John R. Sweet, leader of the first party to run the Gauley River in modern hardshell whitewater craft, turns 70 on September 27th. Sweet was one of the strongest paddlers of his era, a man whose skills set a standard that others tried to emulate. A member of several U.S. Whitewater Teams, he was a fierce competitor in slalom and wildwater events. He was the unoficial leader of the small band of elite slalom racers at the Penn State Outing Club in State College, PA, a group that explored many rivers in the Mid-Atlantic region. He was also an excellent boat designer and builder whose beautifully-made fiberglass whitewater boats still grace the area’s rivers.
This year also marks the 40th anniversary of his exploratory run down the Gauley River. Sweet often crossed the Gauley outside Summersville, West Virginia as he travelled down old Route 19 to the New River Gorge. He’d heard about the river from Sayre and Jean Rodman, who lead four others down the river in small one-man military surplus rafts in May 1961. John Berry and a group from Washington, DC also made a successful low-water run in 1965 using open canoes. Those groups paddled the rapids that now lie underneath Summersville Lake
Sweet heard that the Corps of Engineers was releasing 1200 cfs from the recently completed Summersville Dam on September 1, 1968. He convinced five other paddlers: C1 paddlers Norm and Jimmy Holcombe, kayakers Jim Stuart and Jack Wright, and a third C1 paddler, Miha Tomsic, a member of the Yugoslavian national slalom team, to try the river. They paddled the entire distance from the dam to Swiss in one very long day. Sweet was the only paddler to run the high ledge known locally as The Devil’s Backbone. The group moved quickly and did not name any rapids; Jim Stuart created most of the names on a trip down the Gauley in 1969.
In 1969 Charlie Walbridge was a part of a small group of novice paddlers at nearby Bucknell University eager to learn more about kayaks and racing. A letter to the Penn State Outing Club brought an invitation from John Sweet to participate in their pool sessions. Sweet and his friends taught our small group to roll and later invited us on our first run of the Lower Yough. This sort of helpfulness was characteristic of John and his group and was a major reason that the sport grew so quickly in the 1970’s.
John currently lives in Western Virginia with his wife, Char. They have horses and cows and a small pond where slalom gates sometimes appear. Old friends who want to get in touch with him can write him at 8562 Jackson River Road, Mustoe, VA 24468. Or check out his web site: johnrsweet.com. For a great article on John and the Gauley go to www.post-gazette.com/pg/08258/911521-140.stm.