International Whitewater Hall of Fame

On Saturday, September 26, 2009, the International Whitewater Hall of Fame (IWHOF) inducted its Fifth Anniversary Class of Honorees, and truly arrived as an International Hall of Fame. All six honorees represented six different countries: Mikhail Kolchevnikov from Russia, Stepanka Hilgertova from the Czech Republic, Pavol & Peter Hochschorner from Slovakia, Rafael Gallo from Costa Rica, Bill Mason from Canada and Lars Holbek from the United States. With endorsements in 2009 from the International Canoe Union (ICF) and the International Rafting Federation (IRF) and affiliated organizations and voting members of our electorate representing every continent (except Antarctica), IWHOF has truly become international in scope.

The day of the induction certainly had an international flavor as it began with a commemorative raft trip and slide show celebrating Project RAFT Nantahala ’90. Led by Nantahala Outdoor Center founder and IWHOF Honoree Payson Kennedy, several of the participants of the original Project RAFT assembled and rafted the Nantahala River as other friends and family kayaked along or followed the trip taking photographs.

In the evening, the sold-out dinner and induction program began with the premier of the 2009 IWHOF Honoree DVD. This short film highlights the amazing contributions and achievements of our Honorees. The web version of that presentation is below in this post, and always in the sidebar to the right. You can toggle between small version and full screen by clicking on the toggle icon on the film presentation application’s menu bar. (After the 2009 film plays in the sidebar, the films from 2005 through 2008 cycle through, so you can learn about the great achievements of all our honorees.)

The International Whitewater Hall of Fame recognizes and honors individuals who have made significant contributions to whitewater related activities. To date, 31 honorees from Australia, Canada, Costa Rica, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Great Britain, New Zealand, Russia, Slovakia and the United States have been inducted into the Hall of Fame. We are proud to honor their legacy and those of the dozens of other world class athletes, pioneers, advocates, and explorers from around the world who have been nominated to the Hall of Fame.

Our honorees are extraordinary people because they fell in love with the adventure and romance of whitewater rivers. They challenged themselves to achieve their best as athletes and citizens, as adventurers and inventors. They are our inspiration and we hope their stories will inspire you too.

On Saturday, September 26, 2009 we have an awesome day planned with some of the most legendary names in whitewater boating history, and we hope you’ll decide to be a part of it. If you haven’t planned to come to the Nantahala Outdoor Center to experience this day, I strongly recommend you reconsider and don’t pass up this once in a lifetime opportunity. Dinner Tickets are selling fast, there are only about 15 seats left. Buy your tickets today by calling: 888-905-7238. Please forward this email to all of your whitewater boating buddies and anyone else that may be interested in attending the event.

IWHOF Honorees that will be in attendance:

• Rafael Gallo
• Nancy Wiley, Chuck Stanley, Richard Montgomery and family representing Honoree Lars Holbek
• Svetlana Kolchevnikov and Andrei Kolchevnikov representing Honoree Mikhail Kolchevnikov
• Filmmaker and Cameraman Ken Buck representing Honoree Bill Mason
• Representatives of Stepanka Hilgertova and the Hochshorner Brothers still to be determined.

EVENT SCHEDULE
8:00 AM – 9:00 AM, Breakfast at River’s End Restaurant
An informal breakfast for IWHOF Honorees and their families.

9:30 AM – 12:00 PM, Commemorative Nantahala ’90 Project RAFT Raft and Kayak Trip
Immediately after the IWHOF breakfast, honorees and their families will meet at our Rafting Center and board a special Rental’s Shuttle Bus. IWHOF Honoree Payson Kennedy will lead a raft trip commemorating the Nantahala ’90 Project RAFT Event held here at NOC back in 1990. IWHOF Honoree Mikhail Kolchevnikov organized the Chuya Rally in 1989, which was the first Project RAFT event held to inspire World Peace and International Cooperation among Americans and Russians. The Chuya Rally evolved into Project RAFT, and the first event held outside of Russia was the Nantahala ’90 Event, which was a week long celebration of international cooperation, rafting competitions, and a parade in Atlanta, Georgia.

