Women’s Canoe – Nothing New!

Women’s Canoe is Nothing New!  Check out these videos and photos from 1923 and 1925 of awesome Canadian women in the Canadian “C-15” – 15 person War Canoes.   Courtesy of British Pathé Ltd.

We even have a photo from 1918 of a mixed (male/female) C2 (two person canoe) from the Washington Canoe Club in Washington, DC, USA.

1923 Women’s War Canoe Dominion Day Regatta, Toronto, Canada.

http://www.britishpathe.com/video/girls-vie-with-men

And here is another from 1925.

http://www.britishpathe.com/video/war-canoe-club-aka-war-cande-club/query/war+canoe

Nice to see the women carrying their own war canoe  – with skirts on too!  We wish there were more video of the women paddling but we will take what we can get.  (Interesting we are still dealing with this 90 years later!)

We are certain that these women would have performed quite well in the 1924 Olympic Canoe/Kayak Exhibition races in Paris.  If only women were invited…

There were 3 canoe events and 3 kayak events in 1924 – for men only.  The events were contested between the Canadian National team and the Washington Canoe Club (WCC), which is one of the oldest canoe clubs in the United States.

Canada won all of the canoe races and the Washington Canoe Club won all of the kayak races.   Both organizations had talented
female kayakers and canoeists, who would have put on an equally great show.  Here is a photo of Harry Knight and Elizabeth Smith of the WCC from 1918.  

90 years later and women are still told they need to “be patient” and “these things take time”.

International Canoe Federation:   It is time – now!   #womenscanoe   #Ready4Rio!