2004 AW Gauley Festival a success

By Ben Van Camp

The 2004 Gauley River Festival was a bustle of activities all weekend long. The festivities started early on the day Friday with the Wave sport Open and the Ladies of the Lower G clinic. The second annual Ladies of the Lower G trip was a huge success! Twenty five women participated in the Lotus Designs sponsored trip. These watery women paddled the Lower Gauley with Christie Dobson, Tanya Shuman and other Lotus Designs Diva’s. After the paddle the women were treated to a small party and raffle where they helped raise over $500 for American Whitewater. The first Wave sport Open also took place on Friday with over 81 competitors taking place in the innovative competition. Paddlers were filmed as they made run’s through Pillow, Hungry Mother, and Sweets Rapids. The hours of film were then edited and judged with a presentation the next day at the Gauley Festival.

The activities continued well into the evening with a reception for the Gauley Festival volunteers, AW’s major donors, and Board of Directors. AW would like to give their sincerest thanks to the both Little Ceaser’s of Summerville and Highland Brewing of Asheville, NC for helping host the Friday night reception. Just as the volunteer reception was ending, the National Paddling Film Festival kicked things up a notch for festival goers by showing four films specially selected by NPFF members. NPFF pick a selection of four movies in the winners reel for everyone to watch including Cheat River Canyon and Foamy Boater: Foaming at the Mouth. The Friday evening camping crowd of the festival was entertained first by the music of fellow paddlers, Steepcreek, with a little “Allman Brothers” style rock and roll, on the lower stage. Later that evening The Brown Dog Band brought some great West Virginia style bluegrass music too the festival.

As Saturday evening brought the largest crowds, where a recorded 4,000+ festival goers poured through the gates to have a good time. The evening lineup got started with more classic music started with more great rock from Steepcreek and continued with more bluegrass from the Brown Dog Band (this year they had a new brown dog, I guess the other dog is too old too travel). In between sets Eric Jackson of Jackson Kayaks took time away from his booth to award Eric Marksz, winner of the Jackson Kayaks Kids membership drive with the Jackson Kayak of his choice. Eric, 9 years old sold 26 American Whitewater memberships mostly to his paddling buddies.

As the sun dropped behind the West Virginia mountains, the crowd of spectators watched the public premier of the 2004 IR Big Gun Show. The IR Big Gun showcased the limits of where kayaks and their paddlers can go and what they can do. After the Big Gun Show the headlining band, The Low Life took to the stage to rock the crowd for their first set. While The Low Life took a break, the crowd witnessed history in the making. The Wave sport open video results took place and Jimmy Blakeney took to the stage to award the cash and gear prizes to the winners. Check out the Wave sport website for the results and updates on the event. As night turned into morning The Low Life continued to rock the party and keep the energy going strong.

Thank you to all who came out to support American Whitewater at the 2004 Gauley River Festival. See you all again next year at the 2005 AW Gauley River Festival which will be better than ever!

Special Thanks too:

Highland Brewing Company

Hooked on the Outdoors