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Playspot: Canada, Alberta, Athabasca River, Fraser, Beckers Hole

What's it like

Beckers Hole is a great feature that will be there at most lower flows. Its season is generally a couple weeks in May and June, then most of August, September, and October. July usually flushes the wave. It's a park and play spot with no real dangers besides the cold (read COLD) water. There is a good long eddy on river left.

The spot various from a crashy wave with a foam pile to a sticky hole with a rather deep trough. It always has a fair bit of power and can induce some interesting rides. All the newer hole moves are possible, as are most wave moves. Beckers is especially good for trying stuff like loops since it's powerful and fairly sticky.

How to get there

By car, go to Jasper, Alberta. From there you're about 5 minutes away. Heading south from Jasper on highway 93, you will reach Becker's Chalets. Just past the turn to enter the hotel, you will see the river right beside the road (down a steep bank) and you will also see an unoffical pullout on the other side of the road (on the river side). Park here. There is a well used seal launch down the steep bank. Launch into the river. If Beckers is going, there are also a few good waves here as the river makes a sweeping right turn. It then makes a left, and this is where you will find the hole. If you pass all the chalets, you have gone to far. When you're tired carry up along the trails over the property of the chalet (they let us do this so show them respect) back to your car.

More info

Feel free to contact Spencer Cox (see below) for water levels or other info.

Locals

Only friendly locals, tourists along the river bank mainly. There is some whitewater rafting on the river, but not enough to even really notice. JRT runs 25 foot 25 person rafts, so you'd better make way for those, they can really hurt.

Info sources

[mail address protected from spambots with javascript] , KayakWest. Phone: +1 780 852 8733.
All pictures on this page courtesy of Eddy Wong.