Re: [Paddlewise] [PaddleWise] health issues and procreation

On Friday 17 November 2006 06:54, Don Margiani wrote:

> Personally, I haven't noticed the population of sea kayakers
> diminishing but I do have a theory as to why it may be happening.
> This may turn out to be a very unpopular opinion but I have noticed
> the vast majority of sea yakers are typically of the politically
> liberal persuasion.  U.S. census data clearly states that the
> reproduction rate for this group is less than the current U.S. average
> of 2.3 children, a number required to only maintain the current
> population, not grow it.  Southern and Midwestern conservative families
> have a higher birth rate but have limited access to sea kayaking
> although I'm sure many are using plastic boats to hunt and fish with.
>  The minorities, whose populations are mostly located in urban
> environments, typically, not as a rule, do not have the access or the
> means to invest more than $5000 in an unpopular sport.
>
> I truly hope no one takes anything I wrote as elitist, racist or
> political. None of it was meant to be.  These are just facts or
> observations I have read, heard or seen from multiple data sources.
>
> For the sake of disclosure I am an environmentalist, a moderate
> Republican, a sea kayaker, an I have just one child.  Wanna talk about a
> dying breed???

Don,

Even though I am a liberal at heart, no kids, I'm quite conservative in 
some respects. Don, I think you're talking a lot of sense, as before the 
cheapo plastic kayaks arrived in force, kayaking was very much a sport 
for a select group! Canoes were cheaper and more accepted, and an 
Eskimo roll was something very suspect - and the press was usually
there to witness it.

The same type of select group is to this very day folding kayakers,
and sailing canoe/kaykists, due to the cost, in turn partly due to the 
small market.

Unless you come into the sport through family ties (like inheriting a 
sailing canoe, or funds enough for buying one), you usually have been 
around quite a while before switching to folding kayaks, or even more so, 
sailing canoes. 

To begin with you almost always need a good job, getting paid enough
to have holidays, a car and a boat, and somewhere to store the latter -
if you live in an appartment you might rent space at the local canoe club,
or have a folder, like us. Storage outdoor, or indoors, is easier in a 
private house, but not that simple, as thieves, or just stupid kids, 
might be a problem.

Gordon Brown, the famous Scottish kayakist and instructor, lives in a part
of the world where thieves are very rare, so he stores most of his
kayaks outdoor, but the Greenland and folders indoors!

Here, in Gothenburg, Sweden, it would be, if I did live in a villa, or 
similar, in most parts of the town, quite out of the question to store 
them like that, unless heavily padlocked, and you might need some 
sort of perimeter defense, as well :-(!

Far more common is stolen bigger boats, and even more common, stolen 
outboards, though. 

There are about ten million people in Sweden, and about 8% own a horse,
and 8% own a boat (kayaks and such lesser vessels not included), and as
many play golf! About 5% are retired before reaching retiring age, due
to handicap, et cetera, and another 5% unemployed. The Swedes are, 
statistically, 70% car owners, but as quite a few haven't got a drivers 
license, or are too young, or too old, to drive, or just go to Avis (or 
similar) when they need a car, a few rich have a lot of cars - most 
well-to-do couples have at least two.

So 50% of the population is either too young, or too old to own a kayak,
the ones retired before retiring age, or unemployed, another 10%, can't
afford kayaking, or have to stay near a phone, 24% play with their horses, 
putter about in their boats, or play golf (a number more rent boats, golf 
clubs and horses, but we'll skip them), and some work - say at least 
15%.

That leaves only 1% potential kayak-owners/users, and quite a few of 
those have other weird interests, like spending their off time in bars, 
climbing mountains, flying model airplanes, reading and writing emails, 
travelling abroad, performing and enjoying art, or fishing, and some live 
far from any water that can be used for paddling, so it isn't that 
surprising that we seldom meet fellow paddlers :-(!

Tord
***************************************************************************
PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed
here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire
responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author.
Submissions:     PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net
Subscriptions:   PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net
Website:         http://www.paddlewise.net/
***************************************************************************