Susitna River first descent

Somewhere there is a 16mm film of the original. I have posted this in the hope that the owner of the original film will see this. If so, please tell me to take this off, and I hope you post the original. The world should remember these events in river running and the fight to save our wild river experiences.

All I know is one of the paddlers was Walt Blackadar and the river was threatened by a dam, hence the film. Some time back in the 1970s. Huge rapids and even bigger balls.

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• whitewater
• kayaking
• Alaska
• Susitna
• river
• Devil's
• Canyon

[dirtysteev]

thanks for sharing this film!

wow 3:08, takes a real licking.

dropping into the huge hole at 3:38 and coming through clean, amazing.

[blueduck12]

@dirtysteev

Yes, over 30 years ago, long before dry suits and modern hull shapes and sweep and fancy rolls. Freezing cold water. A subsequent trip by another party resulted in one paddler being found dead in his boat with not a mark on him.

I was impressed by the sequence leading up to 3:00 where the camera guy has no idea where the paddler is going to surface.

The 16mm version is something else on a full sized movie screen.

[blueduck12]

Thanks you guys for chasing this down. It would be great if the original was re-discovered and a clean copy with the scary piano music and Barney's commentary was uploaded in place of my cruddy copy. I wondered also what role this film played in stopping the dam project mentioed in the original soundtrack.

[blueduck12]

Small world. I'm in NZ and somewhere out here there is a 16mm copy, but I don't know where.

[robinrb1]

I have the video with sound

Film should be in the kupe CC archives

[blueduck12]

@robinrb1 I'll contact you directly, and if I can I'll get an HD copy posted in due course.

[mollyhops1]

For anyone still interested, the Susitna dam mentioned in the soundtrack is not dead yet. 30 years later, the state of Alaska resurrected the project. They have submitted the pre-application for FERC licensing. It is being compared to Glen Canyon Dam and will be located just above Devils Canyon.

[michelegila]

Just finished reading Never Turn Back. Amazing to read the story that is the tale of this video.

[TechnoEngineer]

Holy shit!

[ttolmbrftttwtbopat]

what a wave at 3:38 great clean hit.

[kuzino35902]

@dirtysteev I had the opportunity to paddle with Dr. Blackadar on one of his only trips east in 1976 on the New River, Gauley and Nolichucky. A amazing individual. Came east to learn a surgerical procedure from a well know chest surgeonin Boone, NC and paddle a little. What many may not know today, Walt's in a 11 ft "fiberglass" boat...

[philcanoe]

The silence was deafening.

[droan999]

28000 cfs!  wtf