06 Oct Andrea Wilson: Ambassador And Queen
Andrea Wilson has been a great inspiration to us and Badger in many facets of life, both as a personal friend and as a professional outdoors person. So not only are we overjoyed at the prospect of Andrea becoming a Badger Ambassador, but we are humbled as well. Andrea and her husband, Hap Wilson are legit icons in the world of wilderness canoeing.
Yet it is only fitting that Andrea become our first official woman ambassador. She was also the first official woman paddle-hider for our popular (and dearly missed) Paddle in the Park Contest. In addition, Andrea was the muse (and subject) of Fiona’s much loved woman portage sign design – she is the literal embodiment of our Portage Queen !
Welcoming Andrea Wilson:
Badger Ambassador, Exporer, Portage Queen
Thus, with decades of memories behind us, we wish to extend the warmest welcome and biggest paddles up ever to Andrea! We do so, not only in gratitude for becoming a Badger Ambassador, but for inspiring those around you with your strength, intelligence, determination, and by living a life of integrity with a marvellous penchant for wilderness adventure.
From our younger days of slogging canoes around for customers, to hiding canoe paddles for the Paddle in the Park Contest, to sharing the Muskoka Woman Of Distinction Gala night… Thank you for your friendship, Andrea, and for digging Badger paddles all these years!
TESTIMONIAL
I have been paddling with a Badger paddle for over a decade. There is a care of craftsmanship that not only makes these paddles aesthetically beautiful, but mine also feels like an extension of my arm as it slips effortlessly through the water. Paddling efficiently is important for the lifestyle my husband, Hap, and I have chosen. Our Badger paddles enable us to commute up and down the Lady Evelyn River with ease as we move supplies and guests to and from Cabin Falls Ecolodge or when we are mapping out new territory for a guidebook. I need a paddle that is strong and lightweight and one that can handle moving and flat water with comfort. Rarely do I change out my Badger paddle for anything else.
Written by: Andrea Wilson, Cabin Falls Ecolodge, Temagami
Our Badger paddles enable us to commute up and down the Lady Evelyn River with ease as we move supplies and guests to and from Cabin Falls Ecolodge or when we are mapping out new territory for a guidebook. I need a paddle that is strong and lightweight and one that can handle moving and flat water with comfort. Rarely do I change out my Badger paddle for anything else.
Dig this: As Hap Wilson’s longtime sweetheart, Andrea is actually the unnamed “young woman” that Hap pines for in the book “Grey Owl and Me”. After this fated parting of ways, they were finally reunited and married in a traditional Scottish wedding on their woodland property in Muskoka, Canada – where they live in the off season.
Andrea Wilson • @CabinFalls
As a young girl, Andrea Wilson used to spend hours steering her cedar canvas boat to her will. Naturally, backcountry canoe trips came next. Indeed, Andrea is no stranger to the trail, becoming a professional Wilderness Guide when she was just a mere teen. She also helped to build the successful SmoothWater Outfitting in the early 90′s along side (her eventual husband) Hap.
Later, Andrea spent many of her summers working in the seasonal paddle sports industry for the canoe builder Swift Canoe, and retailers like Algonquin Outfitters and Northern Lights Canoe & Kayak where she could spend her off-time travelling the backcountry.
Her winters were spent on the slopes and trails as a talented Level 3 Ski Instructor. Clearly, exploration was always in her blood.
Yet Andrea was not only eager to explore the trails and waterways of our natural world. She was also dedicated to exploring the shores of her own mind. Andrea has completed an honours degree in Gerontology (with a specialization in Religious Studies), a degree in Ethics, as well as a Master’s degree in Interdisciplinary Humanities.
In the winters, Andrea can usually be found not far from the side of her loving husband and family at their woodland property in Muskoka. However, you will most likely find her along some water trail whilst portaging her canoe across the famous “Golden Stair Cases” of Lady Evelyn-Smoothwater Provincial Park, or spending time with the clients and guests at their one-of-a-kind Cabin Falls EcoLodge in Temagami.
Follow Andrea and Hap and their countless adventures on Instagram and Facebook. Visit Cabin Falls Ecolodge to discover their guided adventures, clinics, and stay at their beautiful, historical, and unique cabin retreat.
We are still finalizing some of the details of our new Badger Ambassadorship program, as well as working on a new Testimonial page. But in the meantime, if you really dig your Badger paddle and have a testimonial and some photos you would like to share with us, be sure to contact us to be included in our Testimonials on this website!
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