Mission: Whitewater super family and Pricilla queen of the river?

August 11, 2007

By Billy Harris

I think that I was pretty blessed gowing up, my folks had a wicked place to learn the outdoors, go camping catch fish hunt ducks, play in mud go kayaking and all in all apart from a complete school experience that stunk it was a great way to grow up. However money makes the world go round and some people just don’t get the opportunity they should. That being said someone comes out of the woodwork and puts them self on the line to provide that opportunity. Taking care of people that don’t have it like I did when I was growing up. I got this email in my inbox and got the 2 thumbs up from the Jackson Family to go and help out. Not to mention I had to come visit the family that is making this all happen.

Hello again Billy, Hi Carly,

Meet the Cornwall Recreational Whitewater Club: www.cornwallwhitewater.com

A little more than a year ago I, along with help from some very enthusiastic family and friends, started a whitewater kayak club and school with a mandate: to provide access to our rivers and kayaking to kids with less opportunities than others.

In the last year we have put lots and lots of kids into kayaks in the eastern Ontario region. Along with the help of Big Brothers and Sisters, Partir D’Un Bon Pas Pour L’avenir and Adventure Sports Access Group, we had a great season of smiling kids. This year (2007) I approached the Cornwall youth Center (Cornwall Ontario) with the intention of providing certified instruction to interested kids from their center. Josee, their director was visibly happy and with the help of some support from the paddling industry (Level 6 has provided drytops, shorties, rash guards and warm clothing, H2O paddles has provided additional paddles and some financial support from local businesses) we are proud to present CReW: Youth Challenge Kayak Program.

Please take the time to read about our program (see below) what we are doing with the youth center to provide a different vision to the kids who do not always see very bright horizons. Our program is starting this coming week and will run every Wednesday evening until the end of August.
I would like to know if you would be willing to donate some of your time to come out to oone of our session for the kids and share your experience and intruction.

If you would like to discuss this with me please let me know. I am very proud of what we are doing and hope that you might be able to help us to make the experience unforgettable for the kids.

Sincerely,
Robert Zwanenburg

The guy I am typing about is actually an entire family, an amazing family who helps people learn how to kayak. It wasn’t until the Chinese water torture technique Rob and I were pulling off on his son Zach (and quite nicely I might ad) when I realized what a great family he had. Rob Zwanenburg is a Heli Mechanic paddles a 07 superstar who now writes the manuals for other heli mech’s and he’s worked all over the place keeping Choppers hovering, his wife a Chopper pilot of course fly’z em that’s how they met. That all came to a screeching hault when they had their first little monster, then the boating life took over and they added a new turn to their lives kayaking for kiddies. Rob and his family decided to put up 10,000 of his family’s cash to start the program known to the local community as the “CREW”. Just a guy from the Valleyfield Quebec area that wanted more people to enjoy what he enjoyed, kayaking like he and his family. The Crew has a bunch of Jackson boats, Wilderness Tours Head man Sharky hooked them up at a good price. The Guys at H20 Paddles, Steve Horvath, and the gang Hooked them up with H20 paddles to use, WRSI sent them helmets, Gull gear sent them lifejackets and skirts too use. They don’t have much in the way of gear, some people stand on shore when its busy cause of the lack of gear but they have what they have and they make do. Three days a week Rob and his whole family all teach kids to paddle and I got the opportunity to join them. They drive a silver Turbo Golf co-piloted by Zach that blow’s turbo’s all the time from dragging a trailer full of boats Palmer Festival to Quebec and all over the place in between.

We arrived in Cornwall frazzled at paddling in Valleyfield’s man made course and pulled up to a pile of Jackson boats all strung out on the grass. Standing there were a pile of kids picking colors wiggleing into skirts and sqalking at each other about who gets what for gear. That’s when I heard in a high pitch voice.
“I’m Gay ok, lets just get it out in the open right now” I turned around to see a 6 foot tall kid around 200 pounds that should sound like the big guy from green mile but sounds like Dolly Parton on Helium, pinkish purple hair, ear rings that screamed attention and a smile a mile wide. 3 hours he thrashed about the water complaining about chipped nail polish, school stress, water in the sinues it was awesome. I told him without that nose ring he could wear nose plugs. The best part of doing an inner city youth program is the kiddies that show up. Street hard, no guff taking pearced everything and from all walks of life. Very much like the little monsters I usually teach, only with their own flair. Each of the students walked away with a roll and in a week or so Rob is taking them all to the Valleyfield whitewater course. The students all had a great time but I have to say I got as much if not more out of it then they did. Both Carly and I loved the challenge of wild personalities. It wasn’t till night fall when we got all packed up, exausting work right down to loading boats on the volkswagon. But week after week, Rob sets up the program does all the work organizes, finds sponsors and his whole family works along side him. Why does he do it? He’s just a, devout paddler with no strings attached no agenda other than “everyone should try kayaking” The only selfish part about this program is that he gets like I did to work with kids and share a passion. His children all have the same attitude, and is currently ripping it up in the Jackson demo shooting star.

Any way, I don’t know what to do to help this crew out I feel I have tried but not enough. I can teach when I can and will do what I can about coming back but what this program needs is more sponsors more gear more everything. If you read this and can help wicked. Every little bit helps them out. Check out the web site and more photos and video at:

www.cornwallwhitewater.com

Here are some photos. From the week

Billy