Canadian National Adventure Racing Championship

Safety Boat

LOGISTICS 

Private Vehicle: Home > Timmins

Wanapitie Suburban / Boat Trailer: Timmins > Lady Evelyn PP 
Partner(s): Unknown bow paddler & co-driver

Shuttle: Moved 15 canoes in a single load to the start of the paddling segment

Portage: One miserable portage, poorly marked & documented, partly by atv through heavy marshland 

Tandem Canoe: lake paddling

Wanapitie Suburban / BoatTrailer: Lady Evelyn PP > Wanapitie Outfitters Base 
Private Vehicle: Wanapitie Outfitters Base > Home

                        

Shawn Hodgins from Wanapitei Canoe contacted me to work this race. 

He had been approached by race officials interested in arranging for a large boat rental, securing a driver to shuttle 30 canoes from location to location around the course and a canoe guide to work as boat safety at one of the manned checkpoints. I was to be assisted with another one of Shawn’s staff, Janice Wing, during the boat shuttling and the race organizers would provide me with a bow paddler while I was stationed at a remote paddling checkpoint (CP). Also, other ‘race volunteers’ would be camped with me at the CP and would handle most of the regulatory details as teams crossed. My primary role would be to provide rescue if needed. It was also possible that I would be dispatched downriver to several rapid locations if there was an emergency requirement for extraction.

I found it very interesting to work as a crew member for an adventure race, especially one of the caliber of the Canadian National Race. I was impressed with the levels of fitness and endurance exhibited by racers, the large numbers of volunteer staff required to assist in handling race logistics and the professionalism of local Search and Rescue and Medical Paramedic teams. 

Adventure Race Photography

Crusty ...