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Kayaking accident claims two

Denis Fontaine, formerly of Whistler, and bike promoter Richard Juryn killed in Howe Sound
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Double Tragedy Denis Fontaine (pictured) and Richard Juryn were experienced backcountry enthusiasts on a training paddle when their boats overturned in rough waters off Howe Sound on Sunday. Photo by Joern Rohde.

A training paddle to Anvil Island and back by a group of adventure racers turned to tragedy on Sunday, when two of four two-person kayaks were capsized by two-metre swells and winds gusting over 80 km/h.

Denis Fontaine, 40, and Richard Juryn, 50, both of North Vancouver, became hypothermic in the water and died Sunday evening in hospital.

The boats were heading back to Porteau Cove around the south end of Anvil Island when the boat carrying Fontaine and his common-law wife Cheryl Beatty flipped over. One boat paddled after Beatty, who was drifting away from the overturned kayak, while the other two boats stayed with Fontaine. Eventually Fontaine climbed into the centre hatch of one of the kayaks to paddle with them to Porteau Cove. That boat, which had Juryn and Graham Tutti aboard, also capsized, dropping the three men into the water.

The last boat decided they couldn’t help the three men, and made a decision to head to Porteau Cove to get help. All of the paddlers wore life jackets, but did not have wetsuits to protect against the frigid waters. Bob Faulkner, who was on the boat that headed to Porteau Cove, believed the three men would attempt to swim back to the island.

Meanwhile the other boat succeeded in rescuing Beatty. She was towed back upwind to Anvil Island, where her rescuers performed CPR. Beatty was hypothermic at that point.

A coast guard hovercraft and two helicopters attended the emergency call, where they found Fontaine and Juryn floating face down in the water. Tutti, the third man who was in the water, was pulled out alive after an hour in the water.

Tutti, Beatty, Fontaine and Juryn were airlifted to the hospital. Attempts were made to revive Fontaine and Juryn at the hospital, but they were declared dead at 5 p.m.

Their deaths came as a blow to the family and friends of the adventurers, both of whom were well-known in the Whistler community.

Fontaine lived in Deep Cove but was frequently in Whistler as a representative for Helly Hansen. Juryn, a married father of two, lived on the North Shore where he was an effective advocate for mountain biking through the years. He was also active in organizing events in Whistler through his company, Shore Events.

Grant Lamont knew both men and was shocked by the tragedy.

“It’s been a pretty bad weekend for everybody. Denis was a really good buddy, a really great guy, and he should be sitting here right now having a beer and telling stories,” said Lamont.

“Richard had two children and a good head on his shoulders, and had the energy of a guy half his age. They were on opposite ends of the scale when they did things together — Denis was like the pirate, but Richard had a really solid understanding of what it takes to get things done.”

Lamont was due to meet with Juryn and possibly Fontaine this week to discuss the 2008 B.C. Bike Race.

Both men were passionate skiers, kayakers, and adventure races, but the sport they both excelled in was mountain biking.

“Both of them were really solid riders, and for a little skinny guy Richard was a pretty tough competitor. I know they’ll be missed out there,” Lamont said.

Juryn was a staunch advocate for biking on the North Shore, and worked with the city of North Vancouver to allow trails and reign in rogue trail building. In recent years he had organized the North Shore World Mountain Bike Festival and Conference, attracting delegates from close to 20 countries to discuss issues related to mountain biking. In 2006 he brought the conference to Whistler, along with the International Mountain Bicycling Association’s annual conference.

Those conferences helped to establish global trail standards, and grow the sport by creating acceptance among local governments for maintaining safe and environmentally sound trail networks.

Through his company he also helped to organize several events in Whistler, including the Crankworx freeride mountain bike festival and its predecessors.

Rob McSkimming, vice president of business development for Whistler-Blackcomb, worked with Juryn for a number of years.

“We’ve worked very closely together over the years, so it’s been a tough week for us,” he said. “He was quite a guy. He did a lot for mountain biking in general, but he was quite involved in the scene here and in Crankworx each of the years we’ve hosted it, and before that in the Summer Gravity Festival. I know I’m going to miss his spirit, his enthusiasm, his willingness to get out and help where he could, and not just because he was being paid to do it — he was passionate about biking.”

During the last Crankworx festival in July, Juryn hosted a slide show of his recent bike trip to Mongolia. He made the trip as a 50 th birthday present to himself, and brought seven friends along for the ride.

Fontaine was an active adventure racer, and competed with Beatty at his side in Mind Over Mountain Adventure Racing events. He was also an enthusiastic snowshoe runner, and a regular participant and contributor to the Yeti Snowshoe Series.

Kevin “Feet” Banks worked beside Fontaine on several movie and photo shoots over the years, and has nothing but fond memories.

“Basically he was the guy who was always stoked, no matter what he was doing. He would be beside you and smiling, and his catchphrase was literally ‘does it get any better than this?’ You would be riding up Blackcomb on the chairlift in August for a shoot and he would be saying ‘this is awesome, does it get any better than this?’

“Always happy, always smiling, nothing ever brought him down, and he always seemed to be having the time of his life. He was kind of a madman, always at full speed, and I know he was really big into adventure racing. We used to talk on breaks, and he’d tell me about his long bike trips, running for 10 hours, all these cool places he’d been.”

In the most recent Cheakamus Challenge he had a great ride, placing 44 th overall in four hours and 12 minutes.

A memorial is being planned this week for both men, and an Oct. 22 slide show on the North Shore will be held as a celebration of their lives. More information will be posted online a www.nsmb.com once the details are confirmed.