Rapid’s University Guide to
Whitewater Playgrounds
W
hen making the all-important leap to higher learning, it’s too easy to get sucked into our culture’s consuming obsession with overreaching academic excellence, Ivy League reputa-
tions, surveys and rumours about which schools are the absolute “best.” In fact, we have nationwide standards of education and there are no bad schools in Canada. Attend any of our government-funded universities and you’ll get an education that’s as good as what you bring to it. The “”best” academy is the one that’s right for you, and depends on a multitude of non-academic factors including the one that’s foremost in the heart of every paddler—the whitewater! To help you get your priorities straight, Rapid has compiled a sampling of Canadian universities and their whitewa- ter credentials. Although we don’t feel bad about leaving out the University of Prince Edward Island where the highest point of land is less than 500 feet and you’d be lucky to find class II in springtime, or the University of Regina where whitewater is a day’s drive away, we haven’t been able to include every great whitewater university. And we missed a lot of good
ones that didn’t have the right combination of pumping local whitewater, climate, or kick-butt outdoor programs, campus paddling clubs and pool time. There are some notable trends; for example, the “top” academic insti- tutions, the research schools with the big bucks and golden reputations, either have prime local whitewater or an outstanding campus paddling club but never both. The smaller schools are a mixed bag and even among pad- dlers the “best” school is a matter of personal style. Are you laid back or hard driving? An aspiring architect or a mountain guide? Jazz buff or mechanical-bull rider? The take-home lesson: Whatever you choose, don’t forget the factor in the whitewater. No amount of ivy on the walls can replace the academic boost you get from sloughing off exam stress on a sweet wave 10 minutes from residence or from having a close-knit commu- nity of fellow paddlers to see you though the mid-term, mid-winter blues.
With reports from Matthew Zelin, John Hastings, Wade Gapes, Nick Erb, Dave Scott, Matt “Sharky” McGuire, Erin Charlton, Fiona MacLeod, Keith Morrison, Claudia Schwab, Justin Thompson, Mario Bertovic and Andy Baines.
UVic Victoria, B.C. Vic is Canada’s number one winter water playground.
Paddling on Vancouver Island goes off during the school year instead of beginning when you’re studying for April exams. Victoria recently pissed off the country by count- ing 3.5 billion flower blossoms in the first week of March. Rain fills the rivers all winter long and there’s nary a day below freezing. Park’n play is limited to a tidal rapid in town, but there are quality wilderness river trips within two hours’ drive. Rivers dry up in the summer; student paddlers hit the road in search of work and water. Park‘n play: Tillicum Rapid, a class II–III tidal rapid in the Gorge Waterway 10 km from campus. There’s also Pacific Ocean park‘n surf 1.5 hours from campus at the
tiny coastal logging town of Jordan River. River trips: Cowican River, a popular class III rain-fed river with lots of features (1.5 hrs from campus), the Koksilah, Nanaimo, and Chemainus rivers (2 hrs) and a classic creek run on the Gordon (3.5 hrs). Also the Gold and Nimpkish rivers, or surfing in Tofino and Skookumchuck (6 hrs). Peak season: October–May Male to female ratio: 44:56 Student pub: Felicita’s Price of a pitcher: $13.50; daily special $12.75. Club: UVic Kayaking Club ($20/semester) Pool ses- sions: 3 hrs/week on Friday nights (free for members) Selling points: World-class year-round mountain biking, sea kayaking, golf and surfing. Smoke-free pubs and bars. Maclean’s national reputation rank: 15 out of 47. Verdict: Best winter paddling.
Tillicum Rapids
UBC Vancouver, B.C. Vancouver is in a temperate rainforest backed up against
Seymour Canyon
coastal mountains, which means lots of rain-fed, year-round creek paddling. The nearby whitewater on the city’s sodden North Shore is as steep, fast and technical as the world- famous mountain biking. Next to Victoria this is the place to go for full-on school-year paddling. UBC is not a great pad- dling school—there’s no club—but Vancouver is a great pad- dling city, with a huge club scene and local paddling schools. You have Squamish, Whistler and Skook to the north, Vancouver Island to the west, the Fraser Valley rivers to the east and cross-border options to the south, all orbiting around a laid-back latte-and-sushi culture. Park‘n play: No great in-town spots, but many OK ones: Lower Seymour Pipeline (40 mins), Capilano Ender Spot (45 mins), a “walk and play” hole
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above Seymour Canyon (45 mins). River trips: North Shore rivers (45 mins): Capilano (class III), Lynn (class III–IV), Upper and Lower Seymour (class II–III), Seymour Canyon (IV–V). Weekend trips: Skookumchuck (3–4 hrs). Squamish/Whistler rivers (1.5 hrs): Mamquam, Cheakamus, Elaho, Ashlu etc. Fraser Valley (1.5–3 hrs): Chilliwack, Chehalis, Nahatlach, Thompson. Peak season: Year-round Courses: Outdoor Environmental Education, Turf Management (AGRO 429) Male to female ratio: 43:57 Student pub: The Pit Price of a pitcher: $10.50 ($8 specials) Club: None On-campus pool sessions: None Selling points: 12-month paddling season, Whistler skiing, great sushi, North Shore biking, climbing, Wreck Beach (clothing-optional). Maclean’s national reputation rank: 8 out of 47 Verdict: Best creek paddling.
paddling photos from top: Matt Zelin, Keith Klapstein. UBC: Martin Dee.
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