We’ve also got coached river sessions for advanced paddlers, twice a week down at Salida’s whitewater park.  These coached sessions take place in the slalom gates, where paddlers will learn various techniques to improve their skills.  Wintertime’s the time to advance your abilities on easy water, so when summer rolls around you’ll be ready for the next step in your whitewater adventures!  Feel free to bring your plastic boat down; slalom boats aren’t necessary.  A solid combat roll isn’t necessary either, but the ability to T-rescue is.

If you don’t own a slalom boat or wildwater boat, but would like to try one out, please let us know as we have boats available for use. FIBArk just received a generous donation of 9 slalom boats from the Alexander Dawson School in Boulder!  This is a HUGE donation, and we’re incredibly grateful.  Most of these boats are in excellent condition and available to be used immediately.

FIBArk is initiating a competitive paddling team this year, with coaching provided in freestyle, slalom and wildwater events throughout the year.  The competitive season starts in the spring, and continues through the summer!   The first series of competitive events will be the Colorado High School Cup Series, with national events occurring as well during the same time period.  The schedule is as follows:

CO HS Cup Series #1, Durango, CO
March 30 – April 1, 2012

Slalom Olympic Team Trials, Charlotte, NC
April 13 – 15, 2012

Wildwater Western Jr. Team Trials & CO HS Cup #2, Glenwood Springs, CO
April 20 – 22, 2012

CO HS Cup #3, Salida, CO
May 4 – 6, 2012

CO HS Cup #4, Golden, CO
May 11 – 13, 2012

Slalom Jr. Team Trials, Wausau, WI
May 18 – 20, 2012
Slalom Jr. World Championships, Wausau, WI

Each of the three disciplines (slalom, freestyle and wildwater) will be available for competitors at each of the Colorado events.  For advanced paddlers who are interested in competing at these spring events, FIBArk will provide coaching throughout the winter.  Currently, slalom sessions are taking place twice a week, with freestyle and wildwater sessions to be added as winter progresses. Call or email Alli if you or your child is interested in joining these sessions, 719-221-3937.

November’s beginner/advanced beginner pool session was a big hit, with 14 paddlers in the pool!  December’s session will take place Sunday, December 18th, from 9:45 to 11:45 am.  We ask for a minimum $5 donation; feel free to give more to support the FIBArk paddling team.  Your money will go to renting the pool, upgrading the boat storage area at the boathouse, event entry fees for paddlers, and the purchase of equipment (boats, paddles, helmets and sprayskirts) for the paddling program.

Speaking of equipment, FIBArk currently has the capacity to provide equipment for up to 8 paddlers in pool sessions.  Please call Alli or Kevin to reserve your equipment for the next pool session.

See you on the river,

Alli Gober, 719-221-3937
Kevin Hoffman, 406-207-6692

These will be held under the usual format. We’ll be over there at about 9:45 a.m. to unload boats and get set up. Pool time (with some instruction) starts at 10 a.m. We encourage first timers and any younger kids looking to try the sport to come to any or all dates. A recommended donation of $5 is requested.

FIBArk recently purchased some new equipment including paddles and an additional kids boat. We can provide gear as needed. Please RSVP and let us know what gear you will need in advance. A preference in boat size helps greatly.

FIBArk is proud to announce that Alli Gober joined this season as a FIBArk Board Member. She brings competitive whitewater slalom racing experience with her after having raced as a junior herself.

With her help FIBArk hopes to add additional pool dates, river club days and competitions in the future.
Slalom boaters are currently maintaining gates in the Salida Whitewater park. More advanced boaters seeking experience in slalom boating are encouraged to stop by Slalom -Saturdays as long as the weather holds. Boaters are meeting at 1 p.m. Saturday, (Nov. 12). Matt and Jennifer Fritz recently moved to the area and are heading this effort.

We are trying to work with Salida Recreation to schedule some Friday pool sessions in 2012. Dates will be made available as they are established.

For moe information contact:
Alli Gober 719-221-3937
Kevin Hoffman 406-207-6692 (out of town from Nov. 11-19)

A small, but talented cadre of stand up paddlers came to FIBArk this year to introduce the sport to newbies during a clinic on Friday. Sponsored by Boardworks and C4 Waterman, the clinic attracted the mildly curious to the wildly enthusiastic to a calm stretch of the Arkansas River in downtown Salida.

