The event features three competitions: Simple Slalom, Freestyle and King and Queen of the Wave. All three contests will be held at the Buena Vista Whitewater Park boat ramp where ample spectator seating will invite cheers and jeers.

The day’s festivities begin at 10 a.m. with a simple slalom course; best time wins.

The freestyle competition begins at Noon with a Preliminary Round that will be judged in the standard fashion with points awarded for displays of skills from low-scoring front surfing and side surfing, to higher scoring spins, on up to loops. In the lighthearted spirit of the competition, points can also be accrued for “face surfing” more than five seconds and rolling up; swimmers of legal drinking age won’t score anything but will be required to drink a booty beer. The top six qualifiers from prelims will move on to the finals where the winner will be decided by a game of boater-style HORSE. This game will be called BOOF. Basically if you get all four letters you are boof’ed out of the competition.

The day’s final event begins at 2 p.m. with a King and Queen of the Wave, a test of skill, cunning and determination. The format calls for heats of three competitors to charge the feature at once. The individual who stays on the feature the longest will advance to the next round. The last male and last female competitor left surfing upright will be coronated the victors.

Registration will begin at 9 a.m. the day of the event. Each event will have a $10 fee or register for all three for just $20. The day will be on a rolling schedule, so come early to be sure to catch all the action.

For further information, call CKS at 719.395.8653.

The Salida Pole, Pedal Paddle began in 1999 and is a truly unique, multi-sport event. Following the path of the spring runoff, competitors start at the Continental Divide, on Monarch Pass with a backcountry ski leg, mountain bikes carry competitors in the shadow of Mt. Shavano to the banks of the Arkansas River where whitewater kayaks take paddlers into downtown Salida for an exciting finish. Participants can compete as a team or individually. The Salida Pole Pedal Paddle will be reborn on April 18th, 2008 in Salida, Colorado. Benson’s Tavern in downtown Salida will host an after party and awards ceremony.

For more information visit www.3psalida.com

Buena Vista resident and professional kayaker Dustin Urban who worked with his wife Katie to obtain the grant, said: “We are pleased that the trustees have unanimously approved this contract. That we were awarded a second river park grant from GOCO speaks to what a success our river park has already become.”

“We are also very excited about the bouldering park which this grant will fund,” Urban continued. “These two boulders will be integrated into the urban fabric of downtown and will be walking or biking distance for many residents. Now we have yet another outdoor activity which requires no driving, will provide our youth an opportunity to learn about climbing, and will attract a new set of outdoor enthusiasts to our downtown.”

Buena Vista resident and climber Mark Krasnow spoke during the public comment period in favor of the boulder park.

Urban previously wrote at South Main:

… we received word that the town of Buena Vista was awarded a grant to fund further improvements to our river park and the installation of two climbing boulders in South Main. On behalf of the town, my wife Katie and I wrote and coordinated the necessary materials for the Local Parks and Outdoor Recreation grant, which was awarded in December by Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) in the amount of $200,000. Matching funds, in kind contributions and community fundraising will bring the grant project total to $293,700….

The grant funds just awarded will fund maintenance and improvements for the four existing river park features as well the construction of two new features, which will likely be located downstream of what is currently the last feature in the river park. This new section will be located directly east of South Main’s River Park Square. Our hope is that they will serve as the venue for future kayaking and river events such as the Buena Vista Pro Rodeo.

The climbing boulders will be state of the art in quality and will cater to climbers of all levels, from toddler to pro. One will be located at the southern end of South Main’s River Park Square while the other will be located on town park land approximately 100 feet north of South Main’s north property line. This boulder will be tucked up against a small hill (which will serve as a windbreak) north of Swift Circle. We expect these boulders to be in place this coming summer. Grant funds will also be used for park improvements like the installation of benches and picnic tables, tree planting and trail connections between the north boulder, South Main and the river trails.

Read Urban’s article in its entirety.

Great Outdoors Colorado has committed approximately $578 million for more than 2,800 projects throughout the state since its inception in 1994.

Buena Vista/South Main kayaker Dustin Urban is in second place overall after his first place finish this weekend in Augsburg, Germany during the World Cup of freestyle kayaking. Urban topped the podium with 816 points, followed in second place by Slovakia’s Peter Csonka, 787 and four-time World Champion Eric Jackson in third place with 767.

In overall standings, Csonka, who finished first in Prague leads with 195 points, followed by Urban with 180 and Jackson at 175.

Joining Urban on the World Cup circuit is his brother-in-law and fellow BV/South Main kayaker, Jed Selby. Selby placed 16th in quarterfinals in Augsburg; and 12th in Prague. Only the top 10 advance to the semis where a final cut of five make the finals.

