C-Forum

Sorry if this is only vaguely on topic; this forum sees the most traffic. It *is* about ww canoeing.

I've reactivated my hobby of collecting 16mm films. I just won on eBay and received a roughly 25 min. color instructional film on beginning/intermediate whitewater canoeing produced by American Whitewater. Besides basic maneuvering, there's brief roll instruction and footage of folks running gates in aluminum tandems and funky (fiberglass?) decked tandems. I didn't pay much attention to the credits, but I did catch that the BSA helped produce it and saw the name "Duffek" pop up as one of the contributors. Given the dress and automobiles shown, I'd guess it's from the late 50s.

The film is pristine Kodachrome, but has a magnetic sound track, so I can't hear it since my machine can only read optical audio tracks. I thought I'd post here first since I can't think of anyone who'd take more interest in this film than the folks on this site. If any of you know where I might find someone who could transfer this to video or who might have a 16mm, mag soundtrack projector within a couple hours of Cincinnati, OH, please speak up. I'd love to share the footage, but I'm not too keen on mailing the film around the country.

Thanks,

Phreon

Hmm. Do you know anyone that works in the school system? There's a good chance a school has such a projector.

KNeal

Google-ing 16mm film to DVD results in a bunch of hits. It looks like the cost will be around $100. I'd volunteer $20 for a copy of the DVD (or I'd copy it for others for free). Any others to share the cost?

I'm in for twenty

Assuming there are no issues with copyright at this point, we'd be happy to chip in on the "conversion" costs. e-mail or PM me.

I rec'ved a reply from a local shop regarding a DVD conversion:

"Yes we can.... $.17 per foot, and $20 for the first DVD, and $10 for copies.
Call anytime."

Given the film is at least 1000', conversion costs are out of my league. I really appreciate a offers to help defray costs, but I'd feel weird taking that kind of money even if I could raise it.

My friend has a nice HD video camera and 16mm projector/screen of his own. Sure, the quality won't be as good as a professional telecine job, but experiments videotaping old films are so far promising. Getting the soundtrack won't be easy, but we're both amateur radio geeks as well; I have an idea how to gut an old tape player to use it to read the magnetic track on film. With luck, the track still contains salvageable audio and we can sync it up with the video *pretty close* in Vegas Video. It won't be perfect, but hey, free is always good.

Should we pull this off, I'll offer DVD copies to folks who want them for the cost of the DVD and shipping...I'm not looking to profit from this.

Phreon

Tell'em you'll giv'um $200 for the conversion and 10 discs. That's $20 from each of 10 peeps on this list who want one.

not sure it is the same film, but I do remember a film (possibly the "Original" "Give us a River") had a mag soundtrack; I remember Dick Bridge showing it at a CCA meeting. The first couple of minutes were shredded. It was pretty vintage; dating back to the days of the State College Boy Scouts; first ever US decked canoes. I recall two scenes in particular: the "rolling" scene, showing a demo of kayak rolling, and then: (ta-da -- drumroll) a (watch this!!) C-1 roll: the paddler bravely flips and quickly braces back up (ie, a 180, not a full 360); and also kayakers (won't state names) running Little Falls sans helmet. If this is that film, I'd definitely be interested....

See the poll thread regarding this film for updates.

http://cboats.net/cforum/viewtopic.php?t=7959444

I've also posted a few pictures and a link to a 128 image slide show of semi-random scenes.

Phreon

By all means preserve the film... and I would be interested in contributing to a copy of same.

I also have some old films dating back to the 60s. One is even how to construct a fiberglass decked canoe. I don't remember which boat we made, but it might be, please forgive me, a kayak.

If I can find the film and look at it, maybe I can comment, too.

Dave,

Did you see the link to the slideshow in the poll thread? I took a bunch of "screen shots" of the film.

Phreon

I'm posting this for Dave Kurtz, who said he had problems getting his login accepted...

"OK, I looked at the stills and have the following

This film was probably taken by Ernie Schmidt in about 1963 or 64 (which corresponds to Bobs estimate below... it contained the C-1 decked boats we had starting in 1962 and also a C-2 decked canoe we built later... maybe 2 years or more later). . The bulk of the footage from frame 61 to the end was taken on the Lehigh River at the Tannery Bridge. Ernie was long at the Schiff Scout Reservation, BSA in New Jersey and then he changed to one of the national canoe associations...don't remember if ACA or AWA, but I think the former. I suspect the film was made to publicize whitewater paddling by kids. One of the shots here made a cover of Boys Live Magazine... and that would point exactly to the year if you looked at their files.

I think frame 3-12 is of Bob McNair due to his receding hairline.
Frame 61-64 I am reminded of my Ford Station Wagon but the guys there seemed too old or big and I didn't recognize them.
Frames 65-66 were showing PFD in Ernie's playbook.
Frame 67 was Jack La Francois (deceased) and Jeff Byers
Frame 68-72 are of yours truly, Dave Kurtz I think
Frames 76-79 are of John Hummel (bow) and John Bryson
Frame 80 probably myself
Frames 81-83 are myself in my Wayfarer I Grumman aluminum canoe which resides next to my garage as I speak.
Frame 84 is Wayfarer
Frame 94 is Tommy Southworth in his own decked C-1, the original design.
Frame 105 is Tom Southworth in C-2 probably with Dave Guss (not seen)
Frames 111-116 are myself in Slalom Spa, my original C-1
Frames 76-79 are of John Hummel (bow) and John Bryson.

The group picture, Frame 97 has the following:
1st row: L-R. John Bryson, Les Bechdel, Jeff Byers, and Dave Kurtz
2nd Row. Hank Yeagley and Tom Williams
3rd Row. ? Jack LeFrancois and John Hummel

I tried to comment on the photos on the web site, but it wouldn't accept my new login so I quit that. Pat, if you could, pass this data on to the guys in the web site and add my name to the desired recipients. It is pretty exciting in seeing something of this sort; it seems only like yesterday.
Dave Kurtz
"

As some of you may know, Dave is still actively involved in the sport, especially in coaching young slalom athletes. Holy smoke -- I think he's as old as I am!

I also received this comment from Bob Horlacher -- a member of Post 32, and am adding it with his permission. (Gotta love those acetone fires!!) Boat building became an integral part of the sport...

"
Yes the still images starting at #60 are of Explorer Post 32 State College PA. I can identify most of the guys in the group photo #98. Les Bechdel the author of "River Rescue" a book on whitewater safety is holding the floppy red hat. I actually recognized the hat first from the unloading scene. Absent are Guss, Southworth, and me. So I am guessing that this was from 1964 after we were in college and army. The rolling sequence is our leader Dave Kurtz in "Slalom Spa". The black decked boats were made by E.P. 32 in the summer of '60 or '61, the design was brought to us by Natan Bernot from Czechoslovakia, he was, I believe a world champion in C2 slalom, and in theory, here to do research at Penn State. We started with the wooden form. I spent many hours sanding that summer. We also had a lot of acetone fires going from time to time - lucky we didn't burn Mr. Robinson's house down. I wasn't able to find the video. Hope you are well. Have a Merry Christmas.
"

BTW, I believe that mold was around for a pretty long time, because I recall seeing it preserved/enshrined in a shed years later when I raced at Bellefont. John Sweet once provided some interesting reminiscences of the first boats. I believe that the mold was split into two sides, rather than top and bottom. As Sweet explained it, the Scouts improved their fiberglass technique quite rapidly -- so fast that the second half was pounds lighter than the first half -- producing a boat with a decided list.

A link has been posted in the "poll" thread that will take you to PayPal for donations.


Thanks,

Phreon