Countdown to the 25th Canoe Day Edition

Registration opens on the 18th of August, and dozens of prizes will be raffled, including two stand-up paddle boards with kayak conversion kits.

One of the island's most iconic canoeing events, Canoe Day, returns this year for its 25th edition on the 29th of August, as part of the Sant Bartomeu festivities. Created to encourage camaraderie among paddling enthusiasts, the event has become a much-loved tradition. As in recent editions, the route will be non-competitive, starting from the pontoons of Club Nàutic Sant Antoni and heading to the cove of es Salt d'en Portes, where participants will turn around before returning to the harbour. Around 100 paddlers are expected to take part. By wearing their race bib and completing the course, participants will qualify for a prize draw featuring dozens of gifts, including two stand-up paddle boards with kayak conversion kits to mark this special anniversary. Registration will be open from 18 August until the day before the event.

The inaugural edition took place on 6 August 2000, organised by Pepín Valdés and Neus Mateu, then the Canoeing Section's delegate and coach at Club Nàutic Sant Antoni. On that occasion, around 60 paddlers set off from the shore at Caló des Moro towards Cala Salada. The colourful flotilla of canoes filled the bay, and the event was an immediate success, establishing the friendly and inclusive atmosphere that continues to define Canoe Day today. Since that first edition, only minor adjustments have been made to the start and finish points and, on occasion, to the route itself, while the original regulations have remained largely unchanged.

The second edition, held in 2001, attracted a similar number of participants and introduced what would become the event's most familiar route: a circuit of approximately four kilometres, starting from the club's pontoons and heading to Cala Gració, where refreshments were provided before the return journey to the club. From the very beginning, one of the event's defining features was the prize draw for all participants, with dozens of gifts donated mainly by local businesses and service providers. Among the prizes was the much-coveted canoe, which has continued to be awarded over the years, alternating with stand-up paddle boards.

Participation gradually stabilised at around 100 paddlers. The first major attendance record came in the 7th edition (2006), when 168 participants took part. That record stood until the 15th edition (2014), which attracted 178 paddlers. Throughout the event's history, Canoe Day has been cancelled only twice: in 2008, while the club underwent a comprehensive renovation of its facilities, and in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The event returned the following summer, in 2021, with the 20th edition, welcoming almost 100 participants under the health and safety measures recommended by the authorities.

In recent years, the route has run from the pontoons of Es Nàutic to the cove of es Salt d'en Portes, next to the Aquarium of es Cap Blanc, where refreshments are served before participants paddle back to the club for the prize draw. To celebrate this 25th anniversary edition, Club Nàutic Sant Antoni has created a dedicated section on its website featuring the history of Canoe Day and information about this landmark event.