FIBArk History
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Salida, Colorado - The Boating Capital of the World "Salida, The Heart of the Rockies" By H. L. Haley, 1949 Chamber of Commerce Director First Annual Salida-Royal Gorge Boat Race Program 1949 At the junction of America's "Main Street" U.S. 50 and U.S. 285 about 150 miles south of Denver, lies Salida, Colorado, Chaffee County Seat, on the Arkansas River affectionately known as "The Heart of the Rockies." With towering mountain peaks as a "backdrop" Salida offers a scenic beauty seldom surpassed. A natural playground where municipally owned and operated ski course, mineral hot water swimming pool and nine hole golf course give its 6,500 citizens and tourists year round relaxation. Industries around Salida primarily are railroading, mining, cattle raising and agriculture, being the division point on the scenic Denver & Rio Grande Railroad whose payroll exceeded one million dollars for five consecutive years. The D&RG Hospital is also maintained here with seven surgeons on their staff. Koppers Creosoting Plant which supplies railroad ties, power line poles and posts, located here is one of their larger plants throughout the U.S. having a larger capacity than the plant which is located in Denver. Salida enjoys an all year ideal climate, protected from the storms by high mountain ranges that entirely circle the valley, the summers very seldom see temperatures higher than 90 and winters much below zero. back to top FIBArk (since 1949) First in Boating on the Arkansas The Boat Races that have been taking place for 51 years, the Boat Races that are known around the world, the Boat Races that are called FIBArk (First in Boating on the Arkansas) got their start as a bet between two friends. Over coffee, two men challenged each other to a canoe race on the Arkansas River from Salida to Canon City through the famous Royal Gorge. The race would cover 56 miles. Word of the challenge went mouth to mouth and more people became interested and a parade and festival were organized. Two Swiss boys heard of the race while in this country running other rivers. Their boats were small folding boats. They announced they wanted to enter the competition and of the 23 entrants in the race that year, 1949, only the Swiss boys reached the finish line. Boatsmen from France, Germany, Czechoslovakia, Belgium, Scotland, Israel, Italy, England, Switzerland, Austria, Mexico and the United States and Canada, all leaders in their countries, have pitted their skills against the roaring, boulder-strewn river that has given a challenge to all alike. Contestants from all nations competing have commented that this Arkansas River course challenges the skills of men in small boats against nature at its best. back to top The River "Whitewater hell," "The meanest stretch of whitewater in the world," many such expressions have been coined to describe the 25.7 mile river course over which one of the nation's most unique races is held each June in Salida, Colorado U.S.A. The Arkansas River begins its 1450-mile journey to the Mississippi River near Leadville, Colorado. It draws its water from hundreds of springs, creeks and gullies, many created by runoff from accumulations of snow over 10 feet high along the eastern side of the Continental Divide. Between Leadville and Salida the river drops over 5,000 feet in less than 60 miles. Most of the year the river moves along at less than 1,000 cubic feet per second (cfs) but during runoff and into the FIBArk weekend in June, the river can roar at as much as 6,000 cfs. It is a powerful force, one not to be entered lightly. The men and women, who test the Arkansas in boats and as divers, do so recognizing that force and are mentally and physically prepared to cope with it. Before the Arkansas enters the Mississippi, it will provide water for farmers and ranchers in four states. But during FIBArk it is a force for fun, but fun tempered by the knowledge of the river's power. back to top The Boats The native Northern Americans developed three types of boats: the dugout canoe, the birchbark canoe, and the skin covered boat used in the barren Arctic. These skin covered boats became known as kayaks. The Eskimos developed the kayak in response to very special needs. Their survival depended upon a hunting boat that was fast, maneuverable and easy to paddle that could work against strong wind, tide or heavy seas that was easily lifted and carried and had to keep the paddler warm and dry. The kayak has been "re-discovered" as the ultimate rough water small craft. Kayaking for sport developed in southern Germany in the early 1900s. Lured to the whitewater rivers rising in the Alps, people began experimenting with wood framed, fabric covered boats. These boats became known as "foldboats" because at the end of a trip one could disassemble the boat and carry it in a relatively small set of bags. The first boats used in Salida races in the 1950s were foldboats weighing up to 80 pounds, which were cumbersome compared to modern standards. Within the next decade, kayaks were being made of fiberglass weighing as little as 17 pounds allowing kayaking to become a popular and diverse sport. For racing, there are generally two types of kayaks the downriver kayak and the slalom kayak. The downriver kayak is long and sharp-ended, designed to hold a steady and rapid course downstream. The slalom boat is shorter, more stable, and easier to maneuver. Kayak? Canoe? What's the difference? That's not a silly question since years of boating competition have resulted in numerous design refinements making the differences in racing kayaks and canoes very subtle. Most people are familiar with the popular open canoe that is a big, stable river boat best suited for carrying gear and passengers on outings. Nowadays, however, canoes, like kayaks, are likely to be made of fiberglass and "decked", that is, covered on the top except for a hole where the paddler kneels. Unlike the rowboat, kayaks and canoes are designed to be paddled with the boater facing forward. Canoes are propelled by single-bladed paddles used in a kneeling