2006 Kern River Festival

From Fun to Carnage and Back on the Kern River in 2006!



While up in Santa Cruz for the 2006 Surf Kayak Festival, I was stoked when I picked up my new Wavesport Diesel from Demany and Kate Smith. Nice looking boat...hell, I felt safe just looking at it! You have to understand, I am not a river athlete at all! Surf is all I know and yes, I have done the Kern a bit, but nothing that hard, maybe some easy Class V to Class IV...so nothing major! I never felt that comfortable really.

So, this was the year that I thought about doing more whitewater! So this last weekend John Bonaventure and I went up to dabble in a bit o' whitewater up at the Kern and take in a bit of scenery at the 2006 Kern River Festival. We would not be disappointed.

Alot of people know but I do a bit of filming and video production. I really wanted to point my lens in a documentary direction. I love action videos but I want to tell a story, you know, dive into what makes people tick. What makes them invent or come up with better ways of doing things.

My friend, Mike Johnson asked me if I would be interested in telling his father's story. I have alot of respect for Mike and his many achievements (Olympic Athlete, designer, coach, and waterman) but did not know that much about his father. I did a bit of research and found out alot! Well, at least I thought I did...it wasnt until I spent alot of the weekend speaking with him about his life that I leared alot more...more on that later!

Back to whitewater! Making our way to Kernville, John and I agreed that since I have not been padding in the river for about 2.5 years, that we would be double careful. I was really here for the interview with Tom Johnson and checking out the pros in the slalom. Since I have never seen a slalom race before, we hung out and snapped a few photos and talked to a few people. Looks very challenging.

Excited to paddle, we spotted Kris Soderman and his wife, Haley. Perfect. Someone to paddle with and a possible shuttle person. Stoked to paddle, we decided to do the Cable run. The Diesel was awesome. Easy and fun! Stable and comfortable.

On the last rapid, I spotted a young women with a river boad. I had always wanted to try one, so I asked: 'Can I try yo riverboard?' She said, 'hell, yeah, so I said 'hell, yeah'! Its on. Picking up the swim fins I proceeded up the path to the put in. If I thought the water was cold in the kayak, my perception of cold was just about to be reanalyzed. Suffice it to say, I was a bit shriveled up, if you know what I mean, and I think you do! Kicking like a cornered goat, I aimed myself for the throat of the hole. I wanted to get barrelled! Well, at least covered up. Then I wanted to surf the wave. Its just in my blood, ya know! Of course, I missed the wave, but it was fun.

So, feeling like winners, John B. and I were pumped on looking at Brush Creek. We knew the water was much higher than I done it before (which was about 150-175 cfs) but we still felt good. We would trust Kris to make the call! Driving up, we spotted Scott McQuire, who was still amped from his first run down Brush! Radical he said, pretty sticky in some places but no problem! I had already seen the flow from the lot and it looked high...very high! But what the hell, it was super easy the first time I did it! Plus, what the hell, I was an expert surf kayaker! Hmmm....

Off we went! Down the path, down to the putin...flowing, actually raging! Scott explained the run. Well, as much as he could. Cool, and following Scott, I plunged off the first bigger drop...I just learned in a split moment that going off a waterfall very slowly is NOT GOOD. Plunging in, I flipped, going back into the waterfall. I could feel the water hitting the bottom of the kayak. I tried to roll, no dice. Tried again, even felt deep for the downstream current, to flush out...no go. Split decision to bail. I knew John was right behind me. I felt the kayak come down near me, hitting me in the ribs a bit...not too hard, but hurt. John trying to avoid me, did the same thing and had to bail. He had NEVER swam on a river!

Okay, I was more pissed off than anything...but for things to go bad at the top, with way harder stuff to come did not comfort me. So, off we went...the problem with Brush at that high of a flow was the eddies were either very small and critical or non existant. No room for error. And that is just what happened to John! Missing an eddy, he went backwards down a bad spot. We did not see what happened to him, but he did come out again. And looked like maybe he was a bit apprehensive. Scott tried to help him retrieve his kayak, but in the chaos, Scott and the kayak plunged down together towards the next pool. I still have no idea how Scott pulled that one off!

So, now we have John with no way out really, stranded with no kayak...no path to get down. Up the cliff John would have to go! Up about 60 feet, all I could think of was how I was going to explain to Johns wife how he fell and broke his back while kayaking! NOT GOOD.

Anyhow, we all made it, but John decided to walk out and Scott guided Kris and I down the rest. Which was actually pretty exhilarating, to say the least. John an I both learned a valuable lesson, for sure....But, he, we didnt get too beat up and we didnt die! So, what the hell, I say.

Now, more on Tom Johnson. I had the unique opportunity of spending time with this great man for about 8 hours throughout the weekend. From designing the first fiberglass canoe, to the first rotomolded, plastic kayak. Even the skirts we use today came from innovations that Tom Johnson came up with. And how about this! Tom Johnson founded the Kern River Festival. Along with the Corps of Engineers, Tom placed the rocks you see today at the part where the slalom course is set up for the Kern River Festival. And Tom has done so much more!

Such a unique and interesting person! And still very lively. I really enjoyed the story of the 'wind knot'. We drove up on Sunday for more interview footage and driving into his lot, we see Tom doing something with a piece of rope...He asked me if I knew what a 'wind knot' was...of course I didnt. He proceeded to make a knot with only the wind. The film will show it! Very interesting. Truly wonderful and interesting, I could have spent a week with him.

I am very honored to take part in documenting his unique life. Thanks to Mike Johnson, a living legend himself. Throughout the months of filming and editing the film, I will put more and more snippets up on the blog for people to read and see.

Thanks Kris Soderman and Scott McQuire for your river skills and patience while up on Brush Creek. I have so much respect for both of you. Haley, thanks for the photos. Nice.

Feel free to contact me for more information about the film about the life of Tom Johnson, kayak pioneer and innovator.

email: vince@2pointmedia.com

Until next time...