Winter snows melt as spring rains fall. This combo in eastern Canada each year attracts the world’s best kayakers seeking out big rapids and massive waves.
Stakeout is what whitewater paddlers call this annual pilgrimage. The name comes from putting in the time researching maps and flows of rivers across eastern Canada each year — and then putting in the effort to find new rapids and waves at the perfect flows. These features are not only elusive, but are also fleeting.
Dane Jackson Stakeout 2022
One of the many top paddlers that flock to eastern Canada each year is Dane Jackson, Red Bull athlete and one of the very best whitewater paddlers of all time.
He’s the current Freestyle World Champion, just won the Freestyle World Cup, and is about to go defend his Green Race crown — going for his fifth straight win and the elusive sub-4-minute race run. Not to mention his many expeditionary accomplishments and massive waterfall first descents.
While Jackson travels the globe 8-plus months a year in search of the best whitewater on the planet, those travels bring him back to eastern Canada every year. The whitewater at peak spring runoff is just that good.
Specifically for Jackson and many of his friends, the big waves found nowhere else on the globe are the attraction. These waves open up opportunities for new, innovative, and massive freestyle tricks. Don’t take our word for it, just watch the video.
Runtime: 13 minutes
(Editor’s note: Bonus footage after 10:25 is NSFW due to language)
