Don’t miss checking out this amazing local competitive paddling event
The Selkirk Canoe and Kayak Club(SCKC) has been bringing competitive paddling back to the community, and now is the chance to see it live. This weekend, the club will be hosting the Manitoba Cup.
“The Manitoba Cup is a little event, and it’s just for Manitoba. It’s going to be people from Winnipeg, Selkirk, and Minnedosa. Those will be the three groups that would be participating. It’s (the) first Manitoba Cup this year and is going to be held at our club on June 21, which is a Sunday, and then there’ll be another Manitoba Cup at Minnedosa and (another) at the Winnipeg Club,” said Bonny Wynnobel, Director on the SCKC board.
This is part of the club’s effort to bring competitive paddling back to the region after several years of more education based programming. Last year was the first year that the Manitoba Cup returned to the region, and it has stuck with the annual paddling racing event happening again this summer.
“It’s an opportunity for people who are just starting into paddling to see what potential opportunities there are, because new paddlers get to see experienced paddlers, but they also get to experience what it’s like to race. It’s kind of a win-win, if you’re a new paddler, your goal is to finish the race in the boat, that’s your goal, but you may surprise yourself and actually win a medal,” said Wynnobel.
She explained that the races are done in a variety of types of boats.
“It’s mainly the sprint competitive kayak, but, for example, there are master paddling boats that are a little bit more stable, so people can absolutely go in those. You’re going in a race with a kayak or a high kneel, which is the Olympic style high kneeling. It’s a very challenging boat, very tippy, but lots of fun. Last year, I know we also saw some people in marathon boats, so those would be canoes that are for marathon racing, which are a different style of boat altogether. They’re lightweight. They’re very much a competitive style boat,” said Wynnobel.
She explained that they will likely have races of varying distances as well as different boats.
The Manitoba Cup in Selkirk will start at 10 a.m. and wrap up around noon on June 21, and takes place at the SCKC’s clubhouse in Selkirk Park.
Wynnobel explained that she and the rest of the club wanted this event to come to the community so that residents had the opportunity to get competitive again.
“We are really aiming to become a competitive club again. We were in the past. We’ve had two athletes that actually made the national team, and one athlete that made the junior national team, and we had some other athletes that medaled in the Western Canada Summer Games, Canada Summer Games, and Canadian Canoe Kayak Nationals. So, we have a really good history, and we’ve decided we’re going back there,” she said.
To get there, the club wants to let people know what the possibilities are, and that’s where the Manitoba Cup comes in.
If you are someone interested in paddling who likes a competitive atmosphere, people from the community are welcome to attend to watch the competition, cheer on local competitors, and get a feel for the club.
“We have the finish line, which is close to our dock, so we’ve got the bay area, which is excellent for viewing, and we’ll have the area along the side, so people can definitely cheer on the people that are paddling,” said Wynnobel.
If you are a competitive paddler looking to participate, you can contact Wynnobel at selkirkkayak@gmail.com to learn more.
She encourages residents to stop by and support our local paddlers.
“It starts at 10 o’clock, so if people want to just come and check it out, you can just feel the excitement. All the different people bringing their boats and getting ready for the races, we’ll have some people from our club getting ready for the races, and it’s lots of fun,” she said.
If you’d like to learn more about the SCKC and the educational or membership opportunities that they are running this summer, check them out at paddleselkirk.ca.
