This blog revisits our waterfall SUP adventure at Valley Falls in West Virginia in 2012. We still haven’t made it back to this beautiful place. Special thanks to Lindsey Tucci for capturing most of the photos in this blog!
With the heat of summer, minimal water leaves Pennsylvania and West Virginia a graveyard of dry rivers and creeks. Only a few destinations with either dam releases or sustainable summer flow can offer relief for whitewater paddlers. Valley Falls in Fairmont, WV might be the best place in the region during these times. A series of spectacular waterfalls with multiple lines of varying difficulty make this a paradise for intermediate to expert paddlers. Rob and I met our friends Wheeler and Bret here and basked in what we thought was a utopian oasis for progressing our SUP waterfall skills.
Scouting the second drop. Photo: Lindsey Tucci
This section of river has two very pronounced sections. On the first, we opted to run a slide on river right. The slide begins with a vertical ledge, dropping into a shallow slab of rock and into another near-vertical section leading out of the rapid. Much of the flow in the center of the slide careens to the right and into and underneath two perilous rocks. It is imperative to stay left to avoid these ominous looking pockets. On Rob’s first attempt he rode the new ULI Ocho Quattro mini-quad, an 8’4” SUP that is designed as a high-performance surf SUP and river – play board. Combined with Rob’s perfect line, the Ocho showed its prowess at running stout slides by making it through the length of the drop into the hole at the bottom.
Rob on the slide. Photo: Lindsey Tucci
After a modestly successful first attempt, I ran this slide confident that I would ride it out. Aiming for a small curling wave just above the horizon line I charged over the lip, carrying my speed and clearing the first shallow section and smoothly rode it out into the eddy below. Sticking a big drop is always an amazing feeling but doing so in such a beautiful area added to the elation.
Ian on the slide. Photo: Lindsey Tucci
The excitement, however, was short-lived as a park ranger stopped us and explained that SUPs were not allowed here. Being on the cusp of a new sport offers challenges in itself, but dealing with regulations that prohibit us from using our own judgment and experience to dictate our activities is incredibly disheartening. Until further notice, this will be our last SUP endeavor at Valley Falls. We will, however, be pushing hard to progress both the activity of whitewater SUP and its acceptance into the culture and governing bodies that remain uncertain and wary of the pursuit.
Note: This is a reblog from a piece written in 2012. As we look at the sport now, acceptance of SUP as a mainstay in whitewater paddling is generally accepted. It’s great to see how far the sport has come and to see most people participating in safe manners. Be sure to consult your park’s regulations and always wear the appropriate safety equipment when paddling.