PADDLER 20
By the end of its third edition , the OCF was well established as Le premier rendez-vous Européen du Canoë & du plein air … but questions remained . The romance of gathering at Mirabel-et-Blacons was attracting seasoned canoeists from across northern Europe . More importantly , Paul ’ s photography and media coverage sparked interest in kayak clubs and outdoor networks across France . Could this romance put La Drôme on the map in ways which would also inspire ordinary French workers to claim their rivers as part of their inheritance ?
A 10TH ANNIVERSARY
Easter 2022 witnessed the twice-postponed 10th anniversary of the OCF . As the event opened , echoes of 1936 could be found everywhere . Firstly , and most importantly , glorious sunshine over a holiday weekend meant the banks of the Drôme were awash with ordinary , working people . The OCF added over 600 guests from across France and beyond . Campers were encouraged to take to a canoe ( of any kind ) and to savour journeying on the crystal-clear waters of a département with an incredible amount to offer for any outdoor enthusiast .
Covid 19 had haunted the build-up to the event , and even travelling out of our local area had become a novelty for most of us . On arrival , many commented on a different ‘ vibe ’ as guests re-adjusted to being able to gather together with others … but something else was different . Our event attracted unprecedented numbers of first-time visitors , including 80 % ( a wayhigher proportion than ever before ) from France .
We knew in advance that we might be looking at a new spirit of the times . In Britain , being active outdoors had been featured as never before in mainstream media . Everyone from government ministers and advisors to National Governing Bodies was creating links between connection-with-nature or nature-based recreation and mental health . In France , such discussions had thrived only among networks of enthusiasts , but lockdown experiences sparked an appetite for getting back into the outdoors , so questions arose . Were we going to witness a new commitment to expérience en arrière-pays ?
GOOD FORTUNE AND GREAT VIBES
Rightly or wrongly , the vibe that comes with hundreds of others preparing to set out together inspires confidence . Near-drought conditions meant the emerald green waters were barely trickling through the braided channels , and under clear blue skies , many gathered in shorts and flip-flops . In a Drôme tradition , some prepared space-hoppers as flotation or set up barrels as canoe seats . Few appeared to be feeling pressure to fit in or conform to the norms of enthusiasts !
In places , the river offers seemingly endless , everbubbly rapids : straightforward to those with expertise and mostly quite manageable for those making things up as they go along
As in previous years , we could look at everything from inflatables and wooden boats to converted sit-on-tops and packrafts . What could be counted as a canoe , a canoe paddle , or an appropriate approach was being left open for exploration . As hundreds descended the shallow , fast-flowing tributary that took us to the main river channel , big smiles and laughter set the tone .
Many started this big descent by wading beside the boats , but new solutions rippled through the throng as each new challenge was encountered . New friendships were formed as those launching together supported one another in whatever lay ahead . Once in the main flow , this pattern continued . Rightly or wrongly , many newbies took their lead from others ahead of them . Some choices worked well , but others led to slight difficulties or ( very occasionally ) a swim !
MIXING RECREATION AND LEISURE
At Easter 2022 levels , a sunny-day descent of La Drôme becomes a mostly joyous experience . In places , the river offers seemingly endless , ever-bubbly rapids : straightforward to those with expertise and mostly quite manageable for those making things up as they go along on a hired sit-on-top or transferring expertise from a sit-on-top to an inflatable canoe . For resilient non-specialists who are strong swimmers , with a buoyancy aid , a wetsuit and a helmet , a big descent remains within the realm of ‘ casual ’ leisure : it feels adventurous , but perhaps no more so than a scramble up a crag – potentially perfect for a beautifully sunny and settled summer afternoon .
In contrast , we can look back to 20 years after the 1936 explosion of ‘ democratic leisure ’ along French riverbanks . In 1956 , the British Canoe Union ’ s ( BCU ) first Head Coach , Oliver Cock , went on tour and produced a cine-film entitled Les Gorges du Verdon (
https :// youtu . be / INKp6ZLLT-c ). It ’ s a beautifully crafted film centred on a party of ‘ very able ’ British canoeists undertaking an ‘ expedition ’ in ways which could not have been further removed from ordinary workers who chose to take a dip in the Marne rather than follow the herd on to one of the morally uplifting ( or harmlessly distracting ) vacation destinations of the era .
The Oliver Cock film of 1956 ( and the commentary that was added several decades after the film-making ) reflected a lifetime of commitment to Victorian and Edwardian ideals . Like so many of his era , Oliver Cock exuded a commitment to people using leisure time wisely and went to great lengths to create ‘ educative ’ materials . His contributions included the BCU ’ s first