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Safety Boaters Needed

3K views 13 replies 8 participants last post by  farp 
#1 ·
We are looking for Safety Kayakers to assist with the Annual Adventure Xstream Race to be held on September 8th at Pumphouse on the Upper Colorado River.

Safety kayakers will be needed all day on Saturday. Each boater will be paid $100.00 and receive an event T-shirt and lunch.

For more information please call us at 970-259-7771. You can view our website for additional information. http://www.adventurexstream.com

Kayakers taken on whitewater safety experience, then on a first come first served basis.

Please contact us with any questions.

Thanks,
Gravity Play Sports
Adventure Xstream Series
 
#4 ·
Let me make sure I get your drift....Safety boaters get there early, stay late, (buy your own gas, beer and food, bring your own rescue gear) sit in one place alone all day, for around $10 and hour and a t shirt.
After gas and food, maybe you go home with $50, unless you drink a few beers, then you are in at $40 take home, and divide that by 10 hrs, wow, such a deal!

Not much interest?

Put that up on the high school message board and you might have better luck; but high school kids are smart these days so who knows.

Or pry that wallet out of your pocket and put up some money to keep your meal tickets safe.
 
#6 ·
Wow, is this what kayaking has turned into? Money? It used to be that a kayaker would jump at the chance to make $100 (to kayak!!). That much money could keep you sustained for another couple of weeks of paddling without having to work. And don't complain about the gas needed to get up there, you should already be up there living in your van down by the river. Sounds like your "real" jobs are getting in the way of your kayaking.
 
#7 ·
hey man I've volunteered to run safety already once this year. Is the event non for profit? So why should poors boater volunteer? And also, how much safety boating have you done? It sucks to sit by the river all day and not boat, but it is worth it to give back, when the event is worthy. I wouldn't give people shit for not wanting to do it. Are you going down there? But driving down to vail and working all day, I'd rather spend that gas on running some shit, or going climbing, as it's climbing season now cause the water is so low.

It used to be that a kayaker would jump at the chance to make $100 (to kayak!!

There is also something called inflation, I'm not sure if you're familar with this phenomenon, as my rig will cost me close to 50 bucks just to drive down there.

Sadly missed the safty question.
 
#10 ·
I agree



When I look at the linked website, it looks to me as if safety boaters get $100 in credit not a clean crisp dead president; but who knows? Safety boating is worthy and not all that boring--I've whiled a way a lot of hours playing in eddies safety boating for FIBARK, one of the best non-profits around; but I am not sure that Adventurextreme is a non-profit--so it makes me wonder (in that nasty legal way to which I am sometimes prone) what the relationship is between the sponsoring organization and the safety boaters: employee-employer? independent contractor? intern? If you're being compensated, it looks like someone owes taxes, etc, and BTW who's on the hook if a safety boater gets hurt? Can you "volunteer" to work for a corporation? Just a few questions that probably should have answers . . . .
 
#11 ·
I am really not here to argue with anyone and do any name calling. I just read the replies to the post and they seemed a little greedy. To answer your question, yes I have done some safety kayaking. I made a living at it for 13 years, doing different types of work, anything from doing safety for raft companies, to different types of races like the Eco-Challenge, and doing safety and rigging for movies and tv shows. So, yes, I do know what it takes to safety boat, and yes, it does have some dull moments. I have also done it for money and for fun as a volunteer, I do have a good time with it. Unfortunately I will not be able to do it for this event because I have to go to a wedding, otherwise I would. And I had never heard of it before I saw this post, but it does sound like it could be a good time. All I am saying is choose to do it or don't, but some of those replies sounded like they came from some winey people, and no one really likes to listen to people wine.
 
#12 ·
First, obviously anyone complaining about this deal is not good enough to be a safety boater. Gore is directly upstream.

Any competent safety boater says, "Hey, I was gonna be at gore that saturday. Now I'll just style that jazz (Gore) solo as the sun rises, laugh at some carnage down at eye of the needle, eat a free lunch, and walk away with a new shirt on my back, $50 in the pocket, and the weekend paid off. Bonus points for schmoozin down at Rancho with the cute adventure racers after pulling them out of the drink." That's a stylin day (at work?). If you'd rather go climbin - I'd say you'd fit in with that snooty crowd better anyway. After all, adventure races are not making anyone rich, just a living made outside instead of the denver cubicle. A lot like kayak companies.

Did I mention that the paddle into Gore at sunrise is spectacular. I've seen moose, bald eagles, osprey, pelicans and tons of other birds I can't name. Plus, the deal has been $100 cash - probably still true. So all you people psyched on kayaking - go get it. Otherwise feel free to get negative on any of the climbing forums.
Joe

P.S. Gore safety kayakers generally make $95.
 
#13 ·
Good point. I like stirring up conflict on threads, so I'll take the responses as a compliment. As far as running Gore solo in the morning, I'll pass and give anybody running the meat line through gore and tunnel solo a nod of admiration the same way I give solo climbers that nod, though it is not for me, and I think they are a little crazy. I don't think I am snooty, I just divide my year up into seasons, and despite the urging of many of my boating friends, I hang up the paddle after Fibark, though I might run Gore once or go socialy boating once. I was considering this event, not cause of the money, and might still do it, though I doubt they want my help, cause I'm not down with running the meat line solo. It would not be for the money, it would be for the social experience. But honestly, safety boating is pretty boring, with the chance of some extreme excitment no one wants. I wasn't trying to be snooty or call people names, I was just bored trying to get this thread going, and nothing does that better than some good old conflict. On a postive note, all this conflict keeps the thread on top, and I hope they get lots of people to do it.

I do know what you mean about the snooty climbing crowd. I struggle with those types, but it is unfair to call the whole climbing community snooty. There are snooty boaters too, but I will give it to you that there seem to be more snooty climbers then snooty boaters. But with anything, the intermediates tend to satisfy that statement, the experts seem to get over themselves and see the core of why we do what we do...Endorphins!!! By the way, I don't know how to spell
 
#14 ·
Spend the night a Pumphouse. Watch the milky way pass you by. Wake up and float down to needles eye with you legs streched out on your deck. Help some crashed racers. Eat a free lunch. Put on your new T-shirt and float to Rancho for a few beers and a KK burger. Hell yeah!!! That's a great way to spend a late summer day.

I wish I could enjoy my Satruday like that.
 
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