Canadian whitewater national championships are a series of boating events, including freestyle, downriver, kayak cross, and of course slalom. This year it ran from August 21-27 in Minden Hills and around Ottawa, Ontario.
16 Alberta Athletes, with 3 coaches and lots of family support, made the long trek across the country to participate in the Summer Series of Slalom/freestyle events in Eastern Canada.
Our athlete group ranged in ages from 10 to 17 and they all brought loads of enthusiasm and talent for whitewater slalom. Over the 21 days away, there was a lot of fun to be had, friendships strengthened and we saw amazing growth in their paddling ability, courage and resilience.
Many of these paddlers started out (and still participate) in our Grom and Teen kayaking programs. Some of them aspire to be future paddling instructors, and AQ staff.
If you’re looking for affordable ways to get your kids outside, and maybe even compete on the national stage like the ones in this trip, then check out our selection of industry-leading youth paddling programs. To learn more about the competitors, check out their 20 questions interviews below.
[20 Questions with Talia Coward]
[20 Questions with Cadence Coward]
[20 Questions with Jacob Crawford]
[20 Questions with Simon Coward]
Pumphouse Slalom Race Ottawa
First up on the tour was the Pumphouse race in Ottawa; the fast moving downtown course was loaded with tight gates, challenging eddy lines and a finish that led into a darkened tunnel.
The group spent 2 days feeling out the course and practicing various movements prior to the Sunday race day. Alberta took home 8 medals in the whitewater events of Slalom, C1 and C2 and was a great opener to the series. Our podium superstars were Isaac Crawford, Jordy Munro, the Whalen trio of Bennet, Sarah and Jessica, Cadence Coward and Anna Holroyd.
Madawaska River Cross 
Moving to MKC (the Madawaska Kanu Centre) on the Madawaska river was a big step up into the bigger Ontario water. The river generally runs around 25 CMS but was pumping out at more than double that rate for an average of 60 CMS for the events. Big eyes and some big fears were on display but that flow could not conquer these resilient athletes.
The first competition was Boater Cross and to our surprise this was only broken down by gender and not by age groups. Jordy Munro took Gold for the Men and Sarah Whalen, Cadence Coward and Jessica Whalen swept the podium for the women.
The following day there was a very tough course set with a challenging cross that was a must-make move to reach the gates. These paddlers showed real grit as they pushed themselves to focus on the individual moves required and, once again, we had podium results.
This was a special week for the paddlers as they got to spend their off hours at Bark Lake hanging out at fellow paddler Barb Cardwell’s lake house. A ton of fun was had with kayaking, canoeing, peddle boats, fishing, water fights, outdoor movies and camp fires. Then the group had a few down days and spent them on the Ottawa River, which had the biggest features and water flow these young paddlers had experienced to date.
Canadian National Championships in Minden
Finally, it was off to Minden for the main event: the Canadian National Championships. Once again, the paddlers were faced with higher-than-average water levels for the first few days of training.
This course is man-made, steep, narrow, fast and filled with sharp rocks and a waterfall feature half way down. It was decided that all races except for the open would be under the falls, which gave the parents a sense of relief.
Competitions started on Wednesday and went through to Sunday August 27th. These were long days for the athletes, coaches and volunteers.
Boater Cross Nationals
First up on the competition was Boater Cross, always a fan favorite to watch the athletes maneuver the course but not be outdone by the fun of watching the parents trying to wrap all the paddles to be sufficiently padded.
The Trio of Whalen kids each picked up a silver in the Cadet Men, Cadet Woman and Jr Woman races.
Freestyle and Development Championships
Thursday was a full day with freestyle and the development races (shorter course for the cadets). Jordy Munro and Jessica Whalen both took home gold in the JR freestyle competition. A lot of medals were handed out to the cadets including some first medals at nationals for Gvendolina Goluska, Anna Holroyd, Cadence Coward Josephine Cameron, Isaac Crawford and Nevan Hindmarsh.
Downriver Championships
Friday was a fun day for the athletes where they worked on speed only and didn’t have to navigate any gates during the downriver races for both the classic (1 run, into flatwater) and sprint (shorter run with 2 attempts) races.
Again we had some success; Talia Coward received a bronze medal for the classic race, Sarah and Josephine picked up 2nd and 3rd for the sprint and Benji Goluska picked up his first medal for bronze in the C1 classic and gold with sister Gven for the C2X.
Slalom Championships
Saturday was the main event of slalom racing on the half course with all the cadets racing against each other, followed by another fan favorite of the team races.
The cadet team of Bennett Whalen, Eric Holroyd and Nevan Hindmarsh took 3rd place, as did the female team of Anna Holroyd, Gven Goluska and Cadence Coward.
The female team of Sarah Whalen, Josephine Cameron and Talia Coward brought home gold for this event.
Some other successes of the day: Sarah Whalen (silver cadet women K1 and gold CI) , Jessica Whalen (bronze Jr women), Gven Goluska ( silver CI Cadet) Bennet Whalen (bronze C1), Mike Holroyd (gold Sr. men).
Sunday was the open race on the full course. This was tough course and fun to watch as the experts navigated the whitewater. Only a few of our athletes enrolled in this challenge and Mike Holroyd won bronze for the B race for this last race.
Another Canadian Whitewater Championship in the Books
Overall, the Alberta team had a fantastic time in Eastern Canada; the team grew as athletes and teammates. They faced very tough competitors, many of whom are members of the National team and are fresh off the European circuit.
Most importantly, this band of friends had fun on and off the water. Next up for the team is Alberta Provincials the weekend of September 9th at the Kananaskis River.
If you envision trips like this for your family, and for your kids to have these amazing experiences, then check out our selection of youth paddling programs. It’ll give them confidence, meaningful fun outside, and plenty of new friends! And being out in the mountains sure beats being inside during summer, right?
Words by Nikki Coward
Photos by Nolan Hindmarsh
AQ Outdoors Contact
Edmonton: (p) 780 463-4892 (e) info@aquabaticsedmonton.com
Calgary: (p) 403 288-9283 (e) info@aqoutdoors.com
