INNOVATION
Runnin' That Whitewater — Literally

By Adam Horowitz

Having trouble negotiating that treacherous Class V rapid? Ever wonder why hamsters find their Habitrails so damn appealing? Well, if you've got $3,000 in spare change, you may be able to find answers to both questions in the form of the Hydro Bronc, perhaps the most inventive water toy to come along since Darryl Hannah in Splash. The brainchild of Oregon entrepreneurs Philip Chauvet and Rod Blair, the Hydro Bronc is a giant orb that's propelled by running in place on a track of rubberized nylon netting, and steered by applying pressure to the ends of one of its seven pontoons. Among its virtues, the creators claim, is the ability it gives the user to simply "walk your way through holes" on stretches of river that would otherwise be nonnavigable (such as the Tunnel/Chute section of northern California's American River, shown here during a test run last spring). But lest you think it's only for the bravest of souls, convert Tom Moore, owner of Sierra South Mountain Sports in Kernville, California, points first and foremost to its ease for whitewater novices. "It doesn't take a lot of instruction. You just strap them in, say 'Run like a hamster,' and then let 'em go," says Moore, who next month will begin renting out four Hydro Broncs for trips down the Kern River. "It's a pretty wild little contraption — kinda makes a mockery of Class V."