Are Finances Affecting the Paddling World?
Well, I've heard of two fall paddling events that have had to be cancelled due to low participation levels. An ACA Instructor Course was cancelled down here in South Florida and the Dam to Dam Paddle mentioned in my last post was just called. What a shame on both accounts. The ACA course down at Florida Bay Outfitters has become a tradition down there in the Keys.
So what's the reason? Is it just chance, I mean these are only two events, right? I know paddling isn't on the decline as a sport. Then I realized, both of these events cost money. The ACA course is substantial. So then it hit me. It must be the economy. I know that donations are down in the non-profit world, maybe paddling events are feeling the pinch too.
Any thoughts? Do you know of any paddling events that cost money that have had to be cancelled?
Comments
Hey George,
We were sorry to cancel our Dam to Dam Paddle. You are right, we needed a few more participants to break even financially. We had a lot of interest expressed by phone and email, but when it came time for people to register, they just didn’t sign up.
However, our annual TN River Blueway Canoe and Kayak Race, which was in it’s 3rd year, went on as scheduled in September. We had a lower participation rate, but we also cut our expenses drastically so that we could afford to race.
On the up side, we introduced 2-hour, guided kayak trips on the Tennessee River in downtown Chattanooga last summer. People signed up in droves. We thought that we would attract mostly tourists, but the majority of folks that tried the beginner-friendly excursions were local.
Another flat water kayaking outfit in town, River Canyon Adventures (http://www.rivercanyonadventures.com), also had a good year.
We think that local people opted to stay close to home and spend $35 or $45 for a guided kayak trip, rather than blowing a wad of bucks on a theme park or family vacation out of town.
We’ll see how we do next summer.