David and Carol Severson own 12 boats. This coming weekend, March 13-15, they will drive three hours from their home in Malden, Ill., to the Alliant Energy Center and probably buy another one.
That's the kind of effect Canoecopia, considered the world's largest paddlesport expo, has on people.
"I always go home with a boat," says Carol Severson, whose daughter attended the UW-Madison.
Hearing that pleases Darren Bush, the self-proclaimed "chief paddling evangelist" and force behind Canoecopia, which takes place March 13-15 at the Alliant Energy Center. But selling product isn't the primary focus.
"Education is what drives this," says Bush. "It really is an educational event with a sales component."
Bush owns Rutabaga Paddlesports, which launched Canoecopia in the late 1970s or early 1980s. No one really knows exactly when, but Bush can be credited with transforming the event in the mid-1990s.
In the early days, outdoor enthusiasts would gather at the old Dane County Forum before it was replaced by the Exhibition Hall in 1995. From there, the event grew, eventually selling out all of the available floor space and holding seminars and presentations in the second-level meeting rooms. Events even spill over into the nearby Clarion Suites, where the indoor pool is used for product demonstrations.
Wenonah Canoe, a manufacturer based in Winona, Minn., has been involved with Canoecopia since its humble beginnings. "At its inception, Canoecopia focused on early-season canoe sales," remembers company vice president Bill Kueper. "Over the years, the event continued to progress and adapt to market needs. It's become far more than just a retail event."
Bush estimates that 20,000 people will attend Canoecopia this year, which will feature 200 exhibitors of kayaks, canoes, outdoor equipment and clothing spread across 250,000 square feet, plus more than 90 speakers presenting on more than 110 topics.
Highlights of the weekend's festivities include a presentation by Kevin Callan, author of a popular series of paddling guides and frequent radio and TV guest. Callan, his wife, their 9-year-old daughter and the family dog spent 12 days canoeing around Killarney Provincial Park in Ontario -- proving that paddling can, indeed, be a family activity.
Paddling filmmakers Mark and Merri Morrall, on the other hand, will draw upon their years of navigating Wisconsin waters. "Most people who come to Canoecopia paddle close to home and can relate to stories like that better than someone who went to the Arctic Circle and ate nothing but crackers and yak meat," Bush says. "The Morralls are not professional paddlers. They're just a couple that likes to paddle."
Another couple presenting will be National Geographic's 2014 Adventurers of the Year, Dave and Amy Freeman. They spent 100 days canoeing from Ely, Minn., to Washington, D.C., last fall to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Wilderness Act and to encourage protection of the 1.1 million-acre Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. The Freemans' canoe was adorned with signatures petitioning the U.S. government to protect the Boundary Waters watershed, an area threatened by extensive exploration for additional sulfide-ore mining sites.
"People can expect to learn a lot," says Bush, a former statistician with the state of Wisconsin who began working full-time at Rutabaga in 1995, purchasing the store in 2002. "It's nice when people buy things, but when you educate them, they're more likely to use what they have. I want to see canoes on top of cars or in the water. I don't want people to keep a canoe in their garage."
Bush, Kueper and other longtime attendees stress that Canoecopia isn't just about canoes. It's about kayaks, stand-up paddling, camping, fishing, fitness and the environment.
Plus, Canoecopia's three-pronged mission -- education and inspiration; exposure to guides, outfitters and schools; and charitable giving to Second Harvest Foodbank and the Josh Kestelman Scholarship Fund to help teach kids to paddle -- make the event worthwhile for non-paddlers, too. A camp cooking competition and fashion show that will focus on layering (and looking good while doing it) are also part of the weekend.
Of course, products will be for sale, and at season-low prices.
That winning combination is what prompts people to travel from near and far to attend Canoecopia. "In 1997, I drove from Minneapolis to Madison with my 7-year-old son for a weekend at Canoecopia," says Lou Dzierzak, who still lives in the Twin Cities. "On the way home he said, 'That was fun. Can we go again next year?' This year will be our 18th consecutive year making that father-and-son trip."
"Going to Canoecopia is almost like a huge paddling family reunion," adds Peter Strand, who lives in Eau Claire and has been attending the event for more than a decade. "I see friends, actual family and some of my extended paddling family."
