Win - Canoe & Kayak

WHITEWATER KAYAKINGMy First Time Over Huka Fallsby Michael BurdenThis summer a lot of my friends had run Huka and had kepton at me that “it was easy” and “you could do it easily”.Living in Taupo I look at the falls all the time so I know theline, right flows, and the moves.I am also aware of the consequences. It’s like any kayaking; a good paddlermakes the hardest of lines look easy and attainable by anyone. This can be afatal misconception. Good paddlers get thrashed in either of the four drops.Every year people are pulled up the walls of the gorge by their mates or otherkayakers. Every year at least one person swims over the falls, and swimmingout of the base happens often - any swim in this area could result inuncomfortable periods of time without oxygen.All of these things are constantly in my mind as I say to myself that tomorrow,if the flow is right, I will just have to get it over and done with and do it for thefirst time (the first time is always the worst).I got back early from the Mohaka. Colin was waiting at the shop looking forsomeone to paddle the falls with. The sun was shining and everything feltright so off we went. All the way to the river I’m nervous, talking, analysingmy own fear; kind of felt like watching a laboratory rat trying to escapeimpending doom.One last look to confirm the flows right then start to get ready. Feeling reallynervous, nervous vomit in the bushes. Just doing things automatically now -get changed - everything out of the kayak I won’t need, all I need is a throwbag and airbags. One last check of my gear as I push off into the river - helmet- pfd - spray deck - bung.Practise rolls on both sides and then eddy hop down to Colin. His final wordsof advice “Boof everything”. I watch Colin’s line and pull out making eachstroke count, timing it all for the last stroke and boof. It is big, white andpowerful as I drop into the smallest of the drops. I am pushed left and keeppaddling for the next boof. Everything looks higher when you are on the lipof the drop, soft landing, looking for my next eddy on river right, dodging theboils off the wall and the muchy hole at the top, I carve into the eddy.Breathing heavy - one drop done, three more to go.I cannot see much from the eddy I am in but I know the move well enough. Ipeel out and into some waves heading left - everything is bigger at river levelthan it looks from above - paddling hard heading left, timing it all for the laststroke, soft landing. Paddling into the eddy Colin tells me to relax, breathe,count to 10. I guess I looked pretty excited! Two down, two to go.I take the chance to look around. It’s cool being down in the depths of thegorge, not aware of the people on the bridge above at all. It sounds all peacefulbut in reality the eddy is boiling and there is a bit of wall action as well.Enough of the reverie. Here we go down the tongue of the ‘pencil sharpener’.I take a different line to Colin, preferring to play with the big white stuff thanthe recirculating eddy on the left.Now it gets interesting (all these things are happening with the ever apparenthorizon line getting closer all the time). Colin’s RAD is a lot slower than myMAC so once through the ‘pencil sharpener’ I have closed up with him. Wehead left for the final move. I am catching him up all the way. He then stallson a diagonal at the top of the ramp and by the time he goes off the edge Iam only three metres behind him. My last thought as I go over the lip is “Ihope I don’t hit him, it will hurt us both.”I have a couple of goes at rolling but give up. Get out of my boat, washed upinto an eddy, get back in and paddle about for a bit below the falls.Yes, I know I swam, still for my first attempt I am feeling higher than any drugcould take you. It took about four or five days to wipe the smile off my face.I will do it again when the flows are right and I am feeling right. It is still andalways will be a drop that is a challenge mentally, emotionally, and physically.ISSUE THIRTYtwo • 2005 11