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.

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.

The 2009 International Whitewater Hall of Fame Election Process is coming to a close. Our Screening committee has selected the following outstanding individuals in each category from our pool of nominees to appear on the 2009 Ballot. Clicking on each nominee’s name will bring up a PDF file of the nominee’s nomination form.

Voting by our electorate, which is made up of all living IWHOF Honorees and an international cross-section of outstanding representatives of every whitewater discipline and related industry will take place between May 4 and May 17, 2009. Formal announcement of those elected to the International Whitewater Hall of Fame will be made on June 1, 2009.

ADVOCATE CATEGORY:
An individual who has promoted whitewater pursuits vigorously through grassroots advocacy, environmental stewardship or by producing significant products or services; and has served the whitewater community in a leadership role for a period of twenty (20) years or more.

The nominees are:

Helen Brownlee, Australia
Oliver J. Cock, Great Britain
Rafael Gallo, Costa Rica
Dave Manby, Great Britain
Bill Mason, Canada
Risa Shimoda, United States

CHAMPION CATEGORY:
An individual or team who has been or was engaged in any competitive whitewater discipline for at least five (5) years; and has a distinguished record of achievement at the highest levels of competitive whitewater sport.

The nominees are:

J.P. Burny, Luxembourg
Dana Chladek, United States
Stepanka Hilgertova, Czech Republic
Pavol Hochschorner and Peter Hochschorner, Slovakia
Jamie McEwan, United States
Michal Martikan, Slovakia
Danielle Woodward, Australia

EXPLORER CATEGORY:
An individual who has been engaged in extensive exploration and investigation of unknown regions and areas of whitewater activity; and has exemplified superior feats in previously unchallenged whitewater: e.g. an adventurer, scientist or expedition leader.

The nominees are:

Mikey Abbott, New Zealand
Lars Holbek, Explorer, United States
Pete Winn, United States

PIONEER CATEGORY:
An individual who has made or was the first or among the earliest expert in one or more specific areas of whitewater accomplishment.

The nominees are:

Theo Bock, Germany
Bart Hauthaway, United States
Avinash C. Kohli, India
Mikhail Kolchevnikov, Russia

Best of luck to all of our outstanding nominees in the upcoming election!