More proficient stand up paddlers took part in an “Expression Session” Saturday on a new wave feature in Salida’s whitewater park designed expressly with stand up paddlers in mind. Among those wow-ing crowds along the river bank were some of the C4 Waterman sales force including sales rep Ryan Guay, retailer Earl Richmond, co-owner of Colorado Kayak Supply, Seth Hollar, a proficient enthusiast from Carbondale, CO and Boulder, CO athlete Nicole Duke. Though fresh from her second place win in the three-mile downriver SUP sprint held on Gore Creek earlier this  month during the prestigious Teva Mountain Games, Duke struggled to surf the wave in Salida, earning resounding applause from the riverside crowd whenever she succeeded in surfing.

Also showing some inland surf style were Salida residents Mike Harvey, who built the whitewater park in Salida and his good friend Zack Hughes, founder/owner/designer of Badfish Riverboards. Designed specifically for river surfing, Badfish Riverboards are all less than 7-feet long but have a girth of about 30 inches and a thick rail shape that offers ample volume to float surfers over 200 pounds.

On Sunday, daring stand up paddlers, Hollar, Duke and Vail SUP enthusiast Matt Paula competed in FIBArk’s Class 26-mile Downriver Race, passing through Class III rapids on the course that travels from Salida to Cotapaxi.

A quartet of stand up paddlers strutted their stuff during the SUP Expression Session during FIBArk. Seen above from the far shore toward the camera are Earl Richmond, Ryan Guay, Seth Hollar and Zack Hughes.

Unlike the the real BP tragedy in the Gulf of Mexico, this Hooligan interpretation of a flaming BP oil rig, shown above, extinguished itself in mere minutes. Thrilling spectators at the beginning of the course, the float pretty much disintigrated before it reached the main spectator zone where crowds lined both banks of the Arkansas River in downtown Salida for the perennially popular event. Nearly each heat of this year’s Hooligan race featured a BP disaster-themed float.The 62nd Annual New Belgium FIBArk Whitewater Festival, held June 17 – 20, is this small Colorado mountain town’s biggest annual event and one of the state’s oldest continuously held annual festivals. FIBArk, which stands for First in Boating the Arkansas, is the country’s oldest whitewater festival. It has expanded beyond downriver kayak races to include freestyle kayaks, rafts, stand up paddle boards and land-based events such as running and bike races plus free music in the bandshell in the town’s Riverside Park.

Darren Droge of Lakewood, CO is seen here before he got fully dressed up and launched his craft for FIBArk's perennially popular Hooligan race. A first-timer at to the event, Droge won the crowd's Best in Show award.

In the women’s division, recent arrivals Haley Mills and Amy Jimmerson both made the final cut. Meanwhile, in the men’s division, former National Team member and World Squirt Champ Dustin Urban of Buena Vista and Greg Parker, who is a popular seasonal kayak instructor in Salida, made the men’s final. All four were heavy crowd favorites, earning raucous support during tonight’s final in downtown Salida.

Of the four, veteran competitor and recent Teva Mountain Games champ Dustin Urban fared the best in the best-of-three-ride format for the finals. Though he entered in fifth position, meaning he went first in the final round, Dustin’s first ride was smoking hot, throwing down the gauntlet to the other four finalists. It was a lead only he himself topped, finishing with a top score of 1305. Urban was followed in second place by Jackson Kayak teammate Stephen Wright, the World’s third-ranked freestyle kayaker, who, despite suffering from a severe upper respiratory ailment, scored 1210. Rounding out the podium was Wave Sport’s Bryan Kirk with 1150  points who, earlier in FIBArk action, took one of the worst beat-downs of his career in the Pine Creek Boater Cross Race and is proud to note he didn’t swim. Though he finished both preliminary and semifinal rounds as the top seed, 16-year-old Jason Craig, the reigning Junior Men’s World Champion finished in fourth, followed by Parker in fifth.

