veterans: relationship therapy on the river.
Photo ClaUDia van wiJK

The strange,

sexy world of
whitewater dating
Ten dos & don’Ts
to save you from a lonely evening
of twitching on the couch.
• do try playboating instead of river
running. You can work on your tan
while she shreds the wave.
• don’t accept paddling lessons
from your boyfriend/girlfriend.
• do celebrate men in skirts.
• don’t take a dare to go
bottomless in your boat. ever.
• do practice patience—short-
tempered partners ride solo on
the shuttle home.
• don’t discuss religion or politics
(that’s a bad idea on any first
date).
• do take your date on a tandem
Dirk
&
Claudia Van Wijk
canoe trip.
• don’t let her see your apartment
pAddLinG SChooL And rAFtinG Centre ownerS
or car—especially if they’re the
OTTAWA, ON
same thing—until the third date.
• do leave room in the eddy.
raised on rivers by her parents, olympic kayakers and founders of ontario’s
esteemed madawaska kanu Centre paddling school, and with a paddling résumé
• don’t swim.
that includes 10-time national slalom kayaking champion, Claudia van wijk is now
the matriarch of her own paddling brood. her partner—in life, love and work—for
the past 30 years, dirk van wijk, is no slouch himself on the river.
Falling in Love: Dirk, 49, and Claudia, 47,
and sister company OWL Rafting during “if you don’t focus on your relationship as a
remember the particulars of where and
summers, and were wed in 1985. couple, you’ll start to grow apart and when
when they first met somewhat differently.
On Love and Paddling:
the kids leave home, you won’t share that
“in the beginning,
Perhaps a teenage girl’s crush is blazed
spark any more.” Working together adds to
paddling brought us closer together and
more clearly in the memory than a young
the challenge, warns Dirk, but the key is to
gave us a common ground to get to know
man’s passing glance, or perhaps it was
respect and give space to each other.
each other,” says Dirk. That shared passion
the late ‘70s and, well, there’s been a lot of
and the pleasure they both take from being What’s Next: in addition to staying busy
water under the raft since then. Either way,
on the river remains just as important with mKC and OWL and supporting their
when Dirk—a university freshman still new
today, affirms Claudia. two teenage daughters—who seem to be
to the kayaking scene—followed uncertainly
following in mom and Dad’s footsteps…er,
down a rapid on the Gull River that the
Secret to Success: Their life may seem
paddle strokes, with an Olympic slalom
blonde girl two years his junior had made
enviable, but Claudia and Dirk are quick to
bid and a budding guiding career—Dirk
look incredibly easy, something clicked.
admit that it hasn’t been easy. “Running our
and Claudia are both slated to play an
Dirk was “infatuated” by her, says Claudia.
business in the summer, there is no family
important role in Whistler’s 2010 Olympics.
“i wasn’t really looking for a serious
time,” says Claudia. “it requires a huge
A long-time cross-country ski racer, Dirk will
relationship just then, but sharing passions
effort to bring the family together. We need
serve as chief of grooming on the Olympic
and being headed in the same direction,
a vacation every fall to decompress and
ski trails. And Claudia? “i’m learning to
we really grew together.” The pair lived
switch gears—otherwise we’d be at each
bartend—that way Dirk and i can work at
together and studied business in Ottawa,
other’s throats.” Equally as important as
night and ski all day!” —V.m.
worked for Claudia’s parents at mKC
family time is “couple time,” says Claudia.
www.rapidmag.com 25
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