Whitewater Classics: Fifty North American Rivers Picked by the Continent's Leading Paddlers Paperback – January 1, 2004

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I have really enjoyed this book which features 50 Classic Whitewater runs across North America. Inspired by the book Fifty Classic Climbs, this is not a book of the "best" runs, the most challenging runs, or even the most popular runs, although any given river often fits into one of these categories. The common thread among all these rivers is the fact that they each have their own colorful and unique personality and history, and even if you haven't been there anyone who has spent time around the sport has heard of these runs--they are the true Classics.In selecting the rivers for this book Tyler enlisted the assistance of leaders in the sport. Some were pioneers while others have just emerged as the sports newest ambassadors. He includes those who represent different styles of paddling including play boaters, expedition paddlers, racers as well as those who use different types of boats including kayaks, open boats, and C-1s.The format of the book includes a profile of each of the 50 paddlers and then a description of the run they have selected. Here Tyler has made the effort to dig a little deeper than most and you can tell he put some serious effort into his interviews as he traveled around the country talking to boaters; you'll find some history and stories that have not been published before.The layout of this book is excellent with full-page color photos illustrating each run. Maps help orient the reader to the location of each river. While the descriptions themselves are fairly comprehensive, Tyler concentrates on telling the story of the river and why it's a whitewater classic; his ability to do this is what really makes this such a wonderful book. This is not a guidebook but references are included to help one find more detailed run descriptions.This book is a labor of love and I highly recommend it as a fun title well deserving of a place on the shelf of every whitewater boater's library. I doubt many have run all the rivers in this book, but that sure would be a fun, and challenging, project.

The combination of great rivers and the whitewater heroes connected to them creates fifty very interesting stories. The tales journey deep inside the history and motivation that has shaped the incredible sport of whitewater adventure. The maps and great photos provide a guidebook style format or armchair view of many of the greatest rivers on the continent. Tyler has obviously put a great effort into this book,and it belongs in every river-runners library.  Dancing on the Edge of an Endangered Planet