Points-wise, the women’s division really amounted to a showdown between reigning Women’s World Champion Emily Jackson and her immediate predecessor, Canadian Ruth Gordon. By a squeeky-slim 10-point margin, Gordon bested her Jackson Kayak teammate to take home top honors, 500 to 490. Meanwhile hometown fav and rising star, at least on the Colorado leg of this season’s Western Tour, Haley Mills of Buena Vista took third with 230 points. Earlier in the season, Mills, a relative unknown on the pro tour, placed third at the prestigious Teva Mountain Games in Vail, behind Jackson and Australian veteran paddler Tanya Faux. At last weekend’s Lyons Outdoor Games, Mills was second only to Jackson.

In earlier FIBArk action, the names were the same but the order was different in the single-bladed paddle divisions. In OC1, it was  Jordan Poffenberger, gold; Brad McMillan, silver; Dan Jackson, bronze. In C1 the order of finish was Dane Jackson gold; Poffenberger, silver and McMillan bronze.

Highlights of the Sunday schedule at FIBArk are as follows: Junior Men’s freestyle kayak semifinal and final rounds begin at 8 a.m; the first division of the Classic 26-mile downriver race begin at 9:45 a..m.; mountain bike races on the Arkansas Hills Trails that start in downtown Salida, begin at 10 a.m.; the Crazy River Dog competition is at high noon; closing ceremonies and awards are slated to begin at 3:30.

Sweeping the top three spots in men’s prelims were Jackson Kayak teammates 16-year-old reigning junior men’s world champ Jason Craig from Reno, NV had the top score of 1840. He was followed by reigning senior men’s world champ, 21-year-old Nick Troutman of Ottawa, Canada who racked up 1665 points, followed closely by Stephen Wright, the men’s bronze world medalist, also from Reno with 1620. In fourth place was Wave Sport’s Bryan Kirk with 1460, followed by local favorite Dustin Urban, 1440. The next five finishers, in order, were tour veteran Clay Wright, 1240; another local favorite Greg Parker, 1010; Craig Kiechner, 985; Judd Kaiser, 890 and four-time world champ Eric “EJ” Jackson. Men’s freestyle action continues tomorrow with a seminfinal showdown at high noon. Finals are scheduled to start at 7 p.m.

The top five women advancing to finals tomorrow at 7 p.m. include Canadian national champ and former world champ Ruth Gordon, 965; reigning women’s world champ Emily Jackson, 950; local favorite Haley Mills, 345; Kat Levitt, 240 and Amy Jimmerson, 215.

The junior men’s and women’s field was also whittled down today. Junior women advancing to finals tomorrow are Lauren Burress, 270; Tracy D’Arbeloff, 180; Hannah Kertesz, 95; Taylor Cote, 70 and Alexis Jennings, 25. In the junior men’s division, the ten top scorers advancing to semifinals tomorrow include newly crowned junior men’s World Cup champ Dane Jackson, 690; Quinten Burnett, 485; Jordan Poffenberger, 430; Cullen Brown, 410; Rogan Brown, 320; Luke Fanny 270, JP Griffith, 220; Evan Moore, 170; Eric Bartl, 145 and Matti Hill 105.

Topping the youngest competitors in the cadet class was 9-year-old Sage Donnelly of Reno, NV with 110 points, the best score of all the cadets, and the only one to throw a loop to decisively win the cadet women’s class followed by Chelsea Bonneman in second with 23 points and local Anna Schehrer with 10. In cadet men, Max Carlson finished on top with 71 points, followed by Henry Hyde with 53 and Kai Franken with 27 points.

Other highlights of tomorrow’s FIBArk action include the parade at 10 a.m., wildwater sprint at Noon, and the perennially crowd-pleasing Hooligan Race at 5:30 p.m. For the uninitiated, the Hooligan Race is comprised of home-brewed water craft – anything duct tape, baling wire and ingenuity can concoct. Featured free bands in Riverside Park include Lukas Nelson (Willie’s son) starting at 4:30 p.m.; Bay Area acoustic rockers Hot Buttered Rum take the stage at 7 p.m. General admission to FIBArk is free for spectators. The event also features a kids oasis, carnival rides and games and a middway of food and beer from long-time FIBArk sponsor, Fort Collins, CO-based New Belgium Brewing. FIBArk is the country’s oldest whitewater festival and Salida’s biggest annual party.

