Rowing Blind – Dennis Fantin and Bob Metts on the Stanislaus River

This amazing set of video clips (four minutes) by film maker and photographer Coni Beeson shows the unique duo of Dennis Fantin and Bob Metts, rowing a raft on California’s Stanislaus River in 1980 (in this case, as part of an ETC trip). Dennis, rowing, was blind and Bob, giving the commands, was a polio survivor – as a team they ran many other whitewater rivers, including the Tuolumne. Bob passed away in 2021.  Locations on the Stanislaus River in the film include: Camp Nine put in, Cadillac Charlie, Suspension Bridge, Devil’s Staircase Rapid, Bailey Falls, and more. Music from Scott HolmesMusic.com.

ARTA guide Steve Tichenor remembers Dennis and Bob in on Folsom Reservoir at the end of a 1974 American River trip. “I let Dennis try rowing, and he did great! I asked him how he could keep the raft going straight, and he said that he could feel the warmth of the sun on his face, which let him know the orientation of the raft. Bob started giving Dennis directions on the reservoir. The next year, Dennis and Bob showed up with a raft at the Vallecito ARTA House wanting to run the Stanislaus. Bob Center and I had been on that American trip with them, and we, hesitatingly, agreed to their plan. We rode in their raft, and they did very well as Bob gave directions to Dennis. They went on to inspire many people and run many rivers with other friends. Whew! Good memories!”