The Happy Camper: The Launch of my 2018 Speaking Tour



Kevin Callan is about to go live—catch him at a speaking tour this spring!

Credit: Kevin Callan

I’m about to become a tad busy, travelling and speaking at a number of outdoor shows. This has all become a bit of a routine for me. Taking early flights, driving home in the early hours, being addicted to coffee (and whisky) and battling stage fright.

In the next couple of months, I have 26 presentations to give across North America. I’ll reach a total audience of more than 15,000 people. So why the heck are people still telling me that canoe-tripping is a dying activity? 

During so many past outdoor shows I’ve listened to countless crusty, old, bearded, Tilley hat-capped, plaid-wearing folks of my age say that canoeing is dead, that kayaks and stand-up paddleboards will soon rule the world and that us canoeists will just fade away.

Take it from an “aging” canoeist who’s been around the bend on a lot of rivers. They’re wrong! Canoe sales have increased 110 per cent since 2016. Canoeing, especially amongst young families and new Canadians, has increased 40 per cent since 2014. Paddle Canada has reported more canoe instructors than ever before, and half of their participants in the courses are under 18 years of age.

Why the surge? It’s simple. The new generation—the ones with lighter canoes, bigger credit card debt, fewer children—all seem to better understand the importance of reconnecting with the natural world.

The canoe has always been a great way to get us out in the wilderness. It just seems more and more people are focused on the “why.”

Here’s a list of my shows so far—more to come. And thanks to my sponsors (friends) for helping this all come together.

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