I spent three years in Chiapas, Mex. living with the indians in their
villages. They played a communal sport, where they would kick a ball
like soccer down the trail, trying to get it to the opposing village.
The point was to intercept the opposing team before they got to your
village. Understand, the trails were narrow, and the hill sides steep
and vegetated. It seems that a great deal of time was spent running up
and down the side hills, trying to return the ball to the bounds of
the trail. These games would last for days, and usually only when one
side got totally exhausted. The whole village would come out to play or
watch, and even the watchers would bring food for their team. Everyone
would be shouting and laughing, and carrying on, and apparently having
a good time. Often times when the games got started, it was just a
couple of kids practicing on the trail. No organization, no team
uniforms, etc. They just knew each other, and where each belonged, and
when one team won, it was just for the bragging rights until they got
to playing again.

Now I share all this because we have our own concept of what is sports,
and how do you participate. For some paddling is not a sport, it is
something they do to live. For most of us I expect that it is more
elective. And being elective it is easy to decide that it is not
necessary, if it entails to many discomforts in comparison to the
benefits. Obviously we who are here on this board don't see it that
way.

We also live in a culture that promotes competetive spectator team
sports. Paddling does not generally fit that category, so we are
primarily counter-culture, at least the majority of USA. It may be
different in Canada, but then it wasn't that long ago that it was
considered major transportation in Canada, and maybe then does not have
the same allure for all. Especially when they get in a class, and learn
that it is not all that it is cracked up to be, and that their is some
hard lessons. For some it is communal participation, the spouse who
goes along for the ride.

All kinds of motives, and impossible to figure out for them, and
probably difficult for them to figure for themselves until they get
their feet wet! TnT