Paddler Profile
BethKennedy
Beth Kennedy is an open canoe slalom specialist who places in every race she enters. In the past two years she has come second in women’s solo at the U.S. Nationals—pret- ty much the world championships of open boat slalom. Beth caught the whitewater bug when she went to work for Swift Canoe near Ontario’s Algonquin Park in the early ‘90s. She fell under the tutelage of OC master Mike Yee at the ORCA moving water instructor course in ’98 and got into racing gates in 2000, when she won the women’s solo event at the Gull River Race in Minden. Last year she paddled over 120 days, which is some feat when you live in Ontario and have a regular job. She teaches paddling nearly every weekend that she’s not rac- ing and is the ORCA moving water instructor course director for 2003.
Beth sees slalom success coming from focus and discipline, which she learned in her pre-whitewater days when she used to train horses. “I learned that when it comes to brute force, I'm going to lose every time, and the water is just as powerful as a horse and sometimes more so…. Power is part of a pack- age that includes timing, river reading and having clean strokes. A slalom course is the best way to discover whether or not you've got all those elements.”
Hometown: Playspot:
Favourite river: Sponsors:
Boats:
Most spectacular non- paddling achievement: Kids:
Desert island CD: Film: Rant:
Huntsville, Ontario Gull River, Minden, Ontario. UpperMadawaska Dagger, Salus PFDs, Mike Yee Outfitting, Seasonal Pursuits. 2 Dagger Phantoms, Infrared C1, ID kayak.
Wiggling my ears.
Oh my god! I forgot to have children! Daniel Lanois Acadie. Blade Runner.
Open boaters should stop apologizing. It’s a perfectly fun and viable craft. It’s a bit like being in an SUV and being sur- rounded by Minis—an SUV’s a perfectly good vehicle and so’s a Mini. You have to share the same area.
Beth Kennedy, Gull River Open Canoe Slalom, Minden ON. photo Ri ck Matthews.
“Beth is a beautiful paddler—graceful and dances her boat on the water. She has mastered the notion of using the water—harnessing the power of the cur- rent for her advantage. She is also an excellent
teacher. One of our top instructors at MKC. What is defining about Beth? Her laugh—very distictive and often!”—Claudia Kerckhoff–Van Wijk, Madawaska Kanu Centre.
22
www.rapidmag.com
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52