The Glory Days of rec. boats.paddle featured in RiverRun

[Mothra]

Hello all,

Back in the late 1990s, about every famous and wanna-be paddler in the whitewater paddling world, posted on rec.boats.paddle.

Scott Bristow and I were two of the most prolific writers on the newsgroup during those days, that Ken Strickland referred to as the "Scott-time."

For those of you who weren't here then, Scott drowned at Great Falls of the Potomac, on the day before a group of rbpers were to meet over dinner at That's Amore. We still met for dinner, and I had to share the sad news with the group.

Over the next days, an outpouring of grief showed up on this board, and paddlers from all over (including Wilko from the Netherlands) came together in the DC area and later to Atlanta for the funeral.

RiverRun: Adventures on the Edge of Enlightenment is now available on Amazon in both paperback and Kindle versions. (RiverRun is one word.) It's about those days, and features kayaking adventures in Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, West Virginia, etc. as well as deeper reflections on the meaning of life in the face of death.

http://amzn.com/1484013468 has a "peek inside" RiverRun: Adventures on the Edge of Enlightenment. Or use the whole title to search. (James Joyce fans, me among them, have all sorts of things named riverrun, which is the first line of Finnegans Wake.)

Mothra

[Myron Buck]

I look forward to reading your book, but please be careful about poaching the 'glory days of RBP', Mothra. Scott-time was significant to those who were here then, but not all the RBPers were here then. Others (like me, who showed up the week before he died) also shared in some 'glory days' that get diminished by your claim.

The best part of RBP was that it was a club open to all. Claiming that one era 'trumps' others puts a higher value on one group of insiders over another...not at all the credo.

Other than that...hope your book sells well. :-)

--riverman

[Anne-Marie (Mickie)]

When I think of the "Glory Days of RBP" ("good ole days" for me) I am not comparing to any other RBP group. I am just saying "those were the days!" For me, those days (over a decade ago) paddling and then posting on the board here **were** overall some of the fondest moments of my life. I learned so much and found community and connection, connections that although in the past, are still strong in my heart.

Now, over a decade later, I am without a kayak (reluctantly) yet the rivers still call to me and I long to return more often. I came over here to see what I posted about something long time ago (ironically, Doug Gordon's passing) and "chanced" (coincidence ?) upon this thread. I think I knew a Riverman on RBP (if you are him I knew, I send a cheery "Hello and nice to see your name again!") I also knew Mothra (Kathryn). My thought is there is no ill-intent in her words. There was never any ill-intent in our words, only the intent to share, to hear, and maybe at times to empty our selves of feelings and fears. But it is challenging sometimes to ensure that my words are not construed negatively. I am sure "the glory days" comment is not intended to have a reference or comparison to the current community - it's just a description of the past.

To everyone who reads this who knows me, I send my deep gratitude for the connections and camaraderie. For anyone who does not know me, I still send my deepest gratitude for your being here in this community, for reading, caring, and sharing.

All the best,

Mickie / Annie / Anne-Marie
so many names, same person

[Myron Buck]

Hey Mickie....yep, same riverman.
:-)

[Mickie]

Hi,

You are absolutely correct - in being away from whitewater, I learned how important it really is to me to be on the water, how it helps in so many ways to feel alive and connected.

I am just amazingly striking out finding a boat that fits petite me well. I may go back to my trusted Necky Jive if I can find one used. I have been back on the water - gratefully! - in an IK... that can bruise my ego, but was still fun!

Wilco sounds like a small American town (of course near water ;). I am sure Wilko would approve! (wherever he is!)

All the best to you!
Annie/Mickie/Anne-Marie ...so many names same person

[Chicago Paddling-Fishing]

Don't forget Scott Weiser(sp?) the netwit...

--
John Nelson
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