Mad dance on the water

It has been called a whitewater wazoo, a rapids rodeo, even, by one water-wary sheriff, “a series of drownings just waiting to happen.” But the locals of Kernville know that on April 16, when the Kern River Festival starts, anyone who is anyone will be all wet. No one ever imagined that Kernville, population 1,600, 165 miles northeast of L.A., would someday become an epicenter of the kayaking world. During whitewater’s Stone Age -- say, anytime before the mid-1990s -- only madmen were foolish enough to navigate the Kern’s waterfalls in the 13-foot fiberglass shells then known as kayaks. Around 1996, an apostate noticed a material that had escaped attention in the kayaking world: plastic. Another heretic figured out that if the boats were shorter, they might be easier to maneuver. Then, according to Tom Moore, the godfather of Kernville kayaking, it all broke loose. “Kids now can do things it took us years to learn,” said Moore, 49, owner of Sierra South Mountain and Paddle Sports. “It’s a little of an ego blow.” River boulders and waterfalls are no longer obstacles. Rather, steep drops and “perpetual waves” are now excuses to prove agility and daring. Five-foot plastic kayaks will be flipping and cartwheeling down the Kern all weekend. The three-day festival features rodeo competitions on Friday and whitewater, slalom and raft races on Saturday and Sunday. Competitions are open to amateurs but also attract some top professionals. It’s free to watch competitors such as Mike Spradlin of Lake Isabella, below, and you don’t need a raft to participate in the raft races. You do, however, need a personal flotation device, appropriate clothing and a pretty big towel. Call (760) 376-3745 or go to www.kernfestival.org.