paying guests

[maiabulela]

Dear all,

What is the meaning of they’d never try this with paying guests on board ?

{The idea of the competition is to lift a boat so high in the water that you can reach a pair of shoes suspended 3 metres over the water. It’s not as easy as it sounds. Many rafting guides take part, they’d never try this with paying guests on board though!}

Field: Kayaking

I can't get at all the meaning of the highlighted part although i know the literal meaning of "paying guests"!

Thanks a lot.

[emsr2d2]

Rafting companies take members of the public for exciting trips on the rafts. Getting the raft to go so high that they can reach a pair of shoes suspended 3 metres high sounds like a dangerous thing to do, so the rafting guides do this only when they are either alone in the raft or with other guides. However, if they had members of the public who had paid for the trip (paying guests) they would not take this risk.

[maiabulela]

Rafting companies take members of the public for exciting trips on the rafts. Getting the raft to go so high that they can reach a pair of shoes suspended 3 metres high sounds like a dangerous thing to do, so the rafting guides do this only when they are either alone in the raft or with other guides. However, if they had members of the public who had paid for the trip (paying guests) they would not take this risk.

What does "they" here refer to? "when they are either alone in the raft or with other guides"

Honestly I still can't get it

[emsr2d2]

What does "they" here refer to? "when they are either alone in the raft or with other guides"

Honestly I still can't get it

"They" = the rafting guide(s)

You understand that a rafting guide is a person, yes?

[maiabulela]

"They" = the rafting guide(s)

You understand that a rafting guide is a person, yes?

Yes! but it seems I can't get the idea.

[5jj]

Yes! but it seems I can't get the idea.

I thought emsr2d2's explanation was clear, but I have added a little. Does this help?

Rafting companies take members of the public for exciting trips on the rafts. During these trips, the rafts can come out of the water, briefly flying through the air. Getting the raft to go so high that people on the raft can reach a pair of shoes suspended 3 metres above the water level sounds like a dangerous thing to do, so the rafting guides (the people who who take charge of these trips) do this only when they are either alone in the raft or with other guides. If they had members of the public who had paid for the trip (paying guests) they would not take this risk.

[emsr2d2]

OK. I'm going to explain it in as much detail as I can. I hope that helps instead of being more confusing.

"Rafting" involves being in an inflatable boat and travelling along rivers which are not calm. They have "rapids" - areas where the water is very choppy and dangerous. Rafting is a very exciting hobby/sport.

Rafting companies offer trips on dangerous rivers where members of the public can ride in the boat with a qualified rafting guide - a person who knows the river very well and is very experienced at getting the raft from A to B without the raft capsizing and without anyone getting hurt.

The piece suggests that there is a game being played by rafting guides. A pair of shoes is suspended 3 metres over the water, maybe by hanging them from a wire.

In very choppy water, the inflatable raft actually flies/jumps out of the water. That is what makes it so exciting. So the game is to try to get the raft to jump so high out of the water that the rafting guide can actually get the shoes. The raft will go as high as possible out of the water, the guide will be standing up in the boat and he will reach his hands up and try to grab the shoes. If he gets them, I imagine the idea is for him to also safely remain in the raft when it lands back on the water. The guide would have to get the shoes and make sure he/she doesn't fall in the water and that the raft doesn't capsize. If he does that, he wins the competition.

I'm sure you can imagine that this is rather dangerous! That is why the rafting guides would never play this game when they have members of the public (paying guests) in the raft with them.

Does that help?

[maiabulela]

I really can't thank you enough 5 jj and emsr2d2

I totally got it. That was exactly what I needed. I thought that "members of the public" is something and "the "paying guests" is something else! Also, this is a kayaking championship which includes this competition for fun; it's not part of the championship, the announcer said. So I was wondering if the competitors who are already taking part of the championship are considered "public" and not "paying guests! and if they are already taking part in a championship , why they need guides in the first place? those are the stuff confusing me here.

[Barb_D]

The same people who compete in events like this often earn money as guides during the rest of the year. There's no much money in competitve kayaking. Working as a river guide probably pays the bills.