Blazing paddles
This weekend's Paddlefest on the Ohio brings to the surface the area's
kayaking and canoeing fascination
By Amy Howell • • June 26, 2008


Across the nation, paddling has drifted from a hard-core activity for the
few into the fastest-growing "human-powered" recreational sport for the
masses, says a study from the Outdoor Industry Foundation.

But many would say Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky have long been
a paddling hot spot, welcoming racing royalty and casual canoers alike.

The Ohio River Way's seventh annual Paddlefest, launching Saturday morning
from Coney Island, is the largest known paddling event in the Midwest.

With 1,400-1,500 boaters expected this year, the group could set a national
record for the number of participants in a single paddling event, says
co-founder Brewster Rhoads.

This spring, Cincypaddlers, a local canoe and kayak club, reached 1,000
members - 346 more than seaside Seattle's club.

That number makes it the largest paddling club in the nation, according to
founder Henry Dorfman.

Greater Cincinnati also is home to several national champions of paddling
and river conservation, including Mike Fremont of Glendale. Fremont, 86, is
a competitive racer and a co-founder of Rivers Unlimited - the first
statewide river preservation group, created in 1972.

The region's predominance in the paddling world is built on a
"come-one-come-all" attitude, local paddlers say.

"This is kind of a hotbed," says Fremont. "There's a bit of a canoeing
fraternity/sorority here."

"A lot of paddling groups come and go, and more-experienced people don't
want to be bothered by the new people. We started this group to keep the
door open for everybody, regardless of skill or interest," Dorfman says.

Growing popularity
There are plenty of paddlers to welcome. From 2000 to 2007, the number of
canoes and kayaks registered in Ohio went from 44,198 to 70,279. (Kentucky
does not register boats without motors.)

Kayaking in groups often begins as a matter of necessity: more people means
greater safety and pooling of travel resources. But paddlers soon realize
they can share a lot more than gas money and boat racks.

Jim Gadrow of Williamsburg, who joined Cincypaddlers in 2006, says, "What I
was looking for was just an increased safety factor for winter paddling.
But what I found was the kind of people I like to hang out with."

Paddlefest began in much the same spirit.

Co-founder Rhoads began kayaking on the Ohio River during his lunch break
to escape the 9-to-5 bustle, but soon realized he wasn't alone.

"Other people started showing up, and pretty soon we had a number of
paddlers. So we said, 'Why don't we invite other people we know and do a
trip down the river?' " Rhoads says.

Paddlefest's main event, the leisurely 8.2-mile float trip from Coney
Island to the Serpentine Wall welcomes all levels and styles of paddlers.
The Coast Guard clears the river of other traffic during this event.

Fathers and sons in rented canoes, couples in borrowed kayaks, and boats
adorned with yellow ribbons or painted pink for breast cancer support will
take to the water alongside a handful of seasoned racers and national
champions of paddling and river conservation.

"We stop all the (river traffic) for a few hours to give people a view of
what can be," Fremont says.

For some Paddlefest participants, just being on the water is an
accomplishment. Since 2005, three pink canoes from Thaxton's South Fork
Canoe Trails in Butler and Canoe Kentucky in Frankfort have carried breast
cancer survivors in honor of a Thaxton business associate diagnosed with
the disease in 2003.

"Since then, (the pink canoes) have traveled to Missouri, Michigan,
Wisconsin, South Carolina and Florida with their mission of courage and
hope," says Jim Thaxton, managing partner of the business.

Part of the mainstream appeal of local paddling can be attributed to the
region's typically calm, accessible waterways, says Randy Morgan of
Morgan's Canoe and Outdoor Center in Fort Ancient.

"The thing that we're blessed with is most of our waterways are Class 1,
appropriate for beginners (small waves, few obstructions). On a leisure
side of the sport, that's what most people want," Morgan says.

The Great Miami River is a favorite fla****er destination for
Cincypaddlers. On a weekly four-mile trip from Heritage Park in Colerain
Township, experienced kayakers hone their skills at "play spots" and help
beginners with basic strokes and maneuvers - a boon for the club's
membership.

"We generally retain numbers by helping coach people and helping them
develop their skills," says Dorfman, who taught paddling for 15 years with
the Sierra Club.

"People will go out to a canoe rental and try it and say, 'I didn't like
it; it made my arms hurt,' but you don't paddle with your arms, you paddle
with your body."

Local water challenges
For paddlers looking for a challenge, the region's waters sometimes offer
that, too.

Tim Kling of College Hill often uses a whitewater kayak - which is more
difficult to control - to challenge himself on fla****er, and hopes to some
day tackle area creeks that, after major rains, flow with Class 3 and 4
rapids - strong currents, large waves and strainers that require fast,
precise maneuvers.

"That's what's nice about this sport," says Kling, who often boats with his
son, Noah. "There are so many levels above where I am, and some things I
know I will never try."



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