Tales from the Cripps

What do you do when you find yourself experiencing your 4th near death whitewater kayaking experience, before you've even reached your 20th birthday? For some, the answer is quit. But for Gareth Fryer, the answer is, get smarter. Gareth has spent much of his paddling career learning from hard lessons and close calls. He's done his best to perfect the art of being in the right place at th...

In today's episode I had the unique opportunity to sit down with Kiwi paddler Gareth Fryer from halfway across the world. My friend Rolf describes Gareth as an athletic freak of nature. Gareth and Rolf spent some of their formative paddling years together exploring New Zealand. In part 1 of this 2 part interview, Gareth shares some of the stories from their time together. Along the way, we&ap...

( Donate to Jaguar Kayak School at https://gofund.me/27cccbee ) ============================================= Got $20 bucks in your pocket? Great, you’ve got enough to travel the world! Most people that consider themselves river people have stories about how the sport has changed their lives, but few have a life story like my guest’s today. Andrey Coto Robles, a self proclaimed son of the river, g...

Today I sit down with Gary Edgeworth who has been a prominent figure in the Western U.S. kayaking scene since the 90s, or as his friend Rolf gliby puts it, "Gary is a caricature of a human being." After sitting down with him for over 2 hours, I barely scratched the surface of the amazing adventures and stories he's generated in his life. This episode has a serious "inside baseb...

In this episode, I'm sitting down with Paul Raymond, who has taken the helm of OBJ race director in recent years. OBJ, or Oh Be Joy is one of the ultra classic kayaking creek runs in Colorado, replete with steep slides and waterfalls. He shares the history of the iconic event and how he found himself taking an active role in the race. As a bonus story, he shares his tips and tricks for how yo...

Adventures are good, but misadventures make great stories. From rolling instructor to safety class architect to paddling partner, Nick Wigston has been a pillar of the local paddling community for years. Come hear how his approach to paddling was shaped by ignoring the advice of Tao Berman and charting his own path because we all know, you learn best by doing. 0:00 - 6:54          Introduction 6:5...

Take a ride on the pain train with a founding member of Durango's Narrow Escape Crew, Russ Gartner. Russ gives us a harrowing account of their attempt to open back up the Rio Patria in Costa Rica, along with some warmer, if not drier thoughts on fun in the jungle. 0:00 - 1:30                     Guest Introduction 1:31 - 4:59                     What I did last summer 5:00 - 14:52           ...

Pack your shiny emergency space blanket and let’s do some traveling with Scott Young. Today you’ll learn how many power bars to pack for your paddling trip, why urinating on yourself isn’t always a bad option, the quickest way to create an intimate bond with your paddling friends, and how to become a movie star in Mexico. 0:00 - 1:57       Intro 1:58 - 4:50       Spring and summer fun 4:51 - 22:25...

Today, let’s travel through time and space to Central America in the 1990s. My guest spent several years exploring whitewater paddling in Honduras at the behest of Dick Eustis, who helped sponsor his crew’s travels in hopes of opening up commercial opportunities in the region. We take a deep dive into the Mame River and Rio Yaguala, a couple of highlights from his travels. Hear how his crew rolls...

Fun doesn't come easy. Today we hear the story of the inception of Bailey Fest and how a once tenuous relationship with a landowner at a critical rapid on the run became a forgotten issue. 0:00 - 3:00        Introduction 3:01 - 5:18         Who cares about Bailey Canyon? 5:19 - 8:16         Where’s the Gauley Fest of Colorado? 8:17 - 19:38      Acquiring water for recreational use 19:39 - 27:...

In this episode we take a trip with my guest Forrest Noble through kayaking history, from epic equipment failures to a legendary story of paddling down the Potomac river at one the highest flood levels in recent history. 0:00 - 4:23        Introduction 4:24 - 14:35      North Fork Payette swim story 14:36 - 17:04    Equipment chat interlude 17:05 - 18:20    Potomac Flood Story Introduction 19:05 -...

Welcome to Tales from the Cripps, a place for entertaining whitewater stories to call home. I'm a long time whitewater kayaker whose only real claim to fame is having a hole that bears my namesake on our local creek. I've heard so many great stories over the years that I wanted to create a forum to compile and share those stories with a wider audience. This podcast is being featured in t...