position, while kayaks are propelled by double-bladed paddles used in a sitting position. Although fiberglass has become the most popular building material for kayaks and canoes, the use of plastics and rubber in the late 1900s have allowed for a variety of boat shapes, sizes and recreational uses. Today modern boats are lighter, stronger and more streamlined, and the kayak remains the best whitewater craft, a unique combination of lightweight, speed, maneuverability, and uncanny rough water ability. back to top The Race Kayaking developed as a sport in the whitewater rivers of the Alps in southern Germany in the early 1900s. By the end of World War II whitewater competition was well developed throughout Europe. The first world championship slalom was held in Switzerland in 1949, the year of the first FIBArk race, and the first world championship downriver race was held in 1959 in Treignac, France. In 1972, whitewater kayak events were added to the Munich Olympics. Nearly 40,000 people watched the slalom event alone. Kayaking had become very popular. Salida became the birthplace of whitewater sports in the United States when in 1949 the first American downriver race was held. Salida also boasts having the first whitewater slalom event held on the North American continent in 1953. Today, as FIBArk approaches its 52nd year, the river events have grown tremendously in diversity and new, challenging whitewater races have been included to the annual whitewater June festival in Salida, Colorado U.S.A. back to top The Downriver Race "The longest, oldest, most prestigious and perhaps the toughest race in North America". FIBArk Souvenir Program 1995, History of the Race The long, hard downriver race through the Arkansas River's most exciting waters is a race against time, challenging the competitor's skill and endurance. It's a test of strength and the ability to choose and follow the fastest course through rough water. FIBArk began as a challenge between two men over coffee which gave life to one of the most talked about events in boating; the Salida-Royal Gorge Boat Race. The original race in 1949 ran 56 miles along the Arkansas River from Salida to Canon City through the vertical cliffs of the Royal Gorge Canyon. Of the 23 entrants in the race that year only two Swiss boaters reached the finish line. The following year the race was shortened to 44 miles excluding the dangerous Royal Gorge waters and again only one man finished the race of tremendous endurance. The third year the race eliminated portages and single-boat teams and was eventually set at its existing length of 25.7 miles from Salida to Cotopaxi, still the longest whitewater downriver race in the United States. During the first three years, every conceivable type of craft from bomber belly-tanks to cataract boats were used. Although many of these crafts were safer, canoes and folding kayaks, at the hands of expert boatsmen, turned in the best time. In 1954, the American Canoe Association sanctioned the race. Now approaching it's 52nd year in the year 2000, the FIBArk Downriver Race is still a grueling affair of many hours, and one that has caused foreign and local experts alike to proclaim the Arkansas the "meanest, most vicious river in the world." back to top The Slalom Race 1953 marked the first attempt to run a slalom race in the U.S. on the Arkansas River during FIBArk. The following year, the American Canoe Association and International Canoe Association sanctioned the slalom races, providing an opportunity for racers eligible for national and world competition. Slalom races are similar to ski slalom with boatsmen clearing 25 to 30 gates over a half mile course. Penalties are imposed for missing a gate, for hitting a gate, or going through a gate in the wrong direction, often a difficult feat in the swift currents of the Arkansas. A slalom racer is racing against time and being scored on demonstrating his skill and technique in maneuvering his boat. Two heats are run in each slalom class, and the boater's better score counts in determining the winner. Every year, the slalom races have been an important part of the FIBArk festival. Many classes of slalom racers have emerged over the years due to the participation of women in the race and to the variety of whitewater boats available to the boater. Slalom racing is also enjoyable and convenient for spectators to watch. back to top The Raft Race While FIBArk gained renown as a kayak race, the raft races added in the 70's are just as popular with spectators who line the Arkansas River during FIBArk in Salida. Rafting has become a major industry and summer sport in the Heart of the Rockies, and the raft race has given river runners a chance to compete with each other. In 1976 FIBArk sponsored the first Annual Raft Race from Salida to Cotopaxi. A "pro" and amateur class of rafts were represented until, in 1987, two raft races emerged. The Downriver Whitewater Raft Race has remained in place to this day, while a shorter "Pro" Raft Race evolved using a variety of stretches along the Arkansas and became a sanctioned National race event in 1997. back to top The Whitewater Freestyle Rodeo In 1989 a number of Salida area boaters organized the first Whitewater Rodeo held in conjunction with FIBArk. The paddlers attempted to stay in a "wave" on the river and perform such maneuvers as endos putting the boat vertical in the water or doing flips. Since 1995, the Whitewater Rodeo, then called the Endo Competition and later called Freestyle has been part of the FIBArk festivities. Performing acrobatics in the water, the boaters must complete a number of feats in a matter of minutes for points. An endo: standing on end, pirouettes: spins, retentive endos: front to back endos, and bonus points for tossing or not using the paddle are ranked and accumulated by the boater. In 1998, the FIBArk Freestyle contest gained national ranking. "Trophy moves" are scored on style, variety and the ability to do moves in either direction. Although most people use kayaks, decked canoes are also acceptable. back to top The Boat Race Future As whitewater paddling evolves, and