September/October 2013 - Bluegrass Wildwater Association

we head into the final major rapid called Accelerator.We go into that rapid at mid river right wherethere is a tongue and follow the main current into awave train that leads to slightly river left into wherethe main current does an ‘s’ curve at the bottom ofthe rapid. Lonnie gets off line slightly at the ‘s’ curve,but runs Accelerator clean.On the last section of Class II boogie waterand surf spots we approach a fun boof, that, if hitright, propels the kayak to cop a little air. Lonnie hitsthe boof perfect and we end the run of the UpperPigeon laughing and yelling!Lonnie, once again, attends the Team RiverRunner ‘Outta Sight’ clinic in 2013 and Chip Sell, acombat veteran Washington state paddler, askedhim, “ Who have you been paddling with?” Lonnietells him and Chip thinks that he is ready for somethingbigger.At this time let me say that we challengedLonnie, and myself, and we didn’t take easy lines orsneaks. We took on difficult lines, caught eddies withsquirrelly water, and crashed through holes. Withthat said, at the age of 62, I keep trying to expandmy own paddling skills with creek runs on the Littleand the “Greenbrier” section in the Southeast in thebeautiful Smokey Mountains this year with the helpof B.W.A. mentors and the kayaking community‘passing it on’. I do these runs in an old school WaveSport Big EZ play/river runner. I am not ready to liedown YET or quit learning this sport that I love!Oh, I guess you may be wondering what“something bigger” may have been for kayakerLonnie Bedwell. Well, my friend, my kayak partner,became the first non-sighted paddler in his own boatto paddle the Colorado River section of the GrandCanyon in late summer of 2013 with Team RiverRunner.Awesome stuff dudes! That is PASSING ITON, with a twist!Meet Lonnie Bedwell this Tuesday at Our BWA Meeting!Hear about his amazing kayaking trip down the Colorado thru the Grand Canyon!New BWA Meeting Location:"Rooster's" corner of Man O' War & Nicholasville Rd, in front of Wal-Mart.Meeting starts at Oct. 8@7:30... come a little early if you plan to eat.5