By Peter Tranter
Peter Tranter
Issues 1, 18, 21 40 and 50
Nine years of age and 60 issues old
Fair to say, it has passed quickly, particularly in those first few years, with quite a few milestones along the way, such as our 18th issue and the decision to try a limited printed edition of the Paddler in celebration. Up to that issue, we had been publishing in digital format only, but the 18th edition showed us that there was a niche market for the paper product, and we’ve never looked back since.
The following links are seven stand-out features from our first year.
Riding the tears of Buddha Sri Lanka
The Riviera paddlers
From Trondheim to the North Cape
Crashing into… Venezuela
From sea to sea
Polar bears and SUPs
Pyranha Team Tour of Europe
The growth of the printed issue accelerated on our 40th issue due to our partnership with British Canoeing for the February 2018 edition. The Paddler incorporated an old friend of ours, namely Canoe Focus, which we had previously published for 17 years up to 2012 for the BCU.
Personally, there have been so many highlights along the way, but for me, one stands out above all others. Our 50th edition featured my invitation to the IRF World White Water Rafting Summit in Costa Rica organised by the highly efficient Shannon Farley and hosted by Rafael Gallo, the honorary president and co-founder of the International Rafting Federation.
While in Costa Rica, I was treated with the utmost generosity and professionalism by everyone involved, from the taxi drivers, hotel staff, and organisers to Rafa, who had organised the whole conference.
I knew of Rafa but had never met him, and I don’t say this lightly, but he has to be one of the most inspirational and generous people I have ever met. He had that superpower of making you feel the centre of his world whilst dealing with 1001 other things. If that wasn’t enough, his generosity throughout the whole week was topped off with a stay at his jungle lodge on the Pacuare River, with two days of white water rafting through his company, Rios Tropicales.
Besides the rafting and the stunning scenery, my one stand-out memory is surrounded by aggressive sounding Howler Monkeys off the beaten track in the tropical forest. I didn’t know whether they were letting me know they were there or ready to eat me alive for trespassing. It was probably one of the very few times in life I had that dual thrill of sheer excitement and fear. BTW, Howlers are not aggressive – they just sound that way.
As a natural and charismatic leader, Rafa pioneered adventure tourism and ecotourism in Costa Rica with his company Rios Tropicales, which won dozens of international awards for conservation practices throughout its 35-year history. He put Costa Rica on the world map for whitewater rafting and kayaking and even helped stop a hydroelectric dam on his beloved Pacuare River in 1990.
So it was with extreme sadness I received the news that Rafa had died of Pancreatic cancer in March and what a huge loss it was not only to his own dear family but our planet in general. We badly need more people like Rafa, not less, and I for one will never forget him. If you haven’t seen it, please read the tribute in the last issue or online @ https://paddlerezine.com/rafael-gallo/ and find https://projectrafa.org. He will be greatly missed.
Rios Tropicales on the Pacuara River, Costa Rica
I’ll finish off with a huge thank you to my wife Anne Egan, who makes sure I don’t put a foot wrong and is there 24-hours a day. Thanks also to the communications team at British Canoeing of Robert Knott, Jennifer Gibbon, Jennifer Spencer and Sam Rankin. And to all our readers, subscribers, contributors and advertisers – it wouldn’t be possible without you.
It’s been an amazing journey and we’ve had the absolute pleasure of meeting many interesting and inspirational paddlers along the way. Here’s to the following 60 issues!
