The Mystery

For our first installment of the 2020 FPC Film Series, we present “The Mystery.” Brought to us by NRS, Film by Forest Woodward and Tommy Penick, this is story about a niche discipline within whitewater and legendary figure who started it all.

There’s a subculture of kayaking known by few and understood by fewer. The paddlers don diving goggles and neoprene and slide into thin, uncomfortable boats not meant to float but designed to sink. Below the waterline, their goal is to stay underwater as long as they can. This is squirt boating. After squirt boating’s heyday in the early 1990s, the scene has all but disappeared. But when it comes to the history of squirt boating, the legend starts with Jim Synder. The Mystery offers a rare glimpse into this obscure sport and the dedicated few who continue to keep the tradition alive.