The Cornwall Recreational Whitewater Club

The 2008 Level Six Rodeo and river festival held at Bates Island (Champlain Bridge) in Ottawa was a huge success. The weather, water level helped Level 6 and their volunteers put on a fun paddling weekend for the paddlers and spectators.
Lots of people came out to watch and the photographers were all over the place too!
Friends hooking up together to do what they love.

Saturday morning started with the amateur paddlers. CReW members came out and put in a good showing.
Zachary Zwanenburg: 1st place Junior Mens. (stepping it up with a roundhouse and a donkey flip)
Tilly Martin: 2nd place Junior Womens.
Cheryl McGregor: 4th place Womens.
Robert Zwanenburg: 2nd place Masters.

CReW members then got in the volunteer mode and worked the barbecue grill keeping the paddlers and visitors fed with hot dogs, hamburgers and drinks.

The pro categories were really exciting. Everyone was in awe watching them throw helixes, airscrews, donkeyflips, loops, airblunts, backstabs and more!

The CReW members and their families came back to the Zwanenburg home in Ottawa to enjoy a nice meal together and get ton know each other a bit more off the water.
Even the younger members enjoyed spending time with those of us who compete in “masters” categories
The awards in the evening were fun too. Great prizes, good company and a few good drinks as well.

Sunday saw us all back at Champlain enjoying the wave and the clinics offered by volunteers and pros.
Billy Harris did a great job getting our members boats tweaked for their personal fit.
Billy’s adjustments were the key to Cheryl’s success and now she is surfing and spinning!
Mat Hamilton took a bunch of paddlers out on the water to get them surfing or improve their technique.
MEC held a boat clinic and we learned a bit about health issues including protecting your ears, nose and eyes, as well as prevention against tendinitis.

Billy also gave an old guy (me) some a good pointer for my donkey flip and what do you know, it worked! who hooo!

A big thanks to Mat Hamilton who spent time with Emily (my 10 year old daughter) to get her surfing, and a few tips to get Zachary blunting and Sylvie surfing. Time well spent and it worked out for all of them!!!
A final strong tip from Billy gave Emily the extra little tip to get her on the wave (my heart was thumping but off she went!).
Lot’s of smiles and cheering from everyone!

What I enjoyed most about the event: A feeling of family and community!
Amateurs, weekend warriors, pro’s, and families sharing their sport, their knowledge and enthusiasm and looking out for each other.

There are not a lot of places where I would totally entrust the well being of my family to others.
Billy, Carly, Matt and many others have earned that status. thanks.

Thanks Tyler and the gang at Level 6 for making this possible and supporting our program as well!
For sure CReW will be there again with more paddlers, volunteers and competitors next year!

see you on the river soon,

Robert Zwanenburg
www.conrwallwhitewater.com