At the age of 14, I had started whitewater kayaking and met Bob that same summer. Because of him, I was able to experience the whitewater of the Tatshenshini and Tutshi Rivers right away. Bob was a teacher, a confidant, an encourager, a role model, a mentor, and a best friend. Great mentors intervene, and during my high school days, he influenced me to ‘smarten up’, and to focus on getting through it.
At age 15, I began guiding rafts during the summer. Dubbed, ‘Young Ben’, I spent almost every weekend with Bob on the Tatshenshini River. I was eager to be on the river and often got him and others to wake up early for a kayak run before the rafting commenced. I slept on PFD’s in the back of a school bus in those days. The smell of wet neoprene instantly takes me back to these fond memories.
At age 16, Bob invited me to Chile. Getting the Principal and staff at F.H. Collins to agree to release me (a poor performer) for four weeks was a challenge, but my parents and Bob supported me, and the school made concessions to allow for it. I went off to Chile for four weeks, to paddle the Bio Bio River. An amazing experience.
Bob became such an important person in my life, that my parents made him my official ‘God Father’. It was his guidance and expectations that guided me to graduate grade twelve with honours!
Whitewater, and Bob, will forever be a part of my life and I continue his legacy by teaching and mentoring others.
