Thats pretty damn cool, but what is the point? I'd say it is a stretch to even call that kayaking. More like falling over some huge ass falls in a kayak, and hoping that your undies are still white when (or if) you pop up at the other end.
Maybe I'm wrong, but is there anything more than a little luck that allowed that guy to live? It seems like all of the experience and strength in the world wouldn't make a lick of difference when it comes to stunts of that magnitude. I dunno...some people have more cajones than brain cells I guess.
Why do mountain climbers keep going up crazy steep routes? I'm pretty sure the only point is one-upping the previous guy and proving that it can be done. A decade ago I think the world record was only at about 65 feet. At this rate, it'll only be a matter of time before someone tries to run Niagara. There certainly is a level of technical skill involved in pulling something like this off (knowing how to control your rotation, knowing how to orient your body and paddle so you don't land flat and crush your spine, break your paddle, blow the nose of your boat in, making sure you land in the soft spot, etc), but yeah it is basically just like a less controlled version of skydiving, only with water.
I'm pretty sure the only reason this guy managed to pull this one off is because there's so much water going over the falls, the froth at the base of the falls was heavily aerated and very soft and cushioned. I know a guy who compressed his spine going over a 34 foot waterfall, and several of the previous world record attempts had resulted in the paddler getting blown out of his boat, so there was definitely a large amount of seasonal timing involved.
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Maybe I'm wrong, but is there anything more than a little luck that allowed that guy to live? It seems like all of the experience and strength in the world wouldn't make a lick of difference when it comes to stunts of that magnitude. I dunno...some people have more cajones than brain cells I guess.
I'm pretty sure the only reason this guy managed to pull this one off is because there's so much water going over the falls, the froth at the base of the falls was heavily aerated and very soft and cushioned. I know a guy who compressed his spine going over a 34 foot waterfall, and several of the previous world record attempts had resulted in the paddler getting blown out of his boat, so there was definitely a large amount of seasonal timing involved.