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.