The newest class of inductees into the International Whitewater Hall of Fame (IWHOF) was announced today at Outdoor Retailer’s Summer Market exhibition in Salt Lake City. The class represents a diverse group of whitewater legends comprised of individuals and athletes with significant accomplishments and contributions in whitewater related activities:
Herbert Rittlinger (deceased), a German explorer and writer, is honored in the Explorer category for his numerous first descents beginning in the 1930’s including the Amazon from its source to the ocean (1936-1937) and the Blue Nile in Africa (1953). Rittlinger also had numerous uncounted first descents through travels to Turkey, Romania, Greece, China, Japan, Australia, Africa, and South and Central America. Writings about those travels brought him considerable world-wide fame and recognition. His first big success, Ganze allein zum Amazonas, was the account of his solo journey down the Amazon.
Jim Snyder, of Albright, West Virginia, is honored in the Pioneer category for his life-long and on-going influence in kayak design which extends beyond whitewater. He is the inventor of the short boat revolution of squirtboating from which modern playboats descend. Snyder is also an innovative whitewater practitioner inventing countless maneuvers and their names. He is often at the forefront of the sport with creativity that extends to every aspect of boating, from kayaks and paddles, to other paddling gear and accessories.
Tom Johnson of Kernville, California, and Martin Litton of Portola Valley, California, are honored in the Advocate category for their life-long contributions. Johnson left his mark in the industry as a designer as well as a coach and advocate for competitive whitewater sports. His most memorable design, The River Chaser, was the first successful plastic whitewater kayak and a significant contributor for proving the viability of plastic kayaks in the paddlesport market. As a coach and advocate for more than forty years, Johnson supported the development of young paddlers through his work with local paddling clubs as well as his involvement with the American Canoe Association (ACA).
Martin Litton is honored for his life-long commitment fighting to protect and preserve the integrity of the West’s beautiful places. As a writer and conservationist, he worked to keep dams out of Dinosaur National Monument and the Grand Canyon and helped gain protection of Hells Canyon on the Snake in Idaho with the National Recreation Area designation. As a boatman, Litton pioneered oar-powered recreation in the Grand Canyon in the 1950’s establishing his own company running dories on the Grand Canyon, Hell’s Canyon, Salmon, Grande Rhonde, Owyee and Green Rivers.
Athletes Gisela Grothaus-Steigerwald of Berlin, Germany, and Scott Shipley of Boulder, Colorado, are honored in the Champion category. Grothaus-Steigerwald is a three-time individual Gold Medalist and three-time Silver Medalist in wildwater kayak competition spanning six consecutive World Championships beginning in 1973. Although primarily a wildwater competitor, she underwent a crash program to prepare for the 1972 Olympics and had a remarkable run to capture Silver in slalom at the 1972 Olympics in spite of a serious shoulder injury during practice runs.
Scott Shipley is a three-time Gold Overall and four-time Silver Overall World Cup Medalist and a three-time individual Silver Medalist in World Championship competition in slalom kayak, all within an eight-year span beginning in 1993. Shipley is also a three-time Olympian and was awarded the U.S. Olympic Committee’s Jack Kelly Fair Play Award for an act of sportsmanship during training at the 1996 Olympics.
This announcement concludes a six-month nomination process that began in February and elections by a 40-member voting electorate consisting of nationally and internationally-recognized whitewater paddlers representative of the whitewater community.
Formal induction of the newest class into the Hall of Fame will take place on Friday, October 20 at a dinner at the WISP in McHenry, Maryland. Post-induction festivities will continue on October 21 at the site of the artificial whitewater course in McHenry currently under construction by the Adventure Sports Center International (ASCI). The post-induction festivities will include a party for the whitewater community and a pre-opening peek of the whitewater course (opening spring 2007).