we enter the 21st century, FIBArk honors the events past and looks forward to accommodating the needs of the future. Plans are being made to re-establish some of the races, events and awards that took place in the past and to introduce new races, venues and events into the FIBArk program. River improvements are anticipated to enhance the quality and increase the recreational versatility of the Arkansas River and long range plans for riverfront park development are underway. back to top The Boaters The FIBArk festival is unique because the river venue is located close to the town of Salida and the boaters and the spectators can share in the magnitude of events available during the weekend. As Martin McCarthy of Ireland wrote in his letter to the FIBArk Board in 1992, "Having participated on two previous occasions, I have witnessed how much organization and hard work goes into staging what is surely one of the best, most enjoyable race festival in the world, if not the best. The atmosphere is so cheerful, the people so friendly and welcoming, the river so challenging that for any participant, paddling the race and enjoying the festival is a fabulous and unforgettable experience definitely to be repeated." The boaters, known as paddlers, are dedicated athletes in their sport. In the 50's foreign boaters helped introduce kayaking in the US, with the help of FIBArk, after which kayaking gained popularity on all the big American whitewater rivers. This difficult, challenging, dangerous sport takes years of training and discipline to become proficient and it takes a serious dedication for a paddler to become a champion. Over time, American paddlers have had the opportunity to compete on a national and international level. Many of the competitors in FIBArk, including several paddlers from Salida, have qualified for the US National Whitewater Team and traveled to Europe to compete. Through the FIBArk years the boaters and the organizers have worked together to create a challenging, fun and safe race that is enjoyable for everyone. Very often, the local boaters have become a part of the FIBArk Board of Directors and have been Commodores. The importance of the Boater-Board relationship is critical to keeping FIBArk aware of boating needs and changes in the sport. back to top Women in Boating 1954 introduced the first women to the Salida boat races. Mrs. Andre Pean and Miss Raymond Paris from Paris, France, entered both the slalom and downriver races in their two-seat canoe. They said they came to show America that girls can boat too, and hoped that many girls would enter the races in years to come. In 1957 Salida's own, Carol Kane entered the races. Carol had won many U.S. and international boating titles and competed in Germany on the US Kayak Team. In 1984, a group of local women organized an all-women's raft team, the Arkettes, that for two years challenged the river and their competitors for first place in the downriver raft race. Whitewater paddling involves strength, finesse, flexibility and balance, a sport which more and more women have come to enjoy over the years. Female classes are now available in every FIBArk boating event. back to top The Boathouse On March 20, 1969, Mrs. Mary Theotokatos presented to the FIBArk club the Old Manhattan Hotel building located on F Street next to the river. The building became the first permanent headquarters of the FIBArk boat races, making it possible for the organization to maintain a centrally located office for boaters and club personnel. Club members, their wives and other interested citizens spent thousands of hours converting the building to suitable quarters, and from 1970 to 1980 visiting boaters were housed in the 10 upstairs rooms. Registration and information offices were open to boaters and the public on the ground floor. After 10 years serving as FIBArk headquarters, the Old Manhattan Hotel in 1981 was deeded to Greg Cole, an Aspen architect to convert it into a restaurant. The building had been deteriorating for years. Successions of FIBArk boards had all faced the problems of just maintaining the facility, much less making any improvements. With the sale of the boathouse, FIBArk built a new clubhouse directly behind the old building. Celebrating the grand opening in 1982, the new FIBArk Boathouse has served as a permanent headquarters for the FIBArk Boat Races, Inc. and for the FIBArk Boat Club. The FIBArk Boat Club has been formed to provide training, organize boating activities and serve as a gathering point for boaters year round. The Boathouse has provided a shop for boat building, repair and storage and has helped nurture and support yearly competitors and boaters for the future. As Tom Karnuta said after he qualified for the US National Whitewater team in 1993, "I trained year-round. That was the main reason I was able to qualify. I was able to use the FIBArk boathouse so I had easy access to the river all winter." back to top River Front Changes The FIBArk Boat Races are a world-renowned event because of the commitment by the community to promote, support and enhance the entire weekend festival. 1966 FIBArk Souvenir Program "It takes a lot of doing by a lot of people behind the scenes to launch a community celebration with the scope of the Salida-Arkansas River Boat Races. Planning for the event begins the week following the last one and continues throughout the year." As interest in whitewater sports has grown through the FIBArk years, changes have been made to enhance the Riverfront which have created areas where boaters can train, perform and compete and areas where spectators and festival participants can better watch and enjoy the total event. In 1966 the City of Salida and Chaffee County cooperated with financiers and crews to improve the FIBArk event. During the low flow of the River, a bulldozer pushed boulders around the Arkansas River to make a more difficult slalom course. In 1988 boulders were dropped in the river from the F St. Bridge to create a kayak playhole. FIBArk board members raised the money and six-time FIBArk winner Gary Lacy designed and supervised the work. In