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.

The National Weather Service is predicting highs in the upper 80s, lows in the 40s, clear skies and winds 5-15mph through the weekend.  Great weather to be outside with just enough heat to set the Arkansas at a perfect level for the river events. So grab your flip-flops and head for the river!

Thursday is going to be a fun day as we are looking forward to pancakes on the street followed by a trip up to Pine Creek for the Pine Creek Boater X at 10am.  It’s great head to head competition through some of the most challenging whitewater around.  Another morning option is kicking off at 10:30; the Wildwater Classic down in Coaldale.

For many FIBArk really begins Thursday at 3pm with the First Inaugural Beer Pour.  The Beer Pour is followed by a frenzy of FIBArk fun with live music starting at 5, raft sprints at 5:30, the super popular Tenderfoot Hill Climb at 6, and the hilarious Raft Rodeo at 6:30.

For a more detailed look at what’s on tap visit the FIBArk Events page. We hope to see you out there, look for us and the Outside TV gang near the big Redbull MC tent.  There is even a rumor afloat that the Bill D. may be around, getting his first taste of sunshine since the van attacked him last month.  Look for him, give him your love and a handshake, but save the hugs for later when his ribs stop rattling.

Happy FIBArking!

Bruce Hayes

Thursday, June 17th 5 – 6:30 pm

Bruce Hayes, a Salida local, plays Rhythm & Celtgrass music, a fusion of styles that combines acoustic and electric instruments with elements of Rock, Bluegrass, Blues, Celtic, and R&B music. Collaborating with The String Cheese Incident and Acoustic Junction, Hayes helped create the acoustic jam band sound. He continues this tradition performing original songs and arrangements on Mandolin, Guitar, Dobro, foot board, and his latest creation, the Stratobassto.

The Meters Experience featuring Leo Nocentelli, guitarist of The Meters

Thursday, June 17th 8 – 10 pm

In their 41-year history, The Meters have grooved their way around the globe. They have toured with such talents as The Rolling Stones, and have been the rhythm for such diverse artists as Dr. John, Paul McCartney, Robert Palmer, and Patti Labelle. Considered by many to be the founding fathers of funk, The Meters created a unique sound that lasted through the sixties and seventies and was reborn in the late eighties. Their trademark sound blends funk, blues, and dance grooves with a New Orleans vibe.

Head for the Hills

Friday, June 18th 5:30 – 7:30

The shared vision amongst the members of Head for the Hills is not only to carry on the spirit of bluegrass, but also to expand the general definition as they venture through the post-traditional bluegrass era. Head for the Hills draws significant inspiration from the sounds of the bluegrass forefathers such as John Hartford, David Grisman, and Bill Monroe, but also appeals to anybody who enjoys experiencing the excitement, innovation, and element of youth that is incorporated into each and every performance.  Many respected avenues have sighted Head for the Hills as the next breath of fresh air to emerge from the acoustic realm. With direction from a Grammy award winning musician and an ever-evolving approach to progressive acoustic music, there is no telling what successes lay ahead for this group of talented musicians.  Head for the Hills is
Adam Kinghorn on guitar and vocals; Joe Lessard on fiddle and vocals; Matt Loewen on bass and vocals; and Mike Chappell on Mandolin.
“Head for the Hills is a talented group of musicians on the cutting edge. Listeners will fully enjoy this unique sound”
-Drew Emmitt (Leftover Salmon)

BoomBox

Friday, June 18th 8 – 10 pm

BoomBox is Producer/Engineer/DJ/Drummer Russ Randolph and Producer/DJ/Vocalist/Guitarist Zion Rock Godchaux. This pair of dynamic artists uses their rich musical history and their vision of music and popular culture to deliver a style of music distinctly different from anything heard or seen in music today. Their signature sound and show brings live music to a new, elevated level. BoomBox evolved through the common visualization of two forward-thinking artists from diverse musical backgrounds. Raised by supportive and musically inclined parents, both Godchaux and Randolph had an obsession with music at very young ages. Godchaux, who grew up with deeply embedded rock and roll roots, began playing drums at the age of two, and played guitar and wrote his own songs as a teen. During the 90s, Godchaux was a well-received touring DJ based out of the San Francisco area. As much producers as they are musicians, it is Randolph’s understanding of soundscape and Godchaux’s knack for songwriting that keeps BoomBox resonating at higher levels.

