[DanC]

Looking for input for an upcoming Rapid Mag article and wanted to hear who you think the most influential WW paddlers of all time are and why?

Thanks,

Dan Caldwell

 

[yetigonecrazy]

I know this is going to be chock full of people like Ammons and Lesser.....so I will throw out two new-school picks: Ben Stookesberry and Steve Fisher. I didn't grow up in a time when Lesser and Co were the top dogs; instead I grew up getting fired up watching the No Big Names movies and Into the Tsangpo gorge. Definitely two dudes pushing it like no one else, except maybe each other.....

 

[montuckyhuck]

If Stokesberry is in there I would put Jesse Coombs righ next to him.

 

[jmacn]

I think that a better article would be influential paddling crews. There are a number of regions of the world that have produced incredible individuals, but in every case they had partners in crime helping to push their limits. Idaho, Cali, South East, CO,Pac NW, Europe, Africa... Give credit to the regions that gave rise to the progression...To focus on the individual only fuels the old/new school rivalry which has been written about quite a bit.

 

[Anchorless]

Walt Blackadar
Tao Berman
Eric Jackson

and you have to give respect to some of the current paddlers...

Evan Garcia
Rush Sturgeon
Tyler Bradt
Ben Marr

 

[cayo 2]

Jim Snyder
Jeff Snyder
Corran Addison
Cully Erdman
Kern Bros
Lars Holbeck
Ben Stookesberry
Steve Fisher
EJ
Tao
Lesser -Ammons
Warren -Bradt
Lindgren. & crew

Abbot -Elard
Coetzee -Meredith
Lucero

Marianne Saether
no order

 

[cayo 2]

Rocky Contos and Greg Schwendinger have pretty damn impressive resumes as explorers.


Fleming Schmidt.

 

[MT4Runner]

Influential or simply badass?


I would think that Charlie Walbridge and William Nealy are as influential as any.

 

[AndTheLab]

John wesley powell

 

[MT4Runner]

John wesley powell

Amen.

 

[erdvm1]

Huckin Duckie

Enough said

 

[jmacn]

The above paddlers are very worth being on the list. How can you deny the OG class V-V+ boaters? Do we give props to the guide book authors, or recognize EJ for what his obvious direct contributions to today's cutting edge all discipline approach & equipment for kids?
I still think influence is a subjective topic and is regionally specific.

 

[Pizzle]

Walt Blackadar
Ammons
Lars Holbeck
Chuck Stanley
Royal Robbins
Richard Montgomery
Yvon Chaunard

Those are my old school picks

 

[Schutzie]

Martin Litton
Georgie White (yeah I know, rapid transit and all that, but she opened it up for a lot of folks)
Dr. John Baker; first known run of Royal Gorge (on an air mattress) first known cataraft (I have pix somewhere)

 

[cayo 2]

forgot Rafa Ortiz


Grif and Chunderboy

 

[raymo]

Martin Litton
Georgie White (yeah I know, rapid transit and all that, but she opened it up for a lot of folks)
Dr. John Baker; first known run of Royal Gorge (on an air mattress) first known cataraft (I have pix somewhere)

Schutzie are you from Thornton Co.

 

[Schutzie]

Schutzie are you from Thornton Co.

RAYMO!
What's shakin?
No longer Thornton, now Arizona

 

[shappattack]

For rowing I have to say Prince Helfrich, the Pruitt Brothers and crew for pioneering modernday style multiday trips on all those great wilderness runs in Idaho and Oregon. I mean you are out in the upper owyhee in the middle of no where and maybe you see another group of 3 people on a week long trip and you feel like you were the first one there almost, then you see the cable rigged at cable rapid, and you remember that these guys were running wood drift boats down this over 70! years ago. These guys were putting drift boats on just about anything they could find with a multiday canyon.

For kayaking I have to go with Royal Robbins and crew because of their badassness in both the wilderness kayaking and bigwall climbing worlds.

 

[raymo]

RAYMO!
What's shakin?
No longer Thornton, now Arizona

You old dog, once you mentioned Dr. Baker I put two and two together. I will call you.

 

[tmacc]

Randy Carter. Old school and not a bad ass, but he sure explored a lot of eastern rivers in an aluminum canoe.