Edgy Adventures Ride in Parry Sound: By Ami Houde

Honda Canada provided some of their awesome bikes for the ride.

I was invited to go on an all-female, two day adrenaline adventure with Model Leticia Cline and Snowcross Racer Shelby Mahon in beautiful Parry Sound, Ontario located off the west side of a region called Explorer’s Edge.

This was one of the coolest opportunities that came my way for two reasons. One being all the crazy stuff we got to do! We started off our adventure by flying a float plane over the Georgian Bay region. We had an amazing view of all the islands and beautiful landscape thanks to Georgian Airways. Leticia even took the reins and flew the plane. We then landed on a little lake and hopped into an Air Rider Hover Craft. I thought a hovercraft was much like a unicorn – one of those things people only speak about but never actually see. This time I wanted to drive. By the end of the day I was doing power slides and hovering over islands at full speed.

Float planes, Hovercrafts, the girls got to experience everything that Parry Sound, Ontario had to offer.

Day one was complete and we made our way to the Glen Burney Lodge. Talk about a hidden paradise. We were put up in little log cabins that smelt like crisp fall leaves and bon fires. I felt like I was on a relaxation vacation retreat not an adrenaline adventure. We all sat down for a feast at the lodge and shared stories over a glass of wine and a warm fire.

Ami shows everyone how it’s done.

Day two was what I was looking forward to! We woke up bright and early and headed to Bear Claw Tours for an Ultimate ATV Challenge and a motorcycle trail ride. Honda Powersports provided us with some 2014 CR 250Xs and 230Fs. I was concerned some of the cameramen were going to have a hard time riding the big bikes for the first time, but the 250X is a lot different than my 250F race bike. The suspension is much softer, more trail friendly (very plush, less rebound and a more mellow motor), the clutch was much smoother and it even had an electric start (I need one of those for my race bikes!)

Everybody was smiling in Parry Sound.

We worked up a sweat riding. I was impressed with Leticia and Shelby’s riding skills for only being on a bike a handful of times before. The guys at Bear Claw Tours ordered us lunch and made some hot chocolate before we set out on our ATV ride. I have been racing motocross for 21 years, and even I thought the ATV trails were challenging! It was an absolute blast.

Leticia Cline certainly doesn’t want to get her feet wet.

Huge thanks to everyone who made this Adventure possible, but the second thing that made this opportunity one I will never forget is doing it with two other female adrenaline junkies (much like myself) who aren’t afraid of getting their hands dirty and trying new things! It’s very refreshing to see girls participating in male dominated sports and to see beautiful women like Leticia kick the stereotypes to the curb, throw a helmet on and rip through waist deep puddles on an ATV. I challenge all the girls out there to go on an #edgyadventure of their own with their friends and check out what Parry Sound has to offer.

photos by Virgil Knapp