Bow Valley Paddler Wins National Title, Earns Spot at World Championships

"If it's not fun, you're not doing it right." That's 18-year-old Jordy Munro's philosophy for paddling, and it carried him through a busy couple of weeks on the Kananaskis River, across back-to-back events that culminated in his second junior national freestyle title. That win means he'll represent Canada at next year's World Freestyle Championships in Sort, Spain, competing in the newly created U23 category.

The Kananaskis race course at Canoe Meadows did double duty at the beginning of August, hosting the Pan American Canoe Slalom and Kayak Cross Championships followed directly by the Canadian Whitewater National Championships. It almost didn't happen. Flooding on the Kananaskis this June put the entire course in jeopardy, and it survived only thanks to a community effort.

"It washed away all our pathways. It moved some of the rocks in the river, but luckily, the racecourse itself survived quite well," said Mike Holroyd, executive director of the Alberta Whitewater Association. "We were out here rescuing the gates, up to our elbows in water, trying to pull the gates in and make sure everything was not touching the water, because as soon as a big tree comes through, it would just rip everything out."

With help from Able Demolition, which donated time to rebuild the damaged pathways, and TransAlta, which shut off water for a day so upstream repairs could be made, the course was ready just a month later.

With that work done, the Kananaskis was ready to host over 100 athletes from a dozen Pan American countries, the first time Canada has held the championship since 2009, when it was also held in Kananaskis.

The Pan Am Championships featured two disciplines, slalom and kayak cross, a newer addition to the paddling world that made its Olympic debut only at the last Games. Athletes race head-to-head down the same course, bumping and jostling around upstream gates in a format Holroyd compared to ski cross or BMX racing. The event marked the first time an event in Canada has had a dedicated kayak cross start ramp, and Holroyd said it drew the largest crowds the Kananaskis venue has ever seen, several hundred spectators lining the pathway, backed by more than 75 volunteers who helped run the weekend.

Days later, the Canadian Whitewater National Championships expanded the field of events further, adding freestyle, where kayakers perform tricks, spins and flips while surfing standing waves or a river hole, and downriver, or wildwater, a straight race for the fastest line down the river [], across both kayak and canoe disciplines.

Competing in the Pan Am Championships wasn't in Munro's specialty of freestyle kayak, but it was a valuable experience nonetheless. Watching international athletes compete on his home river gave him a chance to see the different tactics and creativity paddlers brought to water he knows intimately. But his biggest takeaway from the weekend came off the water.

"A major takeaway is, if you're going to these international events, and you're being looked up to, you should always do your best to be as nice as possible and reach out to everybody."

It's a lesson Munro will carry into next year's world championships, where he'll be among the first group of athletes to compete in the newly formed U23 category. Last year, in his final season as a junior, he placed ninth in freestyle at the world championships. It's experience he's tried to put toward being a leader in the local paddling community, in a way that sticks close to his personal philosophy.

"I'm one of the older kids in the community, in my group, in slalom and freestyle. I do feel like a bit of a leader in the community for setting an example for what the sport should or can be, because I just try to make it fun."

Munro has been on the water for as long as he can remember, watching and learning how it moves, following the example of his uncle, professional paddler Scott Feindel, and his longtime freestyle coach. That coach, who has worked with Munro alongside Feindel for years, said Munro has now "surpassed our skills," while Simon Coward of AQOutdoors separately coaches him in slalom and kayak cross. In the lead-up to nationals team trials, Munro trained nearly every day, with making the freestyle world team as his main goal. That focus paid off. At the freestyle team trials, held alongside nationals, he posted the highest score of any athlete in the field, ahead of even the U23 and senior men's and U23 paddlers, which happened to include his coaches Wiebe and Feindel.

"His hard work and athleticism allow him to do things that awe others on the water, but it's also his positivity and welcoming nature that do equally as much to inspire others to improve," said Munro's coach Darrell Wiebe by email.

Canadian athletes led all countries in the medal count at the Pan Am Championships, and Holroyd said hosting events of this scale is part of what's fuelling a broader paddling boom across Alberta, which now has more whitewater clubs per capita than anywhere else in North America.

"The group of kids that he's grown up with get to share in that excitement of his success, and it's a pretty tight-knit community, so they're all super stoked that he's doing well, and they learn from him as well. He's a really good ambassador for youth in the Bow Valley and in Alberta in general."

For Munro, getting to represent where he comes from on the international stage is a highlight.

"It feels great. I feel like I'm representing the town, and Canada, the best I can, so it's a pretty cool experience."

But even the added weight of representing his country won't change Munro's philosophy to keep it fun. His training regimen over the next year, leading up to the world championships, won't change too much from what he's done his whole life. His approach to training is one many Bow Valley residents will relate to, and helps to make him a perfect representative for the area.

"In the winter, I usually, sometimes I go to the pool and train a bit, but that's like every second week. But I tend to get into ski season and just start skiing. I think it's always good to take a break in the winter, and it gives you appreciation of how much you like the sport."