The Honorable Ronald K. Machtley, Congressional Representative from Western North Carolina, said of the event on the floor of the United States Congress:

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize an organization and an event that has helped promote world peace through the sport of rafting. The Nantahala 1990 Rally is an international rafting event that is being held for the first time in the United States. The event began in the Soviet Union in 1979. There, it was limited to Soviet participants until 1988 when one international team entered the competition. In 1989, the competition was opened to over 300 participants from 17 countries. The Nantahala 1990 Rally will promote international peace and friendship by bringing together outdoor enthusiasts from around the world.

I would like to offer my best wishes to the Nantahala 1990 Rally and all its participants from around the world. I hope that the competition will be a great success.”

As Honoree Mikhail Kolchevnikov’s work led to this event, and Honorees Payson Kennedy and Rafael Gallo participated in the event 19 years ago, we thought it would be fitting and appropriate and fun to commemorate this event this year.

Rafts will be guided down the Nantahala River by Andrei Kolchevnikov, Rafael Gallo, Payson Kennedy, and Nancy Wiley along with Risa Shimoda and Matt Urdan. (For the most extreme ride, you’ll want to be in Matt Urdan’s raft.)

Private boaters and rafters who wish to boat alongside IWHOF Honorees are welcome to join the flotilla. All you need to do is arrive no later than 9:00 AM at the Rafting Center at NOC with your boat, purchase a Forest Service Permit, pay a nominal Rental’s shuttle fee and hop on the Shuttle Bus. If you wish to paddle a raft or ducky, you may rent one from the Rafting Center for a nominal fee. The shuttle bus will leave promptly at 9:30 AM and it will take approximately two hours to run the Nantahala River. We will take out at Slow Joe’s Café where lunch and a slide show will follow immediately.

For more details or if you have any questions, please contact Matt Urdan at 828-488-7191.

12:30 PM – 1:30 PM, Lunch and Project RAFT Slide Show at Slow Joe’s Café
The Raft trip will take out at Slow Joe’s Café, where lunch will follow along with a Slide Show on our Flat Screen Televisions. The slides were taken in 1989 at the Chuya Rally and in 1990 during Project RAFT on the Nantahala and at other venues that hosted the event. The public will be welcome to join us and mingle with IWHOF Honorees and other whitewater boating legends.

5:00 PM – 10:00 PM, Induction Dinner and Program

• 5:00-6:00 guests will arrive and mingle.
• 6:00-7:00 the viewing of the 2009 IWHOF Honoree DVD will take place upstairs at Relia’s Garden
• 7:00-8:30 dinner will be served
• 8:30-10:00 will be the IWHOF program that will include the presentation of awards, speeches, and remarks.

It’s going to be an absolutely incredible day. If there’s any possible way that you can join us for even part of the day, you should plan to do so for this once in a lifetime experience.

Sponsorships are still available and donations of any kind are most welcome!

If you have any questions or need further information, please let me know. And don’t forget to purchase your dinner ticket as soon as possible! Seats are limited for dinner and they are going fast!

Best Regards,

Matthew S. Urdan
IWHOF Program Director
828-488-7191 Office
828-788-1498 Cell

If you are planning on attending the 2009 IWHOF Induction Event at the Nantahala Outdoor Center Saturday, September 26th, 2009, buy your tickets now! There will be some great events to take part in that feature our 2009 Honorees and promote the International Whitewater Hall of Fame, but Dinner Tickets will be limited and are being sold on a first come-first serve basis. The following information is designed to help you purchase your dinner tickets and make any lodging and/or travel arrangements. More information regarding the itinerary for the Induction Weekend will be coming soon.

