Classic River Guidebook Boosts WV Outdoor Tourism

This is the 40th anniversary of Wildwater West Virginia, the definitive whitewater guide to the rivers of the Mountain State. In 1972, when the book was first published, kayaks were homebuilt fiberglass boats 13’ long. There were no drysuits, pile garments, or hard-sole booties. Neoprene sprayskirts were a recent innovation and many paddlers of that era remember using highway road maps to find new rivers. Bob Burrell and Paul Davidson, both professors at West Virginia University, explored many rivers in the region. They wrote their book with much help from members of the West Virginia Wildwater Association. It was the best organized and most complete whitewater guidebook ever written for any state. It lured a whole generation of paddlers into the marvelous West Virginia outdoors, some of whom later became commercial outfitters and guides. This gave a big boost to the state’s outdoor tourism business. Thank you, Bob and Paul! The book has gone through five editions and four revisions and is now available as the Canoe and Kayak Guide to West Virginia.