the same year, Salida completed building a boat ramp next to the FIBArk Boathouse. The ramp was financed by a $10,000 grant from Coors. Riverfront changes were dramatic in 1992 when the FIBArk Boating Club worked to create a year-round slalom course and kayak playground in the river in front of the FIBArk Boathouse. With the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers approval, the riverbed was rebuilt to provide a whitewater challenge at all river flows. The same year, members of the Riverside Improvement Project (RIP) also built a permanent band shell structure in Riverside Park and created a plan for future city improvements. Salida's downtown, which touches the River, was also greatly enhanced during the 90's. City landscaping, historic building renovations, street, park and trail improvements, and the creation of the State and Federal Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area, have all contributed to a very beautiful and hospitable river playground for everyone to enjoy.  Boating Safety A very important aspect to FIBArk is the safety of the boaters. Skin Divers, Ham Operators, ambulance crews, riverboat patrol units, emergency support groups, law enforcement agencies and the media are all seriously involved in the event. back to top The Record - FIBArk Downriver Race
back to top "The Oldest and Toughest Whitewater Race in America" by Fletcher Anderson 38th Annual FIBArk Souvenir Program, 1986 At Cottonwood Rapids your heart is pounding its way through your chest like a runaway jackhammer. At an instant 180 beats a minute, it's pumping at more than two beats a paddle stroke, but something inside you refuses to let that drop to three. Your fingers are warped into rigid twisted claws grasping the paddle shaft. They no longer have the strength to grip adequately but the fingers have been holding on so long that you can't unbend them and let go. Muscles and tendons which used to ache have numbed out into systemic fatigue so all encompassing that it begins to seem that the mind has disconnected from the body and is just watching someone else paddle. If you were in a doctor's office now and he read your blood pressure, he would hospitalize you. When kayak racer Brent Reitz had the test done at a sprint at the Aspen Sports Medicine Institute, his blood pressure climbed off the top of the scale of the machine. If you were standing up right now, you would fall down but you aren't standing, you are sitting in a racing kayak so tippy that the average recreational kayaker couldn't keep it right side up in a lake. The race isn't over yet. Salida is 20 miles behind you, Cotopaxi is still six miles ahead. If anyone could ask you what was so much fun about kayak racing now, you would be hard pressed to answer. There is only one way to do well in this race, and that is you have held a precise line through the last twenty rapids, big and small, all the while maintaining a pace as severe as is needed to win running a marathon. If you are racing in the international class, you'll be just beginning to pass a few touring class racers; you may even be overtaking some of the elite. These are people you know. They are there, but then they don't quite register in your head anymore. You are as alone as you will ever be. How well you are doing, how well anyone else is doing, doesn't matter anymore. You could quit at this point and you know it. If you aren't winning the race now, it is probably too late to do anything about it. All that remains is your best chance to lose. Back in the 1950s just surviving Cottonwood Rapid was quite an accomplishment. In a modern whitewater recreational kayak, with the advantage of modern techniques, it has become no more difficult than skiing the expert runs at a typical ski area. In a racing kayak, however, Cottonwood is more difficult than ever. Racing kayaks over the years have grown to be just a fraction faster than they used to be. This was accomplished by giving up any vestiges of stability or maneuverability. Racers like to practice Cottonwood in-groups because they usually have trouble with it. Private and alone you grind out the last few hundred yards to the end of the valley. Ahead the river bends sharply left into a huge and ominously silent doorway through the granite wall. Knowing the rapid is coming, knowing you are just too tired to finish, struggling just to keep the boat moving at all, you hear a roar that begins to fill the canyon. The cheers of thousands of spectators grow to drown out the rumbling of the rapid itself. It is an indescribable sound, not made just of human voices, but not wholly the sound of the river either. You feel it growing more than hear it and now it seems possible to make it. Regardless of place, whatever the results will read, in that moment, you are winning the only race that counts. I know the feeling well I've been there numerous times since my first FIBArk in 1961. I've never actually won the race, but I see no reason to stop trying. Watching the Race: If you think racing is dangerous, consider this: There are only about 50 people in the race. They are going about 13 miles an hour in 20-pound boats, and all of them are looking very intently where they are going. In contrast about 5,000 spectators are on the highway; they go at speeds over 60 miles an hour in 4000-pound cars; they stop right in the road without warning; and none of them are watching where they are going they are all looking at the river. The way to watch the race is to drive to the major vantage points early enough to find a parking spot. Get out of the car. Walk over to the river. Don't try to pace the racers. The easiest way to tell who is winning the race is to listen to the radio, which has live coverage of the whole race, start to finish, and a week of pre-race coverage as well. Until you get pretty near the finish, any one of several racers could still be in contention. How do you predict the winner when after half an hour the first five racers are virtually tied? There are two answers: who looks most relaxed and who is wasting the least energy. There are several key points to watch. Between