PYRANHA FRENZY: AN INTERVIEW WITH DAVE FUSILLI

Dave Fusilli left and Pete Delosa on the South Fork of the American River.

Whether it's river running, creeking or freestyle kayaking, Dave Fusilli says he loves all aspects of kayaking and admits it's pretty hard to narrow it down to any particular favorite when it comes his time on the river.
Growing up in Pennsylvania, he confesses that at first that he found kayaking a bit scary when mom and dad took him out. In college, however, Fusilli says he was bitten by the whitewater bug igniting his passion for the sport. From then on it was his mission to paddle much as possible. Since he's gone on to become a world-class boater and has paddled on some of the world's most demanding rivers.
A longtime employee of Pyranha Kayaks, he started his career with them on Team Pyranha, the company's sponsored group of whitewater specialists used to promote their boats and products, before switching to Pyranha's West Coast sales and distribution team

When he is not on the road, Fusilli can usually be found going rapid to rapid and bridge to bridge on the Little White Salmon River near his home in Oregon.
"The thing I love most about kayaking is being outside in some of the most beautiful places on the planet," said Fusilli, "Add to that the focus and respect one has to have with themselves as well as the natural world around you; it's a special sport for sure."

Photos Courtesy of Dave Fusilli

Fellow boater and Current Adventures Kayaking School & Trips instructor Pete Delosa says its guys like Fusilli who make the truly kayaking special.
"One thing that makes Fusilli stand out in the whitewater world is that no matter where he is kayaking it’s always evident that he is there to have fun," said Delosa, "Despite being one of the best creek boaters in the world he never turns his nose up at class II."

We caught up with Fusilli a couple of weeks ago at a demo day at The River Store to asked him about Pyranha, this year's big water and his paddling life.

OAM: You just made a big swing through California. With all the snow this winter the flows should be amazing all summer long. How has it been? Any favorite places you can't wait to get back too?
DF: Yeah there is a huge snowpack this year making for a very long season on CA! So far I have enjoyed the Kern, a few runs on the Middle Feather and a bunch of laps on the Upper Middle Consumnes! I can't wait to get back on the South Merced, Upper Cherry, and Royal Gorge. These runs are going to drop in maybe later than paddlers have seen ... possibly ever.

OAM: Tell us about your involvement with Pyranha.
DF: Pyranha... yeah I started paddling as a team paddler in 2006. From there I started helping organize our team and this added some income. That lasted up until the fall of 2017 when I added another role which brings us to today. I still help with the team, but also manage our West Coast warehouse, sales, and distribution for the West. I still do a lot of media for Pyranha as you might know. Some are specific edits, such as the 9R2 promo, but a lot more is to help keep the brand poppin.

OAM: You have been paddling for quite a while now so what your all-time favorite boat? What made it so special?
DF: I think my all-time favorite boat is the original 9R. The reason being is it was unlike anything I had ever paddled at that time and it changed whitewater kayak design. All brands chased and are still chasing the 9R. A boat with that much rocker that is that fast and flew out of drops like it does was just a whole new feeling. A very close second is the Ripper. I still really like freestyle kayaking and the Ripper allows me to be creative on the creeks where I live. It's so fun!

OAM: You seem to border on the outrageous in your exploits are you really that bold?
DF: I don't really know about that? I know lots of my friends that send it harder than I do. When I run something it seems to me like a pretty good to go line. I've been kayaking a long f*cking time as well so my perception may be a little different than most.

OAM: Who were your greatest influences? What advice did they give you?
DF: My Mom, Dad and a good old boy from PA, Jess Hartman were big influences when I was learning to paddle. My Mom said don't ever give up... or she more showed me that than said it. My Dad took me kayaking a lot, he still paddles. He also really showed me a passion not just for kayaking, but the outdoors in general. That lives deep, deep in me. Jess Hartman was huge at pushing me to the next step. I was very motivated, but so was he. We would paddle every day after a long day of raft guiding on the Lower Yough. Boofing, cartwheels, blunts... Jess helped me with all of this.

OAM: If you take anyone living or dead on an adventure with you, who would you take and where would you go?
DF: I would actually like to take all of our world leaders down 21 days in the Grand Canyon. We would do raft support, most of the side hikes and eat mushrooms a hand full of times. I think this would change the world. I'm totally down to do this if anyone could round these f*ckers up. I'd do it for free even.

OAM: How do you spend your offseason?

DF: I will kayak all winter long, but mostly from where I live. I love skiing and snowboarding and I will hit the gym a good bit. Lifting weights is cool and I think it helps to keep my body parts intact. I will probably go on some trip, but not sure where yet?

OAM: Where can you kayak in your neighborhood?
DF: I can walk to the White Salmon River from my house! This has been a dream since my last dream which was to kayak all over the country/world.

OAM: Describe your perfect day?
DF: Upper Cheery, but it flows right into Big Kimshew creek that then goes into Dinkey creek which flows into Manns creek, and into Skookumchuck at sunset (but somehow I'm now in my Carbon Jed), and into the Green Truss. I then walk to my house, sit on the back deck and drink a beer. Something like that.

You can keep up with Fusilli on Facebook and Instagram and watch his videos on Vimeo and YouTube. You can learn about Pyranha Kayaks and Team Pyranha by clicking on the links.

 

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OVER THE BOW: THE SOUTH FORK OF THE AMERICAN RIVER

Wild rivers are earth's renegades, defying gravity, dancing to their own tunes, resisting the authority of humans, always chipping away, and eventually always winning. --Richard Bangs and Christian Kallen, River Gods

"This is why we came here." said Erik Allen, "We came to surf Barking Dog."
Maybe that is why he came. I was just trying to the learn my way down the fabled South Fork of the American River. The rain had stopped a little while after getting on the river. That didn't mean, I didn't find away to get wet. Right away,  I caught the edge of an eddy and rolled my kayak over. An unceremonious dump into the river.

