A wetsuit, a paddle and a kayak -- that's all Ed Conning needs to get away from the nonsense of the corporate world he said he lives in too much.

And of course the 55-year-old kayak veteran needs some whitewater, something he got plenty of Saturday at the fifth annual Casper Whitewater Rodeo

Conning drove down from Cody to take on the rapids in the Casper Whitewater Park on the Platte River. He competed in freestyle and race events.

"I like competition in general and I get to match my skills against others," Conning said. "I have to put them to the test."

It's difficult to match the skills of Conning, who has been kayaking for 28 years, said Robert Grant, organizer of the event and fellow kayaker.

Grant, who is also chairman of the Casper Paddling Club, took over the rodeo three years ago when the Parkway River Trust said they were stopping the event.

Besides receiving phone calls from paddlers wanting the event to continue, Grant thought the whitewater park needed to be showcased and kayakers needed a place where they could show off their talents.

"It's a jewel in Casper," Grant said. "It's a great place to learn to kayak. It's a great place to warm up for the season."

Plus, the "play hole is phenomenal."

The play hole is one of the three rapids in the park where paddlers can do tricks such as cartwheels, Godzillas and tricky woos.

This year, only about 15 kayakers competed in the rodeo. The rodeo usually has between 15 and 40 participants. A group from Jackson that was supposed to come down was unable to make it at the last minute, Grant said.

Kayaker Forrest Maclean, 23, drove five hours from Pinedale on Friday night to make the event, which he says is one of only three whitewater rodeos in the state.

"Robert does a real good job with sponsors and getting kids introduced to the sport," Maclean said.

"It's the one time a year you get to playboat to loud music."

Grant set up a tent with speakers next to the play hole so competitors could listen to it while they flipped, twisted and turned.

Before the competition even started, more than 20 spectators lined the banks of the Platte River watching kayakers warm up.

Grant said last year's competition drew about 200 to 300 spectators throughout the day.

The crowd helps get the paddlers' adrenaline pumped. Conning calls himself an "adrenaline junkie."

Besides the rush, Conning said he loves paddling because it's outdoors, is good exercise and lets him see places no one else could unless the person had a kayak.

"Kayaking is a no BS sport," Conning said. "The river doesn't care about the bull."

Contact health reporter Allison Rupp at (307) 266-0534 or allison.rupp@trib.com.

Breakout

For more information about kayaking or to learn how to paddle contact Robert Grant at Back Country Kayak School at (307) 277-4941 or check out www.backcountrykayakschool.com.