Exclusive interview with awards mastermind Patrick Camblin. The first ever Rider of the Year Awards honour the best paddlers, expeditions, photographers, films, tricks, drops and carnage as chosen by 100 of the world's top boaters.

Visit Rideroftheyear.org to check out some of the contenders so far, nominate a paddler for the Rider of the Year or Expedition awards, or submit your own video clip to be considered by the jury for Best Trick, Best Drop, Downriver Trick, Best Line or Carnage. Nominations and submissions are being accepted until February 25.

RAPID caught up with Patrick Camblin to find out what inspired this event and what to expect after the winners are announced in early March.

What inspired these awards?

Mostly what inspired these awards was just the knowledge that so many of the incredible things that happen in our sport never gain an audience — I wanted to do something that might help change that. Back in the day, the Big Gun Show was an event that got people excited, showcased progression, and gave boaters a platform to get more support. That event stopped over 4 years ago and it was time for something to take its place.  I used the Big Gun Show as the baseline for what I wanted this event to be, and then looked to what other sports did to elevate their leaders and innovators into a position where they could broaden their reach, and then tried to tailor what I found to boating.  

Who is involved in putting this together?

Something of this magnitude obviously requires a great deal of support to make it happen. We have over 100 of the world’s best boaters lending their time to act as peer judges for the event, and we’ve had many boaters submit clips, nominations, photos, etc. I’ve also had many hours of help from Dustin Barker and Traverse Davis who have laboriously taken my direction and developed the website for the awards (check out their website at www.brightcrow.ca). Oh yeah,  I have started paying Benny [Marr] two bucks for each clip he edits for the site… Ultimately though, it’s me trying to tie this thing together.  

Who are some of the pro boaters on the jury?

What makes these awards great is that they are peer judged. The judges are boaters who have performed to the highest level in their discipline, whether that is in competition or in exploration. Having such passionate, experienced and revered boaters deciding the winners of this event is something I’m really proud of, and something I hope all winners will be proud of as well.  We have an incredible and eclectic mix of the world’s top boaters represented on the jury — gold medalists in slalom, freestyle and boatercross, explorers and pioneers, legends and lesser known rippers, and some of the kids that will be shaping the sport’s future.  Overall there are over 15 countries represented. A few well known names on the jury: Steve Fisher, Willie Kern, Rush Sturges, Arnd Schaeftlein, Tyler Bradt, Ron Fischer, Evan Garcia, Allan Ellard, John Grace, Nick Troutman, Andrew Holcombe, Eric Jackson…

How many entries have you received?

So far there are about 75 entries.

Do you have any personal favourites so far?

There are a lot of great clips and entries… Check them out and decide for yourself!

How are you getting the word out about the Rider of the Year awards?

The web is the fastest way to reach people so I’ve tried to have a solid web presence.  We have a few websites that get a lot of traffic and a well-participated facebook page (facebook.com/triberiders).  I’ve been in contact with all the judges, who have been a big help with word of mouth about the event.  I’ve also been in contact with all of the major paddling publications [like RAPID] looking for help to get the word out.

The website looks great…can you tell us about designing it?

I had a pretty specific idea of how I wanted the site to look and how I wanted it to function but when it comes to coding I’m useless. Big thanks to Dustin and Traverse again for all their expertise and help with bringing the vision to fruition.

Is there an awards ceremony? Prizes?

Because this is the event’s first year, we are starting small (as in, no prizes other than the honour of being put on a pedestal by your peers). There may be an awards ceremony at the summer Outdoor Retailer show but that hasn’t been decided yet. Regardless, this event isn’t about money or prizes; it’s about getting people excited about whitewater and highlighting the best in our sport.   

Do you have other tie-in events or content planned for the future?

This will be an annual event, so look for it again in the 2nd half of 2010. I’m also planning a big event for 2011 that I’m really excited about. You can catch a teaser for that event in the extras of the soon-to-be-released Dream Result Movie. [Ed. note: The Dream Result trailer is also part of Rapid Media's Reel Paddling Film Festival World Tour].

Check out Patrick's other websites:

triberiders.ca
stakeoutmovie.com

Images Courtesy Patrick Camblin