Racing Waters dives into the Pacific Northwest world of war canoe racing

Racing Waters, a new series on APTN, explores the world of Pacific Northwest canoe racing. Photo by APTN

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Racing Waters

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When: Sept. 13 debut

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Where: APTN and APTN+

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Most Lower Mainlanders have heard of dragon boat racing.

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But war canoe racing? Not so much.

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A new nine-episode docuseries may change that.

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“It’s not widely known,” director Asia Youngman concedes of the activity. “Even when I talk to my friends about the series, they’re surprised that these races are happening in our backyard. I’m hoping that the show will share this with a lot more people.”

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Racing Waters follows the Island Brave Canoe Club from the Snuneymuxw First Nation, which is based in Nanaimo, through their 2025 racing season. The races pit crews of paddlers against one another on a circuit that stretches across Indigenous communities in the Pacific Northwest.

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Youngman, who was born in Victoria but grew up in the South Surrey/White Rock area, had heard of the competitions but had never seen them.

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“My mom would talk about the canoe races that would happen across the Lower Mainland and on (Vancouver) Island, and I know she went to some. So it’s been an incredible learning experience to be immersed in that environment and to learn a lot more about paddling and how beneficial it is for communities as well.”

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Youngman studied psychology and sociology at the University of Victoria before attending Vancouver Film School. She figures some of that education has informed her filmmaking.

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“There’s so much communication that’s necessary in trying to understand people and, when interviewing people, to find personal anecdotes that they’re willing to share, and to create a safe environment for them to open up.”

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Racing Waters, a new series on APTN, explores the world of Pacific Northwest canoe racing. Photo by APTN

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Her credits include ESPN’s 2023 documentary I’m Just Here for the Riot, about the aftermath of Vancouver’s 2011 Stanley Cup riot, and second-unit directing on Common People, the first episode of the seventh season of Black Mirror.

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There’s a thematic thread connecting the projects. I’m Just Here for the Riot is less about hockey or sports fandom run amok than the dangers of social media and public shaming — subject matter that would fit quite comfortably within Black Mirror. Another Youngman project, the short film Delta Dawn, follows Indigenous wrestler Dawn Murphy.

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“For me, that story was about the sacrifice that Dawn made to pursue her wrestling career. And then Racing Waters is certainly about the sport. But really, the paddlers see war canoeing as a way of life. It’s a way for them to keep their tradition alive. It’s a way to celebrate their culture. It also keeps a lot of Indigenous youth away from drugs and alcohol. And a lot of the times, the paddlers are related to one another, like their family. So it’s a way to bring family together.”

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What impressed Youngman most about the paddlers was their discipline and dedication.