WORLD WHITEWATER NEWS
NEWS
THREE RIVERS RENDEZVOUS, ALBERTA, CANADA
Every year in spring, the Pinch O Crow Kayak Club hosts the Three Rivers Rendezvous in Pincher Creek. Chuck Lee, an avid local kayaker, puts on a tremendous festival
similar to the American Gauley Festival. Clubs and kayakers from all over Canada come to enjoy beginner to intermediate kayak courses and trips put on by a host
of volunteers and retailers from the area. With the tumultuous weather that Canada has experienced this
spring, the weekend of the festival was a lucky departure from the rain and snow showers that plagued the
province for the majority of the previous month. This year boasted temperatures in the mid twenties (Celsius)
and water in all the local and semi-local rivers. Aquabatics and Dave Crerar put on a guided river trip for
beginner and intermediate kayakers down the nearby Castle River. The AKA Carbondale Race immediately
followed the trip. This race, organized by UPAS’ Giffin Symko, was a slalom course down a grade 3+ piece of
whitewater. Despite the remote nature of the venue, a great crowd showed to cheer on the more than 20
competitors. Competition was tight throughout all categories, but local Dave Crerar came away with the
win. Saturday night’s festivities carried on well into Sunday morning, and then it was back to the river with
more guided trips. This festival was a great place to meet and interact with various kayak clubs from BC and
Alberta. It was also great to see how involved all the various retailers are at the grassroots level. A huge shout
out to Chuck Lee for organizing the event, a massive thank you to Aquabatics for putting on the event and
to everyone who came out to paddle. It was awesome. See ya’ll next year!Words: Dave Crerar - Photo: Shannon Robison, Shootin’ The Breeze PhotographyTHE RIVER GURU EXTREME RACE, SPAIN
On May 27th and 28th, 2017, the Pyrenees once again hosted the River Guru Extreme race. A special kayak meeting for the best paddlers in Southern
Europe, the race takes place on the most epic river in the Southern Pyrenees, the Ara. This year, organizers added kayak clinics, a mass start down river race,
equipment demos, raffles, a cash prize, and much more. Flows were perfect,
and encouraged an extraordinary group of emerging paddlers to compete.
The title race was a close contest between Eric Deguil and Gerd Serrasolses,
followed closely by the Salvat brothers. The Chicane rapid became the crux
move, as racers took diverse lines through the narrow drop in an attempt to
be first to the finish line. Eric Deguil once again took the title, followed by Gerd
Serrasolses and Ian Salvat in second and third. The race was followed by the
highly popular dinner; an exquisite calderete prepared by local cook Chema
Sopeña. After dinner, Alicia Casas, Gerd Serrasolses and Mikel Sarasola
presented their films to the community. On Sunday, a new race organized for
all kinds of kayakers took place. The mass start was situated on a four-kilometer
section on the classic part of the Ara, between Torla and Broto. Athletes also
took time on Sunday to share with and train the growing paddling community
in the Pyrenees with four clinics: safety, creeking, whitewater techniques, and
slalom techniques, taught by Fermin Perez Larrea, Gerd Serrasolses, Ander De
Miguel, and Eric Deguil. The organization is very happy with the incredible
level of participation, and encourages everyone to come for the next edition.Words and Photo: Fermin Perez LarreaEVENTS
PINKWATER CHALLENGE, QUEBEC, CANADA
On Saturday June 3rd, a truck filled to the ceiling with 15 kayaks, 3 rafts, and piles of gear drove up to the Métabetchouan River in the Saguenay-Lac-
Saint-Jean region of Quebec, Canada. It may sound like any normal day on the river, but there was one difference: this group consisted of 25 women and
only 4 men, atypical for the paddling world. Since 2013, Audrey Ahier and Sheril Gravel have shared a passion for whitewater adventures. This passion led
them to start a nonprofit group aimed at encouraging women to get involved in all manner of whitewater sports. For the last four years, their annual event
has met with such success that in 2015 they became a registered nonprofit organization. Known as PinkWater, the organization has been recognized for
its originality, positive energy and its influence on women. The incredible response from the media and the surrounding community has motivated Audrey
and Sheril to continue to find new ways of reaching the female community. Instead
of their usual event, in June of this year the organizers of Pinkwater decided to further
their goals by inviting guests, or ambassadors, not only from different regions of Quebec
and Montreal, but also from international countries such as England and Ecuador. All of
the ambassadors invited were women with sporting backgrounds and leadership skills.
The three-day event consisted of a variety of challenges, such as yoga on stand up
paddleboards, mountain biking, whitewater rafting and kayaking. Each ambassador was
able to experience a new activity and push herself to her limit. Music, games, and never-
ending meals provided by the community and PinkWater supporters helped create a
special and unforgettable bond. The weekend filled with positive energy and fun, and
was also an opportunity for each individual to recognize her potential and to feel good
about the challenges that came her way. The gathering was also a forum to discuss how
to further benefit women by making the paddling world more inviting and accessible.
PinkWater is currently offering their services as volunteers at whitewater events, along with
the opportunity to share with others the vision that is PinkWater.Words: Abby Dent - Photos: Sophie Lavolie