Fibark 2017: Salida, Colorado

Daniel Kepple
Jul 22, 2017
2 min read

I'm going to give this blog thing a shot and see if It brings some more visitors to the site. So here we go! First off I am going to just say what a blast Fibark 2017 was. If you weren't able to make it this year, don't worry a video recap is in store, I just need to find some more free time to sit down and tackle the hundreds of gigabits I filmed that weekend.

So by now i'm sure you're wondering what this festival is all about? Well for starters Fibark stands for First in Boating on The Arkansas and it's the oldest and boldest whitewater festival in America. Yee Haw! So now that that's covered we can get to the fun and exciting stuff you see above.

What we have here are some good ol' river rats having a blast. Every year it gets bigger and bolder... and it's referred to as THE HOOLIGAN RACE. People are encouraged to build their own rafts using anything they can possibly come up with that's buoyant to set sail down the Arkansas in an all out brawl for a chance to take home the title and win a little bit of loot if they're daring enough to jump for it. Donald Trump even showed up with a couple of illegals to try and snag some cash for himself. So by now you're probably wondering what else does this fun filled weekend have going on you ask?

Well for one there's tons of LIVE MUSIC. Who doesn't love a good ol' American band? Whitewater Ramble came out to entertain everyone on Friday night with a set that did not disappoint! With there jam band bluegrass style this band was a perfect end to the night.

Whitewater Ramble Performing on Friday Night

So what did Saturday have in store for the town of Salida and all it's guests of Fibark? A 5K & 10K Race that fired up at 8am! Followed by some slalom races and the annual Parade.

Next up was the SUP Cross; where heats of 4 battled it out around gates down and UP the river to earn a spot at the finals, which took place shortly after the heats. You've got to be in good shape and quick on your feet if you want to take home the gold in this event!

After the SUP cross there was the Freestyle Pro Semi-finals and the SUP cross awards, followed by the Slalom finals, then Finally The Hooligan Race to finish it off for the day.

But that didn't mean there wasn't more fun in store for the night ahead. Special Guest DJ Logic came on stage with The Soul Rebels to bring out your best dance moves. Spinning tracks back to the late 90's and 00's to keep everyone in the crowd hyped thru the night.