self reliance
Race day excitement had begun the night before with a mandatory gear check in. “All teams are required to carry essential wilderness
tripping gear for the duration of the race,” explained Horton. That included sleeping bags, a tent, a water puri- fier, extra clothing for warmth and food for 24 hours or more. Looking around at the lightweight gear spread out in front of other participants, I noticed Andrea and I had considerably more—enough for three days out, in fact. Four decades of tripping in Canada’s harshest en- vironments taught me to be prepared. We’d chosen to secure our gear in two watertight barrels—also not the norm for racing, I noticed. The race’s mantra of self-reliance was inspired by the
adventure racing world, which both Horton and co-di- rector Mike Varieur are regular participants in. “We learned from other races,” says Varieur, who came
up with the idea for the River X a year and a half ago. “I did all the logistics work and course design, while Rob [Horton] was the technology guy.” Horton created a virtual map, so that armchair specta-
tors could follow each team on the race’s website. Because of the remote route and potential risks, such as hypother- mia, capsizing in rapids and night paddling, SPOT satellite messengers were part of the required safety equipment. Having the ability for racers to hit an SOS button for im- mediate rescue was reassuring to all involved—and some would use it before the day was done.
I couldn’t fathom not doing a proper J-stroke. That alone slowed us down by two kilometers an hour. It was enough to make a marathon paddler cringe.
reflections
50 teams began. PHOTO: COURTESY GREG GOULTER/ALGONQUIN OUTFITTERS
I was mid-route when I started reflecting on the dif- ferences between marathon paddlers and wilderness trippers. Trippers typically use a J-stroke for correcting steerage; racers use the “hut” stroke, switching sides constantly to keep the canoe aligned. They also use bent-shaft paddles, curved to eliminate the unproduc- tive reach of the traditional blade. I couldn’t fathom not doing a proper J-stroke. That alone slowed us down by two kilometers an hour. It was enough to make a mara- thon paddler cringe. Though sanctioned by the Ontario Marathon Canoe and Kayaking Race Association—necessary for
insur-
ance—few OMCKRA members participated. All crafts in the River X had to have the capacity to carry wilderness tripping supplies, so traditional racing shells were disal- lowed. The end result was that the race attracted casual pad-
dlers and trippers, many without any racing experience. Most of the racers were just your average canoe trippers with the crazy notion that paddling and portaging 130 kilometers in one day would be fun.
Hap and Andrea. PHOTO: COURTESY ROB HORTON
Sign here. PHOTO: BILL LANNING
www.canoerootsmag.com | 47
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