The Greats in the sport

[Smurfwarrior]

Admitting the problem is the first step to fixing it.

[Sir Adam]

Has Louie done a lot for the sport? YES.

Should his name appear with the "top" greats? I think it's too soon to know, actually.

Should his name appear with some of the others we've gotten "down" to? Yes.

edited to add:
Since Louie has been kind enough to send me several e-mails assuming I'm belittling him, I want to make it clear I am not. Lots of folks we've named here have had a tremendous impact, like Louie, but I'm not sure they are Greats <yet>, in my mind at least. And as Cumnock states below, each has their own opinion.

[C-Dawg]

aWick Walker and Dean Tomko, Wick was technical, analytical and got it done. Dean was the guy who would and could paddle thru anything and if not somehow pulled it off. In the early 80's I remember Wick pointing out my sloppy K1 technique to my brother and said not to paddle like Dave. When I switched to C1 I raced for a number of years to try and get some of that technique you only get in the gates. Another time, day before Xmas, 3' UY at the bridge I worried that my homemade skirt was not up to task, Wick said to try a roll which made the skirt pop. He quickly said, "let's do something easier" so off to the Top Yough we went. I always apprerciated his concern for safety.
I was on the Upper at 2.8 when the group divided and some went with Dean and Wick to the Upper B. My brother broke a brand new Sweet ex layup K1 rescuing Andy Zimmerman when the Dancer was still considered a short boat.

[ELGOTTO]

What about Tom Foster? In addition to paddling skills he helped design a few good boats. The Outrage comes to mind.

[Sir Adam]

I guess it comes down to what qualifies you as "great", and for that I'm sure we all have a different criteria.

I think it is a combination of being
-an ambassador for the sport
-getting new folks involved
-high level of paddling skill
-helping to move the sport forward (be it new moves, new boats, new ideas)

There are some GREAT paddlers out there that "only" paddle, and that exceptionally well. While they are GREAT paddlers, I'm not sure that alone should qualify to be a GREAT in the sport.

We can't have TOO many Greats, after all.

But that's just me.

[Cumnock]

Frankie Hubbard

Without him you would still being paddling Encores, still using knee boots.

Dave “Pyscho” Simpson…the God-Father of Open Boat Creek boating..and creek boating in general for that matter. He is an even better teacher.

Mike “Louie” Lewis….forget ALF or promoting the open opens….he paddles an openboat cause his<radio>are so big. He was there thick and thin we opened up new runs. Many the rapids people run today Louie was the first run it or be there…some were death on a stick…run Skywalker on Soddy…think about Louie running it in a blem Encore…it makes all others discussions moot in point.

This rapid won't hurt you if you get off line , it will kill you.

Jeff Richards when he was on he was on.

Dale Johnson …the same as Jeff.

Bailey “Big Water “ Johnson took it up a notch when others would only watch and walk. He helped finally bring whitewater paddles for canoe and kayaks into the modern age. The more the water the better he boated.

Sammy Rodgers…smooth on the water as he was with the ladies

Phil Foti, can read water better than anyone I know…and can nail a line. Bar none. The harder the water the more he shines. His rescue skills of knowing something bad is going to happen before it happens, is irreplaceable . I trust him with a rope, when the line is in doubt. He is a Creeker and racer…the best combo I can think of.

Eli Herbert can make a boat move the way it wasn’t intended or designed to do. And a great teacher and mentor for others.

By far…Jim Little he could keep up with kayakers and ran lines kayakers wouldn’t even look at. 20 years later after Steep Creekin I have seen no one paddle as good as he did. His paddling skills, his rescue skills, and his technique were way ahead of the curve.No one has caught up to that yet.



Some on your list I don’t agree with…Nolan Whitesell had a nice low brace, but boating with him was a” paddling solo” trip… he always had to be in front . It was dangerous to paddle with him.

He was a good promoter of the sport…but I never saw him on what we would call a creek either, and when on a river his paddling made the run more dangerous.


Bob Foote, sorry but Bailey made it look easy in the big water, while Foote made it look like a Sunday club trip , their lines compared to each other never really compared.

I feel like I can post my 2 cents here...I've seen openboating when the gear wasn't there and you boated anyway...I 've seen openboating in its golden age...I'm hoping the Ledge can help bring back some of that for the whitewater community for today's paddling scene.

[cmnypny]

OK ... I will nominate myself.

I might paddle a barge and not be handsome but lots of people know who I am on both sides of the border and around the globe.

My girlfriend is very recognizable as well as my new mistress!

I have been told by many people that I am a good ambassador for the sport. I even heard thru the grapevine that it came up in a recent conversation in Mexico.

I grew up watching the National Film Board movies by Bill Mason and thats what got me hooked!

[PAC]

Anyone have the list of the "Legends" that were up on stage at Concordia 99? I think most are cover but want to make sure.

I also think location might have to do with who is viewed as a "great"! Someone in one location, say NE, might not have heard of someone in the SE or visa versa.

Same might be true between the americas verse Asia or Europe.

I'm pretty sure from some video I've seen that there are some solid boaters in South America, Oceania, Asia etc.

Personally I just hope the list keeps on growing!

[Stingray]

Jim & Kay Henry
Mad River Canoe and all thats involved with design, building techiques, promoting both competetion and recreaction paddling.

[agrestal]

Dennis Huntley - Awesome boater, super nice guy, always willing to show his videos from the 80s+, take newbies with him, take people on PFDs, encourage paddlers of any boat and skill level to push their limits!

And of course, I'd have to 2nd many of the above mentioned boaters!