Dinner Tickets and Reservations.
The Induction Dinner for our 2009 Honorees will be a small and intimate formal affair. Due to the nature of the Nantahala Outdoor Center Guest Appreciation Festival (GAF) and “Nantyfest” NOC’s campus will be jam-packed with rafters, kayakers, outdoor retail dealers and representatives and festival-goers. This is the biggest event NOC hosts each year so we expect dinner tickets and dinner reservations to sell out fast. Quantities are limited this year due to limited restaurant space. Please make your dinner reservations ASAP so you will not be disappointed. Dinner tickets are $50 each plus tax and can be purchased by telephone by calling 888-905-7238 or by going online to www.noc.com, clicking on the “Book Now” screen and following the directions on screen. Search “Other Programs” on September 26, 2009 as illustrated in the screen shot below:

It will probably be easier for most of you to call the toll free number and make your reservation rather than using the online booking system. When you make your reservation, you will be asked to give the name of everyone in your party you are paying for, and provide your choice of entrée for the dinner. You may choose chicken, fish, or vegetarian. If you book online, the place to designate your choice of entrée is in the comments field, which is one of the last screens you’ll see in the online booking process.

Lodging.
Because the Induction Dinner and Event is taking place during NOC’s busiest festival of the year, lodging on site is severely limited. There are a number of lodging options available on site. If you book your dinner ticket online, you will also have the option of selecting lodging from available options at the time you make your reservation. You may also choose to find your own lodging at a local hotel or Bed and Breakfast. There are a number of hotels in a lot of different price ranges in the Bryson City area and nearby communities of Cherokee and Murphy, NC. A list of these options is below:

Discounted Lodging
The Best Western Hotel in Murphy is offering a 20% discount off their rack rate for reservations made by September 15, 2009; and a 15% discount for reservations made up until September 25th.

To receive your IWHOF Discount at the Best Western Hotel in Murphy, you need to contact the hotel directly to make your reservation and mention the IWHOF Event. You can contact the hotel by phone or email at 828-837-3060 or reservations@bestwesternmurphy.com.

Bryson City Lodging:
Microtel–Brand New Hotel, nice rooms 828-488-7900 Sleep Inn–828-488-0326 Ridge Top Motel–828-488-6363 Fryemont Inn–very nice and probably expensive–828-488-2159

Cherokee Lodging:
In Cherokee about 7 miles east of Bryson City–on the Native American Indian Reservation, there are a lot of Hotels because of the Casino
Harrah’s Cherokee–Casino, very nice–828-497-7777 Holiday Inn–877-863-4780 Holiday Inn Express–828-497-3113 Comfort Suites–828-497-3500 Quality Inn–828-497-4702 Hampton Inn–828-497-3115 Baymont Inn–828-497-2102

Murphy Lodging:
In Murphy, about 25 miles west of NOC, there are hotels as well.
The Hampton Inn is very nice–828-837-1628 Best Western–828-837-3060 Holiday Inn Express–877-863-4780 Days Inn 828-837-8030

Travel.
I know a number of you may be flying into Atlanta-Hartsfield International Airport. Some of you will be renting a car. If you choose to rent a car, I strongly recommend purchasing the insurance coverage the rental agency offers you to avoid any additional expenses the rental car company would charge if there is damage to your vehicle. NOC will be packed with visitors during the induction weekend with visitors from all over the southeastern United States. Last year, the rental car of one of our honorees was damaged by a small collision when it was parked in a parking lot near the Nantahala Outdoor Center.

Schedule of the Day.
We hope you will all arrive prior to Friday morning so that you have time to rest before the induction event and perhaps do some traveling in the area. We are located on the southern side of Great Smoky Mountain National Park, which is the world’s most attended national park with over ten million visitors each year. The National Park is also designated a World Biosphere Preserve and the Appalachian Trail, which runs from Maine to Georgia, pretty much divides the park along the North Carolina and Tennessee State Line. The scenery is breathtaking.

But on Saturday, September 26th, the peak day of GAF and Nantyfest, we are considering a number of activities to promote the International Whitewater Hall of Fame and each of our Honorees. One of the most exciting activities we are considering is a possible Raft Trip on the Nantahala commemorating Project RAFT 1990, which was held on the Nantahala River. Honoree Rafael Gallo was a part of that event 19 years ago and the event itself was a direct result of the work Honoree Mikhail Kolchevnikov did in Russia, creating the Chuya Rally, which evolved into Project RAFT and which later evolved into the International Rafting Federation and the World Rafting Championships.

