Clay Wright

Biographical: Weight?170 Height? 5'10 How old are you? 37 Where did you grow up? Nashville TN, Macon GA Personal Taste: Do you prefer more or less rocker for a creeker? I prefer more bow rocker than stern rocker Why? I want to bow to scoop up on shallow landings and skip over imposing rocks, but like to carry as much speed as a short boat can, especially on the landings near a nasty hole. Any major changes for creekboats of the future, design related? Sure - lighter but just as strong to start . . .We've got lots of shapes to choose from for different purposes (from short n corky to fast n pointy) but recently designers are integrating the planing / release shapes into the mix so we can get more out of the short length without smashing vertebrae on the landings. Planing away from landings and across holes, rapid spinnability but with acceleration, and low resistance at speed are all elements we like about our playboats and want on the creeks. But those embarrassing downstream flips have got to go! What rescue equip. do you carry? Shoes, of course, though I'm pretty optimistic. Most down-days I carry rope, knife, handpaddles, couple caribiners, Cliff bar, lighter, and one Petzl Ti-bloc. I've got a little Adventure Medical Kit I've enhanced with Lortabs, Flexeril, and a space blanket for steep, remote, or long days. I've got a wad of orange flagging tape I use to mark new wood on popular runs. I carry more food, gloves, balaclava, and headlamp for cold days or late starts. . .West Coast/ international creeking I've got float-bags, iodine or a water filter, and a firm knowledge of my walk-out options (or map).People often forget how much safety equipment you can store in your brain - weight free. Would you consider wearing a fullface helmet? (Cage or FNA style) I wear my FNA 'Extreme' more and more often because I like the fit, warmth, and protection it offers over traditional helmets. Sure, the foam isn't Lidds, but paddle or cockpit rim to the face injuries are getting more and more common these days and yet are SO preventable! I've worn my full-face for lots of conditions: waterfalls, creekin, big-water playboating, and just cold weather cruising.The disadvantages: hot when portaging (you are more likely to take it off even though you might still need it), people can't understand what you say in the eddy, the stares you get at Hell Hole. Personal Preference: Bent Shaft or Straight Why? BENT. While creekers might be wise to stick with the 'skypole' straight glass shafts for the rugged durability, the extra torque available from a fat, contoured grip like the AT makes a real difference in big-water play. The new AT-4, Waterstick, and Werner bent-shafts are upping the ante on durability for sure, but those staight glass ones take hit after hit, year after year. Do you spend a lot of time outfitting a new boat or just make it fit. Can you describe some things that you take into consideration when outfitting a creeker? Minimum for me is to double the bulkhead foam thickness (plus extra foam under the heels), pad the cockpit rim for carrying, and pad out the knees with 1''-4'' wedges for cushioning. Few commercial hip-pads are up to par, so I usually make those too. I'll also pad out the bulkhead top and bottom so I can't slide under it in a piton situation. And add 1/2" of foam to the seat to soften the blows. 1hr What is you favorite creekboat design to date(or one of them)? Java - of course - though I wish I was smaller. Also the classic Micro 240 - love that boat! What’s you favorite local hometown run? Rock Island - the hole, the waves, the falls, and the rapid. I paddle here more than anywhere else by far. What are five cities in the U.S. that you would live in strictly for creeking purposes? Fresno CA, Sacremento CA, Portland OR, Seattle WA (Chattanooga, Asheville, and Fayetteville are great for other reasons, plus just there's tons unrun out West) Do you feel play boats have a place on creeks? “Backyard” type creeks. Sure - familiar dam release runs where wood is unlikely especially. As long as you've made the conscious decision to make things more difficult and dangerous for whatever rewards you are after, then by all means. Some people hand-paddle the Green in the dark; go figure. I can't recommend anyone take squirty boats (Super Sport, XXX, Amp) down, but today's short, poppy boats (Pop, Disco, Transformer, 4-Fun, Big Wheel, etc) are easier to exit, have ample foot room, and stay on the surface much better than their forefathers. Ditch the drydeck and overthruster. Do you prefer boating with boaters you know best orhave boated with predominantly?Of course.Do you take bigger risks with these boaters?I run bigger rapids with people who I know are capable of dealing with the potential consequences. It is nice to know the skills and experiences of your would-be rescuers when assessing ''what will happen if . . .''. Besides keeping their boat pointing downstream, what are the main differences between creekboaters and other genres? Some paddlers bounce across waves, some swirl below eddies, some scout first descents, and some paddle off scenic attractions. There isn't any one thing different in any one group from another. Many move in many circles. There are paddlers that talk shit and those that don't in every one. Is creekboating in its “Golden Age” or do you feel there will be lots more pioneered, greater levels, and lots more athletes to take this to the next level. What's been done is impressive. What we've learned in the process - enormous. If the boundries don't get pushed considerably further in the next few years I would consider the next generation a failure. Compared to the other forms of kayaking would you saythat creeking is more team oriented? Should be: if you want to push yourself you need support for when you crash. Of course high-volume river-running is totally team oriented too; catching a swimmer gets pretty tricky when there are no pools . . . How would you describe differences between East Coast and West Coast creeking (word or paragraph) Which would you rather live in? Tough one. East Coast Creeking has easy access, lots of players, and an urgency to it because it is all based within hours of a rain. When the rain gods drop the needle the party goes off. I think this adds to the whole experience. If it rained all season the East might take the cake. Thank God for dam releases! The West Coast has weather factors too, but on a slower pace. Luckily the huge increase in available gradient, terrain, and all that slick granite bedrock more than makes up for it. If one could find boating partners more easily, and it didn't freeze up in the winter the West would take the prize for sure.SO - East in Winter, West in Summer, Spring anywhere, Fall West for creekers (BC) and East for playboaters,(Ottawa/Gauley). Have trailer, will travel. Epic: East Coast rapid that makes you really nervous, what’s the first one that pops in your head? High Falls - that NY falls series thing from Wet Ones (?)