Overview

A two Week Youth Kayak Camp focused on whitewater – Freestyle, Slalom, Creeking, Tripping and Whitewater Rescue Training. The mission? to build positive, skilled, and ethical leaders in the whitewater community.

Whitewater Riders was founded in 2013 by Katrina Van Wijk, to teach technical skills, outdoor education, and team dynamics to teens who love whitewater and want to take their skills to the next level. Youth will eddy out of this program with new skills, new kayaking buddies, greater awareness of river safety and memories to last a lifetime.

Who is this Course for?

ONTARIO: Youth Aged 12 to 18 with Intermediate Whitewater Kayaking Skills who are able to maneuver confidently down Class III whitewater and have a consistent combat roll on the river.

BC: Youth Aged 14 to 18 with Advanced Whitewater Kayaking Skills who are able to maneuver confidently down Class III+/IV whitewater and have a consistent combat roll on the river.

Itinerary

*The rivers dependant on water levels.

Course Location

ONTARIO:

The Youth Kayak Camp begins at Madawaska Kanu Centre on the Madawaska River, an excellent location to learn river rescue, and to practice eddy hopping in creek boats. The slalom course at MKC is the ideal location to fine-tune techniques and work on precise boat placement. Combining these skills, the Riders head to the Upper Petawawa for steeper ledges and chutes in their creek boats.

The weekend is spent on a kayak trip learning essential wilderness skills, trip preparation, navigation, rescue, outdoor cooking and remote trip dynamics. The last week is hosted at our sister company, OWL Rafting, where the teens will play on the big waves of the Ottawa River to finish off their two weeks with a healthy dose of freestyle fun and river running!

 

BC:

Working our way up the sea-to-sky corridor we will be kayaking daily on local classics such as: the Squamish, Mamquam, Cheakamus, Elaho, Ashlu, Callaghan, and the Lions Bay drainage ditch. Then hopping over a valley to the Gun and Bridge Rivers, finishing with the local Revelstoke classics.  This ‘road trip’ style camp will be staying at scenic campsites, usually at the take-out or put-in of the days river.

Cost

Ontario

$2999

Includes: 12 days of kayaking and rescue instruction, meals, camping accommodation, multi-day river trip and transportation to the various rivers.

Does not include: Camping Gear, Kayak & Gear rental, Airport Shuttles & HST

British Columbia

Enquire for pricing

Includes: 8 days of kayaking and rescue instruction, meals, camping accommodation, multi-day river trip and transportation to the various rivers.

Does not include: Camping Gear, Kayak & Gear rental, Airport Shuttles & HST

Kayak Rentals

$21/day for either Creek or Freestyle boats. Slalom rentals are included. Please let us know if bringing any of your own boats & gear.

Accommodation + Meals

This is all included in the price of the camp.

MKC Accommodation | Included

There are boys and girls dorm rooms, with a Rider coach near by.

OWL Accommodation | Included

Cozy cabins in our own designated area at the OWL beachfront resort.

Car Camping | Included

Most of the BC camp will be on the road, staying at beautiful BC Rec sites are the put-ins or take-outs of the rivers we are running.

Testimonials

BC Rider’s was an unforgettable adventure. It’s hard to know whether the scenery, the new experiences, the exceptional instruction or the people most defined the two weeks. It definitely sparked a new found love for where paddling can take you

Maddie Long

Whitewater riders is an amazing program that helped me progress so much as a young kayaker and learn to be a well rounded paddler! The things you learn on and off the river are life skills that will stick with you forever.

Casey Williams

My highlights were the loop I got on my second attempt, and being with my friends again, and great instructors. They were excellent! Knowledgeable, encouraging, and fun.

Wyatt C-B

Want to be a Whitewater Rider?

ON: July 22 – August 2, 2024

BC: Enquire for dates

Book Now

We can’t wait to have you as part of the team!

5 Days

Week of Rivers

We want to share our favourite rivers with you during five days of kayaking or canoeing our region's best whitewater!

