James doing an squirt Photo courtesy of James Smith Click on pic for more whitewater photos!

On a hot afternoon in August of 1996 I was doing a BMX freestyle show with some of my friends. This was just one of many we did that summer in a series of custom car shows. I was comfortable riding in front of large crowds, although today's crowd was not one of the largest I'd seen that summer. As our show neared its end, I went for one last big trick, a back flip. This is something I had done many times successfully, however between heat exhaustion and poor judgment, I was unsuccessful. That day I just wanted to go really big. Well, I overshot my landing and over rotated, and as I hit the pavement I felt the worst pain of my life. I had shattered the 12th vertebra in my back. I was soon going to learn that I was paralyzed from my hips down and would never ride my bike again.

As I came to accept this life-changing event, I never quite accepted the life style change that seemed inevitable. I didn't want to lose the activities and hobbies that made me feel alive. As time passed I tried several new things to replace the passion and thrill I got from riding my bike. Rock climbing and mono skiing are two things I saw in a video from Mark Wellman. Mark Wellman is a paraplegic known for climbing half dome in Yosemite. I also viewed a video featuring an amputee running a stretch of water in a kayak that looked more like a roller coaster than a river. At that moment I decided I was not going to change who I was, I would find a way to do the things I desired. That winter I took a class with Breckenridge Outdoor Education center to learn to mono ski. The following summer I started climbing at Ibex rock gym. As I got better at skiing and stronger at climbing I wanted to try kayaking. I decided that if a guy with one leg could do it, I could too.

"When I'm in my boat, no one knows I use a wheelchair. This is one of the hobbies that have helped me replace the thrill I used to get when riding my bike..."

The next summer I started looking for schools that were open to teaching basic kayaking fundamentals to someone in my situation. As I started calling places, they all seemed friendly until I mentioned that I was in a wheelchair. I don't know if it was a liability issue, or if their perception of someone disabled, but they seemed to lose interest after I told them about my wheelchair. Then, I remembered a flyer a friend had given me. It was an advertisement for a place called Colorado Kayak. I called them and told them the situation, and to my surprise they said, "What weekend can you come out?" With that I found a free weekend to start paddling.

After a brief introduction with Chad and the CKS crew, we picked out a boat to fit to my small lower half. With some tape and foam, I fit nicely into a Wave Sport Y. The next morning they taught me some flat water skills and the fundamentals needed to be safe, like a wet exit, a bow rescue, and a variety of paddle strokes. Then, I was on my way to the upper Colorado River. After some work on eddie skills and boat tilt we headed down Little Gore Canyon. After a few rapids and a few swims, I was hooked on the sport. I cannot say enough good things about the guys at CKS. I would have never got started without them.

I returned to Kansas with a taste of whitewater and no boat to continue building on my skills. The next step was to locate a local group to paddle with. After a brush with a few that were less than helpful, I started to paddle with Kevin Gilbert, a guy I worked with. I borrowed his RPM and started working on a roll. I had some success but nothing solid. Without a roll, I didn't feel comfortable on moving water. Kevin moved away the following summer and I was left without a boat and someone to paddle with.

On the way back from a late season ski trip this year, I stopped in Denver at a place called Confluence Park. There I saw some people running the Platte River and thought about giving it another try. Daisy, my girlfriend said she was willing to give it a try also; I had some skills, but she had none. I called CKS about taking a follow up class and we signed up for a two day workshop trip on the Colorado River. First, I needed a boat that would fit; a boat of my own that I could use to practice as much as I wanted. I found a used Centrifuge and outfitted it to fit and be as responsive as my monoski.

The Centrifuge is a flat bottom boat that took a lot of practice to learn to roll. With the help my friend Shawn Tolivar, and a lot tinkering, my roll came together. I needed to make some changes to a normal roll to get it solid. One of the best things I did was change to a Seven 2 paddle. It added a little more spring to my roll and really helped with my consistency. With a solid roll and a good woman that was open to paddling with me I took a second trip with CKS. This time things went much better. I found myself doing less swimming and more paddling. My girlfriend was then hooked too. She soon got her roll and is a solid class III boater as am I. We paddle together as much as we can.

I usually do a seal launch to put in, and I just do a lot of eddie hopping to scout rapids. I have recently started learning some play boating basics including Stern Squirts and Bow Enders. I'd love to be good enough to enter a rodeo someday but I've got a lot of practice to do before then. I have recently been inspired by a video I saw that featured Eric Jackson. I am extremely motivated to pick up some of these techniques and begin increasing my play boating skills. The only thing I regret about my boating experiences so far is that I didn't start paddling sooner. When I'm in my boat, no one knows I use a wheelchair. This is one of the hobbies that have helped me replace the thrill I used to get when riding my bike.

By James Smith