The Shoshone River below Buffalo Bill Dam is anything but tame and that unbridled wildness inspired the river festival.

It was the third annual Cody Wild West River Fest over the weekend in Cody.

At Saturday morning’s Stinking Water Slalom, the unseasonable chill did not deter spectators or kayakers just downstream of the Hayden Arch Bridge a few miles west of Cody.

As though in a race with itself, the river sprints amid boulders while the kayakers navigate their boats.

At times, only the kayaker’s upper torso is visible; the boat, like a stubby plastic reed, is all but submerged in the seething stream.

With powerful and well-timed paddle strokes, the kayakers knife through the water, using the swift current to boost their speed. But its not all downhill. There are gates similar to downhill slalom ski hills, but the river’s gates are suspended overhead. At the gates, the kayakers must turn and maneuver upstream where the current is the most powerful.

Driscoll Larrow, who took third in the youth category, capsized. For a split second he was completely submerged. He was upside down in the river. In a split second he rolled back up and was darting downstream like a torpedo again.

Capsizing does not disqualify the kayaker, but rolling back up can add unwanted seconds to their time. One Jackson and one Cody youngster who capsized in the rapid water Saturday morning got right back up to make their second run a better time, said Andy Quick, a River Fest organizer and owner of Gradient Mountain Sports.

Quick said there were two racers in Saturday morning’s Slalom from Wild West Paddle Club, a club for Cody  youth, and 14 kids from Jackson Hole Kayak Club.

Five Paddle Club kayakers took part in the Stinking Water Sprint Sunday from DeMaris Springs to the Belfry Bridge, Quick said.

Weston McCue went under too, but the cold water didn’t shock or scare him. “It was great until I flipped,” McCue said with a wet grin while he pulled his boat up on to the rocky bank. “Then it was over.”

Still, he dosen’t appear any worse for wear, nor discouraged.

“It was fun,” McCue said.

Saturday morning’s race had 41 kayakers. Spectators lined both sides of the river, encouraging participants.

“I thought it was a great turnout,” Quick said.

In the future, he hopes to have an announcer for the Stinking Water Slalom to inform spectators what is happening, Quick said.

Aaron Pruzan, Jackson, took first in the slalom. Jerod Ready and Nathan Danforth, both from Cody, took second and third, respectively.

The Shoshone River and its whitewater or fishing opportunities are only minutes away. “It’s a nice common thread,” Quick said. “We can get all the community together.”

People from all walks of life pitched in to help River Fest. “A huge thank you to all the volunteers that helped all weekend long,” Quick said. “Really, we have an amazing river.”