Lukas Nelson

Saturday, June 19th 4:30 – 6:30 pm

Raised on a strict diet of country, blues, and rock ‘n’ roll, California-based Lukas Nelson, and his band, The Promise of the Real, are starting to make waves with their infectious, no-nonsense brand of the classic American sound. “The recipe is simple,” writes Sam Sanborn in the March 9th issue of The Oregon Music News, “possibly because it’s plain home-cookin’. Three parts genuine rock ’n’ roll, two parts American heart ’n’ soul, one part blues, one part funk, and a pinch of country. Fiercely proud of his roots and of his family background (Lukas’s father is Country Legend Willie Nelson!), Lukas Nelson is a dedicated and focused young man, a man on a mission to prove that he has what it takes to succeed on his own merit. Watching Lukas and his band perform live, one gets the impression that this young Texan has what it takes to do just that, irrespective of who his father is. Go and see him live, you won’t regret it. Lukas Nelson and The Promise of the Real’s debut EP, Brando’s Paradise Sessions is out now. A new album should follow sometime this year.

Hot Buttered Rum

Saturday, June 19th 7 – 10 pm

Hot Buttered Rum, one of the hardest-working and fastest-rising acts in acoustic rock, began in the San Francisco Bay Area with five uniquely talented singer-songwriter/instrumentalists setting out to create a new Northern California sound.  They are Aaron Redner on fiddle, mandolin, & vocals; Bryan Horne on double bass & vocals; Erik Yates on banjo, flutes, accordion, clarinet, & vocals; Matt Butler on drums, percussion & vocals; and Nat Keefe on guitar & vocals.

“With an array of influences that range from Stravinsky to Phish and from Django Reinhardt to Bill Monroe it’s no wonder that you are likely to hear buttered-up bluegrass versions of songs from George Michael’s “Faith” to
Bob Marley’s “Small Axe.” The band melds past and present with stunning instrumental and vocal virtuosity.”
— Relix Magazine

Champion, Pioneer, Explorer, Innovator, Teacher

Like many European boaters, Roger Paris, a Frenchman, came to Salida for the Arkansas River Races,FIBArk, ready for competition, good times, and whitewater.   Traveling with his coach, Andre Pean and friend Claude Neveu, Roger entered the 1953 Downriver Race, placing third using a folding kayak instead of his familiar C-1 canoe.  In 1954, seven French racers returned to Salida.  Roger won the Downriver Race that year and his sister, Raymonde and Jeanette Pean, entered the Slalom and Downriver Races (C-2), becoming the first women to paddle the entire Downriver course.
Every year, Roger returned to Salida winning the FIBArk Downriver Race in 1956 and again in 1958, using a revolutionary fiberglass kayak.  In the early 60’s, Roger immigrated to Colorado where he spent years exploring the rivers and mountains of the American West paddling, climbing, and skiing.  In 1964, at the invitation of his friend Walter Kirschbaum, a legendary German paddler, Roger and his wife Jackie settled in Carbondale to teach kayaking at the Colorado Rocky Mountain School (CRMS).  Later, he started his own school where he taught young paddlers using his advanced, refined paddling techniques.   Roger is a legendary whitewater champion who has greatly contributed to our FIBArk history and has forever influenced the kayaking through his exploration and teaching.

