Coming soon: Longboating website!

[swriverstone]

Hey Everyone!

First off, my apologies for basically having been absent for so long. I'm still C-boating...but I've also been satisfying my obsessive urge to do other sports...I'm flying hang gliders a lot, and spent this past winter snowboarding (alpine carving in hardboots, actually).

It's great to see the C-Forum still thriving!

Though my first love is (and always will be) C-boating, I've become more pissed-off (to put it bluntly) over the increasing homogenization of the whitewater industry around 5- and 6-foot "jugboats." It's gotten out of hand, and something's got to be done about it.

To that end, I'm in the process of gearing up to launch a new website dedicated exclusively to any whitewater boat 9 feet or longer (including canoes, C-1s, kayaks, slalom boats, recreational boats---anything 9 feet or longer!)

I posted a message about this yesterday on the Monocacy Canoe Club forum --- http://www.monocacycanoe.org/mccboard/mccboard.html --- and in just 24 hours I've received a HUGE outpouring of support from almost 40 people! This is AWESOME! Countless folks emailed me to tell me how they're still paddling and loving their Crossfires, T-Canyons, Pirouettes, Matrixes, Freefalls, Reflexes, etc.

Though I love all C-boaters...you're out of luck at this new website if you're paddling a 6-foot conversion---we're not interested in that! My focus is on boats that actually have hull speed and glide.

Much of my motivation stems from the fact that paddling a longboat is essentially a different sport. Today's designs are all about rotation in every plane (x,y,z). That's fine, but it's not remotely the same as longboating, which is about executing maneuvers that depend on forward speed. Longboating is also about aesthetics...and about covering distance on the water---not parking and playing in one spot.

So stay tuned! I'm counting on your support of this new website, because C-boaters represent an important part of the longboating community!

I'll see you guys at the upcoming Armada!

Regards,
Scott Wilkinson
Shepherdstown, WV

[racer x]

that sounds neat, scott, although i cant believe that cboats.net is spawning a sub-group! geez, we were once so young and idealistic, and now we've turned into "the man" and people are rebelling against US . . . we've become the ones we hated! what happened along my path from young hippie to Wall Street Power Broker? Personally, I like real long boats -- the kind where you have to ask people how long the river is before you can put on in your long boat ("The Lower Sandy is how long? Five miles? Well, my bow is going to be sticking into the Cheat when I put on . . . ")

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go convert my bookcase into a strider . . .
Alden

[kaz]

Long being a long boat supporter, I longingly must say, "long live the long boats!". Long boats rock.
JKaz

[Jim]

Kaz- you ain't paddling no long boat, you're just paddling one of those stubby little thirteen foot boats. Gotta try those BIG boats, then you can have some fun!

Yes, I am in love with my 15' long Prowler (designed and made my that short-boat paddling Kaz). It is great having a boat that excels for both solo and tandem paddling.

Alden- you will miss a great Punch Brook slalom the weekend- sunny, highs in the high 60s and lots of water. They are asking the dam to cut back so that there will be LESS water. Yesterday it was rockin' during course set-up.

Hope you all have a great weekend.

[Stairstep Falls]

YAHOO! I love long boats too! Cain't wait to pick up my 'scade! But for now...TO THE HORSEPASTURE!

[rainbow falls]

Will, longboat or not, you have GOT to tell us how that went. Kaz, are you not at punch brook (since youre on the internet)??

Good race at Dickerson tomorrow, ill be getting my fill this weekend.
Alden

[Mike W.]

Jim, The last time I saw Kaz he was passing my uncle & I (17' Penobscot) at the General Clinton . He was paddling a USCA marathon canoe (18'6" or so).

9' or more whitewater boat...cool I've got some of those...Viper, Acrobat, unknown wildwater C-1, & an Old Town Scout. We paddle my Wenonah Marathon in a "class II downriver race" is that also a whitewater boat

Keep us posted on the site & let me know if you want photos of my longboats.

[Jim Michaud]

Except for my Cascade I don't own a boat under thirteen feet in length and I don't often paddle the Cascade because I find it too short to handle well. I'm just not a good enough of a paddler to handle those short squirrelly boats.

I'm looking forward to the longboating website.

Jim

[windyfallz]

Just picked up my Cascade, can I join the club? It's busted, but it was free, and it's not busted to bad. I'm excited.
Will

[Longboatin']

Yeeeeah boiyee,
A longboating website, I can't wait to check it out. Hopefully I'll have some pics to post as soon as its up. The rest of you c-boat types I be seein' you at the Armada in May, sorta show yins hows its done. Peace.

[sbroam]

My eldest boy (5) and I took out a long boat (the Mad River ME) yesterday and had a blast - we had a higher than normal water level on our local run and I took him through the biggest rapid at a higher level than he had seen before. We did some long boat surfing, too, on a wave the short boats couldn't stay on!* It's been a long time since I tried surfing a 15' boat on that wave and really didn't remember it being that easy or fun... That was one of the best days on the river I have had in a long time - and it was in a long boat!

Noah had a great time, too, though I think he got as much out of digging in the sand and looking for turtles as he did being on the water. That is one consequence of starting them early, they get to thinking that crashing through wave trains and rock-steady surfing glassy waves is "normal"... I even showed him a roll and I ahve to admit, I was a little disappointed in his reaction - all I got was "that's neat Dad", no standing ovation. He did say he didn't care to be splashed with the cold water which I told him meant that we need to work on route selection and boat control.

[* To be honest, I think a short boat could have surfed that wave at that level because I have done it in a short boat - those short boatin' yakkers can be a lazy lot - if they aren't going to be able to "throw ends" on a feature, they often don't even try to get there.]

[jimcrco]

Longboating is wicked its all i know right now because i am on the churchill rive rin saskatchewan and you have to paddle over good flatwater stretches to find the small streches of amazing whitewater

PS, does my savage skeeter fit into the class, i believe its +9ft

[ncdavid]

I have three whitewater canoes. A Dagger Caper, a Mohawk Viper 12, and a Millbrook Defiant. The Viper is the shortest at 12'6". I guess that makes me a longboater. But I have to admit that I'm looking forward to paddling a 6'4" Wheelboy tomorrow.....

[PAC]

Does C2'ing count as long boat'n?
I guess since I have 3 old beaters I'm in! Something about cutting it up in a long boat brings a smile to the paddler (IMHO)!
Looking forward to the Armada - it should be an interesting showing of boats of all ilks! Way cool!!!

[swriverstone]

Yes, C-2s definitely count! (Talk about a lost art form!) good to see all the support for the Longboating website. (I'm working on it now.) One critical need is CONTENT! So...

All you longboaters out there...PLEASE take a few minutes sometime and send me an email describing why you like longboats (and/or why you don't like short boats, but let's refrain from mean bashing!).

I could also use photos of any size or description. The more, the better! (I'm happy to credit you on the site for your photo.)

Email anything/everything to me (Scott) using the "Email" button below.

Thanks!
Scott Wilkinson