Interview:
Peter Tranter
Photos:
Caleb Roberts &
Dan Sutherland
A chat with… Ben Marr
Canadian Benny Marr, known as Ben, needs no introduction to those of you into the art of extreme whitewater kayaking. As part of the Grand Inga Project team, the first kayak descent of the Inga Rapids in the Democratic Republic of Congo, he received the 2013 National Geographic Adventurers of the Year award alongside fellow paddlers Steve Fischer and Rush Sturges. Other extreme kayaking projects include expeditions to Papua New Guinea with Ben Stookesberry, Chris Korbulic and Pedro Leiva for the first descent of the Beriman Gorge. Take it away, Ben…
Before we start, some paddlers may have been living in a cave for many years, so please tell us a little about yourself, your family background, etc.
I grew up in Southeastern Ontario, Canada. My dad and his sister were born in the UK. My dad’s two younger brothers were born in Ontario after the family moved to Ontario, where my Grandfather grew up. My sister and I grew up in a house my parents built down the road from my Gran and Grandfather’s house.
So when did you first start kayaking, and what specifically got you hooked on WW kayaking?
My dad’s family often went for summer canoe trips. My dad took me, my sister, our cousins, and sometimes friends on flatwater trips through Algonquin Park. There are two major tributaries to the Ottawa River, the Madawaska and Petawawa, and headwater there. They are both major tributaries to the Ottawa River. So eventually, we encountered whitewater, which led to more and more time on the Madawaska River at Palmer Rapids and Madawaska Kanu Centre. I could paddle with some other kids and take weekend courses before my dad and I struck out to run the middle channel of the Ottawa River.
How do you personally prepare for expeditions – mentally and technically?
The technical side of expedition preparation is a fun game of bringing exactly what you think you need and a few things you do not (extra food, or a book, or a pillow, or a big pillow)—balancing what you need for: the descent, nutrition, rest, and recovery. I enjoy imagining the days and time on and off the river, the weather, and the climate to prepare me and knowing that I am setting myself up for success by choosing ahead where I may need to be tough to save weight and/or that I can look forward to a big chocolate bar to share on night five.
I dig into the satellite imagery to gauge gradients and distances to make a realistic guess on the workload we are facing. Accessing the put-in and getting home from the takeout is just a matter of research on the front end.
When you prepared for an expedition in remote locations, what qualities did you look for in a fellow team kayaker?
I planned and led a remote expedition in the Northwest Territories. I kept the team small and was with people I paddled with often. Importantly, I knew the individuals would choose to solve challenging problems on the river rather than try to get out and walk around our particular objective.
We’ve all watched the extraordinary footage of you running waterfalls, but what goes through your mind as you stare into the abyss, tipping over the lip of a near-vertical waterfall?
Staring down the landing of a tall waterfall with nowhere else to go is spectacular. It was hard for me to gain enough experience and earn the focus and calm to witness and thoroughly enjoy that moment. During my best lines and best waterfall sensations, I am just enjoying the experience while executing the plan I made. I guess the answer is the plan is going through my mind while I try to soak in the fleeting sensations.
Have you ever feared any particular river or waterfall?
At this point, with hindsight, experience, and age, I am finding it interesting to go back and re-process situations, decisions, and rivers. But I can’t think of a way to answer this question other than yes; there are many rivers and many drops. No, I haven’t approached a river in ‘fear’, and yes, I have ‘feared’ waterfalls and drops.
What was your biggest wipeout?
I ran a large cascade in Quebec called Chutes de St. Ursule. I made various mistakes in the approach and the descent, including not realising a substantial drop in the water level. I made it through with a hold down in a small cave or indentation in the bedrock and a swim over a 60-foot sliding drop.
You’re clearly one of the paddlers of this generation. Which paddlers from the past would you have loved to have paddled with?
I was able to paddle with many of the generation a bit older than me. Nico Chassing is a kayaker I would have loved to watch and learn from on the river in person.
Is there anywhere in the world that you want to keep going back repeatedly?
I have been in a pattern for a while. And I love that. But there are a few places I have gone to once where I swore I would never stop going, year after year, and that I would find a way to live there, but I only went once (Ish). That is a more interesting answer because I love going to the Ottawa River or up into Quebec. I adore the rivers and community in British Columbia and feel so at home in White Salmon, WA.
I could live in Africa on the banks of the Nile (I wish) or close to the Zambezi, and now I am living as close as possible to the Futaleufu in Chile. But the places I travelled to, swore I would return to and have not are Colombia, Ecuador, and Mexico. Though I spent a few trips in Mexico, the others I was sure I would locate there, and I did not.
With all the expeditions you have undertaken, it’s a tough call, but does one pop up as a favourite of yours?
They always kept getting better. One of my favourites was a long mission in British Columbia with Ben Stookesberry and Chris Korbulic. I was able to jump in at the last minute after healing up a biking injury. We didn’t paddle much, but it was a long and incredible journey through grand mountains.
If you had to choose one last thing you wanted to achieve within WW paddling before giving it up, what would that be?
There is a big rapid in Quebec that I would love to run. I call it the Neverending Story. It is a one-kilometre long mega rapid.
You’re big on food intake and the balance needed to get the best from your body. What’s a typical food day for Ben Marr?
I am all over the place all the time. I cannot, at this stage, claim any long-term health balance. I have spent time on either end of the health spectrum. My reputation is healthier than my reality. I am not afraid to dip into indulgence and spend some time there, but I have also spent a lot of time very intentionally eating and hydrating. I can be delighted with the quality of a day out performance-wise with either, but one feels much better!
Can you talk about your training, cold showers, yoga, etc? Who/what keeps you motivated?
I often get into cold water when it is accessible and when I am sore. The same goes for yoga. I use it as a tool, and when I have a great space and time to practice, I will do much more of that. I hired a trainer for a year once, and the results were great, but typically, I try to get on a river as often as possible.
Has anyone in the sporting/paddling world influenced you?
Far too many to list.
What’s the one river you haven’t paddled that would be on your bucket list?
I have come across a handful of sections on Google Earth or that friends have shared with me. India is my next bucket list destination.
Name just one thing we can do as paddlers to improve our environment.
Keep an eye out for and pick up micro trash even if you don’t have anywhere to put it immediately.
Is there any one piece of advice you would give to a young paddler just starting out in WW kayaking?
Enjoy. Go to the Ottawa River to hone your skills in the most fun and perfect training environment.
Quickfire questions:
If you could paddle with anyone in the world, dead or alive, who would it be?
Bren Orton.
Pick two celebrities to be your parents…
Regan and James Byrd.
Which famous person would you most like to see play you in a film?
Dane Jackson.
An ideal night out for you is?
With James and Regan.
What one luxury item would you take with you on a desert island?
Kindle.
What would I find in your fridge right now?
Fruits, veggies, beer, non-alcoholic beer, condiments, cheese, normal stuff?
What would you prepare for us if we came to your house for dinner?
Milanesas and Potatoes with salad (I am in Argentina).
What is the most boring question you are often asked?
If I am scared when I am kayaking.
If you could be a superhero for one day, what superpower would you choose and why?
Time travel plus high-speed flying so I could scout rivers around the world, and I could scout sections of rivers before they were damned.
Are there any final shout-outs?
Thanks for the questions! Shout out to you!
