Paddlefest 2008
Articles - BV Outdoors

Boater1by: Dustin Heron Urban

From May 16th-18th the town of Buena Vista will be transformed. Transformed from the sleepy and peaceful mountain town of winter to a bustling festival center bursting at the seams with color and music, river people and their toys. It’s called Paddlefest, and for the third year running this Colorado Kayak Supply (CKS) event will light up downtownpfesteflowerbig and the South Main River Park, making Buena Vista the place to be for river people from across the country.

Paddlefest has become one of the most prominent events to take place in Buena Vista, and locals have begun to look forward to it as the first major festival of the season. But this was not always the case. Prior to 2006, Paddlefest took place in Summit County. “We would basically gut the store and move it up there for three days,” Earl Richmond, one of the four partners in CKS told me. CKS would rent a 6,000 square footHwyBdgPfest pavilion in Silverthorne for the event, which took place in April and was more of a sale to close out the ski season than the educational event that it is today. There were guest speakers and movies but none of the on-water activities that today make Paddlefest such a unique event.

After CKS moved from Nathrop to Buena Vista in the fall of 2005, itBoats1 quickly became apparent to the CKS folks that holding Paddlefest in Buena Vista and on the Arkansas River made more sense than moving shop to Summit for three days each spring. Initial construction of the South Main river park was completed in the spring of 2006, making the stretch river immediately adjacent to Buena Vista an ideal location for the on-water activities that are now the centerpiece of Paddlefest. CKS also moved the date of the event in 2006. “Typically the kick off for summer activities is Memorial Day,” said Richmond. “So we do [Paddlefest] the weekend before to bring people to our valley a bit earlier… Our goal is to get people here earlier and to stay longer.”

Being a relatively small, rural town, Buena Vista is fortunate to have such an outstanding paddlesports retailer throwing this event. CKS was voted Retailer of the Year in both 2005 and 2007 at the Canoe & Kayak Paddlesports Industry Awards for the second time in three years. In other words Buena Vista is home to the best paddlesports retailer in the country, and that prestige is due in large part to the success of Paddlefest.

CKS bills Paddlefest as “a huge kickoff party to celebrate the start of the summer whitewater boating season.” With Ska Brewing Company of Durango as a main sponsor, there will certainly be plenty of partying to be done, but Paddlefest is about much more than free music, kayaking videos and good beer. It’s primarily an educational event for river people, with a multitude of instructional opportunities open to the public. With the well-regarded Rocky Mountain Outdoor Center (RMOC) of Salida on hand to provide world-class instruction, classes range from introductory level for those brand new to the sport, to advanced playboating and creeking clinics for veterans looking to step their boating up a notch. Courses catered specifically to women paddlers and kids will also be on the menu.

Paddlefest is a unique opportunity for the paddling public to interact not only with representatives from different manufacturers, but also with professional kayakers from around the world who come to Paddlefest to help out with instructional clinics and enjoy themselves at the informal “RMOC Pro Throwdown.” Historically the pros don’t always stay in the valley after Paddlefest, but this year they will have plenty of incentive with the first annual Buena Vista Pro Rodeo, complete with a $2,000 cash purse and party, to be held on May 24th. On top of that, the world-famous Pimp and Ho Rodeo and party will be held on Wednesday, May 21st, making Buena Vista the place to be come late May.    

Whether you’re a veteran boater looking for some tips or a newbie looking to kayak for the first time, whether you’re looking to sell some boating gear or just enjoy the action, be sure to stop by Paddlefest this May 16th-18th. For information on instructional courses, schedule of events and more, you can visit the Paddlefest webpage at www.ckspaddlefest.com

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