A little history

KNeal · Post by **KNeal** » Thu Dec 30, 2010 3:36 pm

John Coraor wrote:In fact, it was considered more manuverable and less fragile than the foldboat kayaks also used around that time and thus was typically THE preferred WW craft for both singles and tandem paddling.John

I've seen a photo of a solo paddler taking a Grumman down the Upper Yough WAY back in the day (1970's?). Cannot think of which river guide book has the pic, though. Many of todays big whitewater runs were done in Grummans.

fleckbass · Post by **fleckbass** » Thu Dec 30, 2010 3:43 pm

Read a story on AW. I think it was the first run on the Upper Yough. It was done in 16' and 17' Grummans. The 17' ers didn't make it and they had to cut them out of the river with axes. I'm thinking 1969 but that sounds early.

Longboatin · Post by **Longboatin** » Thu Dec 30, 2010 4:51 pm

Heres a link 2 that AW journal article fleckbass talkin about. I caint belive those guys boated such long runs - ohiopyle to connellsville? now thats a long day!
http://www.americanwhitewater.org/conte ... 1/page/14/

Jim Michaud · Post by **Jim Michaud** » Thu Dec 30, 2010 8:47 pm

ME stands for "Maximum Exposer". It goes along with "Flasher" and "Flashback".

KNeal · Post by **KNeal** » Thu Dec 30, 2010 9:48 pm

Hmmm. Does "Fantasy" fit that category too? A buddy of mine used to paddle a pink Mad River Fantasy. I certainly had fun with word play whenever we went boating.

VAnate · Post by **VAnate** » Thu Dec 30, 2010 10:11 pm

Did you guys look past the article and see the one about the new idea for thigh straps in a canoe and the ad that calls the aluminum grumman a whitewater boat?

Smurfwarrior · Post by **Smurfwarrior** » Thu Dec 30, 2010 11:55 pm

Those thigh straps look kinda cool... and retro. They do look comfy

icyone · Post by **icyone** » Mon Jan 03, 2011 2:02 pm

[quote="VAnate"]Did you guys look past the article and see the one about the new idea for thigh straps in a canoe and the ad that calls the aluminum grumman a whitewater boat?[/quote]

So why was it "not" a ww boat???? Grummans came in 2 varieties: fin keel & shoe keel. The shoe keel was the whitewater version. Plenty of good whitewater was run in them, for sure, and plenty of excellent ww boaters started out in them.

My first "big" whitewater run was Cheat Canyon in a Grumman, sometime in the late 70's, don't recall offhand exact year.

chriscanoe · Post by **chriscanoe** » Mon Jan 03, 2011 3:43 pm

My Dad and Uncle Ran the Upper Chattahoochee, Chestatee, Etowa, and section 3 of the Chattooga in the early 70's in feather craft tandem canoes. Those canoes are still around and are beat to $#!+.
My best guess for a boat that is still being manufactured that was a true solo WW boat would be the Blue Hole Sunburst, which is still being made up in Canada and sold through MEC, I think.

VAnate · Post by **VAnate** » Mon Jan 03, 2011 6:10 pm

Icyone I was not saying it wan't a whitewater boat, more pointing out that it was advertised as one at the time. Thought it was relevant to the oldest whitewater canoe thing.

I was talking to someone the other day whose ex-husband used to fill them with milk jugs and innertubes and run the Maury through Goshen Pass in them.

icyone · Post by **icyone** » Mon Jan 03, 2011 6:54 pm

Interesting point. I'm not sure at what point Grumman picked up on the whitewater thing. The fin keel was really bad in whitewater, and I recall someone who tried to "shave" one down & it turned into a disaster. So at some point Grumman must have realized the potential & come up with the shoe-keel. Or maybe the shoe-keel actually had a different origin/application. Anyone know??

I certainly remember inner-tube floatation; never did see milk jugs used seriously. I never owned a Grumman myself, altho I did briefly own something christened an "Open Berrigan", which was a Berrigan fitted with a "deck" with a huge single opening that actually satisfied the requirements for open canoe competition. When the Gemini appeared and I got a chance to try one, I came home & announced "Sell everything -- we have to have THIS!" and never looked back.

RodeoClown · Post by **RodeoClown** » Mon Jan 03, 2011 7:26 pm

VAnate wrote: I was talking to someone the other day whose ex-husband used to fill them with milk jugs and innertubes and run the Maury through Goshen Pass in them.

Ever see the description of Goshen Pass in Randy Carter's guidebook?

RodeoClown · Post by **RodeoClown** » Mon Jan 03, 2011 7:30 pm

In fact, if you don't have a copy, you should just go ahead and order a copy of the Carter guide from Sweet Composites. http://www.sweetcomposites.com/Carterguide.html It's some pretty classic reading.

Wiggins · Post by **Wiggins** » Mon Jan 03, 2011 8:23 pm

If we are going to consider Grummans whitewater boats it looks like I just added a whole lot of years to my paddling career. I used to take my dad's old Grumman square stern down the Winchester Wasteway as a kid. There were three riffles and in most places I could not turn broadside to the current!

Kyle

VAnate · Post by **VAnate** » Mon Jan 03, 2011 9:49 pm

I found a 1970 copy at Powells in Portland a while back for like $3. Pretty great read for entertainment dosent tell you much about running the river though... I always enjoy comparing the descriptions and how much things have changes from Carters time to Corbett and then to the more recent ones from Ed Grove or on the AW page.

C-Forum

A little history

yockland

Grumman canoes

RE: Grumman advt