|
Sponsored by
 |
|
|
 |
SK Newsletter: October 6, 2009
By Paul R. Riek
Advertising and Promotions Manager |
I am a believer in Kismet. Be that good or bad, it’s had a way of steering me through life. About this time last year, amidst all of the promotional invitations I receive, one postcard stood out from the rest that were stacked in my mailbox. The card was the first I had heard about the Calusa Blueway Paddling Festival. Since then my enthusiasm for this event has grown. Even thought it is only in its 4th year and still very much in its infancy, The Calusa Blueway Paddling Festival has grown in size to rival that of many long standing symposiums. Here at Sea Kayaker we are very much looking forward to being a sponsor at this year's event. We look forward to adding the festival to our calendar and bringing it to the attention of our readers, the sea kayaking industry and its trade organization.
The timing and the location of the Calusa Blueway Paddling Festival make it a great conclusion to the paddling season. Scheduled to run from October 23 to November 1, the festival is an ideal gathering for the paddle sports snowbirds heading down south for the winter. The event is a great opportunity for manufacturers to get exposure in a community of paddlers in a section of the country which does not get nearly enough attention. The duration of the event makes it an ideal candidate for a much needed business-to-business venue for the paddle sports industry.
I’ve asked Betsy Clayton, Waterways Coordinator from the Lee County Parks and Recreation Department, to answer a few questions about the festival and give you a better idea of what the event is all about.
1. Can you give a brief history of the Calusa Blueway Paddling Festival?
The 10-day festival offers a buffet of speakers and instruction, cultural and eco festivals, competitive races and tournaments, paddlers’ get-togethers and green activities. Events are at public parks and archeological sites as well as resorts and campgrounds along the Calusa Blueway Paddling Trail, a 190-mile marked-and-meandering saltwater trail on Southwest Florida’s Gulf Coast. The festival started in June 2006 at a single park on a single weekend. In 2007 it was bumped to October for better weather and boosted to nine days and multiple sites. The idea is that the festival will always have its first weekend at the end of October and its second weekend paired with the first Sunday in November, when a Florida Competition Paddlers Association points race happens. This year the festival will run from October 23 to November 1. In 2010 it will run from October 29 through November 7.
With the festival now at 10 days, the emphasis is on the two Friday-Saturday-Sunday weekends plus lots of paddling opportunities in between. Every waterfront community in Lee County, FL., participates and welcomes kayakers and canoeists. About 80 businesses recognize the Blueway VIP wristband and honor some kind of added value for festival-goers. Hotels have packages geared toward paddlers, including extras that make a difference if you are a paddler: ready-at-sunrise box lunches, access to ice machines and hoses, paddlers’ happy hours with speakers and tidbits, to name just a few.
If you can’t make it this year, count on 2010.
2. What should attendees and exhibiting manufacturers expect?
Expect to have the best eco-tourism experience you’ve ever had. Expect to meet canoeists and kayakers from around the United States, Canada and places beyond. Expect to have an economical trip, thanks to free opportunities and social hours as well as packages set up by outfitters and lodging partners. Expect to be able to participate in “voluntourism,” in which you can make a difference in the community by joining cleanup efforts and more.
Everyone will have an opportunity to meet the man who circumnavigated Florida’s coast, kayaking from Alabama to Georgia along the Sunshine State, including segments of the Great Calusa Blueway. You can book yourself into a campground right along the trail at a site that includes a guided tour with the Florida Paddling Trail Association to historic Mound Key, an island once inhabited by the king of the Calusa tribe. Attend the Calusa Costume Ball dressed as a conquistador or sea wench, and then hear ghost stories on a moonlight hike.
Festival attendees also can get competitive. A photo contest, two canoe/kayak races and a catch-and-release fishing tournament are planned; some have cash prizes. Enjoy demo events sponsored by Lee County Parks & Recreation; enjoy opportunities with the two-dozen outfitters who operate along the Calusa Blueway Paddling Trail with support from their respective manufacturers, who are welcome to set up informational and sales booths at Saturday events.
3. How well attended has the event been the past few years?
Between 2007 and 2008, we saw a 110-percent increase in out-of-town guests and a 70-percent increase in participation at our headline events. One headliner drew 700 people to one site in a day. That said, the Calusa Blueway Paddling Festival offers eco-tourists and paddlers an intimate feel. With more than 70 things happening over the 10 days, you can find something to do with a quality group of people every day and evening.
4. Are there any changes coming up this year?
This year’s festival is focusing on archeology and Southwest Florida’s rich cultural heritage. Our two main "hubs"—the Saturdays of the festival—are at historic sites where the Calusas once lived.
Another difference this year is that we’ve moved the majority of our events to locations that you can kayak to. We list GPS coordinates and Blueway Trail marker numbers on our web site’s schedule of events. You can fly in or drive in, launch a kayak or canoe and then essentially have a green footprint the whole time you’re here.
Also new this year is our VIP wristband program. VIP as in Very Important Paddler. About 80 businesses – attractions, outfitters, galleries/gift shops, restaurants, retailers and service providers – are in on this. You make a $10 donation to the Calusa Blueway and receive a recycled plastic wristband (blue of course). Then for the 10-day festival, you walk into any of these businesses and receive the added-value offer they’re honoring. The $10 wristband would be worth $1,000 if you visited each site. We’re doing this so visiting kayakers feel welcome and get out to explore our entire community.
5. Do you feel that there is room for growth of this event?
There definitely is room for growth. Southwest Florida – the shorelines of Fort Myers and Sanibel – will be sizzling with activity this autumn. The Calusa Blueway Paddling Trail is becoming the hot-spot destination for vacationing kayakers and canoeists. In future years we envision a trade show of sorts, sponsored by manufacturers, where consumers could get great deals on merchandise before the new model year launches. We'd like to arrange a competitive long-distance race that circumnavigates one of our barrier islands and attracts the nation and the world’s top paddlers. We imagine a through-paddle on the trail for those who want to enjoy the weekend event and then participate in a camp-and-paddle trek on weekdays. Possibilities are nearly as numerous as the miles on the Calusa Blueway – which right now stands at 190.
6. How can people find out more?
Festival details are available at www.CalusaBluewayPaddlingFestival.com. Entry forms for canoe and kayak races and a catch-and-release fishing tournament are included. Listings of other activities, hotel packages, VIP wristband businesses and national ride-share options are also available through the site.
For trail information, check out www.CalusaBlueway.com. Maps are available on the site or can be mailed to you. Online interactive maps, suggested routes, outfitter and put-in locations, wildlife tips and a social media site are included at the Web site.
|
|
|
|
|
