Whitewater Rafting - An Early Form of Transportation That Became a Leisure Sport

Not many people are aware of the fact thatRockefeller came up with the idea of even building an
whitewater rafting was one of the earliest forms ofentire lodge from where people could try their hand at
travel on water and people that needed to go fromwhitewater rafting. Though the initial response to this
one place to another used to indulge in whitewateroffer was lukewarm at best, a decade later during the
rafting to move from one place to another. It is only insixties and seventies many whitewater rafting
the eighties that this activity turned into a pleasurecompanies were floated such as Becker-Cooke
sport. In fact, it was actually the year 1811 that has theExpeditions as well as Slickrock Adventures that
distinction of being the year in which the Snake Riverhelped to popularize whitewater rafting.
that is located in Wyoming was first traversed byIn the year 1972, whitewater rafting became an
indulging in what is now known as whitewater raftingOlympic sport and it was then included in the Munich
by the Overland Astorians who could not go furtherOlympic Games. Much later, in the year 1992 it also
from a place called Jackson Hole as the river was toocame to be included in the Barcelona Olympic Games
treacherous.and then again in the Atlanta Olympic Games of 1996.
Rubber RaftsThat same year (1996) whitewater rafting was also
In the year 1840, the first river raft made from rubberincluded in the Summer Olympic Games, and more
was invented by a person called Lt. John Fremontparticularly it was performed in the Ocoee River that
who was US Army personnel and who along withlies in the Tennessee Valley in the US.
Horace H. Day came up with the first such rubber. ThisWhitewater river rafting is an exciting activity. It will
raft was invented during the middle of the nineteenthallow you to put away your cell phone, forget your
century; however, its first commercial use only beganboss and not worry about negotiating traffic and being
at the end of that century. The first whitewater raftingaffected by noise pollution. If you like to camp and
rafts were actually surplus military ones and theyenjoy adventure in the outdoors then this is the activity
served as boats for the military while the morefor you. You can raft down the rivers during the
modern inflatable rafts were only developed muchdaytime and spend enjoyable nights by a camp site
later.and so enjoy an alternative vacation in the stillness of
The credit for popularizing whitewater rafting goes tothe wild outdoors.
private companies, while in the year 1956 John D.