Like most American rivers the Arkansas has been abused, diverted, impounded and treated like a giant plumbing system. The trouble starts right off the bat. Just as the first drops of snow flow into the Arkansas River (imagery: Coors Ad) historic mining contributes cadmium, zinc and other historic detritus to the flow of the Arkansas River. This problem was identified in the early 1980′s and a federal Superfund designation led to water treatment facilities at two of the worst sites. These water treatment facilities have greatly improved water quality and have lead to resurgence in fishing along the Upper Ark. An ugly reminder of this lingering problem has reared its head lately as Lake County has had to declare a state of emergency due to a blocked mine drainage tunnel, holding back years of toxic water.

The Arkansas River is one of the largest drainages flowing off the east side of the continental divide. A quick glance at Google Earth will remind you that most of the people, agriculture, and industry in Colorado are on the east side of the Mountains. Unfortunately most of the water flows west. Apparently not eager to do California any favors, the Bureau of Reclamation designed the Fryingpan-Arkansas Project, which moves water from the west side of the Divide (Colorado River) to the east side of the Divide (Arkansas River). The Fry-Ark was authorized in the early 1960′s and 100% completed in the 1980′s.

The Fry-Ark project adds substantial flow the Upper Arkansas River during the summer as west slope water is diverted east. This “Project” water makes possible the Voluntary Flow Program whereby water is moved on a schedule during the summer which guarantees sufficient flow for recreational boating.

Historically most of this water was owned and consumed by agricultural interests east of Pueblo, however more recently agricultural water has been sold to Front Range municipalities. The Otero Pump Station moves water up from the Arkansas River Valley, 575 vertical feet, so that it can flow into the South Platte system and supply water to Colorado Springs and Aurora. The amount of water that flows through the Pump Sation has grown in recent years as the Springs and Aurora buy additional agricultural water rights and “transfer” the point of diversion upstream. This water contributes to a reduction in the amount of water that flows through Chaffee County in the Summer or that is available for the Voluntary Flow Program

In response to this potential de-watering of the Arkansas River Chaffee County filed a Recreational In-Channel Diversion (RICD) water right in 2005. The RICD is the only tool available in Colorado water law that recognizes the value of keeping water in a river. Despite stiff opposition from the Upper Arkansas Water Conservancy District, The Cities of Aurora and Colorado Springs and the State of Colorado, Chaffee County was awarded this water right in 2006.

Whitewater boating has a long a storied history on the Upper Arkansas River. The FIBArk (First In Boating on the Arkansas) Festival started in 1949 as a challenge between two traveling European kayakers. Townsfolk in Salida decided to throw a parade and bake a few pies and nearly 60 years later FIBArk is the nation’s longest running whitewater boating festival. FIBArk is one part county fair one part X Games and is not to be missed; more here:

Whitewater boating is the largest sector of our tourist-based economy, contributing some $60 million to our local economy annually. In the late 1980′s regulation came to the Upper Ark in the form of a joint partnership between the BLM and Colorado State Parks, the Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area (AHRA). The AHRA manages the river corridor from the Headwaters to Lake Pueblo and is based in Salida.

In 1999 a group of local boaters got together and formed the Arkansas River Trust, a non-profit organization with the goal of transforming the river corridor in downtown Salida, from a forgotten corridor of trash and concrete lined banks into a vibrant contributor to downtown Salida. In 2003 the Salida Whitewater Park was completed through a partnership between the City of Salida, Arkansas River Trust and the State of Colorado.

This trend has expanded up the valley as the Buena Vista Whitewater Park was completed in 2007. Bringing whitewater boating and more passive recreation into the towns has contributed to the economic development of the downtown business districts as well as the culture of our communities. The Arkansas River in both Salida and Buena Vista acts as a Rocky Mountain beach scene, with kids playing on the sand bars while Mom and Dad socialize with a latte from one of the local coffee shops.

The future of the Arkansas River rests in the hands of local communities continued efforts to stave off thirsty Front Range communities. While point source and non-point source pollution remains a concern, as the recent tunnel blockage in Leadville has demonstrated, the continued demands put on water resources as a result of population growth is the most immediate concern.

As more and more former river rats settle in the Upper Arkansas River there is a new generation of river “groms” in the Upper Arkansas Valley, young children whose parents are passionate river runners. This new generation of kids will grow up paddling right in their hometown and form an unprecedented connection with the Arkansas River. The challenge facing our communities toady is that we leave a stream for them to raise their children on that remains as dynamic in the future.