Mission: Rumble in the Jungle, dual-purpose paddles and Ryan Creary

August 23, 2007

By Billy Harris

Well I get this Cryptic message 2 days later on my phone. From Joel and Nick this is what is sounded like on the phone omitting out the crackling. “Ya Billy were really stuck now. Could you come save us? I think you can back that thing of yours down here but it gets tight. To get here you Pass the Chutes sign turn left at the T and.>>>>>crackle crackle. OK buddy sweet, cause were pretty stuck in here.” But then the phone doesn’t shut off. Joel forgets to hit the end button. I hear, tires rubbing on something and Joel yell “MUD” really loud. And then an assortment of synthetics rubbing on a microphone and clear grumbling about mud on his face and all over his cloths. I had no reception but when it happened I knew there was a problem. An hour later, when they showed up the H20 paddle Joel was using was hammered they used it for digging and traction with apparently some sucess. You could not get it muddier than it was; Joel was speckled like a Trout with mud. Nick too was laughing, despite being pinned to a barbwire fence. Joel was fussing about smashing a taillight out of his car but still quite tickled to get out of the little pickle. Despite all that, Things went pretty well on the water we ran several times the Chutes Des L. Well until Ryan Creary and I decided to go home and get some sleep that is. The two boys went on a Mission: of their own. And we all know how that story is going to turn out don’t we. YEP, Nick, who is still giggling about it, came out unscathed. Joel, well he walks with a limp and thought he broke his ankles. Which is funny only because the big drops we ran both nick and Joel styled them. The 8 footer and the13 footer at 5 pm. Ya, NOT SO MUCH.

Well I was out west I met a guy named Ryan Creary. I invited Ryan out east for a paddling slash work vacation. Well he messed up right proper, stayed with My buddy Kelsey, (which I remind him is a girls name pretty regular) and managed to avoid me for a couple days. But now he has to face the whole 9 yards of Billy in the fleash, went right to work on his ego, tore that down to bear bones and creaping hairline. Then started in on his family. I figured why not, quiet little man living out the back of his pick up would come live with me for a week but he blew it. He paddles which is cool but he takes photos full time and has his own web site. I hope he dosent beat me up too much if he ends up putting a blog up there… www.ryancreary.com Now Ryan’s a bit selfish and won’t give me any roll stuff and I know its cause I have a hard time with sweet talk and I know better than asking to see photos anymore. But he graced me with some of what he calls no light B-Roll stuff so you can see what we were up too that day. He’s got this fish eye thing and it takes pretty cool stuff.

Check out the photos