Ice no hindrance to rowing

By Melissa Bray

Taking rowing to the extreme in the 21st century, Canada has found a way to continue to row through the winter – on the ice. But this is no new Generation X phenomenon, the sport has existed since the 1940s as an extension of family rivalries in the transportation business.

Before areas of Quebec developed the bridges that they have today across the St Lawrence River (and other forms of transport), rowing boats used to act as a taxi service in winter across the water and ice. Often these boats were fishing boats in the summer that doubled as taxi boats through the winter months. As the need for taxis began to die out, ice canoeing, as it came to be called, turned more into a sport.

The season has just finished for passionate ice canoeist Eric Fraser. Fraser trains all year round for the short winter ice canoeing season and he has watched the sport develop in interest and equipment technology.

Now the racers are dressed in ultra-marathon suits, leggings and leather mitts with one inch long ice crampons on their feet. “These leggings keep the legs warm as splashing water ices up all over your body,” says Fraser who thinks nothing of racing in minus 35 degrees Celsius temperatures, avoiding falling shards of ice and navigating between icebergs. Hyperthermia is another of the racing hazards.

“The goal is speed and agility,” says Fraser. “It is a sport where rowing and running comes together. When the boat comes onto the ice the racers quickly store the oars and push the boat on the ice.”

The boat of five team members is divided by individual skills ranging from strength and stamina to the navigation skills of the skipper. “People can stick at the sport for a long time because of the nature of it,” says Fraser describing how the navigation experience of a skipper can mean they are valuable to a crew regardless of their age.

“What makes this sport so special is that each team chooses its own path through the ice maze, sometimes around, on top or through,” describes Fraser. “A bad decision can make a huge difference in time during a race.”

The sport is still very localised around Quebec City with the odd team coming from France, Chicago or Calgary.

Ice canoeing website: www.canotaglace.org/   

The World Rowing team values feedback