Far North whitewater kayaker explains the safe and accessible way to enjoy FNQ’s rivers
The friend of a much-loved man killed in a kayaking tragedy has hit back at the “keyboard warriors” saying shocking comments towards him and the “misunderstood” sport.
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The Far North lost one of its most respected whitewater kayakers after a tragic accident at Behana Creek.
Petr Hanzak, who died on January 22 aged 64, was remembered by his wife, and friends, for his wise and competent engagement with the sport.
But after Mr Hanzak’s accident, many people pilloried him on Facebook for being on the river.
One comment read: “what’s wrong with these … bloody idiots, putting (our) emergency workers in danger”.
A second read: “wake up to yourself … they should get the bill”.
Stuart Brown, another experienced kayaker, has hit back in defence of his friend and the sport he said is misunderstood.
“There’s a lot of keyboard warriors. Even if someone goes hiking but has to be rescued by the SES, there’ll be a keyboard warrior saying ‘they shouldn’t have done it’,” Mr Brown said.
“There’s only been three whitewater kayakers who’ve died since 2008 in FNQ rivers.
“But people without skill sets will go down rivers in tubes and get into trouble, and we then get lumped into that same category because no-one knows what whitewater kayaking is or what we’re capable of.
“We can paddle waterfalls and complex rapids and keep our heads dry. We can read the water … we know what is and isn’t safe to paddle.”
Mr Brown said whitewater kayakers have a bias for personal and team safety; but, like any extreme sport, there’s always risk.
“The sport has personal safety equipment and specific equipment designed for rapids; and, it’s a gradual thing … you slowly progress,” he said.
“There’s not a single sport where there’s risk taking and people don’t die, from racing cars to running ultra-marathons … risk is inherent in anything we do.”
Mr Brown said interested people could become safely involved in the FNQ whitewater kayaking scene.
“There’s a Facebook group called Piss Poor Paddlers; that’s the first reference point,” he said.
“Roughly once a month, there’s a basic skills session at Tobruk Pool. It’s run by one of the kayakers. You can arrive without any gear, you’ve just got to pay your pool entry.
“You’ll get to meet some people, get in a kayak and learn some basic strokes. You’ll go underwater in a safe environment.
“After attending a few of those and building contact details, the Mulgrave River is the first one you’ll paddle. It’s very scenic and straightforward; you can work on skills that you’ve learnt.
“There’s always someone who’ll teach you about the gear and take you on the Mulgrave.
“When you’re learning, you are going to go upside down in moving water. For some people, that’s incredibly daunting.
“It’s not uncommon we get people who want to try, get the basics done, but then flip upside-down in moving water. After experiencing that, we might not see them again – it’s just not for them.
“But it’s the type of sport that if you get hooked … you’ll be searching for how you can do more.
“The whitewater kayaking community is great. Kayaking teaches resilience, leadership, critical thinking, risk management and teamwork.
“And spending time outdoors absolutely benefits physical and mental health.”
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Originally published as Far North whitewater kayaker explains the safe and accessible way to enjoy FNQ’s rivers
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