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2002 Racing Director Canoe Racing Vision
My vision is for Minnesota canoe racing is that we will someday thousands of racing participants each year in dozens of canoe races. We already have a great start on this. The entire Ketter family has done a great deal to promote this sport in Minnesota. Dozens of race organizers have sponsored canoe races every year. Almost all canoe racers helped train other canoeists in racing techniques they learned from someone else or the hard way by themselves. Experienced canoe racers have invested their time training anyone interested in the complex skills of canoe racing on Monday nights during the summer.
To make the vision of thousands of racing participants in Minnesota happen, we will need to increase exposure of this sport in Minnesota, secure more sponsors and volunteer resources for racing organizers, and provide more free training to get more canoeists to participate in canoe races more often.
General benefits from canoe racing:
- Improved safety from practice in all kinds of wind, river current, high waves, and weather conditions.
- Improved paddling efficiency.
- Improved equipment.
- More camaraderie.
- Longer paddling season.
General problems with canoe racing:
- Low prize money on most races.
- Lack of promotion and publicity.
- Relatively low number of new canoe racers each year.
- Starting creep before the start of canoe races.
Volunteer Opportunities to help promote Minnesota Canoe Racing
- Encourage each other with recognition of effort and progress.
- Write a letter to your mother about a canoe race. Your mother would probably like to hear from you and we can publish your letter to share with other canoeists. E-mail your story to canoeracehound@msn.com
- Attend Monday Night Canoe Racing Technique Training (Rookie Racers) to introduce others to the sport of canoe racing Monday nights at 5:30 P.M. at East Bank U of M River Flats Park on the Mississippi River.
- Call an entry level canoe racer to welcome them and encourage them and even offer to paddle with them a time or two. E-mail racing@canoe-kayak.org to get a list of names and numbers of entry level racers.
- Contact the director of your favorite canoe race and ask how you can help them. See the Minnesota Canoe Racing Schedule under Canoe Racing at www.kettercanoeing.com or www.canoe-kayak.org
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