FIBArk – Friday morning update

Thursday’s FIBArk events and festivities coupled with outstanding weather provided a solid launch for the historic whitewater festival.

Head-to-head Boater X action in the Class-V Pine Creek Rapid section of the Arkansas near Granite was the first river event and resulted in a win by Ben Kvanli of Texas.

Approximately 140 contestants race to the top of Tenderfoot before plummeting back down to the finish line on F Street during Thursday's Tenderfoot Hill CLimb.

The festival grounds came alive in the afternoon as the boat ramp and F Street bridge provided great views for several exciting finishes of the raft sprints, the hill climb as well as the hilarious antics of the raft rodeo.  The new vendor layout in Riverside Park pleased many as they searched for their favorite festival food and enjoyed the evening music lineup.

Today there is even more to do and see. On the river, freestyle junior and cadet preliminaries start at 10:00, pro preliminaries at 4:00 followed by the pro semifinals at 7:00.  Perhaps the biggest waterborne sensation of the year is featured during a stand up paddle boarding clinic which is begins at 4:00 just upstream of the whitewater park.

The stage activity begins at noon with the Boys & Girls Club Recycled Costume Show, followed by karaoke from 1:00 until 3:00. At 5:30 bluegrass music fills the park as Head for the Hills takes the stage. At 8:00 the music takes a big swing to unique dance inducing sounds of Boombox.