History & Area Studies / World History / American History
The Insane True Story of the Fastest Ride Through the Grand Canyon (1983)
In 1983, three men risked everything to break the speed record through the Grand Canyon during a catastrophic flood that nearly destroyed a massive dam. This is the true story of Kenton Grua, a legendary boatman, who rebuilt a wrecked wooden dory and launched an illegal, death-defying run down the Colorado River at 92,000 cubic feet per second. The flood was so powerful it triggered a phenomenon called cavitation, which started eating through the concrete of Glen Canyon Dam. While engineers fought to save the dam with nothing but plywood, Grua and his crew faced 30-foot waves and a near-fatal capsizing at Crystal Rapid. They shattered the previous record by 10 hours, completing the 277-mile journey in just 36 hours and 38 minutes. This video, based on Kevin Fedarko's book 'The Emerald Mile', reveals how human ambition, nature's raw power, and a single walnut-sized rock almost changed history. Watch to understand the ultimate showdown between man and river.
Site views and watch clicks are not YouTube play counts.
Comments
Comments are reviewed before publication. Do not include private information.