Dunbar Hardy

Biographical: Weight? A sevelt 170 lbs. Height? 6' 1" How old are you? I ain't 19 anymore! Where did you grow up? Grew up in the whitewater capitol of New Orleans, Louisiana Personal Taste: Do you prefer more or less rocker for a creeker? Why? I prefer slightly less rockered creek boats because I don't like overly 'turny' creek boats. I prefer boats that I can drive and carve a bit into and out of smaller eddies. I paddle out west mostly so a need a less rockered faster feeling creeker to bust stuff more than a turny more rockered design. Any major changes for creekboats of the future, design related? I am interested about Necky's new recoil (spring-loaded) bulkhead system in their new design the Crux. The area of safe and lightweight outfitting is perhaps where we may see the greatest future developments. What rescue equip. do you carry? Breakdown, pulley, rope, float bags, first aid, prussic? I carry a Werner 3 piece paddle, a waist worn spectra throw rope, a small Watershed drybag full of goodies - duct tape, first aid kit, webbing, 2 non-locking caribeaners, 2 locking caribeaners, and 2 pulleys. I use float bags in my creek boat. I also have first aid training and keep it current. Would you consider wearing a fullface helmet? (Cage or FNA style) Why or why not? I would think of a full facer, as I think they can for sure add some safety. Honestly, I have never smacked my face and at this point I tend to be backing away from the bigger drops where face-smacking is a stronger possibility. So for those folks charging hard, I would hope they would consider a full-facer as an option. Personal Preference: Bent Shaft or Straight, any reason why? I paddle with a Werner bent shaft, and have for the last few years. I like the nuetral wrist position, as it has helped with tendenitis. More so, it seems assist in having slightly more positive traction when planting my acceleration strokes. 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? Personally I am the worst at outfitting. I usually adjust the bulkhead/foot system and call it good. I like my thigh snug and I feel like I can really respond well once my thigh are locked in. I also move my seat forward at times to prevent the ass-drag rear ender action. I like the bigger cockpits to bust my knees easily when needed. What is you favorite creekboat design to date(or one of them)?I have charged around the world in the Necky Blunt from the time it was in its prototype phase, and feel like it has been super dependable for me. I feel really secure and comfortable in it on almost everything. What?s you favorite local hometown run? My backyard run is Vallecito Creek outside of Durango, Colorado. A super classy and committed 1 1/2 mile run that requires a hike-in to the starting line. I like to earn my turns, so to speak. It's got some vertical gradient, some technical moves, and when the water gets up its got some punch and ass-kick potential for sure with no easy way to hike out once kicked! What are five cities in the U.S. that you would live in strictly for creeking purposes?Tahoe or Grass Valley area are good California bases for creeking. Hood River, Oregon has some creeking action also. I used to live back in Asheville, North Carolina and there is plenty of creeking there for sure. Fayetteville, West Virginia has some solid creeking as well. Outside of the US, I would live in Squamish, British Columbia, as that place is home to epic creeks and alot of water flowing through them, plus the exchange rate helps! Do you feel play boats have a place on creeks? Example: ?Backyard? type creeks.I personally paddle a creek boat on creeks. I believe in having a quiver of boats for different types of paddling. Without a doubt creek boats are best suited to be paddled on creeks while playboats are best suited to be paddled for play, not for running big drops. Creeking vs. Do you prefer boating with boaters you know best or have boated with predominantly? Do you take bigger risks with these boaters? I prefer paddling with my 'brothers' for sure. It is not that any of us take more risks at all, it is just that I know I am covered and there is a common mentality in terms of what we want to run and similar problem-solving when we are getting into it. Besides keeping their boat pointing downstream, what are the main differences between creekboaters and other genres? Like I just mentioned, I really think creek boaters have to have a tremendous sense of problem solving skills, as well as impeccable hazard evaluation skills. These things are not required near as much with playboating or mellower river running. 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? There will always be new runs and new exploration, it is human nature to explore the new and unknown. It will come down to access, and how much effort paddlers are able to spend to get into some new places. Right now, there are some folks all over the world getting it done, and it is an exciting time in our sport. Compared to the other forms of kayaking would you say that creeking is more team oriented?Without a doubt it is more team-oriented than say playboating. I am much more conscious about who I go creeking with on a hard run versus who I sit in an eddy with when playboating. How would you describe differences between East Coast and West Coast creeking (word or paragraph) Which would you rather live in?My heart really is in the West even though my roots are in the East. I am drawn to the real wilderness and beauty of the West. Yeah, there is awesome paddling back East and probably a longer season, but the West is truly wild! I love self support trips and there are plenty of them out here, more than I'll get to do in this lifetime. Epic: East Coast rapid that makes you