Thanks to Charl M. du T. for e-mailing me a link to an article in the Missoulian newspaper, plus links to photographs and a video clip.
Back in April, US canoeist Tyler Bradt set a new world record by kayaking over the 186-foot Palouse Falls in Washington state.
It took him almost four seconds to fall from the lip to the base of the falls, and a further seven or eight seconds to fight his way through the roiling water at the base and emerge into clear water beyond.
Here’s a short video clip of his preparations, and making the run. I recommend watching it in full screen mode, to get some feel for the scale of the challenge.
Congratulations to Mr. Bradt – and no, I don’t think I’ll try that myself! You can hear an extended interview with him here.
Peter
I'm planning on adding a kayak to the compliment of personal vehicles aboard the Privateer.
I'm happy to report you will NEVER hear of a headline that says "Biker & pirate Strings went over X falls today in an attempt to prove the difference between brave and stupid"
Ain't happening…
I kayak, but can't say a 186-foot waterfall is on my to-do list (or a 50 foot waterfall, for that matter!). There's a lot of discussion in the whitewater community as to how meaningful these rapids are. Paddling off a 186 foot waterfall requires exactly the same skillset as paddling of a 50 foot waterfall. The consequences of error are much higher though. If you land wrong off a 50 foot waterfall, you're probably a paraplegic. Off a 186 foot waterfall, you're dead.
I think running class IV looks like more fun than hucking off waterfalls anyway!