fitness paddling: exercise, train, race by kayak & canoe

A few comments about this race by Nic Riosa, a New Zealand marathon racer, from his 1998 K2 start:

The Monday was spent relaxing, the Tuesday was spent driving to Spain for a race called ‘The Sella’. There we met up with 2 other kiwi paddlers, Aaron Cox & Phil Dooney and their partners. The race itself is an 18km paddle down a shallow graded river. We were all competing in the K2 division… It is hard to explain this race, it needs to be lived to be believed.

There were over 1000 competitors on the start line, lucky for Andrew and I, we were seeded in 9th position. With over 100, 000 spectators watching the event plus live Spannish TV coverage, it was overwhelming. Race mode came when the start gun went. All nerves gone, the racing had begun… it did not last however within 10mins somebody tried to cut our K2 in half which meant water filled the kayak and our race was over. We did cross the finish line well down the field… What an experience… The K2 was a mess, when we dropped it back to the organizers, we thought that we would have to buy a new one however they said not a problem… I saw it again in 1999 and they had repaired it like new. The actual Sella race is an experience, so was the street party that night. The next day was a K4 race, with over 30 K4’s starting the mens division.

The Dusi is officially the biggest canoe race in the world in terms of number of entries. Earlier this year I went to Spain and competed in the Sella Descent, the second biggest canoe race in the world in terms of number of entries. Standing on the bank at the start of the race with 300 000 spectators going wild was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. The amount of media coverage and public interest surrounding the Sella in Spain took my breath away. The winners of the race are National Heroes. Lets start thinking about what we can do to market the Dusi in this way, because the race has immense potential, and the possibilities are endless.

Of course, you can experience a traffic jam during the fist few miles of Texas Water Safari with more than one hundred boats from solo kayaks and canoes to 6 person long boats. The start at Aquarena Springs feeding the San Marcos River is always quite traumatic. It is with less than a quarter of a mile to the first dam portage. Then, 9 miles downstream, the Cottonseed rapid is likely to cause problems for less experienced paddlers. And, a disaster in front of many spectators at the beginning of the 260 mile race may be really spectacular.

Related posts:

• It's my Life - Music Video Clip by Nic Riosa, Marathon Kayaker
• K1 Marathon Kayak Movies from US Team Trials, Lake Sabago NY
• Is Ultra-Marathon Kayak and Canoe Racing Growing?