Re: [Paddlewise] Stunters-Jesse Sharp

From: James <jimtibensky_at_fastmail.fm>
Date: Thu, 09 Oct 2003 08:07:58 -0500
This is old news but still news to me.  What was this guy thinking?


People who knew him all agree that he was bipolar ("manic-depressive")
with a tendency toward the manic.  I've paddled with two other people
diagnosed with this disease and both would, when manic, take risks that
would defy belief. And they would have irrational reasons for the risk
taking. When only slightly manic they would be "at the top of their
game", taking in everything with skill.  

Jesse, who was C-1 paddler by the way, had, like so many manic people,
quasi-religious ideas about his whitewater experiences.

He pitchpoled down the face of the falls, there was no reason to expect
damage to the boat.  The water going over the falls, as is so obvious in
the photos, goes out for quite a ways before it goes down.  So Jesse's
boat goes over the lip and enders as it picks up speed with the nose
down.

This was a very sad, disturbed man.

Jim Tibensky
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Received on Thu Oct 09 2003 - 06:09:59 PDT

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