On the Ocoee in ’83Reaching 50 years of something is no small feat, and the Tennessee Valley Canoe Club knows it. Half a century of promoting safe and sustainable paddling practices in Southeast Tennessee warrants a celebration. And with the emphasis the club has placed on growing the local whitewater, flatwater and overnight paddling community, it promises to be one that’s well attended.
The club started in 1967 with an ad in the newspaper, a humble request to all area paddlers to come down to the Hiwassee River to canoe and kayak together. Not many showed initially, but the club steadily grew through its annual paddle schools and safety courses.
Recently, the club has placed an emphasis on its whitewater rescue courses, which have brought dozens of amateur paddlers into the fold. Today, the club boasts around 700 members, a far cry from the 1990s, when its numbers dipped below 100.
“I can’t overstate how important the paddle school is,” says Rebecca Hendrix, a member of the club for seven years and co-chair of the 50th anniversary committee. “People get intimidated by the Ocoee River – and whitewater in general – but by the end of the program, total beginners can solo-paddle the Ocoee successfully.”
The schools do more than just encourage safety on the water. They also help grow the community that makes the club possible.