Out There

Professional paddler Dave Grove (above) spent five years scouting
Metlako Falls, in northern Oregon, before finding the cojones to
huck himself over the 101-foot waterfall in a kayak. When he
finally took the plunge in May, the 30-year-old from Eugene broke
the 100-foot barrier and the Guinness world record for longest
free fall on a kayak (65 feet, by Shaun Baker). Or did he?
Grove's plunge has raised controversy among extreme kayakers. Tao
Berman claims that Metlako doesn't have enough vertical to be
considered a 100-footer and that Grove's free fall was padded by
a sliding lead-in. Grove went back with a newspaper reporter from
the Hood River News to measure the distance and reaffirmed a
height of 101 feet. "Cool," Grove said. "I still accomplished my
goal."

COLOR PHOTO: CHARLIE MUNSEY