Document text
0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Since You Asked: Hanley Farm likely fed local soldiers ... Opting out: More Medford charter school students are declining to take state tests ... Two-alarm fire burns house in Central Point ... Since You Asked: Hanley Farm likely fed local soldiers ... Opting out: More Medford charter school students are declining to take state tests ... Two-alarm fire burns house in Central Point ... WHITEWATER RACES Paddlers: Stand up and cash in at King of the Rogue Comment By Mark Freeman Mail Tribune Follow @@MTwriterFreeman MailTribune.com By Mark Freeman Mail Tribune Follow @@MTwriterFreeman Posted Jul. 8, 2016 at 2:54 PM By Mark Freeman Mail Tribune Follow @@MTwriterFreeman Posted Jul. 8, 2016 at 2:54 PM King of the Rogue events --> The fourth annual King of the Rogue whitewater races and other events will be held in and around the Rogue River rapids and falls upstream of Gold Hill. The day begins with a chinook salmon-f... » Read more X King of the Rogue events The fourth annual King of the Rogue whitewater races and other events will be held in and around the Rogue River rapids and falls upstream of Gold Hill. The day begins with a chinook salmon-fishing derby from 6 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Registration for King of the Rogue competitors runs from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Sawyer Station in Gold Hill. Whitewater racing will run from noon to 4 p.m. at  the Ti'lomikh Falls area visible off Upper River Road or just upstream of the Gold Hill Sports Park off Highway 234.  Paddlers will compete in men's and women's divisions in kayaks, four-person rafts, solo rowing and stand-up paddleboarding. An awards party is planned for 5 p.m. at Sawyer Station. » Social News GOLD HILL — Pete Newport is looking for a stand-up water rat with the guts and skills to do what he believes no other stand-up paddleboarder has ever done, and he's willing to put up a grand to see it happen. No stand-up paddler has yet to claim that they've successfully run the Rogue River's three Class IV whitewater chutes at and around Ti'lomikh Falls — Mugger's Alley, Powerhouse and Grandma's runs, says Newport, president of Sawyers Paddles & Oars in Gold Hill. So Newport is offering $1,000 to whomever can do so during Saturday's fourth annual King of the Rogue whitewater races, which are centered around these rapids. "We've been running that for four years, and to my knowledge, no one's been able to stand up through these rapids back to back to back," Newport says. "I think it's a possibility," Newport says. "Now we're making it a challenge to see if the gear and skills are out there" The SUP challenge highlights a day of racing through the middle Rogue's Class IV rapids to test racers' mettle, have fun and raise awareness and support for a proposed world-class whitewater park envisioned there by Newport and Steve Kiesling of the Gold Hill Adventure Center. Paddlers will compete in various single and team events in both men's and women's categories from noon to 4 p.m. Crowds can watch the races from vantage points off Upper River Road or Highway 234. Last year's events drew about 60 kayakers and rafters as well as close to two dozen stand-up paddlerboarders. SUPs are the latest rage among whitewater junkies. Stand-up paddleboarding traces its genesis to Hawaii, where natives have stood on surfboards and paddled around for years. But professional surfers there started adding paddles to their repertoires, and the watersports-loving public took notice in the mid-2000s. Sawyer helped fuel the sport's growth even though locals knew virtually nothing about it. In recent years, however, its popularity has spread to new ways to paddle through anything from calm lakes to wicked rapids. Newport says he once tackled Grandma's Run's 8-foot drop and remained erect, but every trip he's taken through Mugger's Alley and Powerhouse turned into swims. Those were part of the first two King of the Rogue stand-up competitions, but were removed last year in favor of more tepid rapids to make the competition more appealing to more SUPers. "Now we've added it back, with style," Newport says. Those taking on the so-called "Crazy Pete Challenge" during today's competition will have to wear a Newport-provided GoPro camera to chronicle the feat and, of course, use a Sawyer-built SUP paddle. "If we can get a GoPro and a Sawyer paddle through there, it's definitely worth $1,000," Newport says. Reach Mail Tribune reporter Mark Freeman at 541-776-4470 or [email protected] . Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/MTwriterFreeman . By Mark Freeman Mail Tribune Follow @@MTwriterFreeman MailTribune.com By Mark Freeman Mail Tribune Follow @@MTwriterFreeman Posted Jul. 8, 2016 at 2:54 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2016 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501