New World rafting with the Rouge girls

www.newworld.ca - www.fillesdelarouge.com

“En avant,” yelled the guide, trying to be heard above the boisterous waters just before hitting the notorious “washing machine”, part of the Seven Sister length of successive rapids on the Rouge River. We paddled hard in unison. The guide, Marjorie Bourbeau, knew our 15-foot inflatable raft with eight paddlers aboard had to hit the looming pitched waterfall perfectly. Miss the tongue to the left and the boat gets flipped in the “Can Opener”! Miss to the right and the raft folds, in the “Hamburger Maker”. We’re the meat! “Oh, sh...t,” cries Andrea Bever, the second guide. The dreaded word sends the crew scrambling to the raft’s centreline for safety. The boat plunges down...feels airborne...then hits the trough with a fearsome shudder. We’re thrown heavily forward as an explosion of water rushes over us. The raft bobbles but somehow stays upright. We make it through. One of the rafts in the ten-raft expedition doesn’t. It flips and some of the crew is tossed out! But well-briefed and well-protected with safety vests and helmets, all scramble back aboard, laughing, obviously none the worse for the wear.  

Rafting with New World on the Rouge, said to be one of the top white water rivers in North America, is an invigorating adventure, daunting to some but far less perilous than it seems thanks to the equipment supplied and the adept competence of the guides. Some guides are members of Les filles de la Rouge, the double Pan-American Women’s Champions who won gold in Argentina in 2008 and again in Brazil in 2010. They are among the top five women’s teams in the world. Today, Marjorie, Andrea, Marilou Salette, Diana Taneva, Edith Dalcourt-Bertrand, Karen Lacombe, Stefanie McArdle, and Karine Corriveau have their sights set on the World Championship and eventually, an Olympic medal if and when the International Olympic Committee recognizes rafting as an Olympic sport. That won’t likely happen before 2020. Meanwhile, the girls continue to work as guides and train at the New World rafting centre in Grenville-sur-la-Rouge, about 1½ hours from Mont-Tremblant. Because competitive rafting is in its infancy and organizationally unstructured in Canada, Les filles de la Rouge, unknown but a world power in the sport, have no government funding and little private support other than that of Subaru Sainte-Agathe and Icebreaker. They rely mostly on their own fundraising activities, including organizing rafting competitions such as the upcoming Courses de la Rouge races September 8 to 10 at the Grenville centre. The girls, passionate pioneers of their sport, are looking forward to more medals in national and international competitions. But they need sponsors.

Competitively or recreationally, rafting is an exciting sport. It can be wild or mild, says Charles Léger, manager of the Grenville New World Centre. The outfit provides both as well as every level in between. Kayaking is also offered. With extensive facilities including a bar, restaurant and park-like grounds with pool and hot tubs, one can spend an entire day or days there. Various packages are available.


André Courey, journalist