Part of the sport is finding good spots
BY JOE KAY | THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

The bright red paddlewheel smacks the Ohio River in a rolling cadence, =
churning
a path through the mud-hued water. Trailing the riverboat is a solitary =
blue
kayak, riding the waves.

Steering with a double-ended paddle, a mustachioed man in a weathered =
baseball
cap dartKayakers stir up waterwayss through the froth. Passengers on the
paddlewheeler are intrigued by this meeting of Mark Twain-era =
transportation and
jet-age recreation.

"You can get on one of those big waves, and it is unbelievable in terms =
of the
thrill of the ride," said Brewster Rhoads, a political consultant who =
kayaks the
river most days. "You can just surf it like with a surfboard. My record =
is 43
minutes on the same wave."

There aren't many waves like it around these parts. Paddlers in the =
Midwest have
to be inventive to enjoy one of the country's fastest-growing =
recreational
activities.

They are. Wherever there's water - pristine or polluted, in the heart of =
a city
or out in the hinterlands - there's likely to be a paddle stirring it.

Annual surveys indicate that kayaking has doubled in popularity since =
1998. The
Outdoor Industry Foundation, which encourages outdoor activities, =
estimates that
12.6 million people got into a kayak last year. About 2 million of them =
kayak
regularly.

Most kayakers live in the West and Northeast. Lately, more women have =
been
taking up the sport - a 5 percent increase in the latest survey. About 45
percent of kayakers are female.

Although kayaking appeals to all age groups, it is particularly =
attractive to
those from 16 to 24.

"The younger generation is looking for more risky-type sports, something =
to test
their limits more," said Kara Lorenz, a 21-year-old Northern Kentucky =
University
student who has two kayaks. "That's what attracts a lot of young people =
to
kayaking and snowboarding."

In the Midwest, part of the fun is finding unusual places to test the =
limits.

Only a few strokes from downtown Cleveland, a guide directs five kayakers=
clear
of the barges and ore freighters in the working harbor on the Cuyahoga =
River.
Guide Mark Pecot explains the history of the six moving bridges and =
riverside
businesses they pass.

The group also touches a sore spot in the city's history - the place =
where
industrial discharge on the river caught fire in 1969.

"We're paddling through our industrial past," said Pecot, co-owner of 41 =
North
Coastal Kayak Adventures.

This three-hour "Burning River Tour" is one of several river and Lake =
Erie
excursions offered by the organization, which provides kayak lessons as =
well.

The trips are popular - business has increased in each of 41 North's four=
years.

"People find it fascinating," said Pecot, who also teaches history at St.=
Edward
High School in nearby Lakewood. "When you're in a kayak surrounded by =
huge
industrial bridges that lift and lower and you get tugboats and barges =
and the
other traffic moving, it has a way of making you feel very small. It's an
exciting feeling."

Exciting may not be the best word for this tour.

ENDANGERED TO SPORTING SPOT

The 28-mile Mill Creek divides Cincinnati down the middle. An industrial =
dumping
spot for generations, it got so polluted that the conservation group =
American
Rivers designated it North America's most endangered urban river in 1997.

Bruce Koehler knew all about its reputation. An environmental planner for=
a
regional council of governments, he sat through dozens of meetings about =
the
roiled creek and heard the horror stories.

"I wanted to go down and see what we were talking about," Koehler said.

In 1994, he first dipped a keel into the sewage and industrial waste. As =
he
paddled along, he saw a construction company bulldozing material into the=
creek.
An abandoned easy chair jutted from the middle of the channel.

Since then, he has taken more than 300 people on the creek for a =
firsthand look
at work that needs to be done. He dubs this hardy group the "Mill Creek =
Yacht
Club."

Paddlers receive a health warning and a liability disclaimer before =
setting off.
They try to avoid touching the water. Germicidal gel is available.

"Thank goodness I have healthy immunities," Koehler, 55, said. "I think =
going in
the creek is like getting a flu shot. I get mild exposure to most every =
germ
known to man. So far, no one has claimed they got seriously ill from it."

And, the paddlers are seeing noticeable improvement in the creek because =
of the
Clean Water Act.

"The stream doesn't stink to high heaven or change colors like it did =
when I was
a kid," Koehler said.

POPULARITY OF PADDLING

The slender boats stand at attention in their piped-off rows, the taller =
ones
poking their curved snouts above the others. Blue. Yellow. Green. Red. =
The
polyethylene shells are dry and unblemished.

=46or now.

Kayaks are high-tech and can be high-priced. They're also feeding the =
growth in
the popularity of paddling.

"They look very cool," said Bernie Farley, standing in the middle of his
Whitewater Warehouse a few feet from the banks of the Mad River in =
Dayton, Ohio.
"On the recreational side, the boats are a lot less expensive. They're =
more
basic, and they stay pretty similar year after year. With the whitewater =
boats -
the more expensive boats - they're popping out a new design every year."

=46arley, who has kayaked for 35 years, sees a growing interest in =
playboats that
allow riders to surf and do tricks, such as spins and cartwheels, in the =
water.

