Peewee paddlers rip Lake Pisiquid, raise $2,000

BY CHRISTY MARSTERS

Local peewee paddlers ripped the waters of Lake Pisiquid to post some solid results at the third annual Pisiquid Canoe Club Regatta in Windsor July 15.

Highlights from the Pisiquid Club peewee racers, aged 10-12, included a fourth place position in the two-person kayak girls’ division and in the four-person kayak boys’ division. A third place finish for the mixed gender war canoe crew (holding 14 peewee members) and a triumph for Nicola Irvin - finishing first in the single-person 200 metre girls’ kayaking category – rounded things out nicely.

“It was exciting to cross the finish line and to get first,” Irvin said. “Kayaking properly takes lots of balance and strength, but it’s fun.”

Pisiquid Club coach Julie Marks says the most important thing for the younger children involved in the sport is to have fun and not to worry about the pressures of racing. “Being involved with the canoe club at a peewee level is mostly a positive way to make lifelong friends and memories,” she said.

Approximately 200 peewee paddlers from eight different competitive boating groups from across Nova Scotia participated in the event.

Kids’ interest in canoeing and kayaking is growing and the regatta proves to be a bigger success each year, said event organizer Lynne Kirumira. “Memberships within the Pisiquid Canoe Club alone have increased 50 per cent in the last three years.”

They love it

Hannah Smith, with the Pisiquid Canoe Club, says trying out the different boats and working to stay active is enjoyable. “Paddlers do it because they love it,” she added.

Kirumira says the regatta event and other fundraisers are becoming increasingly important to the Pisiquid Canoe Club because the number of paddlers increases each year.

“Club equipment is expensive, with a basic boat costing about $1,500, so every boat we buy for the club takes a fundraiser just to be able to have enough to support a growing demand.”

The regatta pulled in about $2,000 with the help of many volunteers, Kirumira said. “This money will go toward new equipment for the club such as docks, boats, paddles and lifeboats.”

However, the volunteers always willing to help out during these events are priceless, Kirumira said. “A lot of the parents from the city come to this area and make a day out of the regatta event. This is good for tourism and the local community as a whole, but without the support of volunteers the event just wouldn’t be possible.

“It was a good day,” Kirumira said. “The kids had an excellent time and the weather was beautiful. It was a very positive event again this year.”