White-water rafting
For those who love rafting, falling, or flying, there are businesses everywhere trying to satisfy people’s need for thrill.
RiverRun Rafting and Wilderness Resort, open from May until the end of August, offers white-water rafting on the Ottawa River.
Its customers vary in age from 28 to 78 years old, according to Adam McCarrell, the senior trip leader and marketing office representative.
“Whether it’s family trips, university buddies, wedding groups, bachelor or bachelorette parties, we see every age group here,” McCarrell said.
RiverRun Rafting has safety guides who accompany each raft, which differentiates them from other rafting companies.
“These safety guides are all well-trained, and are known for doing more extreme things depending on which type of raft you’re on,” McCarrell said.
Those looking for an extreme thrill may opt for the “Garburator” and “Greyhound bus eater” rafts.
“The reason why it’s called white-water rafting is because of the way the water looks when it’s flipping around at high speeds,” McCarrell said. “Also because it sounds way more exciting than just ‘rafting.’”
The white-water rafting business was started in 1980, when the owner, Margaret Maloney, fell in love with the sport.
“It was a great business opportunity because in that time, people were doing a lot outside, which made it a booming time for outdoor adventure business,” McCarrell said.
“Ottawa was chosen as the best location, because it’s not too far from other major cities, and is world-renowned as one of the best white-water rivers in Ontario.”
RiverRun Rafting also has other calming rafts and rides. There are also business partnerships between RiverRun Rafting and a ziplining company.
This allows customers that are interested in both ziplining and white-water rafting, the possibility to experience both sports with a purchase of a “weekend package.”
“We will do the bookings for you, and also offer meals, accommodations and camping,” McCarrell said.
The Great Canadian Bungee
Although rafting seems dangerous enough, the Great Canadian Bungee specializes in the thrill of falling off a 61-metre cliff.
It’s located in what’s called “The Rock” at Morrison’s Quarry, between Farm Point and Wakefield, Que.
The Great Canadian Bungee offers the “biggest bungee jump in North America,” according to Nick Steers, the company’s general manager.
Customers also get the option about whether they want to “splash down,” which means to dip into the water during their jump.
“No other company does that,” Steers said.
The company was established in 1990, when bungee jumping started to be recognized as a new sport.
“At the time, it was going to be a revolutionary idea and was a huge novelty,” Steers said. “What they were trying to do was bring a new sport to the area.”
These days, the Great Canadian Bungee is open from the end of April to the end of October.
During their six-month season, they tend to draw in around 10,000 customers.
“Originally, when we started 20 years ago, we would get 1,000 jumps,” Steers said. “But now, we can do 200 jumps in one day.”
As for customers, the Great Canadian Bungee mostly attracts adrenaline junkies who are 18 to 25 years old. But individuals who don’t fit that demographic also show up from time to time.
“We get a whole diverse amount of customers — all different shapes and sizes,” Steers said.
Since 1995 when the Great Canadian Bungee Jump installed Canada’s first zipline, this activity has also been a popular one for customers.
Aptly named “ripride,” this 309-metre long experience isn’t for the faint of heart — it can get up to speeds of almost 100 km/hour.
They have also been associated with Esprit Rafting, a white-water rafting company, for 18 years. Amongst all of that, there are two companies that branch off from the Great Canadian Bungee: “Bungee Consultants International” and “Bungee Athletics.”
The first branch is a consulting company specializing in the field.
“This branch travels internationally, teaching bungee safety standards, rescue courses and manufactures all of the equipment,” Steers said.
Bungee Athletics is a new company that deals with bungee cords in athletic training.
“The Ottawa Senators and Montreal Canadiens use our jumping cords to train by attaching them to their waist to cause resistance.”
There really is more to this well-established company than just a thrilling jump, as the Great Canadian Bungee Jump works with many other sports teams, associates, and businesses and also deals with safety standards.
“There is more than one reason why we are known for being the tallest, fastest and strongest bungee jump,” Steers said.
The Nest
Unlike a regular thrill-seeking business, Siamak Mardani, the owner and creator of the Nest, describes his creation as “more of a hobby.”
The Nest is where someone who’s interested in hang gliding and flying the “ultralight trike,” an air recreation vehicle with a seat, can get into contact with Mardani to satisfy that interest.
This business started through Mardani’s love of flying.
“It was something I’ve always wanted to do, and there was nobody here doing it,” he said.
Mardani learned to operate a hang glider and the ultralight trike 25 years ago in Toronto. Then he got the idea of bringing it back to Ottawa.
“It’s definitely a lot more dangerous than bungee jumping or rafting,” Mardani said. “Those are controlled sports, whereas flying is a lot more expensive and needs a lot more training.”
A mountainous location is needed to make the most of this experience — something that Ottawa doesn’t have.
“Ottawa is not the best place for this, but it’s a passion I have rather than an interest in the business, so I wanted to keep the support alive,” he said.
Only about two or three people go up and fly through Mardani’s business each year. The reason for this is the large amount of training people must receive before they can go up in the air.
About 200,000 people participate in this hobby, but having another business going on while supporting this one is essential due to the danger element involved, Mardani said.
Although flying was once considered impossible, if you’re a thrill seeker Mardani said “whatever you have a passion for, you can achieve.”
