Re: [Paddlewise] disaster- talk to the guy

There are a number of arguments to be made regarding ventures of the 
type advertised on
this guy's site.  The overlap between individual rights and 
collective/community accountability
beg a rather wide and shifting grey stripe of demarcation.

It is worth noting that this is a very specific, commercial endeavor. 
The guy is offering prizes
based, in large measure, on the amount of publicity, sponsorships, and 
media attention he
can garner.  While other RAID and ECO-Challenge events take similar 
approaches (and are
similarly castigated/defended), the more well-established events make 
what might be called
a 'prudent, reasonable effort to secure the safety and well-being of 
those involved.'

Most of the reputable event organizers arrange with local authorities 
in advance to supply
emergency extraction of injured parties, etc., provide medical 
attention at regular intervals,
and reserve the right to refuse entry or disqualify participants who do 
not exhibit the basic,
necessary skills and abilities to compete with a base line level of 
safety.

In reviewing this event's site, it's clear that the event and its main 
organizer(s) do not
fully grasp the exposure and risk required by this 'competition.'  This 
ambitious enthusiasm
might well be channelled into the creation of some future, credible, 
event.  But it appears
to be placing participants into the gap between self-promotion and 
common sense.  You may
willingly sign a waver to paddle into that gap, and you may well finish 
unscathed.
Paddlewise could also sponsor an annual, "Paddle your kayak over Niagra 
Falls" contest, the entry
fees accumulating until someone finally manages to do so and survive, 
at which they collect
a percentage of the pot.  Lots of great photo-ops there, too.

In a larger sense, this also nothing new. Read the recent nonfiction 
book:
Ada Blackjack: A True Story of Survival In The Arctic, by Jennifer 
Niven,
about the doomed Wrangel Island Expedition of 1921.  Vilhjalmur 
Stefansson
was especially accomplished at selling a vision of the Arctic environs 
as 'easily survivable
for those who could hunt from the plentiful game...more hospitable and 
safer than any American city!'
Of course, he never actually accompanied this fateful expedition and 
all but Ada Blackjack died
before a 'rescue' was accomplished one year later than originally 
planned.

No shortage of people eager to sell us a vision of adventure at their 
profit and our expense.

-Will
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