 |
BoaterTalk: The International Information Site for the Whitewater Paddler
|
|
 Not out of everyone reach - a RANT! New
- Forum: PaddleForYourLife
Date: Dec 13 2006, 11:38 GMT
From: loculyocal
 |
|
 |
|
HI this is just a quick RANT!
For your average Jo Bloggs paddler like me short of being curtious to non paddlers on and off the water and not driving like a loon (at least not wth the boats on the roof anyway) so as to not give the sport a bad image while being visible (well all the bright kit helps) is one of the ways a boater can help to increase public awareness of our sport.
These clips show what I am talking about normal paddlers getting the sport on the net!
http://coull.tv/node/197
http://coull.tv/node/193
But for most paddlers anything beyond this is usually involves:
1/ Talking at length given even the smallest inkling that someone might be intrested in paddling. Giving said victim (notice my choice of word), slide shows of you in all your glory paddling the local hole or ditch. Playing endless kayking videos and generally wearing them down into submission (otherwise known as boring thier socks off!).
2/ Being an active member of a kayak/canoe club. And spending all your waking hours teaching anyone willing to get thier toe wet how to kayak on the flat or down rivers you would rather excuse my french but p%ss in than paddle. Don't get me wrong I teach people as much as the next kayaker BUT do not want to spend the whole of my time in a boat teaching when I could be out there doing! This has to be a balance and to be honest i get alot more as I suspect do most addlers out of doing and pushing myself tan from teaching someone to paddle in a straight line etc.
( I have taught both my nieghbours to paddle and used to teach at a center befoe I get to much flack!)
3/ Let anyone paddle your boat that asks!
I think one of the best ways to get people intrested in kayaking & canoeing in all it's many forms is to get the sport a higher profile. And one easy way for us to do that is on the internet by showing people what is on thier doorstep, how much fun it can be and that average Jo Bloggs like me and them can do it!
I have found a site http://coull.tv which tags all it's content so that it can be easily searched even inside the videos by sites such as google. the site is free check out http://coull.tv/users/pro_pyrahana for my portal on the site and seach for kayaking for all the videos on kayaking!
This is so easy to use that we should all be uploading club videos, personal videos and showing the genral public what kayaking is about. Most people have a perseption that it is beyond thier reach so lets show then it is not! Get creating your own kayaking portal and grow our commuinties on sites like these.
A |
|
 |
|
 |
- Very well said! thinkpatience New
|
|
|
BoaterTalk 
