Ottawarougelachinecarbonhoot!

Oh the summer!

Since 2007 I've spent every summer on the Ottawa. None of the previous seasons have been anything like this one though. Usually, when I get back in April, the Ottawa is a freezing cold huge river, running high and powerful. Same for all the runs in the area.
When I came back this year I couldn't believe what I saw! It seemed as if we skipped a whole season and went straight into low water fall boating.
The non existent snowpack and a dry and warm spring had brought the river down to minus levels already.

Now, for the ones that know the area that is not necessarily a bad thing!
Sure, we weren't surfing Buseater or High Tension or were going through huge raft carnage on blown up Coliseum Rapids, but there is actually more play to be had in lower flows.
And even more important for us riverfolks, you can access quality playspots by car instead of having to run the whole river to the few spots that are worthy when the real big ones are not in (buseater for example has a very small window where it is good and is the only good park'n play in high water).

Instead we were already surfing waves like the Garburator:

yep, this is it!

In combination with a new boat that made for some wicked sessions. Most of the summer saw four easy access features in at all times: Cornerwave, Babyface, Garb and Pushbutton.
Enough to entertain yourself, that's for sure!

Oh, right, back to the boat:
I got myself a composite boat for the first time!!
Fluid Nemesis M in carbon/kevlar layup.
There is a little writeup on that right here: Carbon Please!
So stoked on that little thing!

all garb pics by tiia koskela

Low water also means that a nice little creeky section on the rouge river drops low enough to be runnable! Good to be practicing those boofstrokes again...

all rouge shots by wes, tiia and myself

somehow weird posture, eh?

josh burton

tiia koskela

wes mcallister

great times!

and if that is not enough then you can head out to montreal, where the lachine rapids are getting better - aka greener and steeper - when the water decides to stay away.

My good friend Daniel Krummreich came over from back home and stayed with me for two weeks We went for quite a few surf sessions over in Mtl and around the Ottawa.
Lachine is a lot of work for every surf but as soon as you learn to be patient definitely worth it! Big Joe can give you some good lift if you hit it right!

oh right, that's the ottawa again! daniel cleaning up after himself on cornerwave.

cornerwave is unique! so small but steep fast and glassy, so that you can throw all those fancy tricks on there.

so glassy!

Anyways, gotta head back to "work" -as in play with rafts for a little while and then maybe go boating again? We'll see. Life is hard out here, so don't get jealous folks!

Peace,
Sven