During the spring and summer the South Fork in northern California is a playground for whitewater kayakers and rafters of all different levels.  The river descends at a steep gradient of 30 feet per mile. The first 5 miles from the Chili Bar access are chocked full of exciting Class III whitewater with rapids with scary names like Meat-grinder and Trouble Maker. The so-called easy section is the next, nine miles through the valley consisting of a number of Class II rapids including Barking Dog. After that, the river enters what paddlers call "The Gorge." It's mostly a series of challenging Class III rapids descending at 33 feet per mile toward Folsom Lake.

About mile down river from the Highway 49 bridge, the river makes sweeping curve to the right and then plunges into two standing waves and hole between as it turns again to left. The river's velocity, turbulence and converging currents have created a steep hole in its path making it an appealing and challenging site for area play-boaters.  Local legend says this Class II rapid got its name when a neighborhood dog barked loudly at the rafters and kayaks as they went down river.

Erik along with the rest of the play-boaters line up like kids, waiting to ride the roller coaster at the amusement park. Inching forward one by one to test skills their skills one at a time in the churning boil. Its cross between ballet and bull riding. A choreographed dance of spins, flips and rolls all before the wave spits them out and then back in line to try one more time.

Erik dips the nose of his Pyranha play-boat into the turmoil of the Dog, heading straight into its current. Skimming, then flipping at the edge of the standing wave.  He loses momentum and is buried by the water crashing down on him, only to roll back on the surface, surfing into the wave. Up right again he spins again on the wave in another maneuver .

Over sixty years ago Sigurd Olson said, "As long as there are young men with the light of adventure in their eyes or a touch of wildness in their souls, rapids will be run." It still hold true today at places like Barking Dog Rapids on the South Fork where souls sing and surf in the rolling whitewater.

Over the Bow is a feature from Outside Adventure to the Max, telling the story behind the image. If you have a great picture with a great story, submit it to us at nickayak@gmail.com

BURNING WITH CONFIDENCE...PYRANHA DEMO DAY

We were not far from where gold was discovered in California that set off the Gold Rush. This Saturday morning South Fork of the American River was in a gush and for steady gathering tribes of kayakers, conditions couldn't seem more golden. Despite the historic on-going California drought, the river was full of water. Through deals made with upstream reservoirs and powerhouses along the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission guidelines, timed releases will keep dependable flows of whitewater and boaters coming all summer.

Pete DeLosa has a calm demeanor, an easy-going personality that makes you like him right away. He is a member of Team Pyranha and would be leading the trip down river. It's Demo Day,  a free event sponsored by the River Store and Pyranha Kayaks to give local paddlers an opportunity to try Pyranha's new 9R and Burn III kayaks.
"I think that is what I like the most." said DeLosa,  "Seeing people get in a boat they haven't paddled before and enjoying it.  Everyone thinks its boat height, boat weight and gallons. Stop looking at the specs. Get out and paddle different boats. Find the boat that makes you want to go out and do it"

 The shiny new kayaks glisten in the morning the sun. The 9R is the newest of Pyranha's fleet of kayaks. Its narrow width increases its speed while innovative outfitting and a lower knee profile offers maximum control.
 Across from it rests the Burn III offering a combination of precision and stability whether you are a beginner or expert. It was the kayak I will be paddling.
 I had looked for a bigger volume boat. The crossover kayak I own doesn't suit my skills and is a bad fit. I have had my share of swims with it. It always makes me a bit doubtful when it comes to my whitewater paddling abilities.
 DeLosa instilled some confidence in me.
 "Picture a good run at the top and you will have success at the bottom," said DeLosa. "Usually if you see something bad happening, it's self-fulfilling."

Then he said something that rolled me like a Class III wave.
"You know I'm scared to death of water." he said looking at the placid river,  "You know if you ask me I don't think I would swim across the water right here. I mean I could do it with a PFD,  but without it,  I don't think I would want even try it. Its something I have to overcome."
DeLosa is a special athlete. He can do amazing things in his kayak. I paddled behind him and the three others with us during the first rapids we met, coincidentally called Old Scary. I looked for the easy line hoping not to roll in the days first waves while the others punched through the big waves. DeLosa then pulled his kayak for a bit of surfing and offered tips to the other paddlers.

"Kayaking is more mental than it is physical." said DeLosa, "My first couple of years of creek boating were in a Wave Sport Habitat. I had bought it from a friend of mine and never even paddled the thing. I wanted to get to kayaking and he had a boat to sell. It was totally dumb luck, but it worked out great for me. For a couple of years,  I paddled that boat through what at the time the hardest water I ever paddled. I had done it all in that boat and I didn't want to get in any other boat.  I thought I was unstoppable in that kayak. It made me feel confident which pushed me to want to try new things. I had success and it kept me stoked. It also just kept feeding the cycle. The more success I had, the more confident I felt and I was willing to attempt more."

My confidence was beginning to soar with the Burn III. The river running kayak proved to be stable and forgiving through the turbulent water. After crashing through Barking Dog Rapid a popular kayak play hole, I felt an eagerness for more challenges. I took the lead at Highway Rapid a long rock garden wave train. I twisted and turned with the punches of the flow. The last one was Swimmers Rapid, rightly named because it seems to dump the commercial rafter customers at the end, was a victory lap for me. As I paddled up to the Greenwood Creek take out, I had a great sense of satisfaction. Credit goes to the Burn III.  
"I like seeing everyone having a good time" said DeLosa at the end of the day, "I like giving people the opportunity to get into a new kayak that they have tried before. And its like icing on the cake when they really enjoy it."