Vancouver Summer Paddle Series Kicks Off

The Big Chop Summer Paddle Series is a 10 race series based out of Vanier Park in Vancouver, BC. Since the first race launched in 2007, the series has grown to become one of the largest multi-boat paddle races in Canada. The Big Chop is open to SUP, surfskies, outriggers, kayaks and canoes, and the emphasis is on fun and inclusivity with a hint of friendly competition. Line up on the start line under the Burrard Street Bridge with the setting sun in your face and the warm summer breeze on your back. After paddling the scenic course at your own pace, be sure to stay for a cold drink, hotdogs and for the chance to win draw prizes. The first race kicks off tonight, Thursday May 9, and the series continues every second Thursday to mid-September. New this year, the final race will be held on a Saturday (September 14) and be called the “Super Chop”—the distances will be longer (3, 7 and 15 kilometers) and the post-race party will include a BBQ, live band, beer and prize giveaway. Organizers are expecting 300 paddlers on the start line, making the Super Chop the largest multi-boat paddle race in Canada. Additional race details and registration links can be found at www.bigchop.ca.

Danny Mongno to Join Team Kokatat

Kokatat has a long history of sponsoring some of paddling’s most influential and iconic athletes. In May, the brand welcomes paddling instructor and Werner ambassador Danny Mongno to Team Kokatat. Mongno has been heavily involved in paddlesports since his introduction to kayaking at the age of 18. Now 40, he is a full-time Werner Paddles employee and travels the world teaching clinics that help athletes improve their paddling skills. Mongno’s industry experience adds another level of expertise and capabilities to Kokatat’s athlete program. “We’re excited to have Danny on our team and representing us at all the kayaking events he attends throughout the year,” says Jeff Turner, Sales and Design Manager with Kokatat. To learn more about Mongno and Kokatat’s complete roster of athletes and ambassadors, visit www.kokatat.com/team.

Bamboo… Miracle Material

It seems like you can find just about anything made from bamboo these days, from sports bras, paddles and bicycles, to furniture and flooring. Two cool new products made from this versatile, renewable material are Grass Racks‘ sport racks and SOLO Eyewear’s polarized Noliawood sunglasses.

Since launching in November 2012, Grassracks is ready to release its second round of products in time for summer. These Malvern, PA-based board sport enthusiasts have designed a new line of bamboo racks that cater to storing and displaying bikes, boards and skis. But we think they’d look even better draped with paddles! Meanwhile, San Diego-based SOLO Eyewear plans to debut a polarized collection, featuring SOLO’s signature bamboo arms, this May. Like all of SOLO’s collections, the polarized line is handcrafted and made with recycled bamboo. 

This profile originally appeared in Rapid magazine.

Ben Marr was just nine years old when his dad bought him his first boat—a Perception Dancer. Four years later, he was rolling, cartwheeling and splitwheeling a Perception Jib and sitting down with Rapid publisher Scott MacGregor for a Q&A about the Jib in our Summer 2000 issue (“Small People, Small Boats,” page 32).

“I’ve had a long, gradual learning curve,” says Marr, now 24, about his road to becoming one of the world’s top big wave riders. “The Madawaska River trained me and my old man for the Ottawa River’s Middle Channel, and the Middle Channel trained us for the Main. I went from weekend warrior to summer resident.”

An invitation to the 2011 Whitewater Grand Prix gave him the chance to compete against an international who’s who of sponsored paddlers. Marr finished first in all three of the event’s freestyle stages and second overall.

It seems surprising, then, that Marr didn’t attend the recent Freestyle World Championships in Plattling, Germany. “I didn’t try out for the team,” he says. “Wave surfing and competition hole riding are completely different. You wouldn’t see me do well there.”

Behind his modesty is a preference for pushing limits on bigger features rather than smaller, more technical championship venues.

“Everyone was turned on by the Grand Prix,” he says, recognizing the impact that the much-hyped competition promised the whitewater community and his own career. “The format served my style way more than traditional freestyle competition.”

Still, Marr focuses more on having a good time than anything else. Case in point, his signature mullet. “It turns out the boys in the ‘80s were onto something,” he kids. “It’s a hit at parties and a great way to keep hair out of your face.”

He also still spends time on the river with family. This past March, he ran the Ottawa in a tandem kayak with his 83-year-old grandmother.

“My Dad took Gran down the Ottawa in a canoe once. After a flip resulting in a swim, my dad was no longer allowed to put her in such peril—my aunt’s rules. But Gran was keen for another go so I told her I would be happy to bring her down and we wouldn’t have to tell. She was stoked.”

With his performance at the Grand Prix and an international paddling resume that includes surfing many of the world’s most intimidating big waves, Marr seems a shoe- in for big time sponsorship. But pro circuit recognition has so far been elusive. “I would love to get my hands on some sponsorship dollars,” he says. “I would go on way more paddling trips and spend time focusing on racing.” 

 This article originally appeared in Rapid, Summer/Fall 2011. Download our free iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch App or Android App or read it here.