Salida and Bear Creek Rapids: Virtually anywhere you can see, the river in this stretch will show you an easy rapid. Sprinting in even and easy rapid is a waste of time. Instead the fastest paddlers try to rest slightly in the rapids while maintaining speed, so that they will be able to push that much harder on the flats. The best paddlers are the least exciting ones to watch they are so smooth and relaxed in easy rapids that they make it look like flat water. They waste no energy with excessive turning or bracing or jerky motions, they just glide through as smoothly as they can. Bear Creek Rapids: Here is were the men begin to be separated from the boys and the boys are separated from their boats. The frogmen below this rapid can have a busy afternoon. Every time a boat slams into a big wave, it slows way down. On the other hand, the fastest current is where the biggest waves are. The fastest paddlers will be the ones who can just slip over the shoulders of the waves without getting out into the slower water. To stay on that line through Bear Creek requires a rather complex "S" turn through the whole 200 yards of rapids, all the while missing numerous boulders and avoiding turning sideways. It is a fine art indeed and it is a real master who can do it all and also keep up his speed and save a little energy for the flat. Flume Rapids: Formerly spotted from the road by a water pipe bridge over the river, this deceptively easy looking rapids is one of the hardest on the river. There is a large boulder above the bridge and a set of holes below. Missing the first, sets you up perfectly to crash into the second. It's easy enough to change course in a slalom kayak, but a downriver racing boat just isn't made to turn that quickly. In this rapid you can't see the obstacles until you are right on top of them. Red Rocks: Not really a rapids, this narrow vertical walled gorge is full of very strong whirlpools and boils. Keeping your boat pointed straight ahead through here without having to make extra stearing strokes pays a big dividend. Howard Bridge: Water under this bridge is as flat as it gets on this river, and the race at this point is almost exactly halfway over. The crowds here are small and mainly consist of coaches and support crews. Yet this is probably the real key point to winning the race. In many years, the first five racers are all still within a few seconds of each other at the Howard Bridge, but here is where they begin to spread out. Except for a couple of big but short rapids, the water all the way from here to Cottonwood is very flat and often fairly shallow. The racer who kept up his speed early in the race by paddling harder than everyone else is going to burn out in the next 10 miles. The race winner is the one who was able to run the rapids above here without wasting energy. Now he will be able to attack the several miles of easy water where extra effort will produce a bigger speed gain. Tin Cup Rapids: It's off the road, but worth going out of your way to see. Parking is limited though. Approaching from upstream, the racer sees only a blind drop off with a mist of spray beyond. By the time you hit the lip, it is too late to change course. The rapid itself is an incredibly fast roller coaster of very big waves, and it is difficult to avoid being washed over towards the eddies on either side. Cottonwood Rapids: What can be said to explain this one? It is the single most dramatic moment in American downriver kayak racing. Cottonwood to Cotopaxi: Cottonwood is so emotionally overpowering that you just aren't psychologically ready for anything more, and so physically demanding you can't paddle at anything like your normal ability. Surprise! There are four more miles of rapids, including one tricky one just a quarter mile below Cottonwood. By this point in the race everyone is digging for reserves they aren't sure they have. Running marathoners sometimes fall on their hands and knees and crawl at this point. At least on the river when you absolutely drop dead the current keeps drifting you to the finish line. The Finish: When they cross the finish line, the racers look near death. Indeed, there have been many times when the first aid crews have been pretty busy. Some racers manage to polish off a whole quart of fluids in one big swallow. Some are worse off and can't get enough fluids down. Some of them can't stand up without help. Yet they all think they just had a marvelous race. Despite the international looking entry, the majority of the top finishers are usually from Colorado. Don't be fooled the majority of the top marathon and whitewater racers in America are from Colorado, and the FIBArk race is where they develop the talents to excel elsewhere in the world. Indeed, for many Colorado racers, winning FIBArk is more prestigious than winning a national championship. About the Author: Fletcher Anderson has raced FIBArk slalom races since 1960 and downrivers since 1961. Although he has won races on every river in Colorado, he has never finished better than second place in the FIBArk downriver. The reason, he believes, is that FIBArk is the toughest race. Boating is in Feltcher's blood. Both of his parents boated and raced. "My parents began kayaking in 1950 after my father returned from a trip to Europe looking for ski lifts and brought back a folding kayak," explained Anderson. "At a very, very early age, I was being taken for rides in those early boats." Anderson remembers the many American and European competitors who came to FIBArk. "While Americans were responsible for 'modern' fiberglass kayaks, Europeans were way ahead of us in paddling technique. We caught up largely because of FIBArk. Each year the Salida Chamber of Commerce would help out with the airfare for top ranking European paddlers," said Fletcher. Those paddlers stayed with local families as they prepared for and competed in FIBArk. "We would make a point of arriving as much as two weeks early for the races in order to paddle with visiting world champions and learn from them. Eventually, we actually did learn something. Ted and Dan Makris of Salida were among