Most sculling clubs are sponsored by schools, colleges or high schools or are private adult clubs - BUT there is one very interesting group out of Boston called Community Row that is different. They raise donations to get the boats and uniforms (not that there's much to that in sculling) etc and target getting their rowers from poor neighborhoods. They are looking for places where the kids might not normally have a chance to do this.
The age group is no younger than 8th grade, so it doesn't go as deep as what I mentioned above. But isn't unrelated.
Uh, coastline:interior proportions? The UK has a LOT more coastline in relation to its interior acreage. The US is the opposite. It is no surprise to me that the land-based sports are more popular here.
Yeah, there are inland lakes, some of them quite large, but the paddling opportunities are still much more limited than near the coast. The choice of recreational activities reflects that.
as the only "American" (born here). Excessive taxes on professionals in post war Britain brought my Engineer father to Canada, then USA, courtesy of Canadian government.
I know full well the "culture" of pride, crests, badges, your "name" etc. Some years ago took dads ashes back home and dumped him in the Teviot river. Met the family and travelled Scottland, ice climbed, ate bad food, searched in vein for some "eye candy" (NOT) and saw some beautiful country.
Strangely felt at home there, as folk understood my humor etc. Secondary to family cultural upbringing.
My point is that to me the Brit culture is far more about structure and order and being "proper". Your name still determines how you may be seen in some circles etc., or what you wear. This is neither good nor bad, just "my" impression. I see the decals on Brit boats and laugh, as that's what we had all through the damn house!
I'm SO glad my family came to North America!!! I love our style, even though we are far from perfect. What I love about our style is you don't have to follow the pack, or play by some organizations rules. You can if you want, but noone cares. Noone really cares what kayak you paddle, or what training you have.
People in the "movements" will ponder about those who "aren't". That's the nature of group think / contagen behavior. But this is North America...do whatever turns you on, just do it and stop talking so much about it.
The folk I admire are the ones doing amazing things because they want to! No need to talk about it, they just do it...and I like that style.
I have a visceral negative reaction to overly structured absolutists dogmatic styles, and I hate crests and decals. Maybe this is just a rebellious reaction to growing up immersed in that Scottish cultural style of superiority. Father had a great sense of humor and knew most of it was BS...just part of the gig.
I say to Matt, do your thing and follow your passion. If that's a keen interest in Britains role in kayaking, their history around it etc., by all means go for it. It's a good, just not of interest to some of us. My post is to share with you one North America paddlers perspective. FWIW?
Nice post Much better than “proud to be an American” which smacks of something almost negative.
My parents immigrated here (legally) from two other countries and became US citizens. My mother, though quite “Americanized” in many ways, once tried to arrange a marriage for me, to someone I didn’t even know. My father put a stop to it, and he told me about this many years later (my mother never said a word about it). When I think that that may have been the norm while she was growing up, it makes me extremely glad I was born here.
I would have run away on the wedding day, if she’d gotten that far!!!
Independent thinking and independent action (self-motivation) are things that this country still values, and boy am I glad for that.
resident parking only the two I’m familar with have been Saturday Cove in Northport on West Penobscot Bay just south of Belfast and Bartlett’s Landing in Tremont on Mount Desert Island. (Bartlett’s was closed to non-residents for about a year, but public pressure brought by the commercial guiding outfits and others persuaded them to rescind the ban—Northport’s is still in effect but I don’t know how strictly it is enforced—there is a rather large sign saying use is restricted to Northport “area” residents only—just what constitutes the “area” is rather vague.) I’m not familiar with the Muscongus Bay area—you might check one on the local outfitters down that way.