2013 Avon Descent – The joy of participation
0I don’t usually do the spectator thing, in fact I rarely do the spectator thing. Much rather be amongst the action.
However after seeing the start grid for this years Avon I didn’t want to miss the action, and having nearly all my training buddies in the first 2 grids made it a worthwhile trip with the family on Saturday. In fact I actually enjoyed my time out in the sun by the river.
Photo above courtesy Samantha Curtis
So on Sunday I decided to head up again, this time to Syds rapid.
I was the first one in the car park and with my wetsuit and booties headed up to get a good “posi” before the first paddlers came through.
I did my thing, capturing as much video as I could on my camera, and then my phone, before chilling out while watching the back end of the field come through.
One thing that struck me while watching these tail end guys/gals was how they were just enjoying the journey.
No rush, no stress ( apart from trying to stay upright ), just out there challenging themselves, often with one or two others in a group or in a double craft.
While I cant help being competitive, I thought how good it would be to do the race with a bunch of mates, or in a double, with someone who was just out for the experience.
No thoughts of what place or time we may get, just sharing an experience with others.
So next year, should I save the $$$ I might just look around for someone I know with a sense of adventure, who hasn’t done the Avon before, and set off in a 515 to share that journey.
