S T A N D I N G W A V E S
Right FOOTE FORWARD OC LEGEND ENTERS A NEW PARADIGM
ESQUIF CANOES has firmly entrenched itself among the world’s foremost canoe manufactur- ers. Designer and owner Jacques Chassé has churned out more than 10 new whitewater boat designs in nine years, more than any other com- pany in history. Chassé takes great pride in the trail Esquif is breaking. “Our passion is development,” he says. “And
I wanted to develop a top team of paddlers and designers. Working with the best means some- thing. Plus, it’s fun; you wouldn’t believe what it’s like to be working with these guys.” The Esquif roster is a who’s who of North
American open boaters, including Paul Mason, Wayne Dickert, Mark Scriver, Andrew West- wood, Eli Helbert, John Kazimierczyk and, as of last summer, open boat designer, instructor and guide, Bob Foote. Foote has fingerprints on about a dozen boat designs, including familiar names like the Dagger Genesis, Rival and Phantom, plus Bell’s Prodigy series and the Nexus. Foote, Chassé and several Esquif design team members have enjoyed a strong friendship
B O O K R E V I E W
through the years and with Bell stepping back from whitewater canoe design in 2006, Foote found himself as a high-profile free agent. “Bob is probably the instructor who was trav-
elling more than anyone else. He is reaching a paddler who we were not necessarily able to reach before,” Chassé said. “We develop many boats for big-rapid boaters, but Bob is coming with a different angle.” Foote immediately set about forming his latest
design, the Esquif Paradigm, which premiered at last summer’s Outdoor Retailer Show in Salt Lake City. Designed with speed and smaller rapids in mind, it’s a hard-chined, 11-foot boat that Foote believes should appeal to fans of the Ocoee, bragging better speed and a drier day. “We’re not stopping there,” Chassé affirms and
Foote confirms, hinting at his future plans. “I’ve already made a career of filling niches
and I’m now working on a tandem boat for Es- quif,” Foote said. “After that, I want to do a boat that I really like, so the next solo boat is designed for me.” —Neil Etienne
Whitewater Scrubs BY JAMIE McEWAN
When we first saw Whitewater Scrubs, written by Jamie McEwan, a two-time Olympian and 1972 Olympic whitewater slalom bronze medal win- ner, Yale graduate and author of three previous books, we thought we could be getting in a bit over our heads—not unlike central character Clara. But McEwan’s sequel to Willy the Scrub, whimsically illustrated by John Margeson, is an engaging and memorable tale for children of all ages who have kayaked or think they may try. This time around Willy and his
gang of “scrubs,” those of us picked last in gym for murder ball, take on an after-school kayaking
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club. Clara wants to show Willy up but winds up all wet, upside down in her kayak, and re-thinking her decision to join the club. The tale touches on those fears of the first time you got dunked and forgot where to find the skirt’s grab loop, the first time you saw a friend get tipped by a rock and the first time you ran a rapid you knew you shouldn’t have. Whitewater Scrubs is great
reading for kids and is perfect for parents of fledgling paddlers who need to know it’s okay to swim the first time out. Raise a reader, raise a paddler. –NE $ 24 Cdn, $15 US
www.darbycreekpublishing.com
A new beginning. PHOTO COURTESY OF BOB FOOTE
RAPID
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