Dozens of raft guides braved the frigid waters of the Athabasca River to prove they have the skills to pay the bills during the 23rd annual Jasper Raft Olympics.
Five teams from four different outfitters put their best paddle forward, June 22, but ultimately it was a team from Wild Blue Yonder Rafting, out of Grande Cache, that was crowned the champion and the winner of the golden paddle.
“We do it to showcase our skills,” said Jordan Ellen, the operations manager for Jasper Raft Tours, which won the event last year.
“Even though we work on the river closely we don’t always get to know the staff in the other companies so this is an opportunity to get to know each other.”
The evening’s events started with an all-out sprint from Alpine Village to Old Fort Point.
From there teams congregated on the shore to watch their fellow competitors in the next challenge: the flip.
The event sees five guides hop in a boat, paddle into the current and then flip the raft. Once the boat is completely upside-down, the time starts and all five rafters have to flip it right-side up, climb back in and then hold their paddles proudly in the air.
It was here that the team from Grande Cache proved themselves, flipping their raft in an astonishing eight seconds.
Next came the slalom, an all out paddle into the Athabasca River’s strongest eddies beneath the bridge. The course had the paddlers perform a figure eight as fast a possible between a set of oars dangling from the bridge.
Again, the team from Wild Blue Yonder Rafting came out on top, even after suffering a 30-second penalty for hitting one of the oars dangling from the bridge.
The final challenge saw dry suit-clad rafters float down the frigid river while their teammates attempted to rescue them by chucking throw bags from shore.
When all was said and done, the teams loaded up their rafts and hit the road for a spaghetti dinner at the Jasper Royal Canadian Legion, where the winner of the Mark Oddy Golden Paddle was announced.
Oddy was a well-known river guide in Jasper who died on June 5, 1999 in a kayaking accident on the McKale River, near McBride, B.C. He is remembered as a quiet, but friendly person who was well respected in the community.
As the winners, Wild Blue Yonder will host next year’s event.
To host the event the raft companies were required to apply for an event permit with Parks Canada, something Ellen said he doesn’t agree with.
“For the last three seasons Parks has made us apply for an event permit for this event, which we don’t really agree with,” said Ellen, adding the company also had to increase its liability insurance.
Ellen pointed out how there are several other companies in town that run weekly group events using the park’s trail system and questioned why those companies are not required to get an event permit.
“Here we are highly certified guides and yet we have to get a permit.”
Paul Clarke [email protected]
