Splish Splash: Orletta Time Trials finishes fourth year

Racers competed in four categories — mens and womens longboat, in which boats are 10-feet or over, and mens and womens shortboat, in which boats are under 10 feet. In total, there were 56 racers with spectators watching from various points along the riverbank. All prizes for the winners were donated by various businesses.

Christian Mullins, first-place finisher of the women’s longboat category, has competed in whitewater races across the country. Now a Gorge resident, the White Salmon River is one of her backyard runs.

“The Orletta is such a perfect section to race, a great mix of flatwater and manageable but still challenging rapids,” Mullins said. “Coming through the lead-in rapid to BZ Falls and seeing the crowd of people on shore was a pretty epic moment.”

She pointed to the healthy competition between the races as a fun aspect of the event. “We all want to win, but that doesn’t stop us from being stoked for a friend who’s faster.”

Mullins noted how well-organized Stoppe kept the event, and the effort he put into running it. “The community is what makes this event, whether you are competing, cheering from shore, setting safety, or chucking hot dogs … I’ll be competing in the Orletta Time Trials every year for a long, long time,” she said.

Stoppe, the mastermind behind the event, recalled the first Orletta Time Trials in 2022, in which 14 participants raced down the river. “I was blown away by how much fun the race was, and I knew that it would be an annual thing,” he said, adding that each year there have been more sign-ups, often through word-of-mouth.

This year included infrastructure support from the Great Falls Foundation, a nonprofit that funds and facilitates whitewater races nationwide. “Having Geoff Calhoun’s help in the formatting really made the event that much more smooth,” Stoppe said.

The event is entirely volunteer-run, with the $9.95 entry fee going to insurance costs, mutual funds that support all races and next year’s Orletta Time Trials.  

Stoppe, who has competed in various whitewater races in the Gorge and beyond, said the idea for the Orletta Time Travels came about after practicing speedy low-water laps down the White Salmon River in his longboat, which is a type of kayak that allows the user to paddle fast, even when the water is moving slow.

“The water’s the lowest it will be at this time of the year, so most people aren’t boating and have found other things to do,” Stoppe explained. During the low water season, generally in autumn, the lines on rapids become more difficult due to the technicality of the exposed rocks, especially the 17-foot BZ Falls.

“What this event does is give you a reason to get in your boat and get out there and get these laps in,” Stoppe said. “Four days in a row [before the race], I did nine plus person longboat laps because everyone wants to get ready for this race. It’s really exciting.”

One of those people is Howard Davidson, who, at 62 years old, also competed against his 27-year-old son Ben Davidson in the race. 

“I had two main goals on race day: try to not finish in last place — easier said than done because most of the racers were in their 20s and 30s,” Davidson said. “And try to not get destroyed at BZ Falls, which is by far the biggest drop on the course … Luckily, everything went well and I accomplished both things!”

Davidson placed 18th out of 26 in the men’s shortboat division, with his son placing second. “As expected, he crushed me, which made me very happy,” he said.