A complete IWHOF Induction Event Schedule with full details will be posted here soon.

Finally, at 5 pm, we will all gather upstairs in Relia’s Garden, with Honoree William Nealy’s art displayed on the walls, for our formal dinner, a video presentation, and the 2009 IWHOF Induction Ceremony.

On behalf of the IWHOF Board of Governors, we are all looking forward to welcoming you and having a very special weekend together. If you have any questions about the event, please contact Program Director Matt Urdan.

International Participation Grows to 29 Countries

The International Whitewater Hall of Fame (IWHOF) Board of Governors has announced the Class of 2009 Honorees, whitewater legends whose accomplishments have contributed significantly to both the sport and business of whitewater around the world.

“We are particularly excited about the breadth of this year’s honorees and their breathtaking accomplishments,” notes Risa Shimoda, Chair, IWHOF Board of Governors. They hail from six countries and their nomination and election reflects participation from 74 affiliate organizations and 100 electors from 29 countries.”

Pioneer – Mikhail Kolchevnikov (deceased) – Russia
Mikhail organized the 1978 Chuya Rally in Siberia which evolved into Project RAFT, a partnership with American rafters to override the political animosity between their two nations. Project RAFT hosted 50 teams on the Chuya, Nantahala (USA), Reventazón and Pacuare (Costa Rica), and Coruh River (Turkey) from 1989 to 1993 and its successes became the roots of the International Rafting Federation and World Rafting Championships.

Explorer – Lars Holbek (deceased) – United States
Lars Holbek logged over seventy first descents worldwide on many of the world’s top-quality whitewater rivers such as the Futaleufu and Stikine. Laid back, fun-loving and dedicated to pushing the limits of whitewater paddling, Lars led the charge in one of the greatest periods of exploratory kayaking the sport has seen and co-authored The Best Whitewater in California in 1984, which continues to be the undisputed authority for California paddling.

Champion – Stepanka Hilgertova – Czech Republic
Stepanka Hilgertova competed in five consecutive Olympic Games, winning Olympic Gold Medals in 1996 (Atlanta) and 2000 (Sydney). She also took 1st Place at World Championships in 1992 (Augsburg) and 1996 (Barcelona) and many European Championship races. Stepanka’s popularity as an Olympic victor is a prime reason for the tremendous popularity of whitewater slalom in the Czech Republic, and she is now regarded as their “First Lady of the Olympics.”

Champion – Pavol Hochschorner and Peter Hochschorner – Slovakia
These double canoe partners have won Gold Medals in three Olympic Games, nine World Cup Championships, and two World Championships. They have also completed the canoe slalom “Grand Slam,” winning Gold Medals in the Olympics, World Championships, European Championships and Whitewater Slalom World Cup.

Advocate – Rafael Gallo – Costa Rica
This founder of one of the most well-respected rafting companies in the world has led the fight to save the Pacuare River from the first dam threat in the 1990’s and protected 2,000 acres of rainforest along that river. Founder of the International Rafting Federation, Rafael has helped increase international rafting standards, awareness, and has promoted the sport throughout the world.

Advocate – Bill Mason (deceased) – Canada. An award-winning naturalist, author, artist, filmmaker and conservationist, Bill Mason’s books, paintings, films and environmental advocacy have each had a tremendous impact on generations of wilderness travelers and whitewater paddlers. The most successful filmmaker in the history of the National Film Board of Canada, Bill Mason is perhaps best known for the Path of the Paddle series of films which introduced new skills and enjoyment of whitewater to canoeists worldwide during the 1970s and 1980s.

2009 IWHOF inductees will be hosted September 26, 2009 at the Nantahala Outdoor Center in Bryson City, North Carolina, USA by the NOC Foundation. The International Whitewater Hall of Fame, a project of the Paddlesports Industry Foundation, recognizes individuals whose accomplishments have contributed significantly to whitewater activities.

For more information contact Risa Shimoda (301) 502-6548 rshimoda@iwhof.org.