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The Ottawa is one piece of amazing whitewater, with always something to offer.

On the bright side

The Ottawa is one amazing piece of whitewater, with always something to offer. The last weeks have been incredible, with huge waterlevels.

The locals spotted a new wave named "Gladiator", in the middle of the long rapid Coloseum, and apparently it was the biggest wave ever surfed on the Ottawa (now, that says quite a bit...).

Tyler Curtis @ Big Bus

Unfortunately by the time I made it down there it had turned more into a crashing, violent thing, which didn't look too fun to surf, and anyways, it being my second time ever going down the rapid I was busy looking for a line through the mess of crashing, surging whitewater.

Marian Big Bus Punch

But then, Bus eater showed us one its best sides, with prime levels for Big Bus for about 3 days.... A big wave in the middle of the river, with a very surging left shoulder, a huge foam pile and some potential for big air time for everyone. Most times the paddlers - including the likes of Tyler Curtis, Ruth Gordon, Marlow Long and Patrick Camblin - were busy frontsurfing and bouncing around, once in a while pulling of that "hell yeah" trick of the session...

Mariann Minibus

Mariann Tow In

When Big Bus is in, Minibus (World Championships 2007) is washed out, but as the water level drops, it slowly forms on the river left side of Big Bus. Before my flight back home to Norway on tuesday it just dropped enough to get some descent surf time, with a lot of "one-hit-wonders" before a major flush down the toiletbowl behind the wave... I spent a few hours out on the wave with Tyler Curtis and Steve Fisher, enjoying my Crazy 88 which surfed like a champoin on the fast, green wave.

Mariann @ Big Bus

It didn't take long though before the boys decided to head upstream, put in and run the meat of the now big hole which used to be Big Bus, but which at that level more deserved its normal name: Bus Eater. I watched Tyler make it through clean, and decided to give it a try... Great fun, and the entertainment of the day was Fisher doing an entry loop...

Big Bus

Have fun, and see you all out there!
Mariann Saether