Leland Davis

Personal Taste: Do you prefer more or less rocker for a creeker? Why? I prefer medium rocker boats. In the end, where the rocker is and how much there is relative to the length of the boat is far more important than a simple measurement of rocker. I like medium rocker up close to the bow, a relatively long water line, and then a bit of rocker in the rear so that the stern doesn't hang on the lip. Any major changes for creekboats of the future, design related? I would love to see someone really put the time and $$ into figuring out a good, light, durable cage system to replace bow walls and pillars in boats. I don't feel that the boats that don't have bow walls/pillars now are as safe as they could be. What rescue equip. do you carry? Breakdown, pulley, rope, float bags, first aid, prussic? I make sure someone in the party has a breakdown on wilderness runs. I ALWAYS carry a throw rope. I have a pin kit with prussics, biners, pulleys, etc. which I carry on committing runs. Never owned float bags, but probably should have. Personal Preference: Bent Shaft or Straight, any reason why? Straight shaft. They allow you to move your hands around on the shaft more readily, and you will not have that awkward feeling when you lose your paddle and have to use your breakdown or a loaner. 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? I spend about 2-3 hours on each boat. I make sure the bulkhead has good foam that extends all the way out to the hull to prevent my feet sliding around it. I put in good hip pads, extending them around the cockpit rim to cushion my shoulder when I portage. I put in knee blocks, to hold my knees into the thigh braces for control and to cushion the knees when I hit things. I tighten all the bolts and screws, then paddle a couple of times and tighten them again. What is you favorite creekboat design to date (or one of them)? Right now I'm super psyched on my H3 245. It fits me really well, snaps turns, boofs like a champ, offers good control of angle of entry, and most of all, cruises over holes like they're not there! My other favorite would be the Creek280. What's you favorite local hometown run? Linville Gorge is 45 minutes from my house and my favorite river anywhere. 10 miles of class V and unbelievable scenery! What are five cities in the U.S. that you would live in strictly for creeking purposes? Asheville, Hood River, Chattanooga. I don't care how good the whitewater is, I would never live in California, and everywhere else the season is too short. Do you feel play boats have a place on creeks? Example: ?Backyard? type creeks. Yes. Easier creeks or creeks that you have run many times and know well can be super fun in a play boat. I love playing on the Green. Creeking vs. Do you prefer boating with boaters you know best or have boated with predominantly? Yes. I would rather get to know someone before boating hard stuff with them. Do you take bigger risks with these boaters? Yes. It means a lot to know that you have a competent safety crew. Besides keeping their boat pointing downstream, what are the main differences between creekboaters and other genres? Creek boating requires a mental edge that other types of boating don't require. I would say that creek boaters need to have a good long look at their limits and motivations in ways that other boaters don't have to. I would say that and the smell are the main differences. 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. I think creek boating is past its golden age. Once upon a time you could go out in your own back yard and find a run that either hadn't been done, or that you at least knew nothing about. The proliferation of boaters, increases in communication such as the internet, and massive level of time and financial commitment required to stay on the cutting edge have really put a dent in the accessibility of the true thrill of the edge of the sport. Compared to the other forms of kayaking would you say that creeking is more team oriented? A lot more. Although I think you're effectively alone on class V creeks about 80% of the time no matter how many folks are there, they're vitally important that other 20% of the time. You also have to move downstream, scout rapids, make decisions, and face challenges as a group much more in creeking. How would you describe differences between East Coast and West Coast creeking (word or paragraph) Which would you rather live in? I would say that east coast creeking is more technical, while west coast creeking is more burly. In the east you learn to boof off of rocks, in the west you learn to hit holes with your head. Access is also much easier in the east, and most of the runs are less committing than in the west. I prefer the relaxing style of the east where I can focus on the boating more than the logistics. Epic: East Coast rapid that makes you really nervous, what's the first one that pops in your head? Gorilla @ 200%. I swear I'm gonna do it some day. West Coast rapid that makes you really nervous, what's the first one that pops in your head? The big falls on the upper upper Cispus. Lots of carnage from lots of good boaters there. What are some of the closest calls that you've had in your paddling career? Backward pin/leg entrapment in a c-1 at Chief would be the #1 close call. Vertically pinned backwards in the drop and my lower legs were entrapped in the stern of the boat with the cockpit rim behind my knees and the full force of the river going in my face and up my nose. Massive strain of ab muscles and nearly breaking a leg on the cockpit rim allowed me to get some fingers in the cockpit and pull myself out of the boat just before it folded. 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? I've never lost any best friends on the river, but I've certainly lost several folks that I used to paddle with. After the night recovering Pablo I spent a lot of time dealing with the reality that no matter how good or careful you are your ticket can get punched any time, anywhere on the creek. In the long run I think it deepened my relationship with the sport, and forced me to be sure I was paddling for the right reasons. Considerations: Do you ever creek solo? If so what creeks? Yes. I've done the Green solo probably 100 times. Also done some easier class IV/V stuff, and the lower West Prong. Couldn't find boating partners on a Colorado trip back in '99 and soloed Vallecito and South Mineral one weekend. At what height(waterfall) does the freefall get a little nutty and maybe less controlled? I think this depends a lot on the falls and the amount of water. Development: Did you have any heroes growing up that you looked up to for their creeking/riverrunning abilities? I think the paddler I always looked up to most was Clay Wright - not so much for what he ran, but for the style with which he ran it. I always wanted to be that smooth. Who are some of your heroes in the creeking arena today? I'm still working on getting as smooth as Clay. I also have taken a lot from the way he leaves ego out of the equation on the river. There are a lot of paddlers pushing harder than he is these days, but he's still the smoothest out there, and he runs rapids for himself and walks the ones he doesn't like. What are some things that may have drawn you towards creeking when you were in your developmental stages? At first I think it was the thrill of it, and the fact that you can get to so many beautiful places in a creek boat. Those reasons are still important, but there's much more of the depth of experience that attracts me now. Why kayaking over climbing, soccer, golf, etc.? Kayaking is a lot easier than golf. Using a bent stick to hit a little white ball into a tiny hole 400 yards away is like trying to shit in a swinging jug. Kayaking is much easier, less crowded, less expensive, and the places are prettier. I was a lifestyle climber for 5 years, but in the end I came to terms with the fact that graity is a one way street. Learning to use the river to get where you want to go is a much more intimate experience with the environment than struggling up a rock face. 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? Hard knocks all the way. What ways/things should advancing boaters work on to improve skills that will benefit them on Class creeks and rapids? Take your throw rope out in the yard and practice throwing it into a bucket 40 feet away. Then go to the river on a warm day with a friend, and take turns swimming and throwing the rope to each other. Then take a rescue clinic. TOO MANY BOATERS ARE SKIPPING THESE THINGS!! Second bit of advice would be to go take a forward stroke clinic. It's ridiculous how many people are out there hucking class V with no idea of how to properly paddle forward. What advice do you have for the next generations boaters who want to explore the arenas you currently dwell in? Examine your true motivations and make sure they justify the risks you take. Remember that every dance with the river is set to the river's tune. Leave your ego at the put in, carry a rope and know how to use it, and be a good steward of the places you love. -thanks for your time leland on this page as well as others throughout, sincerely.....