Fred Coriell

Weight 155 Height 5'7" How old are you 25 Where did you grow up- Vermont Personal Taste: Do you prefer more or less rocker for a creeker? I prefer slightly less rocker. Why? Speed can be a good friend to have. What rescue equip. do you carry? Breakdown, pulley, rope, float bags, first aid, prussic? I always carry a rope either between my legs in the kayak or on my body. Some place that it is very easy to grab. 2 pulleys, 3 slings (1 around my waist), tiblocs, beaners to put it all together, first aid kit (a space blanket and a lighter for the more adventuresome days), and a breakdown. Would you consider wearing a fullface helmet? (Cage or FNA style) Why or why not? No, my concern is the possibility of the face protection my catch on something say while you are ducking a log, or underwater and cause more harm than good. That being said I have loosened teeth and bloodied lips and things, but I feel it is worth those discomforts as opposed to getting your neck jarred in awkward directions. Personal Preference: Bent Shaft or Straight, any reason why? Straight shaft all the way- Its what I've always used and what I am most comfortable with. 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? Not too much time. One thing I do (I learned it from Tommy) is make a crash proof bulk head. Using the foam strips that peel off a Liquidlogic bulkhead pad I make a waffle pattern between the plastic piece and the foam. Adds a little cushion during unexpected encounters with rocks. I like to be pretty tight- better feel for the boat reacting in the water that way. What is you favorite creekboat design to date(or one of them)? GUS- In my biased opinion it is the best design out there right now. Fast, carves, boofs like a dream what more could you want. What's you favorite local hometown run? Middlebury Gorge on the Middlebury River. What are five cities in the U.S. that you would live in strictly for creeking purposes? Hood River, OR- Little White is the best place to hone your creeking skills Asheville, NC- the green Not really Boise- but anywhere close to the NF Payette is good Sac-town Cali- What is better than the Sierras in June/July Can I say Vancouver? It would be the best place to live in North America for creeking. Do you feel play boats have a place on creeks? Example: "Backyard" type creeks. Sure, if you like to go slow. Creeking vs. Do you prefer boating with boaters you know best or have boated with predominantly?- Most certainly- they are the people you trust the most and know the best. You've all been in the shit together many times before and there is nothing better than experience to guide a group through difficult situations. Do you take bigger risks with these boaters? Risk is a relative term. Calculated judgment is a personal decision. Your comrades are there for support but the decision is strictly personal whether to run a rapid or a river. The most difficult rivers I have paddled have been with the same core group of people. I am familiar and comfortable with the decisions they make and would make in any situation on the river. Besides keeping their boat pointing downstream, what are the main differences between creekboaters and other genres?- River running and exploration is the essence kayaking. Its what its all about. 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. That is a loaded question. I think people are exploring new rivers around the world more than they ever have before. It is because there are lots more people kayaking now than 20 years ago. And equipment has made it much more accessible. As far as a next level, there is always someone who will come along do something incredible. That being said, we are always standing on the shoulders of those who have been there before. They are the ones who showed us the way. Compared to the other forms of kayaking would you say that creeking is more team oriented? Yes. How would you describe differences between East Coast and West Coast creeking (word or paragraph) Which would you rather live in? It's the same old argument. Low water or high water? If you enjoy the latter go west, if you enjoy the former go east. Epic: East Coast rapid that makes you really nervous, what's the first one that pops in your head? Birth Canal on the Middlebury Gorge at high water. West Coast rapid that makes you really nervous, what's the first one that pops in your head? The Crucible What are some of the closest calls that you've had in your paddling career? All have involved being separated from my kayaking in one way or another. Have you lost a close paddling partner to a whitewater accident? Yes How would you say that it changed your scope on whitewater activities in general, creeking, development? - I'm still searching for the answer to this question. That is why I keep kayaking. Considerations: Do you ever creek solo? If so what creeks? Yes- On local runs usually. When I can't find someone to go with. At what height(waterfall) do you feel the freefall gets a little nutty and maybe less controlled? Somewhere between 38 feet 2 inches and 41 feet 13 inches. Development: Approx what year did you start creeking? 1993-94 season What was the first kayak you ever owned? Reflex II plastic boat. It was awesome. How did you get into kayaking? Though an after school program in Vermont Did you have any heroes growing up that you looked up to for their creeking/riverrunning abilities? The Kerns. They were the guys running the shit in Vermont (and eventually everywhere) when I was a wee lad. They also took me down the Green my first time. I remember sitting in the eddy above Gorilla and Willy saying "5 feet off the wall." I thought ok sounds good, he knows what he's talking about. Out of the eddy and off the drop I went. Who are some of your heroes in the creeking arena today? Ever since I've heard of Doug Ammons- he's the man. Soloing the Stikine is about as awesome an experience anyone could ask for in a kayak. What are some things that may have drawn you towards creeking when you were in your developmental stages? I grew up in Vermont. What else was there to do? 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? A little of both. In fact, I'm still attending both schools. What ways/things should advancing boaters work on to improve skills that will benefit them on Class creeks and rapids? Paddle hard on easier runs. Catch all the eddies, make all the ferries, invent moves around rocks and through eddies, whatever. Boat control is what its all about. What advice do you have for next generation's boaters who want to explore the arenas you currently dwell in? A TDUB saying goes like this- Beware the unportageable, unscoutable, unrunnable. What has helped you to progress safely to more difficult water? Experience- Every adventure leads to new one. You learn from past experiences for the ones yet to be had. Do you currently have any sponsors? Liquidlogic, River Mind Building How do you address doubts and fears while on difficult whitewater? With the group, always keeping communication open. What do you do while not boating to condition yourself to be able to perform at a high level: Always stay active. I ski a lot in the winter. Would you please provide a useful tip for creekboaters? Always have a throwbag. Any taboos you would like to mention to other creekboat hopefuls? No taboos I can think of, everyone has their own idiosyncrasies. Be safe and have fun.