Wheelboy Demo- Tentative Date 6/4 on the Lehigh River

[billcanoes]

I'll be in PA 6/4 and will have a wheelboy available for demo. Paddling the class II-III section and have been told the dam will be releasing on weekends in June.

Please contact me if you are going, so I have enough boats. One is spoken for, so I have one available, but would need to bring an extra boat for me.

The one boat is basically factory outfitted, with velcro straps and the other boat is being modified more now. HEHEHE. Higher back support, knee stops thigh foam block and a lapbelt. I'll be sure to stick to extra roll attempts now, and working on my brace. I've been lazy about bracing now that I finally learned to roll.


Bill Reap
billcanoes@yahoo.com
704-604-6687

[billcanoes]

I was going to post on Lehigh, but saw this:

First Annual Lehigh Open Freestyle Event Sat. June 11th 2005
In a celebration of the new release schedule on the Lehigh, as well as the local freestyle community, Extreme Adventure Travel Outfitters and Team Extreme are presenting the Lehigh Open. The event will be held at Ledges Wave at the bottom of Ledges Rapid in the upper gorge. At the 750 cfs release level this wave is great for loops, cartwheels, blunts and lots of other great tricks. The Event will be video taped and all judging will be Saturday evening. The format is every competitor will get 3 video taped rides and the best will count, there will also be a best airloop contest. There will be a Men’s and Woman’s(sorry juniors) class but everything else will be open. This means that there will be 12 prizes and 12 Podium finishes for Men and also 12 for Woman. Depending on the # of competitors depends on how you will place. Example if 12 men enter all 12 get prizes top 3 for pro class,2nd 3 for expert, 3rd 3 for sport and 4th 3 for beginner, if there are 40 men, the 1st 3 for pro, # 11,12,13 for expert, #21,22,23 for sport, and #31,32,33 for beginner. So you may as well enter because you never know if your gonna win! For More info call 570-801-1231

I wouldn't mind taping a wheelboy in action-

[Berkshire Jack]

Hi Bill,
Now that you spent a weekend on the Lehigh , could you give your opinion of your newly modified Wheelboy? How does it feel in comparison to the standard thigh strap set up? Could you take some photos of its interior and post a link to them?
thanks
Jack

[billcanoes]

Photos will be out mid week. I spent a very short amount of time on a class2- stretch during a cub scout outing this weekend, and got a shoulder injury, I dislocated my right shoulder previously and tore 3 ligaments and this is no where near that bad This is my left shoulder, definately no dislocation, and I assume a stretched ligament, there is a hump on my shoulder blade but I have 65% mobility, and relatively minor pain. Not sure how the injury occured, no high braces etc... just pain towards the end of the run.

I like the outfitting much better. I didn't wet exit yet- I want to try that- I glued my knee supports in and kind of wish I had them spread a little farther apart, but your knees are pushed under the cockpit rim doing this so IT IS MORE DANGEROUS, and it is hard to pull them out on land, bit I figure upside down gravity will help your knees get over the hump. I really like the suicide belt too, you dont need need straps as much (if you have fat thighs spreading your knees apart). I got a nice side surf in and felt like I could turn the boat with my body much better-

Jack,

Why don't you come to the Lehigh 6/3 & 6/4. You can try my modifications to see if you like them. I think Martin from Canada is tentatively coming.

I'm probably going to fish next weekend so I can paddle 6/4.

Bill

[billcanoes]

Hi Jack

I took the pictures tonight! Hoping to paddle 1 day this weekend?

Anyway,

here is a link
http://groups.msn.com/BillCanoes/wheelboy.msnw?Page=1

Bill