Re: [Paddlewise] Men, Women and Paddling

Michael Daly wrote:
--snip--

> PS - I'll be off on a paddling adventure (including Grand Marais next week)
> so I won't be able to respond to comments (if any) till then.  See ya!

Just might see ya.  I'll be in Grand Marais on Tuesday (though not paddling).  Keep
your eyes open for a bridge troll with a very happy babe at his side (my sister,
Jennfer, who is celebrating her promotion this week to controller of a division of
Magna -- the first woman to make senior management in that multinational in many
years; and who is also celebrating the dumping of her boyfriend last week -- an
interesting justaposition).

Meanwhile, back to your post about the thesis you found at Smoothwater in
Temagami.......

It has been interesting to follow the development of wilderness canoeing guiding
industry in the mid-north of Ontario over the last couple of decades and contrast it
with the dvelopment of the rafting industry in the province.  Both have drawn people
with the pretty much the same technical skill set -- in fact, kids in outdoor ed
programs often land up working for one or the other industry more or less by chance
simply according to when a job opens up, and often move back and forth until they find
their niche.

I've noticed that the strong leadership approach has pretty much disappeared from
wilderness canoe guiding in that area of the province.  While folks offering women
only trips were few and far between only a few years back, they now are the norm.
Similarly, and while He Man guides used to be common, they are now pretty much
relegated to the rafting industry.

The effect of this paradigm shift?  The wilderness guides have managed to broaden the
client base so that it crosses both gender and generation, whereas the rafting
industry has pretty much stayed with young males for clients.  By being inclusionary,
the wilderness guides have opened up the wilderness for a great many people who
otherwise would not have had the opportunity, and have encouraged a great many people
to return again and again, either with guides or on their own, when otherwise they
would only dabble the one time and be turned off, or would outgrow the activity.  In
short, they have promoted padding as a lifestyle, whereas rafting has been left more
as an occasional entertainment, no different than a midway ride.

Cheers,
Richard Culpeper
www.tbaytel.net/culpeper


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