BIGFORK — Each Memorial Day Weekend, locals and river-lovers from around the world converge on Bigfork for their annual whitewater festival.
This weekend marks 50 years of kayak races on the “Wild Mile” of the Swan River.
“Yeah, it’s a mile of a lot of whitewater,” said competitor Rye Hester.
For 50 years outdoor thrill seekers have been heading to Bigfork to rip down a section of the Swan River called the “Wild Mile.”
“Trying to paddle as much as possible and just being aware of when the water is too high or the water is too low, making good decisions,” said Hester.
Hester traveled from White Salmon, Washington to take part in the competition.
He said the wild mile is the ultimate workout.
“Oh dude every time I’m out there I’m fighting; I’m like oh god I’m going into battle.”
The competition runs through the weekend with different races based on skill level.
“Been racing the last four years and hopefully I can finally make it to the podium this year,” said Competitor Jude Franczyk.
16-year-old Jude Franczyk of Missoula competes in the Expert Slalom race.
He says there’s nothing like the adrenaline rush you get when you enter the water.
“It’s pretty intense you know you really have a lot of pressure on you to really hit the gates and make the lines because if you miss a gate it’s pretty much over, that’s one thing that’s nice about this race is you get two attempts at the run, so if the first one doesn’t go as planned you have a second chance to put it all together,” said Franczyk.
Hester said it feels like a family reunion each year in Bigfork.
“You know there’s people here that I’ve seen in Washington, California, North Carolina, I’ve seen in Idaho and It’s a really nice gathering for a couple days and you kind of catch up and see what everyone’s been doing with their life, and you have a lot of fun,” said Hester.
More information about the festival including a schedule of events can be found here.
