C-Forum

Love the canoe scene. Quick question though: I used to think the best region for developing young canoeists was the southeast because of the history with camps: Mondamin, etc.....

But now, I'm not so sure. Which regions of North America develop the best canoeists in this modern era? I'm thinking it might be Quebec. There are some young rippers up there in both open and C-1? Just want to hear your thoughts......

I think you are right even the camp programs with canoeing backgrounds are turning to kayaks. Many still put kids in canoes at first for fundamentals but then they move to kayaks. There aren't that many young cboaters in the southeast. I'm not saying it is dead in the southeast but i think it is dying. And the two best young cboaters i knew in the south are paddlin with two blades alot now... I was amazed to see how strong the c culture is in canada when i went there... Creeking wise the southeast still might win...

I'm trying hard to convert two young (pre-teen) paddlers to single blades. I think it's a shame that c boating is becoming a lost art with the younger crowd.

It's probably Quebec. It's definitely not BC.

PY.

I have to agree we do have a long history of love with canoes and it is still living quite hard around here.

Could hardly compare to other places since I don't travel a lot around the states, but when it comes to whitewater we do have more kayakers around than cboaters. And C1ing is still marginal.

How to compare, really, since it is the case pretty much anywhere?

We are getting near 8 million people around the province, and there is two canoe clubs in the great montreal region. The bigger one (I think) is the one I am in, with around 400+ members each year, no kayaks allowed.

There is another canoe club in every other regions in the province pretty much, with less people but still... the total has to be pretty good I guess, and I also know some people are very active in cboating but don't belong to clubs.

Again, I don't have much numbers to compare but... I remember Kimmie saying on this forum that she is almost always both the only cboater and the only women on rivers... In here I can tell you it definitely is not the case; we are fortunate enough to say that the scenery isn't the only beautyful feature on the rivers for most of the times!



Oh yeah, here I'm making some people jealous am I not?

i'd say some of the best up and coming boater's i've seen in recent years are from Quebec & Ontario and the "Northeast"

for whatever that's worth...

I'd have to go with Wisconsin.

I remember Kimmie saying on this forum that she is almost always both the only cboater and the only women on rivers...

Marc I didn't mean to mispeak on that quote and I think I did - there are other women (kayakers) on the rivers around here just not many in the circles I paddle with for some reason. My emphasis was that I see very few - actually only have met 2 in the last year - female openboaters on the river. Which definitely adds to this topic about where are the openboaters.

Didn't want anyone to misunderstand my meaning. I already caused a problem on another forum a couple of weeks ago because someone misunderstood my post. I could just see all the female kayakers chasing me down on the river this weekend and lynching me for saying there are no other women on the river.

as a woman
We have several female open boaters in Alabama. Three that I can think of quickly paddle class III-IV. GA and TN have several OC1ers.

With 25 years of whitewater boating and living in the east, midwest, and Rocky's of the US, none of those regions has stood out as being best for canoeists. The overall number of whitewater paddlers does change, but the proportion of canoeists doesn't vary significantly.

I know of only one dedicated woman C1 paddler and know of just two others that have given it a try. C1's would seem to fit most women better than OC1's, but an OC gives more of a sense of confidence.

Alden wrote:I'd have to go with Wisconsin.

it's the cheese

Just a dam minute, why do new ones have to be young ones, lets look at the number if the southeat has 70 new C & OC boater and the northeast only has 30 does it matter if theire are 10 youngsters from the NE the none from the SE. the Southeast still had more new boater on the water. Personaly iI refer people who have a job and a car and I really like those who make so much money they leave good gear layin aroundin truck and neaver come look for it. I ain't got nuthin again youngsters but we need number no matter what the age is and how can you equate the practice time and varirty of run from either Canada or the NE to the SE year round everyweekend water to ICE, beside half the instrunctional time up there is teachin people how to blow whistles, never stand up in movin water, and swim to the bank someone else will take care of your boat. But those people do know how to hook someone up to a car battery to jump start their heart.

dang no posting in the subject line... you must of been serious about this one

Phil it is like every women I've ever een with I am serious about them all, just more serious about some than others.

As far as youngsters, it takes a dedicated person to get them to take up the sport like the late Ray Maclean or Dennis Adams in CO.