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For
canoe and kayak races in your area,
visit
www.necanoe.org.
03.24.10
NECKRA Feelin'
Whether you’re a pro, proficient, or profoundly clueless
about paddling, the world of canoe and kayak racing is fun for all.
by
Becky Holt
 If
the arrival of warm weather isn’t enough to get you outdoors, perhaps
the thrill of competition will.
Lucky for us, New England is home to a vibrant
canoe and kayak racing culture, spearheaded by NECKRA – the
New England Canoe and Kayak Racing
Association. And if you think you have to be a hardcore paddler
to line up, think again.
NECKRA was originally founded as the Connecticut
Canoe Racing Association in March 1979. Before 1979, canoe racing in the
state of Connecticut was a word-of-mouth, rather disorganized situation.
In those days, you might have traveled to a race at an advertised time
only to have to wait around for an hour or two for the race organizers
to show up. There were few safety considerations, no rules, no standard
race meeting, and if you did qualify for a trophy at the end of the
race, you may have been told that you'd have to wait a week, a month
perhaps, until the next unorganized race, or you might not have received
it at all. Still, in spite of these problems, there were good race
organizers, and racing quickly became more popular.
Today, New England is one of the most popular areas
in the country for canoe and kayak racing. The season usually starts in
March and ends in November. On their website (www.necanoe.org),
NECKRA lists upwards of 70 events in a given season. NECRKA has a series
of flatwater and swiftwater races. The races range in length anywhere
from 6 to 12 miles. However, some will go longer, and others shorter
depending on the daily elements.
If you are having your “first day of camp”
apprehensions about showing up to race for the first time, don’t.
According to NECKRA president Mike Ripple, new racers are always
welcome.
“While some races have a few top regional paddlers
with national standing, we are not on some Olympic track,” says Ripple.
“We are people with full-time jobs who like to paddle and like to
compete. We are a friendly group that welcomes people of all levels and
encourages anyone who comes to a race to do their best.”
Ripple says beginner paddlers shouldn’t be nervous
about their actual skill level in a given race. “Races seem to break
into three packs of boats,” he says. “The fun for me, and most people,
is to find a race within their pack. I tend to be in the middle pack,
and always seem to find two or three boats that I am drafting with or
competing against. To me that is where the fun is. I am not paddling to
win the race. I am paddling to have fun with kindred spirits with the
same ability I have. I regard myself as competitive, but I also have
solid expectations about where I will finish. The fun for me is
literally in the race I find in any given event, not the race at the
front of the pack.”
Before racing, paddlers need to keep safety in mind
and know their limits. “One should know their level, and find races that
have classes for their boats,” Ripple says. “Have a good hydration
system, a personal flotation device in the boat, and a change of
clothes.”
Whatever your competitive level, the chance to be
immersed in an activity that gives you an appreciation for nature and
the opportunity to meet others with a similar interests, makes racing an
overall rewarding experience. “I think of my boat as my health club, and
if I can be competitive as well, then I have achieved my goals,” says
Ripple. “I can think of nothing more fun than meeting a bunch of friends
at a put-in by a pretty river on a beautiful spring or summer or fall
day, and pushing myself. I do not define success by total victory.”
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To view canoe and kayak races in your area, visit the NECKRA website
at www.necanoe.org.
Freelance writer Becky Holt lives, works,
and paints in downtown Portsmouth, New Hampshire. You can catch her
longboarding in Rye whenever the swells are up.
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