SW 41


major river systems over


warm whitewater rivers 0 clean and


PETAWAWA— Dynamic by Nature


For whitewater enthusiasts; weekend warriors and serene family fl oat trips, the convergence of the Petawawa and Ottawa Rivers makes this a Canadian hot spot with tons of options for river-running adventures. Paddle the Petawawa Town Run—Big Eddy, Rail- road, Lovers, the Catwalk, Suicide and the Golf Course. Enjoy 7 km of HEART PUMPING fun or put your canoe or kayak in at the Petawawa Point for a SERENE ADVENTURE.


Petawawa.ca 613.687.5536 1111 Victoria St. Petawawa, ON K8H 2E6


STANDINGWAVES


Répondez s’il vous plaît. PHOTO: PATRICK CAMBLIN


THE MAIN EVENT


THE SIX-LEG INVITATION ONLY WHITEWATER GRAND PRIX IS COMPETITION ON A GRAND SCALE


An altogether different kind of whitewater competition hits the waterways this spring. In the first two weeks of May, western Quebec’s world class rivers host the 2011 Whitewater Grand Prix—a multi-disciplined event that is poised to shake things up on the competition circuit. Over the years, paddlers have debated the direction that events like the International Ca-


noe Federation (ICF) World Freestyle Championships are taking. “While I am consistently impressed by the level of technical ability among those training for these small-feature com- petitions,” says Whitewater Grand Prix Director Patrick Camblin, “I do not feel these features represent world class whitewater.” Like many top kayakers, Camblin is disappointed that the sport’s governing body is not


providing talented athletes with worthy and diverse venues. “With some luck [the Grand Prix] will challenge the ICF to change the direction they’ve been headed with their events.” According to Camblin, the Grand Prix “showcases the all-around skills of an incredibly


stacked field of the world’s best whitewater boaters.” Twenty-eight men and women from 10 countries are competing. In a process similar to the methods widely used by surfing invita- tionals, a group of 12—names like Steve Fisher, Eric Jackson and Andrew Holcombe—was selected and invited to compete by Camblin. Fourteen more kayakers were then voted into the competition by the invitees through an open call involving hopefuls submitting videos, competition results and experience for consideration. Finally, two wild card spots were also awarded. The line-up of events boasts six legs including three freestyle stages—a showdown, big


wave challenge and best trick challenge—and three racing stages—a giant slalom, time trial and head-to-head race. Each will takes place on a different river or feature. At the end, an overall champion will be crowned. For Fédération québecoise de canoe-kayak d’eau vive (FQCKEV) Director General Julie


For more information about paddling destinations in the Ottawa Valley and to download a copy of


Paddle Routes of the Ottawa Valley, visit OttawaValley.travel/paddle


OTTAWA VALLEY TOURIST ASSOCIATION— ONTARIO’S ADVENTURE PLAYGROUND


Crépeau-Boisvert, the event is about “providing visibility for the sport, Quebec and its riv- ers.” She reached out to Camblin last fall in hopes that FQCKEV could support the event. “It sounded too good not to be a part of,” says an enthused Crépeau-Boisvert. “In my opinion,” says Camblin, “the bigger the whitewater, the more photogenic the images


will be, the more media will pick up on the event, and more kids out there will want to try [freestyle kayaking].” “The whitewater community is fired up,” says Crépeau-Boisvert. Whether or not the Grand


Prix inspires other event organizers to rethink their strategy, hopefully its spirit is contagious. For event coverage, results and information visit www.rapidmag.com, www.whitewater- grandprix.com and www.federationkayak.qc.ca.—Michael Mechan


DIGITAL EXTRA: Click here to watch Rapid Media TV coverage of the Whitewater Grand Prix.


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OF THE OTTAWA VALLEY


The Whitewater Capital of Canada


ONTARIO’S ADVENTURE PLAYGROUND


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