The Global Paddling Community

Playak recently had the opportunity to find out a little more about 4 Time Canadian National Champion Tyler Curtis. This is a quick look into some details on one of Canada 's leading kayakers.

• Name: Tyler Curtis
• Age: 28
• Location: Canada
• Sponsors: Wave Sport, Level Six, Aquabound, Oakley, Sweet

A little personal information?
I was born and raised on the shores of the Ottawa River. As a youngster I grew up in the town of Beachburg, but once my parents realized I was a river addict they purchased a large piece of land around the corner from McKoy's Chute (host to the 1997 World Championships) in 1995. This has been my backyard playground since that exciting day.

My family is extremely supportive of my desire to pursue kayaking as a focus and do anything possible to aid in my quest.

How long have you been boating?
I have been paddling since the age of 11. This puts me in my 17 th year of paddling.

What hooked you on the sport?
After my first time experiencing whitewater I knew I had found something unique, something that I could focus my time and energy on, and enjoy learning. The whitewater had sparked something in me. I became fascinated with everything about whitewater and the positive people involved. The sport of kayaking became my world and gave my life some sort of direction. It gave me the opportunity to travel, compete, and make a little money.

Do you have any mentors within the whitewater industry? If so, who?
With out the likes of Dan Norman, Benoit Gauthier, and the Nates I might not be a kayaker today. To this I owe a lot. However, my major influence comes from Ken Whiting. Ken is an inspiration to all kayakers and I am fortunate to have him as a friend, fellow paddler and coach. As Ken's protégé he gave me guidance and provided me with opportunities to advance myself as a kayaker. Thanks Ken.

What keeps you busy in the Canadian off-season?
I like to think that I don't have an off-season but rather spend the Canadian winter traveling to Chile and the Rio Futaleufu. I have just recently published a guide book on the Rio Futaleufu called ‘Futaleufu Whitewater' to share with everyone what the greatest destination river in the world is all about. I am also the general manager for a kayak vacation company called KayakFu who run guided/instructional trips on the Futaleufu.

What's your most memorable river?
My most memorable river would have to be the Four Thousand Islands region above Khone Falls on the Mekong River in Laos . The Mekong River is very rich with history, diverse culture, and contains many channels and first descents surrounding the picturesque island of Don Kong . I can also say that I have a strong draw to the Rio Futaleufu in Chile . Everyday on this river is a day you will never forget.

Do you prefer big rivers or creeks?
I definitely prefer big rivers. The reason of course… Monster sized play waves for catching big time air. I feel that big waves are allowing paddlers to push the limits of boat design and create new aerial tricks. I also enjoy the adventure in running creeks and rivers.

What's the wildest thing you've ever done?
My University roommate and I decided to host a party entitled “check your pants at the door”. It was a great idea until we had over 30 drunken naked people running around our yard providing a good reason for the police to end the night.

What's the most embarrassing thing you've ever done?
I once tried to give myself a hair cut. Not a good idea!

What car do you drive?
I used to drive a pimpin' 2000 Toyota Tacoma Truck with a sweet set of racks, but after throwing a kickflip on a local dirt road I have now moved onto a Subaru Forester. Sometimes I consider trading it in for an El Camino or a stylish antique of sorts, but think that having a big truck or van to sleep in while on tour would be perfect. Vehicles are endless money pits!

Any great kayaking stories you can share?
Stories? Well maybe a tale from my recent trip to Chile . I just returned from two months on the Futaleufu River and what a trip. During the second week of my trip I was sitting by the fire eating some grub when I was approached by two good looking females, which is rare for Futaleufu. They were associate creative editors from a NYC based magazine called ‘BIG' Magazine. Big Magazine is a very unique artistic impression magazine, which is photo based. Big sent a crew to the Futaleufu valley to collect images of whitewater and remote Patagonia scenery for the Jan.2005 issue. They tracked me down to be a featured kayaker to accompany the other images. I woke super early in the morning ( 6am ) to get picked up for the shoot. They arrived with a Big crew and a Big Land Rover. I climbed up onto the rig and tied my boat down and loaded into the vehicle, ready for action. Not 200 meters down the road a flashy orange colour streaked past the window. Perfect. My boat was lying on the road, gear sprawled everywhere, and I looked like a rookie. After tying my boat back on I came to the realization that I had forgotten my paddle. Nice one. I was well on my way to impressing the whole lot of them. We cruised back for my paddle and the day was underway. I spent the day surfing waves, getting geared up, and weird modeling. They shot over 40 roles of film and I felt like a rock star. The point of the story. If you want to be a rock star, try not to forget your gear.

What motivates you to put so much energy into kayaking?
Kayaking is my passion. I consider myself an athlete with a great opportunity to make the most out of being good at a sport. My passion for kayaking inspires me to paddle to the best of my ability every time I am on the water and I always strive to become better.

What's the most important attribute a competitive kayaker must have to be a champion?
I was once told that the difference between an average athlete and a world champion is ‘peripheral vision'. To me, this explains everything. An individual who visualizes (takes in more of the game) can understand and become Zen with his or her surrounding environment. For this reason, they will always have the edge on the other players.

What are your goals for this season?
My goals for the season are simple. Stay focused on a long-term outlook and enjoy every step of the way. Perhaps staying off the injured list would be a good one as well.

Any advice for novice kayakers?
You can't improve and enjoy kayaking if you aren't on the river. Throw on your wet gear, get on the water, and I hope to see you out there. I'll race ya!

Anything else you'd like to add?
Yes please. Check out my new personal website www.riverplay.ca :-)

Thanks Tyler!

[photos by mariann saether]