Hard Water

Even experienced paddlers get banged up during Iowa Games Whitewater races

By John Burbridge

sports@charlescitypress.com

CHARLES CITY — No matter if the river is high or low, water is always going to be wet and rocks are always going to be hard.

Experience paddlers Max Wellhouse and Piper Wall found that out — or rather were reminded of that the hard way while trying to pilot their two-person open canoe through Cedar River’s “Exit Exam” feature during the Iowa Games Whitewater Slalom races, Saturday at Riverfront Park.

After expertly getting through the downriver and upriver gates during the beginning of the course, Wellhouse and Wall capsized near the end and worse for wear.

“Yeah, those rocks can hurt,” Wall said a suffering a lower-body contusion.

“I sure felt them,” Wellhouse said while showing the bloody cut on his forearm.

“That was only our practice run … or our first of two runs,” Wall said, “and I need to get better.”

Wellhouse countered by accepting more of the blame for himself.

“We had a good surf going on, but I didn’t offer the right brace on the back end,” Maxwell said.

Maxwell is from the Ames area, and has been competing in the Iowa State Games whitewater events since their inclusion five years ago.
“This is usually one of the first events of the games,” he said. “Most of the games are held in July, but the river here gets a little too low that time of the year, and we like holding them here.”

In addition to participating, Wall served as the commissioner for the IG Whitewater Slalom.

“We’ve added an open canoe division, and we’re hoping to get more people interested,” she said. “When the top of your boat is not covered like it is in a kayak, it’s a little more challenging.”

Among the participants was Los Angeles resident Grant Manley.

“No, they really don’t have anything like this in L.A.,” said Manley, who is a junior at Iowa State University.

“They have one of the best engineering schools in the country, so that’s why I came all the way out here,” said Manley, who was one of the top placers in the K-1 (kayak) and downriver events, as well as several “swim” — going downriver without a boat or paddle — competitions.

“Plus, it was a lot cheaper to go to school here than in state for me,” Manley said.

Manley came down with a contingency of fellow student paddlers making up the Iowa State University Canoeing and Kayaking club, which preferably goes by the acronym “ISUCK”.

“We came down here in April when the river was high and the water was cold,” Manley said. “It was great.”

Cold open water must not be too common in southern California.