He decided to build a wooden drift boat and pilot it down the Class V Upper Gauley River in West Virginia, during Gauley Fest weekend.

McKenzie River White Water Parade (circa 1947), an annual flotilla of wood drift boats (and others) sponsored by the McKenzie River Guides Association and discontinued in 1972.

A new film called "Oregon's Boat" traces the evolution of the world-famous McKenzie River Drift Boat. Here's a Q&A with director Randy Dersham.

LIVINGSTON (AP) -- Jason Cajune calls it ''the phenomenon.'' Seconds earlier, as he towed one of his handcrafted wooden drift boats to a launch site on the Yellowstone River, he ...

LIVINGSTON - Jason Cajune calls it "the phenomenon." Seconds earlier, as he towed one of his handcrafted wooden drift boats to a launch site on the Yellowstone River, he said, "Just watch ...

The wooden drift boat really did become a folk art because manufacturers had switched to either fiberglass or to aluminum. Both fiberglass and aluminum can be stored outdoors and became the mainstay.