Kayaking sport and its roots in Macedonia

Since kayaking sport was nurtured before World War II, many generations were passed through which there were great champions. Natural conditions allowed the kayak of peaceful and wild wild kayaking in parallel. Recall of the first clubs and people who gave great impulse to take a prominent place in Macedonia’s sporting life

View of the past (3)

The past two texts, dedicated to the kayaking sport in Macedonia, only pointed to the fact what this sport had in our total sporting living in our country. Thanks to the natural conditions, Macedonia has become a country that has had the chance to nurture the kayak of peaceful waters, which actually began to practice kayaking, and the kayak of wild water. I will not discover anything new, if I say that besides the natural lakes, Ohrid, Prespa and Dojran, our country has a large number of artificial lakes whose water resources are multiple importance. Seeing from an economic point of view, the lakes provide the opportunity to build an electrical system (plants), and in the dry months and for the irrigation of agricultural crops. But nothing will be beneficial if these natural treasures, as is the case in other countries, and even our neighbors, are not involved in a work -off concept in a tourist offer in which sports activities would also find their place. The latter may not be as important as the first, which is directly related to existence, but the latter is useful to have a healthy life, so necessary in this modern being.
In such a natural state, with the wealth of rivers and lakes, Macedonia can be an attractive tourist destination. And precisely that, if you were to compete with some sports offer, would also mean an economic benefit. I mentioned this as pointing to something that should be seriously thought about. But even though I want to write about this, not to move away from the topic and return to the kayaking sport and its development in our country.

Beginnings through the Shipwreck-Porema Alliance of Yugoslavia

In the former Yugoslavia at the whole state level for water sports, except swimming, it functioned and covered all activities of the Shipwreck. Under his patronage, besides the kayaking, motorcycle, water skiing and sailing were also included. Even many years later a special alliance was formed in each of these sports. Thus, given the new situation, Macedonia has also been restructured and kayaking, and then the Moto -Skiuika, water and sailing alliance, have been formed as special alliances. In a word, each of these sports began to work within its own alliance, which focused all further activities. I would say for such a revival, unfortunately, the late Dusko Simonovski, considered one of the founders of the kayaking sport in Macedonia. In his book dedicated to the history of kayak in our country it covers a period of seventy years, which can be concluded that this written work has historical significance.
As a journalist, I have had the opportunity to cooperate with Dusko since the years when we were both members of the Organizing Committee of the World Kayak Championship in Macedonia, held on the rivers Treska (slalom) and Radika (downhill) in the distant 1975. Then I saw how much he was and how much love he introduced all the data on kayaking sport, which in some future time, such as now, can be very useful for knowing the truth. Thanks to what it writes in the book and I took out a lot of data so that they could reach a wider reading audience through texts in the press.
I will use the occasion, in addition to mentioning the names of those first who hit the foundations of kayaking sports for some of them I already wrote, to mention many other names, including great champions, which, unfortunately, as time goes on. After reading the names of those who hit their cities in their cities, you will get a clear picture of why the kayaking sport of time, and now, has taken a high place in our entire sporting living. These are authoritative figures, businessmen and socio-political workers, respected and valued in their environments, people who felt that the potential offered by the sport should be used.

Clubs sprouted like mushrooms

Just before the 50s of the last century, both in all sports and kayaking, where there were conditions the clubs sprouted like mushrooms. After all, because this was really the case, the number of newly formed clubs speaks. This is a great opportunity for the inhabitants of our country to see, and perhaps to be surprised when they read that in their place (whether it is a city or village) there was ever a kayaking club.
I will try to mention the clubs in some order, which may not be the most accurate according to which club when it was formed, which in this case is not so important, because the point is to see where and at what time the kayak clubs have revived.
If the pre -war years I was writing about, two clubs existed, south of Ohrid and Vardar from Skopje. After the military whirlpool passed, as in all areas of the former Yugoslavia, and in the sport, which was a benchmark for representation to other countries, it began to invest a lot. Thus, in all sports, including kayaking, an increased activity has been observed, which in turn has contributed to increasing the number of clubs and gaining mass and quality. After World War II, it was mostly invested in football, which was most attractive to young and audiences. However, it should not be understood that other sports were neglected at the expense. On the contrary, all sports were given a chance for development and progress, but who, as it would progress, also depended on the people involved in it.
Thus, I would say the kayak in Skopje and in Macedonia in the first post -war years received many supporters. Everyone was aware that what nature, rivers and lakes gave us, it would have to be maximally used not only from economic but also from a sport-tourist point of view. Thus, at the initiative of several enthusiasts, the Mirce Acev Kayak Club was formed in Skopje, and his first president was the man I mentioned as the author of the book of kayaking sport in Macedonia, Dusko Simonovski. Later in the city, CC Mosa Pijade was formed, and other clubs began to sprout through the republic. Interesting among young people in places where there are conditions for kayaking, rivers and lakes, was great. Thus, city factors were simply forced to form kayak clubs. Then the clubs Pelican (Resen), Babuna (then Titov Veles), Radika (Debar), Tikves Lake (Kavadarci), CC Skopje, Lasta (Gjorce Petrov), Sasa (Makedonska Kamenica), South (Gevgelija), Zelenikovo (Skopje), Zelenikovo (Skopje), Black Di At the end of this enumeration I left the first formed club after World War II, a Stramec from Ohrid, whose beginning was marked on January 8, 1948, and its first president was Dimce Shalovski. Since all the activities of the clubs depended on all the activities, it is worth mentioning the figures who set up the initial Kapla kayaking sport with quick steps to move forward. Here are the names of the first club presidents: Aleksandar Krstevski, Dusko Simonovski was already mentioned, then Dimitar Todorovski, Ramadan Jonuzi, Bore Alchev, Jovan Sejfula, Jordan Groshevski, Tomce Fotev, Tihomir
It should be noted that in order to have as many activities and competitions, in Skopje, where the headquarters of the Kayaker’s Union of Macedonia, whose president was one of the pioneers in the sport, Juraj Walka, was formed by a City Kayak Board, which was led by Nikola Radulovic.

Activity on all sides

It is interesting that in the early 50s of the last century there was a movement and closer to the kayaking sport to young people. In the first period of the development of the kayak sport, normally, given the potentials Macedonia had, I mean the natural lakes, the main activities were directed here. It speaks in itself that the kayak of peaceful waters was in the advantage, because the lake spread could not be located paths and held competitions. But over time, thanks to the great enthusiasm of the people involved in the sport, this issue was resolved. Although there were no ideal conditions, the kayakers competed on makeshift trails in cities located by Vardar.
In Skopje, the slalom trail was at the Park City Beach, which still operates today as a training center for young kayakers. Then there were slalom tracks in Veles and Demir Kapija, cities with there, and now there is interest in the kayak. The conditions were not who knows what, but still, there was the opportunity to hold competitions. It just had to start somewhere. And it was good that it was so, because if there was a disappointment at the beginning, then there was nothing to be of the Macedonian kayaking sport. Fortunately, the sports workers involved in it did not give up, had a vision and not only built the Matka Center on Fever but it became so representative and popular that it was held in it the World and European Championship.
By doing so, I round out the part dedicated to the beginnings of the kayaking sport in Macedonia. Next week we will recall some of the champions of peaceful waters, which have practically been the first to affirm outside of Macedonia, and will be about our wild wild kayaking aces, which have been dominant in the former Yugoslavia for years.