| 24 Hour Kayaking World Record Attempt: Peace River, Northern British Columbia and Alberta Canada On Wednesday night, August 27th, I launched the Necky Looksha II kayak from the old ferry landing in the town of Hudson’s Hope British Columbia on the Peace River to make my attempt on the World Record for 24 Hour Endurance Kayaking. My friend Russ Gardner was driving along the road and doing support for me at limited the road access points along the river. Unfortunately we would not have a support boat on the water and therefore, between road checkpoints, I would be completely alone on the river. I paddled out into the waters of the Peace River earlier than planned due to rapidly falling water levels as the BC Hydro Dam was cutting back on the flow rates considerably earlier than I’d anticipated. Setback #1! The first hour in the fading light the speed was good, well over record pace and things were looking good as I switched on my night light system as darkness set in for the remainder of the first 95 kilometer section before the first check point where Russ would be waiting with support. Just after dark however, a heavy fog rolled in and visibility was reduced to nearly zero! With the lights on, I could just see the front of the kayak through the fog. With no lights on, I could see marginally further so I ended up having to complete the night paddle by paddling along river right, close to the riverbank where I could make out the outline of the river and any obstacles. Setback#2! I came in to the first check point full of energy, having been forced to paddle very conservatively in near total darkness throughout much of the attempt so far but the lower speeds resulting from paddling the slow water near shore had dropped my speed substantially! Not good! On a positive note, I still felt great physically and the Looksha II kayak was paddling well. After picking up a fresh supply of energy drinks and food, off I went continuing down the river in complete darkness, hoping for the sun to start coming over the horizon and to give me much needed light! By the 2nd checkpoint, around the 138-kilometer mark, I was slowly picking up time and the average speed was beginning to climb back up as I was starting to really hammer. Unfortunately, I chose the wrong channel several times going around some of the many long islands dividing the river and ended up paddling in some substantial stretches of dead water, further digging myself into a hole! Setback #3! At CP 2 I loaded up on fluids and a hot meal to eat on the way while floating down the river as I was heading into a section of roughly 140 kilometers without road access and zero support…I was now on my own! Still down on time and feeling the chance of success slipping away, I cranked it up another notch, trying to maximize my speed whenever I could find faster water. Soon however, a serious shoulder injury starting to take over and the resulting severe pain in my left shoulder was taking its effect. Setback #4! On a positive note, I was still warm and comfortable with my new whites wetsuit and paddling jacket on. My feet felt great in my Whites Roc Boots with Sole heat moldable insoles added in for comfort during the 24 hour paddling attempt…this combination kept my feet very warm and comfortable for the entire 24 hours plus on the water! Also, the muscles in my upper back were still feeling great, thanks in large part to the lightness of my new carbon fiber paddle form Boreal Design….very light, very stiff! Soon however, the sustained effort took its toll on my shoulder and forced to take a long break, hoping for the pain to subside as my paddling had now deteriorated to at times drifting in the current and paddled hard on the right side but having no power on the left. Not good! SERIOUS Setback # 4! I knew by now that the combination of lower than hoped for water levels, slower water in sections than I thought I’d have at any point on the river and now a bad shoulder that the record attempt of 350+ kilometers was not going to be a success this time around. From here on, once back on the water after an extended stoppage, I was simply paddling to get to the next access point before dark and try to finish with a respectable distance to build on for next year. Back on the water again, my shoulder marginally better and in slightly less pain, I paddled on, hour after hour after hour. Near the end of the 24 hours I again encountered some very low water, scraping over rocky sections repeatedly as I pushed on for the finish. As the 24 hours wound down I checked the distance on my GPS and ended up with 275 kilometers for the day. I then continued on at a very SLOW pace the last few kilometers to my take-out at Dunvegan Alberta…which was only supposed to be another check point! The record would have been another 74 kilometers downriver! As I paddled in the take out just past the bridge, Russ helped me out of the kayak, as I could not even support myself with my left arm as I struggled to back out of the kayak. Once on my feet, I nearly had my legs collapse from under me as we carried the kayak up the bank to where the truck was parked on a grassy hilltop near the bridge. We talked about the day and what went wrong, I changed into warm dry clothes (thanks Moonstone and Moosejaw.com!) and then set up the tents….Russ had to help me insert the tent poles on my Kelty as I had no strength in my left arm for even that simplest of tasks! A cold meal of pasta and one beer later, I was zipping the door of my tent and climbing into my nice warm sleeping bag for the night…..I don’t even remember closing my eyes at that point! All in all, considering the lower water flow rates than anticipated, the near zero night vision and the injured shoulder, I guess I should feel good about 275 kilometers! I do feel “Good” about it but certainly not “Satisfied”, knowing that with a bit of luck and a strong shoulder, I could have gone far beyond 275 kilometers on this river! On a positive note, this is much, much further than I’ve ever paddled in 1 day in my life and gives a tone of experience for my next attempt at Ian Adamson’s 24 hour world record, likely next year in late June or early July, probably on the Yukon River during 24 hours of daylight near the Summer Solstice. I suspect the Yukon likely does have a faster flow rate and it is not subject to fluctuations in flow rates from any hydro dams. Also, this is where Ian set his record back in 1998 and where he attempted to increase the record himself, merely 1 week before my attempt on the Peace River. Upon arriving back home, after checking emails, I found out from Ian that he too encountered numerous setbacks and difficulties and also came up short this time around, paddling 235 kilometers before withdrawing due to problems with his support boat. Next year, if things go as planned, Ian and I as well as a few other interested paddlers will meet on the Yukon River to compete head to head in a 24 hour race with the goal of the winner setting the new World Record. Right now, I need to take some time to think things through before committing 100% to another attempt next year but the way I feel right now as I write this report, I’m leaning towards doing exactly that. The main thing that could deter would be the desire to undertake a major expedition next year instead, a kayaking trip of up to 7 months being considered at this time. Many thanks to all those who have helped me in this endeavor including Necky Kayaks, Boreal Design, Julbo Sunglasses, Whites Paddle Sports, Sole Orthotics, Moonstone Equipment, Valhalla Pure Outfitters from Vernon British Columbia. Thanks to my Dad, Earl, who supported me during a scouting trip to the Peace a few weeks earlier to the people of Hudson’s Hope, Bill Lindsay in particular and to Uli Bergman and Zilya Shayfer of BC Hydro. Also many thanks to my numerous training partners, Elsa Dahlie, Chris Koch, Wally Mackortorf, Darryl Spencer as well as to all of my friends. Big thanks go to Elsa, Brian and John for allowing me to store my kayaks in their backyard next to the river! I owe all of you guys bigtime! Also a big hello to Sherrie...you know why! As for the trip down the river itself, performance aside, it was a beautiful river with very impressive and rugged scenery. Through the 275+ kilometers I paddled, I saw 1 motor boat on the river! During the 140-kilometer section, there were no houses, no roads, and no people! During the night paddle just before the fog rolled in, I was treated to a nice display of the northern Lights…very nice! I had a good look at the planet Mars during it’s closest approach to the Earth in 60, 000 years! I paddled pass literally hundreds of beavers. I passed within a couple boat lengths of rather large moose! Passed by dozens of deer, saw 2 foxes, 1 bear, bald eagles, had an abundant number if good sized fish jumping all around me and had the joy of paddling a good section of Canada’s old Voyageur Fur Trade Canoe Routes…this section is part of the route I’m considering paddling during a 7 month long solo expedition across Canada from the Pacific ocean at Prince Rupert to Halifax Nova Scotia. All in all, it was a great experience and already, just 4 days later, the memory of the pain and discomfort is already fading and I’m beginning to look ahead to next time, likely on the Yukon River next year unless I undertake a major expedition instead. To see more of the expeditions I have in mind over the next several years, check out my “Bio” page. Cheers….Joe O’Blenis Sept. 1st, 2003 |
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| CP 1 at 95 kilometers. No, that is not the moon...a water drop on the camera! HEAVY FOG! |
| Approaching CP 2 at 138 kilometers. Working hard to gain back time! |
| At the WAC BENNETT Dam. |