Communities are tapping into the growing interest. A Dayton park board is
considering adding a whitewater course to the Great Miami River.

In South Bend, Ind., the East Race Waterway has attracted more than =
200,000
kayakers and rafters since it opened in 1984. On a busy weekend, about =
500
paddlers from Indiana and nearby states will line up to challenge the =
region's
only whitewater course.

"We're all kind of amazed when we see where the kayakers are from," said =
Paul
McMinn, assistant recreation director in South Bend. "For them, to drive =
two or
three hours is no big deal."

Anything to catch a wave.

'IT'S A CALMING FORCE'

Back on the Ohio River, Rhoads paddles up to a dock across from downtown
Cincinnati.

It's a sunny afternoon. A steady stream of traffic rumbles across a =
nearby
bridge that links Ohio and Kentucky. Sunlight glints off tinted office =
windows
looking down on the river.

A 30-minute kayak trip has revitalized Rhoads.

"Every day is different," he said, after changing back into a dress shirt=
and
pants for a business meeting. "The wind conditions. The water conditions.=
The
sun angles. When the sun is reflecting off the downtown skyscrapers, it's=
just
stunning. So impressive."

He's not surprised to find more kayakers sharing the river these days. =
The sport
is growing, in part because it can be so captivating.

"There's something about water," Rhoads said. "It's a calming force. It's=
deep
in my blood."

Activity is gaining speed=20
The Outdoor Industry Foundation released annual surveys with information =
about
kayakers. The 2005 survey will be released to the public later this year.=
The
Outdoor Industry Foundation based its estimates from its 2005 survey on =
the
results of an annual telephone survey using scientific sampling. The =
foundation
interviewed 2,000 people older than 15 and gauged their participation in =
22
outdoor activities.

An estimated 12.6 million people got into a kayak at least once last =
year. About
2 million of them kayak regularly.

Those figures represent an increase from the foundation's first survey. =
In 1998,
about 4.2 million people had kayaked, and about 400,000 did it regularly.

Kayakers tend to be young. Roughly 31 percent are in the 16-to-24 age =
group.
About 20 percent are 25-to-34, 21 percent are 35-to-44 and 28 percent are=
45 or
older.

More women are kayaking these days. About 45 percent of the total were =
female, a
5 percent increase from the foundation's 2004 survey.

Kayakers tend to be affluent. Roughly 44 percent of them made at least =
$80,000
per year, and 33 percent made from $41,000 to $79,000.

More kayakers are found in the western and northeastern states than any =
other
regions of the country.

--The Associated Press
=20

What they're saying=20
Comments about the popularity and attraction of kayaking, one of the =
country's
fastest-growing outdoor activities:



"Has it been a success and have we gotten more out of it than we ever =
expected?
You put all those things together, and it's more than we ever promised or
expected. It's been a huge success."

Paul McMinn, assistant recreation director in South Bend, Ind., on the =
East Race
Waterway park that has sparked an estimated $58 million in economic =
development
and attracted more than 200,000 kayakers and rafters since it opened in =
1984.



"When I was a kid, it changed colors and stunk to high heaven. There's =
still an
odor of sewage now and then. A lot of times, it's in pretty good shape."

Bruce Koehler, an environmental planner for a Cincinnati-area council of
governments, on improvements he notices when leading tours of the =
polluted Mill
Creek.=20



"There's a growing number of people who see the Ohio (River) as a place =
not to
just avoid or turn their back on, but as a wonderful recreational =
activity,
especially for canoeing and kayaking. There's a growing number of people =
who
daily or three days a week put their boat in the river and paddle it."

Brewster Rhoads, a Cincinnati-based political consultant who paddles the =
river
almost daily



"You look at the gear they wear, you look at the kayaks, you look at the
surroundings, and the whole thing is just a paradise, a wonderland. =
That's what
attracts people. I don't know anybody who doesn't like to be on the =
water. These
kayaks make it possible. The little shorties are 6 to 8 feet long and you=
strap
yourself in and you can roll over and play like a little otter. I think =
they've
done a good job pushing their equipment."

Mike Fremont, an 84-year-old canoe racer from Cincinnati



"It's our fourth season of business. Every year it's been moving up in =
terms of
people's interest and skill level. We introduce people to the sport, they=
come
back for training, take a class and go on a trip."

Mark Pecot, co-owner of 41 North Coastal Kayak Adventures based in =
Cleveland.



"I like the fact that it also gives you a good workout. It's more fun =
than going
to a gym and being trapped indoors. On a beautiful day, I'd much rather =
be out
on the river kayaking."

Kara Lorenz, a NKU student



"I've been doing this for 35 years, and I am still learning.... I can =
still go
out there and learn something new tomorrow. That's what's so exciting =
about
kayaking."

Bernie Farley, who runs a kayak business in Dayton, Ohio

--The Associated Press=20

http://news.nky.com/apps/pbcs.dll/ar.../NEWS0103/606=
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