Sponsorship of the annual Hudson River White Water Derby changed in 1978.

The races were originated in 1958 by the Johnsburg Fish and Game Club, which conducted the community event for 20 years.

The current sponsoring group includes the volunteer workers on the event, and was incorporated as a not-for-profit organization under the name Hudson River White Water Derby, Inc.

The Fish and Game Club retained the rights to the sale of buttons for the races, donated equipment used in the races and a sum of money to assure continuation of the event.

1972 High Water Changed Race Courses

A sunny day, high water and a record Saturday crowd were the highlights of the 15th annual Hudson River White Water Derby on May 6 and 7, 1972.

An estimated 15,000 spectators lined the banks of the Hudson River in the North River area to view the slalom races on Saturday.

The river level was about 8 feet, more than a foot higher than ever before at race time, officials said, and the water was a chill 35 degrees. Several competitors were treated for exposure. The river was running at more than 10 feet on Friday in North Creek.

There was rain earlier in the week, but on Friday the Hudson began slowly to recede. Although flood conditions had prevailed, the threat subsided. The slalom courses and the downriver race locations were changed, and the races proceeded on schedule.

The novice slalom layout covered just under a mile down the Hudson from above 13th Brook to the beginning of the Gilead rapids The giant slalom, for more experienced paddlers followed nearly the same course, but participants had to complete additional gates hung though the boiling white rapids. All gages were replaced on the west shore of the river along Rte. 28.

The downriver race which for 14 years had started at the railroad station in North Creek and finished at the Riparius bridge on Rte. 8, a distance of 7 miles, was completely relocated. The race began at North River, opposite the Warren-Hamilton county boundary, and the finish line was at the North Creek D&H station, a distance of 5 miles.

The problem faced if the North Creek-Riparius course was used concerned the rescue of any paddlers who overturned or capsized. Motor boats would not have been able to buck the furious main stream current of the river, and persons in the 35 degree water would have been nearly helpless. Safety again was a major concern.

Douglas Bushnell made a perfect tour through the gates to win the slalom. In the downriver, he paddled his one-man kayak down the 5 miles course in 27 minutes, 27 seconds for the victory. Thomas West of Glens falls, the 1971 winner, was second in the downriver and Robert Smith of Massena was third.

John Bigelow of Schenectady was first in the one man canoe class in 31:22. Leon Wiggins of Oneonta and Monte Smith of Richfield Springs won the open canoe pairs in 28:44. Eckhart Rapin and Don Bennett of Petersborough, Ontario, won the covered canoe pairs in 28:44.

The new course was nearly all visible from Rte 28 or streets in North Creek, a plus for spectators who normally had to walk for miles to reach the Spruce Mountain or Staircase rapids on the regular course to view the races.

K.D. Bennett and Walt Schultz were co-chairmen of the 1972 Derby.

The course was nearly altered a second time in 1989 as heavy rains prior to the race brought the river level to above 7 feet at the North Creek gauge. By morning, however, the level had fallen to 6.9 feet, and the race was held as planned.

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