Finky Owners

Bruce Farrenkopf · Post by **Bruce Farrenkopf** » Fri Oct 29, 2004 5:20 am

Bearboater,
I've got a Fink. It does not squirt. As Larry Horne indicates, it is designed to stay on the surface for river running and creeking. The Fink is a good boat for developing your river running skills. It also surfs well and is an exceptional boofing machine. Primary stability is mediocre (not great) but it has excellent secondary stability and once the boat is moving the Fink's stability improves dramatically (dynamic stability). Grab that Fink in the store. You're lucky to have a Fink available nearby.
If you get the boat, communicate with the Fink owners in this Forum and we can help you get it set up for yourself (outfitting modifications). See other Finkenmeister topics in this forum for more information. We've been all over this subject. The Finkenmeister topic is a few pages back in the listings.
SYOTR,
Bruce

Larry Horne · Post by **Larry Horne** » Fri Oct 29, 2004 2:27 pm

Alden, Jan

We do need to get together. It would be awsome to do a spring tour in the Sierras!

As for the upper S. Merced.... I would be getting SPANKED on that run....2 days- 100 class 5 drops! Check out the photos on boof.com.

I'm up for the 4-5 stuff, but not 5+!

kevin millar · Post by **kevin millar** » Fri Oct 29, 2004 4:37 pm

larry,
that website boof.com is spectacular! great pictures and great rivers. i have upper cherry creek burned into my brain after watching that video "freshwater." long, long granite slides. I recently read about the South Merced in that book, Fifty Whitewater Classics or whatever (GREAT book).

It seems that California class V is harder than what most other people consider class V. I remember reading an account by Johnny Kern of how when he first went to california he was not used to the big holes at the bottom of steep rapids. his brothers would go first and he would look down for directions and they would just be windmilling their paddles, saying "Paddle REALLY hard!" It definitely seems like the drops out in Cali are steep and big, but they have tons of water going over them - as opposed to in the east, where you can basically fall down anything and not have to worry about holes (haha, no, not fall down of course . . . )

i think there will have to be a "california armada" or "idaho armada" (i know there is at least one forum poster on here from there) one of these days.
Alden

Larry Horne · Post by **Larry Horne** » Fri Oct 29, 2004 5:29 pm

I have heard that class 5 is different on East and West rivers. I've never paddled any eastern rivers so I don't know first hand, But I have heard about eastern boys coming out looking for class 5 and getting their butts slapped! Not to say that you would

There is a c-1 paddler out here that paddles all that really hard stuff, including upper Cherry Creek I believe. Bruce has done some pretty good runs. I'm still working my way towards the reg. cherry creek run on the T. The Middle Feather too

... and many others..

CraigS · Post by **CraigS** » Fri Oct 29, 2004 6:35 pm

that's Andrew Bell i'm certain

Jan_dettmer · Post by **Jan_dettmer** » Fri Oct 29, 2004 8:52 pm

anyone checked out the footage of the 7 rivers expedition?
Truely awesome. I had to hold my breath because of the beauty and
difficulty of those runs.

Yes Larry, there is a lot of homework to do before I paddle anything
like that!!

Cheers, Jan

david ortiz · Post by **david ortiz** » Sat Oct 30, 2004 1:21 am

i know, that 7 rivers trip looked awesome, I have long wondered about the stikine, some of my kayaker friends were on that trip, they are way better than I, but i often wonder if it would be possible to take a c-1 down that river. i think that entrance falls would be a real test for a righty. i have a poster of entrance falls and every day I wonder about it for a c-1 . . .

Those guys took LL Guses, I think I would need a longer boat than my Blunt, there are some huge ferry moves like at Site Zed, I think I would want something longer. Maybe the Fink? I almost think that you could take a glass boat on the Stikine, but I don't know any suitable glass designs though. You wouldn't want an edgy slalom boat. Maybe a Cascade? Many things to think about, definitely a river that is difficult.
Alden

Larry Horne · Post by **Larry Horne** » Sat Oct 30, 2004 1:53 am

How do I see this 7 rivers expedition?

bearboater · Post by **bearboater** » Sat Oct 30, 2004 2:18 am

i just ordered a fink today! totally psyched, planning on recieving it in a week or two if all goes right. apparently there is a crate in the states of finks,so i slapped my name on one. thought i should share my excitement.

bearboater · Post by **bearboater** » Sat Oct 30, 2004 2:20 am

i just ordered a fink today! totally psyched, planning on recieving it in a week or two if all goes right. apparently there is a crate in the states of finks,so i slapped my name on one. thought i should share my excitement.

Bruce Farrenkopf · Post by **Bruce Farrenkopf** » Sat Oct 30, 2004 5:42 am

Bearboater,
Congrats!

Keep us posted on your Fink experiences.
SYOTR,
Bruce

Sir Adam · Post by **Sir Adam** » Sat Oct 30, 2004 1:56 pm

It's great to see so many folks putting forth the $$ to buy "true" C1s and support companys who are producing boats for our admittedly limited market. And PLEASE let us all know what you think of it!

Keith Foulke · Post by **Keith Foulke** » Sat Oct 30, 2004 7:04 pm

7 Rivers Trip:

The Stikine (BC) part (which I now realize isn't the official trip that was being discussed on here, whoops, sorry . . . )

http://prayfordrought.blogspot.com/

The Cali stuff:

http://7riversexpedition.blogspot.com/

Definitely not too many other states in which you could do that many long, hard runs.

Alden

bearboater · Post by **bearboater** » Sun Oct 31, 2004 12:36 am

when one moves from a oc-1 to a d1, where youre alot closer to the water, dopeopleoften geta shorter paddle for c1 purposes, because i paddle a 60" regularly. but just for information, do peoplegenerally go to a shorter paddle directly proportionate to height loss in relation to the water level of the boat?
thanks
-isaac

Bruce Farrenkopf · Post by **Bruce Farrenkopf** » Sun Oct 31, 2004 12:56 am

Bearboater,
You will definitely be shortening up that paddle. How tall are you?
Bruce

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Finky Owners

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just ordered one today

just ordered one today

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