Jim Snyder (USA)

For over forty years, Jim Snyder has never hesitated to create his own “charc,” building boats and paddles that barely resemble whatever the rest of the whitewater world is currently using, but will be in the future.

Jim began his whitewater career as a river guide in Ohiopyle, PA, guiding customers in duckies and rafts down the Lower Youghiogheny River. In 1975, he apprenticed with master paddle builder Keith Backlund, and shortly after, began making his unique wooden paddles, known as “Riverstyx”. In a time when paddle makers were hesitant to shift from the standard 90 degree feather, Jim moved to 0 degree paddles to facilitate unique squirt boat moves. In 1980, he designed the Slice, the first commercially produced short boat in the United States.

Jim was also an early squirt boat designer—along with Jess Whittemore—and the performance standards set by squirt boats started the performance revolution of modern day freestyle kayaks. His patented Jimirim system is still the preferred cockpit style of squirt boaters the world over, and The Squirt Book, illustrated by fellow IWHOF inductee William Nealy, is still the manual for squirt boating technique.