History to be Made at the 2003 World Championships
By Allison Lucey
The women's sprint canoe movement is gaining speed, and is now one step away from the ultimate goal – to allow women to compete in the Olympic Games! The first thing I bet you are saying is "What in the world is sprint canoe?" Well, now might be the most exciting time ever for you to find out just what this is and how women are beginning to make their mark on an Olympic sport reserved only for men.
Sprint canoe racing is currently an Olympic sport for men but not for women, and has been so since 1924. Furthermore, in most countries that field men's canoe teams, women are (or for the U.S. and Canada, "were") literally forbidden in national federation bylaws from racing in sprint canoes. They have also been forbidden from racing in the international rules of the International Canoe Federation (ICF). But more on that later!
Sprint canoe is commonly known as "high kneel" canoe, and the boats are formally known as "Canadian boats." Athletes are positioned on one knee and paddle only on one side rather than in the traditional seated position, paddling alternately on both sides. Sprint canoes are very sleek, narrow (some 14 inches wide), rudderless boats that are steered by varying the position of the blade in the water (e.g., a “J” stroke), can hold one, two or four people (C1, C2 or C4), and are raced on straight buoyed 200-, 500- and 1000-meter courses. These races demand incredible bursts of power, strength, endurance and tremendous skill and technique.
Even here, in the United States, until the year 2000, women were forbidden in the bylaws of U.S.A. Canoe/Kayak (USACK) from racing at the national level in sprint canoe. However, 2000 was a historic year as women and men in decision-making positions supported inclusion, as did the local organizing committee for the national championships (the Lake Lanier Canoe/Kayak Club in Gainesville, Ga.). While women were allowed to compete at the nationals, they had to compete against the men in the Intermediate class only (i.e., not against the senior, or more elite-level, men). But this was the first step towards a fully opened door.
One U.S. woman took the opportunity and ran (paddled) with it! And her name is Pam Boteler. She not only competed against the men, but she took home both a bronze medal in the C1 (single-person canoe) men's intermediate 500m event, and a gold medal in the C2 (two-person) men's intermediate 500m event, teamed with Canadian Heather McNie. This first year that women were allowed to compete, women became national champions against the men, leaving a permanent mark on how people would think about this sport in the United States and the opportunities offered to women. It would still take two more years of racing against the men (and winning medals) before women were finally given their due at the U.S. National Championships. In 2002 women's canoe events were offered in all age categories and boat classifications at the nationals level for the first time. Canada was the first country to include women in canoe at its nationals in 1995.
Though Boteler continues to be a fiercely dedicated and competitive athlete on the water (she remains undefeated in U.S. competition and continues to win medals internationally), winning medals is not the primary mission and objective for her. She has also devoted considerable time, effort and personal resources off the water to help influence a change in attitudes and thinking – and ultimately change in behavior. And things have started to change, albeit slowly. It is important to highlight that Boteler works towards advancing the sport overall, and in doing so, makes the case for a fully level playing field -- giving females equal billing and the opportunity to race in all of the same events as the men. Since 2000, Boteler has been working with Canada's Sheila Kuyper (Canada's pioneer and most decorated female canoeist) and McNie as “WomenCan” to lobby for full gender equality in international events and to encourage other countries to include women's canoe events at their respective national championships. (WomenCan is an international group of women and men dedicated to creating race opportunities for women in the sport of canoe).
These efforts have paid off in a big way, and, with the staunch backing of USACK and the Canadian Canoe Association (CCA), doors have been opened. International race opportunities for women became a reality in April 2001 with the first World Cup. This was the first international event to include women in canoe and was hosted by the Lanier Canoe/Kayak Club (LCKC). Then in July 2001, Mexico opened its doors by including women's events at the Pan American Championships. Brazil hosted the Pan Ams in October 2002 and also included women's events. And now, in September 2003, demonstration events – women competing in events offered for the men, only without medal opportunities – will be offered at the Sprint Canoe/Kayak World Championships being hosted by LCKC. And Boteler has and will represent America in all of these events.
The road to this point has been filled with obstacles and challenges – but WomenCan would prefer to view them as “opportunities.” The overarching challenges to overcome have been not only the long ingrained cultural stereotypes about women's abilities in this sport, but also the “zero-sum game” argument that, with resources so limited, anything gained by women must be lost by men. The opportunity for WomenCan to unite and lobby the ICF (International Canoe Federation) – at an event where all ICF members were all in one place – came in August 2002 at the World Championships in Seville, Spain. Along with overseeing the World Championships event, the ICF was also having its Annual Congress where it was slated to vote on a proposal (submitted by USACK) that would a) mandate all canoe events that were available to men to be equally offered to women at the Senior and Junior World Championships and b) officially “recognize” women's canoe as an official ICF discipline. Demonstration events at the World Championships were also requested. Not only was this proposal rejected and not permitted to be presented for voting, but a revised, watered-down proposal to only request international recognition was ultimately rejected. Reasons given for the rejection included a lack of time on the schedule, lack of money and even (incredibly) the age-old myth that the strength and skill requirements of sprint canoe would damage the reproductive systems of female athletes. Yes, these arguments were a part of a major decision in the year 2002, (and the latter without any basis in medical science!) Just when you thought we were making progress! The next opportunity to seek official recognition before the ICF will be in 2004 at its Annual Congress.
Since then, Boteler and her WomenCan partners have been working feverishly to get the word out and encourage their own two countries and countries from across the world to commit and send their athletes to the United States in September. They have continued to work hard seeking sponsors, media support/interest and planning fundraising events to support U.S., Canadian, and other international women at this historic event. They are committed to making this window of opportunity a success and let the world know that women have even more opportunities in sport.
As Boteler has stated many times before, “It [Olympic recognition] might take 30 years, but let's build the foundation now so you can sit in the stands 30 years from now and enjoy watching the many women benefiting from the fruits of your labor! There is plenty of room out on our beautiful rivers and lakes for you. If you don't have a boat, I'll find you one.”
So, don't just stand there and watch – get out there and Just Canoe It! You never know – you or someone you know, might just be the next national, world or Olympic sprint canoe champion!
If you need help finding paddling resources, can help with fundraising, have marketing or technical skills that could assist WomenCan, or just want more information on efforts to gain gender equity in Canoeing, go to www.justcanoeit.com. If you wish to help WomenCan lobby the ICF directly, go to www.canoeicf.com and send an e-mail of support directly to the ICF Board of Directors.