- Shannon gets that last-minute rope and Willie piton's his teeth into a Prijon .. . West Coast rapid that makes you really nervous, what’s the first one that pops in your head? Heath Springs (Royal Gorge) - the 50'er lands in a walled out room with a 10'wide, 10' high exit. . . .and its just below a 37'er. And Cherry Bomb Gorge. What are some of the closest calls that you’ve had in your paddling career?One lap of a walled out eddy in California Pinned on a tree on Big Creek Discovering a seive on the San Juaquin (from Liquid Lifestyles). Have you lost a close paddling partner to a whitewater accident? How would you say that it changed your scope on whitewater activities in general, creeking,development? Scouting/walking every drop every time is preferable to running the wrong drop the wrong day. Trees fall and rivers are by nature always changing. A future can be erased in under a minute. Knowing that the game is REAL doesn't eliminate the risk or the attraction. These thrills are not worth dying for. Cautious control is fun, too. Considerations: Do you ever creek solo? If so what creeks? Yes, but not often. It adds quite a bit of danger for a very small, personal reward. At what height(waterfall) do you feel the freefall gets a little nutty and maybe less controlled? Depends a lot on the lip of the drop and the experience of the paddler. Once you've got a solid tuck and are OK landing it past vertical, it opens a lot of doors. Development: Approx what year did you start creeking? ran the Tellico in 82, Upper Yough/ Russel Fork in 87, Green in 90 What was the first kayak you ever owned? Klepper Minor - a kids lake-boat. The Holloform was too big and the Mirage wasn't invented. How did you get into kayaking? My Mom took up whitewater canoeing, and I couldn't carry even 1/2 a canoe. Did you have any heroes growing up that you looked up to for their creeking/riverrunning abilities? Lots. River-running, my step-father; Dick Creswell. He read the water on a different level than the rest of our group and always seemed to be right there to make the save when help was needed. Creek boating the list is long . . I learned the most from Woody and Risa; two VERY different styles flowing down creeks together each weekend. I chased John Regan, Phil Coleman, and Roger Zebel down the Yough each time they flew by - learning to carry speed into slots and slice across eddies with style. And while I still shoot for the bold, direct lines of Bo Eakens, I'm more comfortable with the 'wait till the last minute' timing of the effortless Doug Wellman. I didn't really think outside the South East till Arndt, Dan G, and Corran showed up in 93. Who are some of your heroes in the creeking arena today?Arnd Sheflein added new control to his ambitious German roots and then demonstrated his skills round the world. He's got so many first descents and has taken so many countries to their next level. . .we are all in dept, and he's still knocking down the shit.Scott Lindgren can find it, nail the water level, run it first, and then shoot the guy who runs second for his movie. He's a far more impressive creeker than most 'stars' he's shooting. What are some things that may have drawn you towards creeking when you were in your developmental stages? Gymnastics is done indoors and it doesn't snow enough in the SE . . . I've always wanted to run waterfalls - from that first Canoe article I was hooked. Would you classify your development as attending the school of hard knocks or did you develop with patience waiting till you felt totally prepared mentally to run class V? I got lots of class 3 and 4 experience before I paddled my first class 5. My Little River Falls pin and swim (92/93) was the first I'd taken in 6 years, I'm pretty conservative. What ways/things should advancing boaters work on to improve skills that will benefit them on Class creeks and rapids? Playboating gives you a quick, 100% roll and teaches you to pop up paddling the right way even after a thrashing. Running familiar rapids, boofs, and slots backwards gets you ready to make the most of the situation when it happens.Handpaddling experience comes in 'handy' in the most unexpected places . . .And no one should be without rescue, first aid and CPR skills - just in case. What advice do you have for next generation’s boaters who want to explore the arenas you currently dwell in? Hike in with a saw in late Fall, flag any areas of concern where you'll notice, and know most of your buddies will all bail out for Bear when it finally rains enough. What has helped you to progress safely to more difficult water?Friends, patience, and a fear of pain (also luck). Do you currently have any sponsors? Yes - Lotus, Jackson Kayak, Smith Sunglasses, Mountain Surf Skirts n accessories, AT Paddles In what ways has being sponsored helped/hindered your continuous development as a creeker? When you've got all the best gear, the only thing to focus on is your line. My sponsorships have kept my 'budget' tendencies from slowing my season each time I break a boat, paddle, or gasket. And the connections I made - to the other paddlers they had faith in - are invaluable creeking connections across the country and all over the world. Being a sponsored paddler does carry a sort of debt or obligation, though. Even if it helps the brand, it's your buddies money paying for the gear you got free. I've always tried to do positive things for the paddling community in return. Whether sawing out logs, painting gauges, writing up new runs, or just lending out stuff at the put-in - I feel it is part of the deal. How do you address doubts and fears while on difficult whitewater? If there is danger and I can't visualize myself acing the line 3 times, I don't run it. Pushing your limits is a rewarding experience, but a confident focus is essential.Doubt and fear appear for a reason - listen to them. Then decide for your self: am I going to enjoy this experience on this day? If you don't know, don't go. What do you do while not boating to condition yourself to be able to perform at a high level: (strength training, stretching, yoga, etc.) Pushups, twisty situps, shoulder exercises, stretching, biking, and lots of pre-sleep visualization. Would you please provide a useful tip for creekboaters? 1000 scouts too many will not make up for one too few. Any taboos you would like to mention to other creekboat hopefuls? Taboos - pushing someone to run a rapid, shaming someone who portages or scouts, considering a bad line through a dangerous rapid a success.