The Mad Canadian

The late Ken Carter's long-time obsession to be the world's greatest daredevil is the subject of this feature-length documentary. Seen are the five years of preparation that went into raising one million dollars, building a rocket-powered car, and constructing a ten-storey take-off ramp for his attempt to jump a car across a mile-wide stretch of the St. Lawrence River. A portrait of a stunt driver who made his living by risking his life.

The story of hundred-year-old Herman Smith Johannsen--nicknamed Jack Rabbit by Indians--the man who introduced the sport of cross-country skiing to this country. In the film we see him at the Canadian Ski Marathon north of Montréal, where he is the honoured guest, and on a return trip to his native Norway. From present to past, his life is retraced with pictures from sports newsreels, Norwegian archives, and his family album.

This film explains clearly how to locate a deep water channel by reading the rapids and how to apply the many paddling strokes and maneuvers to steer the canoe where you want it to go. It also depicts what happens if you make a mistake and "wipe out" in a turbulent rapid, and how to survive the swim.