Intermediate
Advanced

$1355 / Per person

COURSE DETAILS
5 Days

Family Week

Enjoy your next family vacation learning whitewater kayaking or canoeing at MKC! A truly uplifting getaway for the whole family!

Intermediate
Advanced

$1030 / Per person

COURSE DETAILS
5 Days

Ottawa River Instruction

Kayak the famous Ottawa River with the people who know the river best! River running or freestyle – your choice!

Intermediate
Advanced

$1030 / Per person

COURSE DETAILS

Reviews

5 star ratingWhite water rafting Brilliant fun from start (jumping from a bridge into the river) to the end (flipping the raft)
Easily the best activity of our 2 week holiday in Ontario.
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simon o Avatar
simon o
8/03/2023
5 star ratingA great week at MKC I have been to MKC many times over the years, and it is a fabulous way to spend a weekend or a week. I did the 5 day kayaking course with my daughter and granddaughter this year. The instruction at MKC is some of the best you will find anywhere in the world. The facilities are beautiful. It is set in a wooded area of north east Ontario. August is a great time to attend because the water is warm, and not a lot of bugs. July may be a bit warmer, , and early September in this area can be very beautiful, and the water is still warm. May and June in this area can be a bit buggy so come prepared if you are going in the early summer.

The river is dam fed from a top release dam, so the conditions are consistent and the water warm-- no need for dry suits-- I think the water was around 80 degrees this past week. The river itself is probably a class 2-3 river, but has some good technical lines for more advanced paddlers.

MKC is great at accommodating all levels of paddlers. I have gone with paddlers who have never been in white water, or a kayak for that matter, and by the end of the week, they are running the river with confidence. I have been doing white water kayaking for around 30 years, and I still learn something new every time I go. More importantly, I have fun with both the family I bring and the staff at the facility.

The business is now being managed by the founder's granddaughter. It is a third generation business. Stefi holds true to her grand parents and parents vision of a top notch teaching facility, but at the same time brings her own touches and personality to the operation. Since Stefi has starting running MKC, I have notice some really nice changes to the facilities, and the food is excellent-- I am vegetarian and really enjoyed the vege dishes. Lots of good looking meat dishes for those who like them. The staff all seem to be very happy and excited to be doing what they are doing. They clearly have a solid team that makes every part of the experience excellent.

There are various packages available. You can camp and do your own meals if you are on a budget. They have bunk style rooms for groups, and individual rooms for individuals and couples. There are also several screen walled cabins up in the bush that I love-- feels like camping but with a real bed and no wet tent to deal with when you get home. The accommodations are not fancy, but clean and comfortable. The chalet where meals are served and where people gather is beautiful. If you have kayaks (or canoes if that is what you are doing) you can use your own equipment or rent from MKC. There equipment is top of the line.

Price wise, I view it as an all inclusive vacation with the added benefit of instruction. It is a lot less money that you would pay for an all inclusive vacation pretty much anywhere else, and you are building skills and great memories.
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Chris C Avatar
Chris C
8/13/2023
5 star ratingAdventure Rafting Great day adventure rafting with friends and family. From bridge jumping, surfing, flipping the raft and the laughs in between. Thanks to our guide Tatiana for an entertaining 2 hours.
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Sherpa57752201563 Avatar
Sherpa57752201563
8/05/2023
November 17th 10am - 6pm EST

Early bird sale.

20% OFF

all 2 and 5 day MKC kayak and canoe programs. Includes Yoga Week, Slalom Week, Week of Rivers, Women’s Week and Weekend, Family Weeks and Weekends, Senior’s Week, Kayak and canoe instructor courses

Must place deposit to receive discount. We cannot combine discounts.

early bird sale heron
March 4th - 8th 2024

10% off

5 day kayak + canoe courses

5% of all revenue from this week is donated to your choice of three organizations

We are forever grateful for the support we continually receive from our communities. To say a small thanks, we want to give back.