Darren Vancil is not what I expected. Actually, I had no Idea what to expect. Seasoned raft guides I trust all told me the same thing about going rafting with Darren. They were all scared. Darren is the founder and owner, designer and head test pilot of Creature Craft whitewater rafts.  His unique designs have brought into question what is possible in a whitewater craft.  Icicle TV met up with the CC crew this last week with the intent to document a run down the Wenatchee River’s Tumwater Canyon. Darren and his guys did not disappoint, and Icicle TV ended up with 5 minutes of intense footage.

Even if you never want to whitewater raft, take a minute and check these guys out. I’ve watched the footage 10 times during the edit and I’m still shaking my head in disbelief. It’s loud; it (seems) crazy and its way, way bigger than it appears from the guardrail.

What’s not crazy is the dedication to design. The Creature Craft is the result of a bad swim and broken bones. Searching for a safer way to run big water, Darren experimented with the large center and overhead tubes that prevented the boat from tipping upside down. Radical designs for sure, coupled with layer upon layer of high strength materials that form each boat. The crafts are not light, but they are incredibly resilient and designed to take the hit (or the occasional flip).  Crews are restrained using a unique, releasable seatbelt connected to the frame to prevent being thrown from the boat. During the filming each boat rolled onto its side, but the crews simply rolled the big boats back over and continued on. Business as usual, or totally nuts? Watch the footage from inside the boats. What you see is everyone’s calm, everyone works together; everyone is running really big water safely and having a great time doing it… just another day at the office for Creature Craft.

For more information about Creature Craft you can visit them on the web: http://www.creaturecraft.com