the very first Americans to be selected to represent the US in the World Championships in Europe, and showed all of us that we could acquit ourselves well there." Fletcher trained with some of the best: "Walter Kirschbaum, the 1953 World Champion who came to FIBArk in 1955, fell in love with America, and stayed to teach at my High School in Carbondale, Colorado." back to top The FIBArk Events FIBArk is a whitewater river event so special, so prestigious and so close to Salida's historic downtown, that a festival of tremendous magnitude has revolved around it for 51 years. A three-day weekend event has now turned into almost an entire week of river and community activities. The momentum of FIBArk is contagious. Every year, individuals, families, groups and businesses contribute to the festivities. The timeline shows that the downriver race and the FIBArk parade have occurred every year from 1949 to 1999. A Boat Race Queen reigned until 1971 when a Hostesses/Hosts Program shared the royalty responsibilities for 26 years. In 1997, a FIBArk Queen was re-established, chosen from the hostesses. The D&RG Special train ran from 1949 until 1967 and the first Hooligan Race, anything that floats that's not a boat, began in 1955. A golf tournament started in 1956 and the first carnival set up in 1957. A rodeo was held in conjunction with FIBArk in the 60's, the airport was dedicated and an aerial show took place for many years. In 1964 a sidewalk bazaar, fishing contest, international dance exhibition, and kayak water polo contest were added to the festivities. The 70's introduced the Sertoma Service Club Breakfast, entertainment in Riverside Park, the Tenderfoot Hill Climb and a 10K foot races, all which have all continued to this date. Two bicycle races were included, but moved to another date after a few years. Quilting, beer tasting, airbands, windsurfing, jell-o wrestling, burrow racing and Art in the Park were additions made through the 80's, and in 1991 a Rubber Duck Race was introduced as a fundraiser for the Salida Chamber of Commerce. In the 90's, many traditional events were re-introduced as FIBArk turned 50 years old. Emphasis on creating a boathouse museum and documenting the rich FIBArk history has given us the opportunity to embrace Senator Wayne Allard's invitation to document FIBArk as a Local Legacy of Colorado for the Library of Congress Bicentennial 1800 2000. back to top The Organization The festival that started as a boater's bet in 1949 was first sponsored by the Salida Chamber of Commerce in concert with the Canon City Chamber of Commerce. The first Salida-Arkansas River Boat Race in 1949 included a weekend of events such as ball games, trial boat runs, the crowning of the queen and her attendants, dances, feasts, the boat race from Salida though the Royal Gorge, the special D&RG Western train and awards. Thousands of people were expected to enjoy the Boat Race weekend. Five state governors were invited to attend and the prize money for the winning boater was over one thousand dollars. The Salida Chamber of Commerce and its president, Doyle Johns, continued to sponsor the Boat Races through 1953. During the first five years, the event became engrained in the culture of Salida and increased in magnitude. As the race gained recognition as the longest wildwater, downriver race in the US, more and more boatsmen came from foreign nations and around the US to brave the rapids. 1954 marked a very important benchmark in the history of FIBArk. The Boat Races, including the downriver and the new slalom, became sanctioned by the American Canoe Association, which allowed competitors to be eligible for world championship races. This sanctioning became available only after the organizing group departed from the Chamber of Commerce as a sponsor and created a separate boat club, FIBArk Boat Races, Inc. Howard Blakey became the first event leader as Commodore of the new boat club. Although it was a great deal of work, he and his wife, Berniece, have happy memories of that time, such as: - When the train came in and all those people got off with their box lunches, people were everywhere in Riverside Park. - The folkdances performed by different groups in town that almost became a competition. - The French girls in bikinis, years before the bikini hit this country. - The young German kayaker that was so wild he was asked to bring a chaperon the next year. Every year the FIBArk festival is presented by a group of dedicated people who volunteer their time to organize the event. Annually, a FIBArk Board of Directors and a Commodore are chosen to plan, promote and present all the weekend activities, and in addition, literally hundreds of people in the community help with FIBArk as event sponsors and volunteers. Tom Bainbridge says in his "Message from the Commodore" in the 1974 FIBArk Program, "That an event of such magnitude can be successfully staged by a sparcely-populated area consisting wholly of small towns says a great deal for the spirit and willingness of the people who live here. The celebration benefits all the people and businesses in this region it proves that fun, pride in accomplishment and better human understanding all emerge when people join together to stage a clean, exciting sporting event and all the accompanying activities." back to top The Train Every year for the first two decades of FIBArk, the Denver & Rio Grande Western ran a special train, paralleling the river, to follow the boat race. The train would leave the Salida station at the start of the downriver race and follow the boatsmen through the entire racecourse. Hundreds of persons used this service, from 1949 through 1967, to view the entire race course. The train would stop at the spectacular points on the course so passengers could leave the train and walk only a few yards to the waters edge and see the action. A lunch for all tastes was served on board. back to top FIBArk's Commodores
