Historic 1977 Film About Whitewater Safety

[Glenn MacGrady]

"The Uncalculated Risk is the first film in an excellent whitewater safety series produced by the American Red Cross in the late 1970's. It's noteworthy for not sugarcoating the hazards, and it pulls no punches in laying out the fastest ways to get yourself killed in whitewater sports. The opening sequence, filmed on the Nantahala River in North Carolina, is a very realistic depiction of a classic foot entrapment. Cinematographer Russ Nichols did a superb job filming it. One of the film's narrators is Payson Kennedy, co-founder of the Nantahala Outdoor Center, a nationally recognized school for paddlers."

The film also has some nostalgic shots of Blue Hole canoes stuffed with foam block and tire tube flotation and paddled with Norse clubs paddles.

 

[SouthernKevlar]

Wow, what a blast from the past! It was great to see all those classic Blue Hole canoes, and Seda, Phoenix, Lettmann (I believe I spotted a Lettmann Mk VI with it's weird deck flutes) kayaks. Definitely a fine viewing of classic early whitewater boats along with a still important message for anyone on swift moving water.

In the words of the famous whitewater cartoonist William Nealy "Far out, Man!"

 

[pblanc]

The entrapment scenario was filmed at the Nanty rapid known as "The Ledges", if anyone is interested.

 

[UCanoe_2]

Glenn, don't be dissin' my good ol' Norse paddle shovel!

 

[TomP]

This was mandatory viewing in the world of outing clubs at the time.

Another springs to mind- "The Drowning Machine". It is on Youtube:

Iliad- the suceesor to Norse, hehe, just a little bit better.

 

[Mason]

Wow, what a blast from the past! It was great to see all those classic Blue Hole canoes, and Seda, Phoenix, Lettmann (I believe I spotted a Lettmann Mk VI with it's weird deck flutes) kayaks. Definitely a fine viewing of classic early whitewater boats along with a still important message for anyone on swift moving water.

In the words of the famous whitewater cartoonist William Nealy "Far out, Man!"

That was about the time I was paddling the Nantahala in my Mark IV (Romer helmet, Seda pfd). Ironically, I met Willian Nealy in southern Utah about 1980. He was camping in a state park where I got my showers (my place didn't have running water). I always loved his cartoons.

 

[scoutergriz]

This was mandatory viewing in the world of outing clubs at the time.

Another springs to mind- "The Drowning Machine". It is on Youtube:

Iliad- the suceesor to Norse, hehe, just a little bit better.

I remember seeing that in highschool, not long after seeing it an acquaintance from another school got maytagged on the Grand River and nearly died, the only thing that saved him was a gutsy nearby boater who was able to approach from downstream close enough to haul him free. the paddler lost his canoe, all his fishing gear and large chunks of clothing, as well as a broken arm, concussion, and dozens of bruises from being pummelled into the rocks in the bottom of the hole.