A Token of My Extreme

This video is a classic of West Virginia whitewater paddling, featuring many of the badasses of the region who pushed the boundaries of kayaking. In this film, we can see how they utilized the invention of a stiff-floor inflatable kayak called the “Thrillseeker,“ made by Custom Inflatables in Albright, WV. These boats allowed for the boaters to run whitewater considered too abusive for the equipment of the era. In this video, you can see the “Bad Dogs of the Upper Yough“ take on runs in northern WV that are still considered fringe whitewater, even in 2013, such as the sieve-filled Deckers Creek and the 700fpm Clay and Quarry Runs. The video opens with a segment of squirt boating featuring Jeff Snyder, who, in the mid-90s, used the Thrillseeker as a platform to explore the possibilities of stand-up paddling in whitewater, a decade and a half before the SUP board became popular. Wood paddles are featured throughout, a signature of old-school Appalachian boaters. If you are interested in your own custom woo