back to top The Gypsy Divers In the early years of FIBArk, skin divers from all over Colorado came to the races to provide the greatest degree of safety possible for the boaters. In 1964 the Colorado Council of Divers, the FIBArk rescue team, became part of the program by putting on an 8 mile downriver race where divers competed against themselves and the river in their wet suits. The annual divers race was renamed the Larry Hill Memorial Race in 1970 to honor a fallen Salida diver, but in 1985 a tragedy occurred that caused the divers race to stop. During the race William Taylor, a Navy Seal, accidentally hit his head on a rock and drowned. Although absent for many years, divers will help out again in the 2000 FIBArk festival. back to top The FIBArk Royalty Race-Boat Queens & Hostesses/Hosts 1949 - 1950 - Pat Funk 1951 - Coleen Gray, movie starlet 1952 - Grace Louise Cooper 1953 - Carole Mathews & escort Touch Connors, movie stars 1954 - Janice Hagerman 1955 - Frances Myers 1956 - Velma Anderson 1957 - Sandra Crawford 1958 - Becky Savage 1959 - Linda Jauch 1960 - Kathy Scanga 1961 - Sharon Heer 1962 - Judy Fender 1963 - Vicki Smith 1964 - 1965 - 1966 - Mary Paul 1967 - Linda Taylor 1968 - Tanny Wright 1969 - Charlotte Carpenter 1970 - Cherri Atchison 1971 - Barbara Blackwell 1972 - Sue Conroe 1973-1996 - Hostesses 1997 - Jaimee Eggleston 1998 - Ryan Chelf 1999 - Summer Williams 2000 - Aimee Schwam The Boat Race Queen, her attendants and Hostesses have represented the Annual Salida-Arkansas Races for fifty years. The girls have graced the Salida celebration over the years by promoting the event throughout the weekend. The girls have done media presentations with local and regional radio stations, newspapers, magazines, and TV. They have historically met with governors and mayors, ridden in the Denver & Rio Grande Western Special Train from Denver to Salida, have always been celebrated in the boating Parade, and have attended and assisted in many race event each year. In 1951 and 1953 a movie starlet and star reigned over the boating weekend. In other years, local girls competed for the Boat Race Queen crown in a contest of beauty, talent and personality. In 1971 a Hostess Program was introduced instead of having a Queen and her Court, and for the next 26 years FIBArk Hostesses (and occasionally a host) equally shared all the event responsibilities. The FIBArk queen tradition was re-established when a new queen and her attendants were chosen from the 1997 Hostesses. back to top The Parade and their Themes The excitement of the 1st Salida-Royal Gorge Boat Race in 1949 was contagious; the five governors from Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Mississippi, and Colorado were each invited to attend and local businesses, organizations, civic leaders and groups of individuals rallied to be a part of an elaborate downtown parade. The procession of floats, equestrians, automobiles, bicyclists, pedestrians and pets was spectacular and thousands of spectators lined the main street to watch and cheer in delight. Prize money of $60, $40, and $20 was awarded to the top three floats. Every year since, a Boat Race/FIBArk Parade has adorned the weekend festival. Often having a theme, the parade offers citizens a challenge and opportunity to work together on a project everyone can enjoy. It allows people a chance to be supportive and recognized in the community. It generates enthusiasm for the town and the event for years to come. Parade Themes 1949 - 1962 - "Boating Capital of the World" 1949 - 1962 - "International Friendship" 1949 - 1962 - "Tenth Annual Salida-Arkansas Boat Races" 1949 - 1962 - "Boating Around the World" 1949 - 1962 - "International Boating Theme" 1965 - "Heart of International Sports" 1966 - "Boating for International Friendship" 1967 - "Peace Through International Boating" 1968 - "20 Years of International Boating" 1969 - "Heart of the Rockies" 1970 - "Where Man and Nature Meet" 1974 - "A River for Recreation" 1976 - "Bicentennial" 1977 - "Colorado Recreation" 1978 - "Interplanetary Travel" 1979 - "On the Sunny Side" 1980 - "Centennial" 1981 - "The Second Century in the Heart of the Rockies" 1982 - "A Small World" 1983 - "Remember the Times with Nursery Rhymes" 1984 - "Let's Move Along with the Title from a Song" 1985 - "Fantasies and Fairy tales" 1986 - "Music, Music, Music" 1987 - "From Gospel to Jazz" 1989 - "We are Salida Proud" 1990 - "FIBArk Moving into the Future on the Arkansas River" 1991 - "America Patriotic and Proud" 1992 - "The Wild, Wild West" 1993 - "Boating in the Banana Belt" 1994 - "Rollin on the River" 1995 - "Exploring the Arkansas" 1996 - "Going for the Gold in Salida" 1997 - "Back to Boating" 1998 - "Nifty Fifty" "Rollin on the Golden" 1999 - "Wave of the Future" 2000 - "Live the Legacy" 2001 - "A River Odyssey" 2002 - "The Oldest and Boldest" 2005 - "Celebrate Salida's 125th Anniversary" 2006 - "Zebulon Pike’s 200th Anniversary!!" 2007 - "It's Not Easy Being Green" 2007 - "It's Not Easy Being Green" 2008 - "60 Years Young" back to top Doc's Story Express Canoe to the "Paxi Bridge" 41st Annual FIBArk Souvenir Program 1989 30 seconds 15 seconds 5 seconds Bang! I launch myself into one of the most grueling events in the history of organized athletics. Before the day is done I'll cover 26 miles of river, alternating between flat water and such infamous rapids as Cottonwood and Bear Creek, ranging from wild water difficulty to heart-in-the-throat scary. As if the river's wildness is not enough, I'm kneeling in an open canoe, 13 feet long and 29 inches wide. It'll be heavy with water at the bottom of each rapid and I'll be trying to manhandle it with a one-blade paddle. Insanity knows no bounds. I'm racing in the combined, which means I competed in the slalom Saturday. Tired and sore, I'm back on the river less than 24 hours later, at the start of a 26 mile race that many people consider the toughest in the world. From the start to Bear Creek, the first rapid, I'm hitting about 60 strokes a minute. With muscles already on fire, I prepare to negotiate the boiling waves, deceiving holes and treacherous cross currents at Bear Creek. In the middle of the maelstrom I see two canoes just ahead. I sprint past both in the lower stretch of the rapid, until I have a respectable lead. By now my throat is