12th Annual Captain Kirk Class V Cherry Creek Downriver Race

[webmaster]

Hey y'all it's time once again for the "Way of Life" 12th Annual Captain Kirk Class V Cherry Creek Downriver Race. Meet at 7 AM at the Casa Loma Saturday Aug 20, 2005 to arrange shuttles, etc... This race is open to kayaks AND rafts. Safety boaters and shuttle drivers welcome and LOVED. Unfortunately, due to the road closure, we are unsure of the exact location of the festivities that will follow the race. You will find out when you get there. Once again (but for perhaps the last year) the race is sponsored by the big guy himself, so bring a couple of bucks for the food and drink, and be prepared to help clean up. Please remember that this is a totally grassroots, unsponsored, and unsanctioned bro and sis race/gathering. COMPETE AT YOUR OWN RISK. Spread the word and see you there. -Way of Life Kayakers

[Anonymous]

This seems set but I plead that the Cherry Creek Race should not be the same weekend as the North Feather Releases. I know we are not talking a huge bunch of people that are in my boat but I wanted to support AW's releases and attend the best race/party of the season
Just my 2 cents but tremendous effort has gone into the N feather on behalf of boaters, seems a shame to plan a conflict.

[Anonymous]

Now I see that the N feather releases are the following weekend,
disregard previous post and my bad

[Anonymous]

What do people typically use, and/or are there any rules? 8-9' modern boats, 10-11' old-school boats, slalom boats, even wavehoppers? What do the winners usually paddle? Just curious...

[Anonymous]

both - there's a short boat category (normal creek boats and smaller), and a long boat category (e.g. Lazers). No wavehoppers - Kevin Gregerson once tried using a sea kayak, but it didn't work out so well.

I think Kirk might be losing his shirt this year...

[Anonymous]

One previous creek race winner actually ran a sea kayak down and it was brilliant but he did'nt win that year, (still an un-equaled feat in my opinion). For the past 6 to 8 years the top ten finishers have pretty much been in "old school" long boats (e.g. mirage, dancers, lancers, animas crossfires etc.). However, we have not seen a wave hopper yet, but time will tell. It would be cool to see.

[speicher]

Actually I think the long and short boats are all lumped together...at least they have been.

[Anonymous]

Charlie Center won the last two years in a Response. I believe Brette won three years ago in a lazer.

[Anonymous]

Actually I believe Charlie and Brett tied 2 years ago, and Charlie only beat Brett by 4 seconds last year

[Anonymous]

what about the rumor that aug 15th is the last day of water?

[ion berkley]

It would be exactly that, a rumor...last day is Aug 21st, I believe thats a solid fact. Looks like we are going to have some sunday releases also.

[Anonymous]

any river vehicle that you can get SAFELY down the river is good for competition. even that kooky guy in the sea kayak (which he broke), or the even kookier "extreme inner-tuber". no motorized craft. The comp is for the FASTEST run, we just throw in the creek boat and raft category for fun and reference.
-W.O.L.K.

[Anonymous]

What do you guys think about using an 18 lbs carbon fiber, foam core, vacuum bagged slalom boat? Which rapid(s) would be the most difficult to come through without damaging the boat? Good idea or stupid idea?

[Anonymous]

In my deepest regards to the 5th post on this topic, i think not.

[Anonymous]

I'm curious. Does anyone of you people know who Captain Kirk was or knew him when he was alive? He died in '94.

[Anonymous]

The Captain was a classic character who could make you laugh in the worst situations. After carrying the heaviest haul bag ever on the aproach to the Wash. column and dragging it up to the first nights ledge, he pulled out the 12 King Cobras stating aren't you glad you carried all that? I think he was an extra in some 70's porn flick too.

[Anonymous]

Brother Fine is that you. Haven't heard from you in ages. Email me so we can catch up.

domenys@pacbell.net

[Anonymous]

My first paid Creek trip... Kirk and me... Late August 1992... 650 cfs... Avon Adventurers... 10 ft. oars... Lard asses as paddlers..................... I followed a true master down stream that day and attribute much of my learning to him.............. Finally down to Flat Rock Falls and the bridge comes into sight. The fat boys are too whipped and are panting on shore. We lined Kirk's boat through the second to last drop on the left, and he was on his rig with his foot pushing against the big flat rock trying to get that sticky rubber to brake free from the granite for the final drop. We look up stream just in time to see two dudes in duckies dropping into the rapid. One, right after the other, they flail over the falls where we had just lined Kirks boat. Duckie UPSET x2... Perched Adventurer with ropes on it bridging the gap at the brink of the last fall on the left side... Death-toaster slot waiting below... Superhero with Camel Bullet dangling from gapping mouth... Two duckies, two paddles, two yahoos heading for the promise land... Kirk reaches down from his boat and grabs both dudes by thier jackets, one in each hand... 650 pouring down on the victims, certain tragety inches below... Skinny, bow-legged, ripped, long-donged, smoking, savior above... With a mighty yank Captain Kirk pulled these boys straight out of the river and saved their skins.
Too many great memories...... Funniest dude around, kick ass boater, climber, friend, brother.......................The Captain.

[SandM]

I will admit that I thought it was a direct reference to the Shatner character of Star Trek fame.
So do us a favor. Us being those who love to hear and read stories of rivers and the people who run them. Stop being cryptic show respect to this man and name names. Out with it I say! How better to honor you friends memory than to have his story passed down.
At risk of a major mess. pummeling I have submit this to you. How did he earn his title? Must be more stories, if there's one there must be a hundred. Is there an archive?

Yours with tongue in cheek,

The ensign who you've never met who gets picked for away team to possibly hostile alien planet.

[holrider]

HI,
Looking for Cherry Creek boaters to share shuttle. Will be doing the T on Sat and would love to have you bring our car up from Merles Pool.

Also need info on when and where the Cherry Creek Party is happening.
Bobbie
bobbieh@innercite.com

[ion berkley]

Bobbie, Its the other way around, the partys down the hill hence not many of us will be coming back up, and you'll need to come back down....
Ian

[Golder]

Well guys whats the word? Who got the top positions? Sitting here in the office is way better than some hippy rafting party! Any Carnage? Hangovers aplenty Im sure...

[Anonymous]

kirk was a creek boater rafter mostly although we got him through the gap once that I can remeber. He was into squirt boarting the merced and climbing the big stones in Yosemite.
Moss and I were hanging around after kirk died in the fall of 94 and we thought about getting people together who were just into hanging out. We would talk about how we didn't really have a river festival in cali and we thought we would start one celebrating the way of life kayaker or boater. Kirk is who we thought of when we thought of someone who just like to hang out on the creek and chill with friends on the banks of the creek. we decided to start the festival with a race and see where it could go from there. it has been 12 years and the race is working and thanks to barry and tim I'll see you next year.

[Anonymous]

Bruce...what's up man? Congrats on getting hitched. Good to see you're on the Internets and everything....

T. Hinds