Kayaking the Stikine, British Columbia, Canada

Kayaking the Stikine, British Columbia, Canada

Photograph by Barny Young

“I was glad I made it through without getting beat down by this monster,” says kayaker Gerd Serrasolses on paddling these rapids, known as the Hole That Ate Chicago, in the Grand Canyon of the Stikine River in British
Columbia, Canada. Serrasolses did a total of four runs down the canyon
and claimed the second descent of the Site Zed rapids, becoming the second person to run all the rapids on the legendary river. “The Stikine is considered the Everest of kayaking and is one of the best big-water runs in the world,” says Serrasolses. “It offers a three-day trip down one of the most beautiful canyons you can imagine, through wild and untouched nature, with the best rapids you can think of. It's a paradise.
“Most important of all though, I had a great time with all my friends and discovered one of my favorite runs of all time!” Serrasolses was joined by other members of the Adidas SickLine Team.
Getting the Shot
“I knew that if Gerd swam, he wouldn't be able to get out before V Drive, another of the crux rapids on the Stikine, and only a hundred meters downstream,” recalls professional kayaker and photographer Barny Young. Shooting from a small rocky outcrop along the river, Young was able to get close to the rapids and paddler thanks to a keen understanding of how kayakers navigate rivers such as this. “I anticipated having Gerd in the foreground of the photo punching this huge hydraulic at its weakest point. Instead, he was thrown off-line by a large lateral upstream and dropped into the meat of the hole, backwards,” says Young.
“From a photographic perspective, this frame is great, as the size of Gerd in comparison to the hole gives justice to how big it actually is," says Young. Towering rock walls line the Stikine, drowning out most sunlight before it reaches the canyon’s rushing river. “Often, the lack of sun can be an issue due to the sheer-walled nature of the river. Normally in this situation I would lower my shutter speed to let in more light. On the Stikine, however, the river and subject are moving so fast that this could lead to motion blur, so I find myself lifting my ISO to account for this,” he says.
Young photographed with a Canon 550D and 18-55mm lens.