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How it all works
Submitted by Experience Hinsdale on 17/Feb/2011 in reply to Are you the arbiter of who has skills to paddle each river in the region? posted by 20 year paddler on 16/Feb/2011
68.34.1.126
Message:
1.) You are not my friend, sorry.
2.) Most 20-yr boaters are aware of situations where overenthusiastic but inexperienced boaters with a "bombproof" roll and limited experience got in over their heads. Usually they live, but most of us know of a case or 2 where they didn't. I would not argue with anyone who was reluctant to to broadcast explicit information because..
3.) The boating community is still sufficiently small and interconnected that an advanced boater seeking a new run will usually know someone -- or someone who knows someone else -- who can provide a direct contact. Most are ready to welcome others whose skills and maturity they feel comfortable with. (By the same token, most long-time paddlers have a short list of folks they just don't want to be on a river with.) That is common in assumed-risk sports, and hardly the same as "claiming to be an arbitrator of everyone's skills". (In fact, you might even contend that "that" is how assumed risk sports -- including boating -- work.)
4.) I support the decision of any boater to be judicious about the choice to publicly answer requests from strangers for explicit information.
(And BTW, I happen to be a 30 yr paddler/skier/climber/winter mountaineer who's seen, not everything, but pretty damn close --and you're entirely welcome to stuff it.)
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