" O T T A W A X L "

So after around two weeks and a half, three weeks of pure AWESOME stakeout with all the boyz the awaited OTTAWA XL had come. Three days of awesome kayaking and competing in the Ottawa River, The events for this competition were Big wave freestyle in one the most intense wave you can ever imagine " GLADIATOR " in the middle of the Coliseum rapid and boater cross - head to head from  butchers knife to the bottom of Coliseum rapid around five to six minutes long.

OTTAWA XL, 2013 

- Friday May 17th first day of the event to go down at Wilderness Tours, pretty awesome haha ! it got out of proportions as is tradition, very good times over at wilderness tours with a bunch of friends and a lot of people.

- Saturday may 18th we all gathered in the facilities of Wilderness Tours for breakfast, we had a safety meeting prior to all kayaking to be had that morning. Fun run down the middle channel of the Ottawa River to make sure eveyone felt confortable with the section, 12 pm The 1st event beggins, two hits of around 15 to 20 participants each freestyling their way on Gladiator ... Most High wave of all ! Around 4 pm the freestyle event came to an end and everyone headed back to Wilderness Tours for Dinner and results of the 1st event and a little bit of partying afterwards.

                  
      OTTAWA XL – MAY 17-19 2013 – WHITEWATER GRAND PRIX QUALIFYING SERIES                       from Tribe Rider on Vimeo.

- Sunday may 18th we met up at Wilderness Tours in the morning for breakfast. 10:30 we had the safety meeting on the amphitheater. 11 am The transportation started carrying all the Athletes indirection to the Lorn for the last event boater cross head to head down the middle Channel. The day was sort of rainy at times and there were a lot of mosquitoes. The heats started, my heat was the very last one.. I took first in my first run, second in my second heat right behind Benny Marr and I had one killer run on the Finals with a pretty fast run all the way down to Coliseum and unfortunately missing the Finish Line on a real tied battle against Dane Jackson. Epic racing down this rapid ... So much fun. Here a leave you the Final edit of the 2013 Ottawa XL, sooo XL

                                                     About to crash White Face Monster

                                                  Coliseum rapid photographed from river left

                       Coliseum Rapid from the air on finals  - Thanks Ben Fraser for the photo ( CAN )



                    
             Whitewater Grand Prix Qualifying Series - OTTAWA XL from Tribe Rider on Vimeo.

                                                      OTTAWA XL FINAL EDIT



- This has been probably one of the Highlights of my season so far since I ended up taking one of the spots for the 2014 Whitewater Grand Prix to take place in CANADA next year... Super Ultra stoke on this.

                                                             OTTAWA XL PODIUM

Congratulations to the winners of the Ottawa XL this weekend!

Ottawa Kayak School | Wilderness Tours | Tribe Rider

Congratulations to the top finishers from the Ottawa XLand especially to those that have qualified* for the 2014Whitewater Grand Prix !!

Top 10 men:
1st Place: Dane O Jackson (USA)
*2nd Place (tie): Nicholas Troutman (CAN)
*2nd Place (tie): Kalob Grady (CAN)
*4th Place (tie): Ben Marr (CAN)
*4th Place (tie): Tyler Curtis (CAN)
*6th Place: Marcos Gallegos (CHL)
7th Place (tie): Tyler Fox (CAN)
7th Place (tie): Rush Sturges (USA)
9th Place: Mikael Hyla (FRA)
10th Place: Abel Thevenet (FRA)

Photo: John Rathwell Photography

Wilderness Tours | Ottawa Kayak School | Tribe Rider

Thanks To all and every single one of my sponsors !