt62k

[Den Socling]

I don't know how he could do that on a sit-on boat. I've been on big standing waves on rivers where you can shift your weight and glide from one side to the other then back again. It takes very little energy. That hand surfing the kid is doing would wear an old geezer like me out in about two minutes.

[Czech_Made]

What Den says, you can either fight the water or use it to your advantage.  If you know what you are doing, it may look quite effortless  ;D

In my country you find yourself often on the water in November or February when there is enough water, it gets cold fast, haha.  I done all that before wet suits became available and in canoes you kneel, gives your better position than kayaks - but kayaks have one more stroke with the double paddle.

anyway, kneeling and cold, sometimes you get out and cant walk for a while

[timberlinetree]

I would be sea sick smiley_sick

[sandhills]

I'd get sick too, that is if I didn't drown first, I tend to swim about as well as an anchor.

[tree-farmer]

Glad to see some old river rats on the forum. Lived and breathed white water for many years.
Worked as guide (10  yrs.) on Nolichucky, Ocoee, French broad , New, and Gauley rivers in my past life. Still miss it a lot sometimes. Since sawing my knee I cannot sit in my C1 anymore. Still get out in open cannoe now and then. White water was the most fun I ever had with clothes on. ;D

[Den Socling]

I had my fun but I can't say I miss white water. I used to love the thrill. I enjoyed scaring the crap out of myself. As I got older, I guess I grew weary of the thrill. I still like to remember. Like crashing down a snow melt swollen stream. Watching for strainers. It was fun.

[Ianab]

Prefer the surf myself 

It can put you through the ringer pretty well too, but you generally get washed up on the beach when you stop fighting against it.  :D

[tree-farmer]

We had a couple of standard sayings on the river.
1st was, " if you die we split your gear".
2nd was,"old raft guides never die, they just smell that way"   :D

[central pa]

Tree f did you know jazz. Just had him as a guide on the new, man is he ever a one of a kind