Kayakers brave 20-metre Quebec waterfall

In the eddies before his kayak took a 20-metre vertical plunge, there was a lot going throughRaphael Boudreault-Simard's mind.

He was trying to visualize his hip movements, the angle of entry, the movements of his paddle. But as the kayak edgedcloser to the lip of the waterfall ontheSaut--la-PuceRiver, he enteredwhat psychologists call a "state of flow."

"As soon as you enter the current, and you're committed, then everything [in your mind]clears up," Boudreault-Simard said.

"It's a moment of pure flow really, you're in the zone ... You take the plunge and thentwo, three seconds later you resurface. And hopefully you're still in your kayak."

Quebec Connection kayakers

8 years ago

Duration 0:59

Kayakers go over a waterfall on the Saut--la-Puce River

The Quebec connection

Boudreault-Simard is part of a group of expert kayakersin Quebec who tookadvantage of a heavy rainfall earlier this weekaround Quebec Cityto execute whatto somewould appearlike an act of madness.

These kayakers, known as the Qubec Connection, annually attemptto goover the Saut--la-Puce River's 67-foot waterfall in their kayaks.

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The group uses drones and GoPro cameras to film their exploitsas part of an attempt to draw attention to whitewaterrafting in Quebec.

"There is so much potential and not many people around the globe are aware of that,"Boudreault-Simard said. "It's just starting. Over the last two, three years Quebec has had more fame."

The kayakers who tackled theSaut--la-Puce waterfallwhich is located nearChteau-Richer, northeast of Quebec Cityall have experience with Class V river difficulty, includingviolent rapids and vertical drops.

All about preparation

Extensive preparation goes into kayaking over a waterfall. The team scouts the area extensively beforehand, taking note of water levels, currents and rocks.

They also all have a high degree of medical training, and members are in place at the bottom of the waterfallshould anything go wrong.

"They're have been a lot of accidents and it hasreally opened our eyes about taking care of your friends,"Boudreault-Simard said.

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The strategy for going over safely, he says, is angling the kayak downwardin order to penetratethe cascade of water. That allows the kayaker to avoid an overly intense impact.

If the kayak, however, lands on its belly, the impact can be strong enough to break the kayaker's back.

Even when it's executedperfectly, though, nothing quite prepares you for the landing,Boudreault-Simardsaid.

"The impact is always a bit of a surprise," he said. "You never really know what's going to happen. Hopefully you come up with a smile on your face."

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