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FIBArk stands for "First in Boating the Arkansas"—it's a three-day festival held in Salida, Colorado that started in the 1950s. The history actually began in 1949 when two friends bet each other who'd win a race from Salida to Cañon City on the Arkansas River. Since that race almost killed both contestants, the race was shortened in subsequent years to about 26 miles of whitewater from Salida to Cotopaxi. It became a community-wide festival. Today the festival draws over 10,000 people yearly, around the 3rd week of June, and includes a variety of events on the river and in town. The event has grown from a single boating race to now include biking, running, and other races. The portion of the river where the majority of the races are held runs through downtown Salida, keeping the event close to all of the other activities and festivities offered downtown during the festival. From modest beginnings with only 23 competitors, this festival has grown to showcase more than a hundred competitors each year and now includes live music, foot and bike races, and a parade. == History == It is unknown whether the origin of the first kayak race was created by a group of young Salida businessmen over coffee or if it was a dare for bragging rights between boaters. Early interest in the race was carried by word of mouth, and later was promoted by the Salida Chamber of Commerce to promote tourism as the event gained fame. It was one of the first white water events in the U.S. and helped popularize whitewater sports there, compared to the well-developed whitewater competition in Europe. The original race was held on June 19, 1949, and was a 57-mile course from Salida to Canon City on the headwaters of the Arkansas River. The race crosses through Bighorn Sheep Canon and the Royal Gorge Canon. The first race had twenty three entrants in six boats, and only two experienced Swiss boaters finished the race. The following year the race was shortened to forty five miles, by cutting out the Royal Gorge Canon portion, instead ending in Parkdale, Colorado. Ten boaters entered the race and only one finished. The downriver race was shortened to the length it is today, 25.7 miles on the third year of the races since its creation. The course spanned from Salida to the nearby town of Cotopaxi. Eleven boats entered the race, and ten finished. In the 1970s, rafting was added to the event list. This included the raft rodeo, raft sprint, and downriver raft races. Freestyle kayaking was added in 1995. Changes over time to the kayaks made them lighter and more maneuverable, and now allowed acrobatics. Points are earned by the kayaker standing the kayak on its end, flips, and spins. This event gained national ranking in 1998, which allowed competitors to qualify for national championship events. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「FIBArk」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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