麻豆社区

Curious onlookers crowded onto the Rotary Centennial Bridge to catch a glimpse of some of the territory's top kayak tricksters in action last night.

The Yukon Canoe and Kayak Club hosted its annual Whitewater Rodeo, which saw about 20 kayakers of varying skill levels put on a show amongst the churning waves of the Yukon River.

The rodeo has been the club's annual season-ending tradition for the past 18 years, president John Quinsey told the Star.

"It's a nice wrap-up of fun for the end of the paddling season,鈥� he explained. "Now a lot of them will take off for school.鈥�

The rodeo consisted of several typical events 鈥� boogie board, freestyle, slalom, and downriver race.

The competition ended with a friendly raft flip race, which saw competitors flip two rafts before piling back in as onlookers watched from the bridge.

Recent Canada Summer Games flatwater paddler Jason Zrum won the slalom race, which saw competitors criss-cross the river four times between the dam and the bridge.

The 20-year-old has been whitewater paddling for 11 years now, and said the sport has taken him places he's never imagined.

"The places you get to see when you're paddling 鈥� I've been to so many different rivers and it's just amazing,鈥� he said following last night's competition. "And the people are just fantastic. It's such a good community.鈥�

While Zrum and Andrew Crist made history in Sherbrooke, Que. last week as the first flatwater sprint paddlers from the territory to compete at the Canada Games, he said whitewater remains his paddling preference.

"It was just a totally different experience,鈥� he said of the competition in Quebec. "The way you race and everything is just totally different than whitewater. It's definitely a good sport to get involved with, I would say. The community's just fantastic.鈥�

Olivier Roy-Jauvin won two of the three advanced competitions, but wasn't gloating about it.

"I'm not competitive, so I was just out there to have fun,鈥� said Roy-Jauvin, 23. "I just love how all my friends are out, and there's music. It's just a blast.鈥�

Hudson Lucier placed second in the beginner kayak freestyle category, but simply being able to compete was victory enough for the 15-year-old.

After moving to the territory's capital from Ottawa last year, the young paddler experienced a scary moment in one of his early trips out on the Yukon River.

After a half hour of paddling in the eddy near the Whitehorse dam, Lucier's boat flipped and trapped him when he was unable to pull his skirt loose.

"My mom flipped me over because I had passed out,鈥� he recalled. "I ended up going to the hospital.鈥�

Lucier refused to let that experience ruin his paddling career and spent the winter learning new kayak skills in the Canada Games Centre pool.

"It's just so much fun,鈥� he said of the thrill-a-minute watersport. "It's just crazy.鈥�

Quinsey said the local club hopes to one day install a proper slalom course in the river near Robert Service Campground as part of its 鈥楻ock the River' project, which would see whitewater recreation enhancements completed in the Yukon River between the dam and the Robert Campbell Bridge.

Quinsey said the Whitewater Rodeo is held each year with cooperation from Yukon Energy. Past years have seen the local hydroelectric company control the water for paddlers.

TOP RESULTS

Boogie Board

1. Mael Pronovost

2. Luanda Pronovost

3. Isabelle Gagnon

Beginner Kayak Freestyle

1. Mael Pronovost

2. Hudson Lucier

Intermediate Kayak Freestyle

1. Dean Bennett

2. Mark Pronovost

3. Natalie Sands

Advanced Kayak Freestyle

1. Olivier Roy-Jauvin

2. Sam Penner

3. Brendan Zrum

Downriver Race

1. Olivier Roy-Jauvin

2. Lawrence Brennan

3. Connor Oliver-Beebe

Slalom Race

1. Jason Zrum

2. Lawrence Brennan

3. Olivier Roy-Jauvin