PADDLER 14
Interview : Peter Tranter Photos : Caleb Roberts & Dan Sutherland Canadian Benny Marr , known as Ben , needs no introduction to those of you into the art of extreme whitewater kayaking . As part of the Grand Inga Project team , the first kayak descent of the Inga Rapids in the Democratic Republic of Congo , he received the 2013 National Geographic Adventurers of the Year award alongside fellow paddlers Steve Fischer and Rush Sturges . Other extreme kayaking projects include expeditions to Papua New Guinea with Ben Stookesberry , Chris Korbulic and Pedro Leiva for the first descent of the Beriman Gorge . Take it away , Ben …
PADDLER 14
A chat with … Ben
MARR
Interview : Peter Tranter Photos : Caleb Roberts & Dan Sutherland Canadian Benny Marr , known as Ben , needs no introduction to those of you into the art of extreme whitewater kayaking . As part of the Grand Inga Project team , the first kayak descent of the Inga Rapids in the Democratic Republic of Congo , he received the 2013 National Geographic Adventurers of the Year award alongside fellow paddlers Steve Fischer and Rush Sturges . Other extreme kayaking projects include expeditions to Papua New Guinea with Ben Stookesberry , Chris Korbulic and Pedro Leiva for the first descent of the Beriman Gorge . Take it away , Ben …
Before we start , some paddlers may have been living in a cave for many years , so please tell us a little about yourself , your family background , etc . I grew up in Southeastern Ontario , Canada . My dad and his sister were born in the UK . My dad ’ s two younger brothers were born in Ontario after the family moved to Ontario , where my Grandfather grew up . My sister and I grew up in a house my parents built down the road from my Gran and Grandfather ’ s house .
So when did you first start kayaking , and what specifically got you hooked on WW kayaking ? My dad ’ s family often went for summer canoe trips . My dad took me , my sister , our cousins , and sometimes friends on flatwater trips through Algonquin Park . There are two major tributaries to the Ottawa River , the Madawaska and Petawawa , and headwater there . They are both major tributaries to the Ottawa River . So eventually , we encountered whitewater , which led to more and more time on the Madawaska River at Palmer Rapids and Madawaska Kanu Centre . I could paddle with some other kids and take weekend courses before my dad and I struck out to run the middle channel of the Ottawa River .