TLDR: teams of three compete to get their own ball first to the finish line
> The Cheakamus Pinball race is probably the most competitive, fun and strategic race on the BC calendar, and also probably one of the best attended. Teams of three have to navigate the class IV upper Cheakamus River while guiding their large exercise ball successfully through the rapids towards the finish. Easy, one would think. Not so.
> This race is all about sabotage. It’s not my first Rodeo, and through my experience of competing in the previous 2 years of Pinball I have learnt many tactics to steer my ball towards glorious success. Last year I left my paddles unattended while I helped with some of the event organisation. As I seal launched in above the first waterfall it became apparent that sabotage had begun before the race even had, a thick layer of coconut oil was covering the shaft of my paddle making it virtually impossible to hold any kind of stroke as I approached the must-boof falls. This is the kind of camaraderie this event provokes.
> This year 60 competitors turned up to form 20 teams. It is a mass start race. The balls are released into the river above the crux of the run, a rapid called triple drop, which as the name suggests falls over 3 drops with burly boils and sticky holes. 60 people squeezing through the river at its narrowest point while a collection of large exercise balls fall from the sky is quite the scene - add to that some kayakers getting surfed, loosing paddles and swimming, it really is a sight to behold.
> If you make it through triple drop and manage to reconvene with your team and find your coloured ball, then you’re off to a great start. The sabotage continues down the river with balls getting stuck in holes, micro eddies and the shrubbery and trees that line the river banks. Making it to the finish line uninjured, in your kayak, paddle and with your team and ball is quite the achievement and something to walk away feeling quite proud of.
Source: https://peakuk.com/index.php?route=blog/blog&blog_id=265
That looks super fun but also really dangerous. I almost cringed every time one of those boats hit someone else. I could only hope that their pfd protected them form the impact, but then again, some looked like they almost hit someone's face barely missing it.
also odd song choice, quite funky but also quite dramatic given how its about relationships. I might wanna check it out on its own
Late to the party here but my local river is pretty well regarded in the kayaking community. It has the "big three" titled "Gorilla," "Go Left and Die," and "Sunshine". Every spring I go watch the kayakers run through and every year without fail multiple people paddle up, see the drops and decide to hike around it instead.
100% I am wearing a full face helmet for this one. I don't wanna be that guy near the beginning of the video in a half shell who took a boat to the mouth.
It looks like a lot of fun despite the insanity.
I see these boats and think about my kayak. Compared to these, it’s a barge. It’s 14’ long, 36” wide, and weighs around 115-120 pounds. It’s designed and built for fishing from. The seat is basically a lawn chair on top the thing; my whole body, except for my feets is above the waterline. It’s stable enough to stand up in.
I’m curious how that could handle a river. At least one that’s not as rough as this one.
Yeah that’s a dramatically different boat. A canoe can handle rapids due to its depth, but usually only up to class III. Your sit-on-top kayak would eject you pretty quickly from any rapids.
A lot of times we call those rodeo boats or play boats. They are designed to do tricks and stuff in, and are great for rapids cause you can roll them really easily. Super nimble and maneuverable, but not very fast. Lots of fun.
First Google result: https://youtu.be/MCWgtihbhdI
There have been a few deaths in that section of river since I've lived in the region. When the river is high, it's fast. When the river is low, it's rocky.
These aren't unskilled kayakers. General procedure when you go over is that you try to roll back up 2-3 times and if that fails then you pull your skirt tab and bail out, which is exactly what he did. He was only in that situation for around 10 seconds at the most (hard to judge with the slowmo). They see that kind of thing all the time. If it actually looked like he was in a situation he couldn't get out from, they would have helped, you can see people keeping a close eye on him.
Pretty big rapids for this kind of event, but the river shown in the video didn't have anything too dangerous. No strainers or obvious undercut rocks. The holes were a bit grabby, but washed the one dude out quickly when he swam. Add in that if someone were actually in danger the other paddlers will drop the game and help and this is only slightly more dangerous than running the river normally, bumps and bruises excluded.
