Ice races

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Ice canoe race on the Saint Lawrence River in Quebec 2011

The race with rowing boats over partially frozen bodies of water (French: canots à glace ) is an extreme team winter sport in Québec , Canada , which has its origin in the area of ​​the Saint Lawrence River and the Great Lakes .

Until the end of the 19th century, and sometimes well into the 20th century, canoes and rowing boats were the most important and often the only means of transport in Canada. In winter, connections were maintained as long as there were still open bodies of water between the bodies of water to be frozen. The immigrants took over the boat building and the technique of ice crossing from the natives.

Different techniques are used depending on the condition of the ice. The boat is pulled by the crew over closed ice surfaces; Depending on the strength of the ice, the participants have to support themselves more or less on the edge of the boat. Thin ice can still be broken up by boat. If the water is thickly covered with ice floes, which is the most common occurrence, the participants jump from floe to floe and pull the boat with them. They also support themselves on the boat or stand in the boat and push themselves off the clods with their feet. Often there are towering ice floes to be overcome. Ice-free areas are then crossed again by rowing.

The most famous race takes place during the Québec Carnival in late January to mid-February, when up to 50 teams cross the ice-covered St. Lawrence. The first race was organized in 1894 on the occasion of the winter carnival between Québec and Lévis on the south bank of the river . Women have been taking part in the races since 1987.

There are three categories: "Elite Men", "Elite Women" and the "Sport" category. While until recently it was a purely regional event, more recently teams from the rest of Canada, Chicago and even France have participated. The associations in Québec are united in the Association des coureurs en canot à glace du Québec (ACCGQ).

Originally made of wood, today the boats are made of plastic or fiberglass with metal reinforcement, recently Kevlar and carbon fiber have also been used. However, the latter are expensive and can only be used to a limited extent due to the minimum weight for the boats. The empty weight of the boats is typically between 100 and 160 kg. There are different minimum weights for the three competition categories mentioned. The boat lengths are between 6 and 8.6 m and there are also provisions for the minimum widths.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ patrimoine-culturel.gouv.qc.ca
  2. Jump up ↑ Ice Canoe Racing across St Lawrence River in Quebec City . Retrieved January 4, 2013.
  3. ↑ Rick Mercer Report . In: Season 9 - Episode 16 . CBC. Retrieved January 4, 2013.
  4. ↑ FAQ . Association des coureurs en canot à glace. Retrieved December 29, 2012.

literature

  • Genest, Bernard, Le canot à glace: un patrimoine immatériel unique et exceptionnel , in Rabaska: revue d'ethnologie de l'Amérique française, Vol. 8 (2010), pp. 51-58.
  • Lavoie, Richard, Naviguer en canot à glace, un patrimoine immatériel , Québec, Les Éditions GID, 2012, 236 pp.
  • Université Laval, Le canot à glace , Chaire de recherche du Canada en patrimoine ethnologique, Inventaire des ressources ethnologiques du patrimoine immatériel - irepi.ulaval.ca