dry. It's hard to breathe or swallow because of the amount of adrenaline flooding my system. I placate myself with the thought, "only 23 miles to go!" Now I'm paddling at 50 strokes a minute coming into Badger Creek and thinking about White Horse Flume, immediately below. Once again the adrenaline level in my body soars as I pick up the pace. A paddler needs all the speed he can muster to punch through the tricky waves, contrary currents and hungry holes. I've made it! Now for two miles of flat water. Approaching the Howard Zoo with the bridge looming ahead, I use the words "only 13 miles to go" to try to ease the aches. The beat in my head sets my pace with a steady rhythm "stroke, stroke, stroke." No other boat is in sight so I stow the paddle and pull out the water bottle. A long slug replaces some of the fluids I've lost. A quick glance over my shoulder reveals a canoe rounding the bend a quarter mile back, so I grab the paddle and return to 40 strokes a minute. Suddenly the horizon line disappears. I'm about to plunge into the bowels of Tin Cup Rapid. I crash in on the tongue with tremendous acceleration, steering my bow left to face the awesome diagonal wave coming off the left wall. I meet it head on, get surfed hard to the right; grab a brace and ride up over the shoulder absolutely elated at being right side up. I'm thinking, "only 11.5 miles to go." Now I enter a trance via a self-induced hypnotic technique that transcends time, place, and pain. Red Rocks and Railroad Rapids go by in a blur. After another mile and a half of flat water, I'm suddenly awakened by an ominous roar. What I hear is Cottonwood rapid half a mile away. It's a biggy. It means a truly spiritual experience, as there's no doubt I'll see God there. I go into an energetic 60 strokes per minute, still undecided on a route despite scouting the rapid the night before and at 6 a.m. this morning. I ask myself, "Should I run the gut or go for the sneak routes trying to cheat the powerful eddys to the right or left". Suddenly I'm accelerating. A voice inside me screams, "Read water!" I go in on the tongue which culminates in the biggest standing wave I've ever seen. The roar is deafening. Up, up, up and over I go; then down into the trough; up, up again onto the crest of yet another wave. Then, literally airborne, I dive into a hole of such magnitude I wonder if I'll end up in China. All I can see is water, then sky. Having kept my appointment with God, I survived the hole and prepare for another ominous wave. Then I crash into another hole even deeper than the first! Stealing all my forward momentum, it stops me completely. I grab a brace as I'm back-surfed in a canoe containing 35 to 45 gallons of water. At 10 pounds a gallon, that's..Suddenly I'm free and that voice screams "Bail!" and adds in a slightly calmer tone, "Only six miles to go." I enter another trance and begin to chant to pace myself. I negotiate Treehouse Rapid, pass the Cotopaxi Liquor Store and Arkansas River Tours before realizing, "only 200 yards to the finish." I see the finish line. People are waving and cheering from both banks and the bridge. I pass under the new Cotopaxi Bridge and, after a little more than three hours it's over. It's as if I've run a marathon on my arms. But the experience is not over. After kneeling over three hours in 32 degree water, I find I can't stand up. The guys from Aqua Frog help me out of my boat. I collapse on the river bank. That voice in my head asks, "Why do you persist in this madness?" I answer aloud, "I guess I'm senile at 41." Aqua Frog looks at me strangely, "What?" "Oh, nothing," I say. My friends arrive. They carry me and my boat to the car. We race back to Salida to arrive at Riverside Park just in time for the awards ceremony. Finally I hear my name called to receive a plaque and a T-shirt. At that moment there's no doubt in my mind why I compete in such a demanding event. At the same time I realize I'm already planning to race again next year. I just placed in the roughest, toughest, longest, oldest wildwater race in the world. Someone asks, "Were you scared?" "Hell yes," I reply with a smile but as William "Not Bill" Nealy says, "If you ain't scared, you ain't having fun." Keith "Doc" George Mountain Mariners Wellsville, Colorado 11/22/88 About the Author Doc finished second in the 1989 FIBArk wildwater race in his canoe. back to top Conclusion Every year in June, during the Arkansas River runoff, a festival occurs called FIBArk. The festival focuses on whitewater boat races and paddlers from around the world come to compete. The town is consumed with FIBArk. Every person who lives in Salida is involved as a merchant, a volunteer, or a spectator and people who come from out of town fill Salida to the brim to witness one of the premier boat races in North America. Administrative Material FIBArk is an event that has involved many people. It certainly has touched me. My husband and my family have enjoyed the FIBArk events for years as spectators and participants. My job as Pool Supervisor of the Salida Hot Springs, the municipal swimming pool brought me in contact with the boating community and I became involved in the organization as well. I have been on the FIBArk Board of Director since 1995, being Commodore in 1997 and currently the FIBArk Legacy Director. I would like to thank the following people for helping with this Library of Congress 2000 Bicentennial Local Legacy Project: Christine Baker and her staff at Picture Perfect for reproducing the FIBArk photos. Lezlie Burkley and Tim Sampsel for their research and writing. Bonnie Schwam and Mark Roman, FIBArk Commodore and Vice Commodore 2000 for their orchestration of this project along with their entire Board of Directors. Past FIBArk Board of Directors, including Daphne Chick, the former FIBArk Historian, who have created and helped preserve the FIBArk history. Endless numbers of event sponsors, participants, spectators, and volunteers who make the FIBArk Whitewater Festival happen. Donna Rhoads FIBArk Legacy Director December 31, 1999 back to top |
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