Feeling Blue? Try Whitewater 16-Year-Veteran Kayaker Takes On The Mild And Wild

For Bob Rockser and his friends in the Northwest Whitewater Association, there’s no such thing as a bad trip.

Sure, there was the time Rockser accidentally went over a 20-foot waterfall in his cataraft. And Rockser will never forget the day when one of his rafting buddies, Doug Walker, tipped his boat while floating down a stretch of the Kootenai River, the same river featured in the movie, “The River Wild.”

Still, after 16 years of rafting on more than 68 rivers spread throughout Washington, Idaho, Montana and Oregon, Rockser’s passion for the sport has never faded.

“When you get on the river, everything else goes away,” Rockser said. “You don’t worry about your bills, you don’t worry about anything else. It’s a wonderful environment - it’s usually fresh, clean and always different. You can run the same stretch of water 20 times, and if you have 6 inches more or 6 inches less it’s going to change. The rapids are hardly ever the same, and it’s just an enjoyable way to spend the day.”

Rockser said he is a high-class four boater, a ranking which is based on the type of water he is able to traverse.

Rapids are rated from one to six, with six actually being unrunnable, he explained.

One is basically flat water, and five is the most extreme whitewater, which cannot be run without risking one’s life.

“We don’t have any class four spots in Spokane - the Bowl and Pitcher (Spokane River) and the (Devils) Toenail are, at best, class three-plus,” Rockser said.

As a result, Rockser has travelled thoughout the northwest in search of bigger, better spots. Along the way, he’s made the first rafting trips down several rivers, including the Yaak River, Salmo River and White Sand Creek.

“For a long time these rivers were solely the realm of kayakers,” Rockser said. “The rubber boats were physically too big to get down there, but now I have a 10-foot boat that weighs 54 pounds complete. It’s narrow, and it’s opened up a whole new world for me.”

The cataraft Rockser described resembles two kayaks and is joined together by a metal frame. Catarafts are made of PVC plastic or urethane and can be rowed in the same manner as a rowboat.

“They’re tremendously responsive and can be moved all over the river,” Rockser said.”They’re extremely stable and lightweight, so even if you get one upside-down it’s easy to get right back over.”

Flipping is one of the several hazards whitewater enthusiasts seek to avoid, and even though Rockser is an accomplished rafter, he still maintains a healthy fear of the water.

“I’ve done the Spokane River probably 400 times, and there are still times that it gets my adrenaline going,” he said. “So there’s always an element of fear. I think if you lose that you’re going to be in deep trouble.

“It’s like anything else, whether you’re climbing or driving a fast car. You’re kind of pushing that envelope.”

As a means of promoting safe boating practices and the sport of rafting, Rockser serves as the program director for the NWA. In its six years of existence the club has grown from three to 75 members, and it offers members an informational hotline, newsletters and organized raft trips.

In addition, the NWA also coordinates a major cleanup of the Spokane River called Riverfest (Scheduled for Aug. 19).

“The club’s a good information source for developing people’s interest in boating and getting more people involved in the sport,” Rockser said.

The NWA offers free float trips down the Spokane River every Thursday. For information, call 928-6998.