The Greats in the sport

the great gonzo · Post by **the great gonzo** » Sat Jan 29, 2011 4:33 pm

Don't forget the Canadians:

Mark Scriver

-World champion freestyle/rodeo paddler and top notch creekboater
- Super friendly and approachable, and him and Paul Mason wrote 'Thrill of the paddle'. And he is a great Instructor.

Paul Mason

for the same reasons as Mark Scriver.

Ian Thompson

He gave us the 'Massive Groove', 'Air' and 'Departure'. And he absolutely rocks in a C1, especially a C1 squirt.

TGG!

ncdavid · Post by **ncdavid** » Sat Jan 29, 2011 5:15 pm

Jimmy Holcombe? He did it before you did it and he did it in aluminum. And he can still do it today. He parented Andrew. Fine instructor.

Kanukid · Post by **Kanukid** » Sat Jan 29, 2011 6:13 pm

Who:
John Gray
Why:
Loved to paddle and share his passion with others, Boat design contributon

Who:
Alan Whittern / Sean Lund
Why:
Willingness to share their sport withothers, Countless First D's without shamless selfpromotion

boatnc · Post by **boatnc** » Sat Jan 29, 2011 6:21 pm

Couldn't agree more about Jimmy. Great guy and who makes it look easy. He is a great instructor.

old and in the way · Post by **old and in the way** » Sat Jan 29, 2011 6:29 pm

the great gonzo wrote:Don't forget the Canadians:

Yeah, Hal Gill is my favorite right now, but Patrick Roy is a legend...oh, A N, not E N...oops.

cadster · Post by **cadster** » Sat Jan 29, 2011 6:42 pm

Kanukid wrote:Who:
John Gray
Why:
Loved to paddle and share his passion with others, Boat design contributon

Who:
Alan Whittern / Sean Lund
Why:
Willingness to share their sport withothers, Countless First D's without shamless selfpromotion

Regionalism is strong in ww canoeing since there tend to be a critical mass of folks doing it in locals that are far apart. I think of John G., Sean L. and Alan W. as impacting Colorado canoeing. John and Alan were active in OC slalom.

The Nationals is the one event I’ve been to has drawn cboaters from across the continent.

the great gonzo · Post by **the great gonzo** » Sat Jan 29, 2011 7:00 pm

old and in the way wrote:
the great gonzo wrote:Don't forget the Canadians:

Yeah, Hal Gill is my favorite right now, but Patrick Roy is a legend...oh, A N, not E N...oops.

Gill and Roy are ok, but the greatest one of em all is still Maurice 'The Rocket' Richard!!

But back to paddling now!

TGG!

Yukon · Post by **Yukon** » Sat Jan 29, 2011 7:26 pm

on that Gonzo- Bobby Orr and Gretzky

old and in the way · Post by **old and in the way** » Sat Jan 29, 2011 8:24 pm

Last hockey post from me...Lemieux and Crosby of my beloved Pens. We now return you to your regularly scheduled discussion of paddling greats.

rockyboater · Post by **rockyboater** » Sat Jan 29, 2011 8:44 pm

the great gonzo wrote:Don't forget the Canadians:

Mark Scriver

-World champion freestyle/rodeo paddler and top notch creekboater
- Super friendly and approachable, and him and Paul Mason wrote 'Thrill of the paddle'. And he is a great Instructor.

Paul Mason

for the same reasons as Mark Scriver.

I have to agree with these two. Their book Thrill of the Paddle is the reason I started canoeing in the first place.

Jim · Post by **Jim** » Sat Jan 29, 2011 9:04 pm

I have had the good fortune to learn from 2 of the all-time greats, with boating styles that are almost at opposite ends of the spectrum: John Kaz and Jim Michaud. Both have incredible paddling résumés and both have the same things in common- when on the river they are having more fun than anyone else, and they LOVE to bring new people into the sport.

Dooleyoc-1 · Post by **Dooleyoc-1** » Sat Jan 29, 2011 9:30 pm

I would add Psycho to the list. He was a pioneer of open canoe steep creeking and got a lot of exposure for the sport. He was a big inspiration to me and showed me down a lot of runs for the first time. Go watch the old movies Green Summer and Southern Fried Creeking. Classics.

yarnellboat · Post by **yarnellboat** » Sat Jan 29, 2011 9:49 pm

In addition to Mason & Scriver for "Thrill of the Paddle", I'd consider newer & different contributions, like Jim Coffey (Esprit) and Scott MacGregor (Rapid Media) - gotta respect people who find a way to make a living out of it, especially when the focus includes promoting the sport and helping others improve.

Andrew and Carole Westwood probably deserve a nod too, for instructing, organizing and writing.

And aside from all the big names, equally important are all the local mentors who will never be great or well known. All of us probably have non-famous people who helped us out, be it from a summer camp, local club, or just someone you met on the river - that's what keeps it going.

P.

Mikey B · Post by **Mikey B** » Sat Jan 29, 2011 10:17 pm

Well at the risk of embarrassing them, we have some mighty fine talent from the midwest as well...Roy Crimmins, Dewey Ewers, and Craig Smerda (along with Teal F. and a few others) rank up there too!

Dooley, I still pull out an old Canoesport Journal with an article on Psyco and the Green! Great inspirational and insightful read. He still hadn't run it all but was dreaming of his lines

Sir Adam · Post by **Sir Adam** » Sat Jan 29, 2011 10:19 pm

Methinks we're getting to many "Greats";)

But it is an impressive list, so keep them coming!

C-Forum

The Greats in the sport

Good thread

Midwestern boys