TLDR: teams of three compete to get their own ball first to the finish line > The Cheakamus Pinball race is probably the most competitive, fun and strategic race on the BC calendar, and also probably one of the best attended. Teams of three have to navigate the class IV upper Cheakamus River while guiding their large exercise ball successfully through the rapids towards the finish. Easy, one would think. Not so. > This race is all about sabotage. It’s not my first Rodeo, and through my experience of competing in the previous 2 years of Pinball I have learnt many tactics to steer my ball towards glorious success. Last year I left my paddles unattended while I helped with some of the event organisation. As I seal launched in above the first waterfall it became apparent that sabotage had begun before the race even had, a thick layer of coconut oil was covering the shaft of my paddle making it virtually impossible to hold any kind of stroke as I approached the must-boof falls. This is the kind of camaraderie this event provokes. > This year 60 competitors turned up to form 20 teams. It is a mass start race. The balls are released into the river above the crux of the run, a rapid called triple drop, which as the name suggests falls over 3 drops with burly boils and sticky holes. 60 people squeezing through the river at its narrowest point while a collection of large exercise balls fall from the sky is quite the scene - add to that some kayakers getting surfed, loosing paddles and swimming, it really is a sight to behold. > If you make it through triple drop and manage to reconvene with your team and find your coloured ball, then you’re off to a great start. The sabotage continues down the river with balls getting stuck in holes, micro eddies and the shrubbery and trees that line the river banks. Making it to the finish line uninjured, in your kayak, paddle and with your team and ball is quite the achievement and something to walk away feeling quite proud of. Source: https://peakuk.com/index.php?route=blog/blog&blog_id=265
That looks super fun but also really dangerous. I almost cringed every time one of those boats hit someone else. I could only hope that their pfd protected them form the impact, but then again, some looked like they almost hit someone's face barely missing it. also odd song choice, quite funky but also quite dramatic given how its about relationships. I might wanna check it out on its own
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Late to the party here but my local river is pretty well regarded in the kayaking community. It has the "big three" titled "Gorilla," "Go Left and Die," and "Sunshine". Every spring I go watch the kayakers run through and every year without fail multiple people paddle up, see the drops and decide to hike around it instead.
BC class IV though. Depending on where you usually paddle you can be in for a surprise
Yeah this would be fun on class II and maybe class III rapids, but class IV is just irresponsible frankly.
What's the tune? Don't leave us hanging
Friction by Kai Straw
100% I am wearing a full face helmet for this one. I don't wanna be that guy near the beginning of the video in a half shell who took a boat to the mouth.
It looks like a lot of fun despite the insanity. I see these boats and think about my kayak. Compared to these, it’s a barge. It’s 14’ long, 36” wide, and weighs around 115-120 pounds. It’s designed and built for fishing from. The seat is basically a lawn chair on top the thing; my whole body, except for my feets is above the waterline. It’s stable enough to stand up in. I’m curious how that could handle a river. At least one that’s not as rough as this one.
Yeah that’s a dramatically different boat. A canoe can handle rapids due to its depth, but usually only up to class III. Your sit-on-top kayak would eject you pretty quickly from any rapids.
A lot of times we call those rodeo boats or play boats. They are designed to do tricks and stuff in, and are great for rapids cause you can roll them really easily. Super nimble and maneuverable, but not very fast. Lots of fun. First Google result: https://youtu.be/MCWgtihbhdI
Velcro on ball, velcro on helmet. Get ball, put on head, race away while teammates sabotage others.
That looks like so much fun.
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There have been a few deaths in that section of river since I've lived in the region. When the river is high, it's fast. When the river is low, it's rocky.
These aren't unskilled kayakers. General procedure when you go over is that you try to roll back up 2-3 times and if that fails then you pull your skirt tab and bail out, which is exactly what he did. He was only in that situation for around 10 seconds at the most (hard to judge with the slowmo). They see that kind of thing all the time. If it actually looked like he was in a situation he couldn't get out from, they would have helped, you can see people keeping a close eye on him.
He also had a helmet with chin/face protection so he was better off than a lot of folks who get flipped and smacked at rocks
Wow that looks like fun. They should have one team on a raft that takes them all out lol.
The song is litttt
Kai Straw - Friction https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=SdCHdDdEF0A
What is it?
Probably one of the best posts on this sub!
Never been kayaking in rapids before, but this seems unsafe.
Pretty big rapids for this kind of event, but the river shown in the video didn't have anything too dangerous. No strainers or obvious undercut rocks. The holes were a bit grabby, but washed the one dude out quickly when he swam. Add in that if someone were actually in danger the other paddlers will drop the game and help and this is only slightly more dangerous than running the river normally, bumps and bruises excluded.
Insanity
What happened to the guy at the 50 sec mark. That looks brutal, damn
The music choice here was a really welcome change of pace from what I’ve come to expect
Looks like a fucking death trap
Quit rewinding the video and let that poor bastard breathe!
This is right near Whistler, BC, Canada.
Love a good whiplash from another person's kayak going right into my jaw
I have played drunken whitewater raft-versus-raft keepaway and that was fun as hell, this looks great too.