the story of Madawaska the - KANU CENTRE -

In the late 1960s, though Hermann and Christa Kerckhoff’s adopted home of Ontario, Canada, offered an abundance of wild rivers and nature, there were few paddlers to enjoy them with. So, the Kerckhoffs decided to establish a whitewater paddling school, the first of its kind, on an unassuming piece of whitewater in Eastern Ontario. Nearly 50 years later, the Madawaska Kanu Centre has become an established icon in the world of whitewater instruction. Today it draws hundreds of people, from novices to World Champions, to the banks of the Madawaska River each summer. But what is more important than why they come is the legacy they leave with- a love of the sport, a passion for being outside, and a desire to return for more.

Words: Jacques Bourbeau

The early morning sun cuts through Ontario’s Madawaska Valley, sending tendrils of warming light through the leafy canopy of Canadian sugar maples and pines. Birds chirp their excitement at the dawn of a new day. In the background, there is the soothing sound of rushing water. A cowbell rings, a memento from the 1971 World Kayaking Championships in Merano, Italy, calling paddlers to congregate on the decks of the Madawaska Kanu Centre (MKC) to begin another day exploring the wonders of whitewater. For almost half a century, the cowbell's ring has brought together kayakers and canoeists from across North America. Paddlers seeking an introduction to running rivers or looking to improve their paddling techniques under the guidance of a tight-knit family of instructors eager to pass on their skills and passion…

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Kayak Session (Digital) - 1 Issue, Summer 2020

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