Erich Seidel

Champion, Explorer, Adventurist, Outdoorsman

A German kayaker sponsored by Klepper, Erich Seidel first came to Salida in 1953 and paddled his way to become the champion of the Classic FIBArk Downriver Race.  In the same year, he and his German friend Theo Bock set up a slalom course on the Arkansas River to demonstrate gate running, thus introducing slalom racing to FIBArk and into whitewater sports in America.  The following year, Erich and his wife Helga settled in Salida and in 1955 immigrated into the US.  Erich, along with former German and fellow Salidan Xavier Wuerfmannsdobler, explored and paddled the rivers of the western frontier and together influenced many local paddlers.  One young Salidan, Eric Frazee, represented the United States in the 1957 World Champion Slalom in Germany at the young age of 17!  Although a small man in stature, Erich was a whitewater technician, driven to explore the rivers of Colorado, Utah and California.  One early spring, Erich made the 1st successful descent down Brown’s Canyon where he fell into a huge hole.   He escaped in one piece, but his boat foldboat did not.   The hole bears the name Seidel’s Suck Hole and is a favorite and dreaded rapid of local kayakers and rafters.  Erich paddled throughout his life, enjoying nature and the sense of freedom he felt from being outdoors.  In the 1970’s, he moved to New York before returning eventually to Germany.  Erich Seidel passed away in 2003, but his memory and contributions to FIBArk and the sport of whitewater paddling will never be forgotten.

Stay tuned to the Citizen for all things FIBArk. This year we will be posting event results throughout the week, so you poor souls that have to work and can’t spend the all four days moving between the river, food vendors and the beer tent can at least stay abreast of who won what.

To kick things off the FIBArk Board is sharing the following look at the history of FIBArk.  Have fun, play safe and enjoy what our community has to offer. -ss

FIBArk’s 62nd year continues the rich and fascinating history of the whitewater festival.  Whether the idea started as a result of idle talk over coffee by a group of Salida businessmen, or as a dare for bragging rights by boaters over beer, word of the Arkansas River Race challenge went mouth to mouth and people became interested.  The first FIBArk, First in Boating on the Arkansas, boat races started June 19th, 1949 when six boats entered the Arkansas River in Salida, CO for their treacherous 57 mile run to Canon City through the vertical cliffs of the Royal Gorge Canyon.  Three years later, portages and single-boat teams were eliminated and the race was set at its present length of 25.7 miles from Salida to Cotopaxi.  Coined by some as “Whitewater hell”, “The meanest stretch of whitewater in the world”, or “The longest, oldest, most prestigious and perhaps the toughest race in North America,” this Classic Downriver Race is still the longest whitewater race in the United States.

The original boat races were organized by the Salida Chamber of Commerce to attract people to the area and to promote relations with foreign countries.  World-class athletes were invited to Salida and over the years, boatmen from France, Germany, Czechoslovakia, Belgium, Scotland, Israel, Italy, England, Switzerland, Austria, Mexico, Canada, and the USA pitted their skills against the roaring, boulder-strewn river.  Although whitewater competition was well developed in Europe, Salida became the birthplace of whitewater sports in the United States. The City of Salida embraced the event and a four day festival and elaborate parade were soon organized. The boat races were advertised around the State and dignitaries were invited for the festivities. A Boat Race Queen, her attendants, and Hostesses represented the Annual Salida-Arkansas Races and in 1951 and 1953 movie stars reigned over the boating weekend.  A special train was arranged by the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad  to carry hundreds of people as it followed the race down the river from Salida and 10,000 people or more lined the banks of the Arkansas to watch the boaters battle for survival.

Through the 62 years of the festival, whitewater paddling has evolved and additional river events such as slalom, wildwater, raft races, and freestyle competitions have been added to the festival. Undoubtedly the most popular spectator event is the costumed, dangerous, and chaotic Hooligan Race, where entrants navigate the downtown play park in anything that floats that’s not a boat.

The focus of FIBArk continues to be the mighty Arkansas River and the world-class boating events on local stretches.  Riverside Park is the center of festival activity and entertainment.  Food, arts and crafts, and industry vendors fill the park and visitors enjoy the beer tent, the carnival, and a river-side amphitheater for fun entertainment and outdoor music.  For those visitors interested in branching out from the river events, FIBArk also offers the challenging Tenderfoot Hill Climb, the local 5K, 10K, and trail runs, mountain bike races behind “S” Mountain, and the elaborate Parade down F Street!

FIBArk is organized, promoted, and presented each year by a group of dedicated volunteers.  The event would not be possible without the support of scores of people in the community who help as event sponsors and volunteers.  The 2010 New Belgium FIBArk Board of Directors thanks everyone for their contributions and pledges to continually honor the FIBArk history while looking forward to the future of boating on the Arkansas.