Whitewater kayaking: Ready for a rush?

If you’re looking for something adventurous, challenging and outdoorsy to do this summer, you might check out whitewater kayaking.

The Northwest, and the Snohomish County area in particular, is a gold mine for the hobby sport, thanks to its rushing rivers, creeks and even canyons, plus outfitters and clubs that offer lessons.

Beginners start out in swimming pools or on Class I water with just a bit of current and a few ripples.

Expert paddlers, after years of practicing, work their way up to Class V rapids, with extremely fast currents, 40-foot-high waterfalls, giant boulders, and other wicked hazards that can easily flip a paddler and his boat in a heartbeat.

In late April, 32 expert whitewater kayakers met for an informal race of the Robe Canyon, a classic Class V whitewater run on the South Fork Stillaguamish River east of Granite Falls.

Among local paddlers, the Robe Canyon area is a true gem, said 26-year-old Sean Bozkewycz, who finished the race.

“The Robe event is one of the best races I’ve ever been to by a long shot,” said Bozkewycz, an Australian who works seasonally as a whitewater rafting guide in Chilliwack, B.C., to support his hobby. “The Northwest Pacific is like a mecca of kayaking.”

Most teams completed the Robe run in less than 40 minutes on waters flowing at more than 1,000 cubic feet per second. Three teams made it in less than 30 minutes.

Seattle whitewater kayaker Todd Gillman, 36, helped organize the race with fellow expert kayakers Bryan Smith of Squamish, B.C., and Shane Robinson of Seattle.

Their blog, The Range Life, features numerous photos of their seemingly daredevil runs over rocks and rapids.

All the Robe paddlers, however, exercised numerous safety precautions. Wearing helmets, elbow pads and other protective gear, they raced in pairs so no one was lost on the six-mile stretch of the Stilly. There were also 10 safety boaters to help any swimmers.

It was a great race and a celebration of the sport and the local scenery, Gillman said.

“It’s a really popular Class V run. As people discover it, they realize how good it is,” Gillman said, adding that visitors from Colorado and the East Coast have become particularly smitten with the Robe. “They just can’t believe how close it is to town and how good it is and how long the season is.”

Season length is part of the Northwest’s whitewater kayaking allure, Gillman said.

Persistent rain in fall and winter, and snowmelt in spring and summer, create good conditions year-round, depending on where you paddle.

Though the Robe Canyon run can be too low in July and August, summer is an ideal time for beginners to start practicing in calmer waters.

It took Gillman about five years to build his skills up enough to run Class V waters.

Whitewater kayaking involves a steep, long and decidedly counterintuitive learning curve similar to surfing or skateboarding, Gillman said.

“It’s not an instant gratification thing at all,” he said. “You have to spend a lot of time and a lot of money.”

One of the toughest things to learn is rolling back out of the water after you’ve flipped upside down. For beginners especially, it’s hard not to panic while stuck underwater in the kayak.

“There is a definite fear that comes along with moving downriver and you’re locked in this little plastic tub,” Gillman said. “The hardest thing about kayaking is sticking with it through the kind of foreign nature of it.”

Gillman recommends lessons for beginners, including instruction in rolling.

Alpine Adventures, a whitewater rafting company with offices in Gold Bar and Leavenworth, offers beginning kayaking instruction on both the Skykomish and Wenatchee rivers.

The Wenatchee River includes ideal Class I, II and III areas for beginners and intermediate paddlers, too, said Dustin Basalla, owner of Alpine Adventures.

Basalla said it’s important for beginners to learn not just how to roll, but also how to balance while paddling on nearly still water.

Whitewater kayaks are shorter and more maneuverable than sea kayaks. While a typical sea kayak might be 16 or 17 feet long, whitewater kayaks are closer 6 or 7 feet.

“If you don’t know what you’re doing, you’re not going to be able to stay upright,” Basalla said, adding that getting out of a whitewater kayak is a high-stakes endeavor on a quickly moving river. “The last thing you want to do is come out of your boat.

“Once it’s full of water, it’s very heavy. You have to be able to rescue your $100 to $300 paddle and your $1,000 kayak.”

Basalla said his company tries to teach the very basics, including rolling, navigating a river, reading rapids, and moving in and out of the current.

It can take a long time to work up to Class III waters, Basalla said.

“The difference between Class I and Class III is very, very vast,” he said. “You just start out very, very slow. As you work your way up, you get more and more comfortable.”

That alone can be enough to keep some outdoors enthusiasts from getting started.

But for guys like Gillman, it’s worth it if only for the adrenaline rush and, most important, the scenery, including high rock walls covered in moss and hidden deep pools full of fish.

“That’s the best part of it, the places it takes you,” Gillman said. “We’ve been into canyons and gorges that no one but a very small handful of kayakers has ever seen.

“They’re really, really special places. The beauty is unbelievable.”

Sarah Jackson: 425-339-3037, sjackson@heraldnet.com.

Resources

Professor Paddle, www.professorpaddle.com, is a chat forum for Washington paddlers.

The Range Life, therangelife.blogspot.com, is a local blog with trip reports from throughout the Northwest, including the Robe Canyon race.

Oregon Kayaking, www.oregonkayaking.net, has information about rivers and creeks in Oregon and some in Washington.

AquaSports (15143 NE 90th St., Redmond; 425-869-7067; www.aqua-sports.com) kayaks and gear for purchase or rent.

Washington Kayak Club, www.washingtonkayakclub.org, offers whitewater and sea kayaking trips and classes.

The Mountaineers (800-573-8484 or 206-521-6000; www.mountaineers.org) offers local classes and trips.

Northwest Outdoors Center (206-281-9694; www.nwoc.com) in Seattle offers a variety of whitewater classes, from a $70 rolling class to a five-day whitewater immersion class for $695.

Outdoor Adventures Center (444 Ave. A, Index; 425-883-9039; www.outdooradventurecenter.com) offers whitewater kayaking courses, including a two-day beginners course starting at $299.

Alpine Adventures (Gold Bar and Leavenworth; 360-863-6505; www.alpineadventures.com) offers instruction for beginners, including a one-day class with one-on-one instruction for $249.