really nervous, what?s the first one that pops in your head? Gorilla on the Green in North Carolina. I've run it and I've walked it. It just is a drop that causes me to really evaluate how I'm paddling that day, whether I will run it or not. West Coast rapid that makes you really nervous, what?s the first one that pops in your head?I think of Adrenaline Falls on Lime Creek, just outside of Durango. It is a tall narrow slot drop that is pretty committing to drop into. Not super tall or crazy, just dramatic and respectable. What are some of the closest calls that you?ve had in your paddling career?For sure I have had some bumps, bruises, breaks, and surgeries from paddling. Like I said before, I ache enough to know I'm not 19 and invincible. Have you lost a close paddling partner to a whitewater accident? How would you say that it changed your scope on whitewater activities in general, creeking, development?Yes, I have lost quite a few 'brothers' to the river. It is necessary to be conscious on the water at all times because things can happen fast. It is important to know very clearly why I wish to run a drop (motivations), and to see yourself doing it before putting in (visualize). Considerations: Do you ever creek solo? If so what creeks? No. At what height(waterfall) do you feel the freefall gets a little nutty and maybe less controlled?Over 30 feet. There really is so much 'out of control' when floating in the air for longer periods of time, and the higher the drop the more time your butt is in the air. Development: Approx what year did you start creeking?My first creek was Big Laurel Creek that flows into the French Broad in Western North Carolina in 1986. What was the first kayak you ever owned? Perception Mirage back in 1985. How did you get into kayaking? Summer camp in Brevard, North Carolina on a lake. Did you have any heroes growing up that you looked up to for their creeking/riverrunning abilities?I was captured by stories of folks like Lars Holbek, Phil DeReimer, Hayden Glatte, and Rob Lesser, to name a few, who were exploring rivers all over the world as I was a beginner. Who are some of your heroes in the creeking arena today?A countless number of folks all over the world that are filled with a true passion towards whitewater rivers, and who respect the natural world. To them it is about dancing with the river, not conquering it. 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?I really took my time improving over the years before I really started running class V consistently. I also received proper instruction (from NOC) early on, so I learned proper techniques that have been the framework of my paddling. I also spent some years training in slalom boats and that also has helped reinforce the strokes and skills needed for precision paddling on creeks. What ways/things should advancing boaters work on to improve skills that will benefit them on Class creeks and rapids? I really think that preparing for running a harder grade rapid or river is done when have 'mastered' the lower grade. What I mean is trying to do every move or little done line that is class IV and having comfort and consistent success at that level before than stepping up to class V. It is important to learn to run class V on class IV whitewater. Class V is not the place to learn to run class V!!! What advice do you have for next generation?s boaters who want to explore the arenas you currently dwell in? After paddling for awhile, it is necessary to appreciate rivers and be involved in caring for them for future generations to enjoy. Become involved in river conservation and access issues or become an instructor to teach the skills learned to others so that they may enjoy paddling just as we have. Do you currently have any sponsors?I tried to get sponsored by Ben and Jerry's, but it didn't work out. So I have settled for Necky Kayaks, Werner Paddles, Kavu, Lotus Designs, Snapdragon Designs, Smith, and Clif Bar. In what ways has being sponsored helped/hindered your continuous development as a creeker? Early on in the sponsorship game for me a few years back, I felt this unspoken pressure to keep going bigger and getting better. Ultimately this is not a sustainable way to paddle. For me it led to a big crash, and the ultimate return for me paddling for myself in a way that fits why I first began paddling - a return to the core, so to speak. Today I paddle for myself first and if there are sponsors that want to support me and this way of paddling than I am appreciative, but I don't need them to define my paddling for me. How do you address doubts and fears while on difficult whitewater?I need to see myself getting it done in my own mind. I need to visualize myself running the line. I also need to keep it all with what is right in front of me - one rapid at a time. What do you do while not boating to condition yourself to be able to perform at a high level: (strength training, stretching, yoga, etc.)I do quite a bit of stretching and yoga, which has been super beneficial to me in healing from various injuries. I also try to get massages and try to stay as loose as possible. What keeps you excited about creeking or kayaking in general?The thing that keeps me paddling whitewater after over 20 years is still the possibility of paddling a new river. I love exploring or paddling a new river, and it doesn't have to be a first descent. It is just a new river, a new place in the world for me to see. Would you please provide a useful tip for creekboaters?The river will always be more powerful than us, and it will flow a lot longer than our lives. Remain humble and respectful of the power of moving water. Thankz from everyone who reads this Dunbar Thankz to Spencer at LVM for helping us aquire this as well.