How to make an event stand out as special? It seems often these days that we choose to set up a Race as a way to get or express interest in the coolness of an activity.
But does a race really bring out the best?
It seems like often it brings out a narrowing and a silencing. Everybody blasts off with total focus and doesn’t chit-chat anymore. They miss the scenery.
Now, I do see a place for racing and for epic challenges. I’d think a few times a season they’d fit right in nicely as accent marks, especially near the end when everyone is at their prime, as one of a couple grand finale events, perhaps.
But most of the time? Well, we’d be out toodling around on our daily jaunts.
For other special occasions? Well, why not make them truly special? A race is a simplification and it’s so darn hierarchic.
What about a Classy Outing? Why not go all out to put on a Do. To include as much as you can. To do it up. To include more, not less. Put effort into Fancying it up rather than stripping it down.
Like for a Canoe Outing bring along a deluxe picnic. Include a special bike ride beforehand. Plan to have the canoeing include a couple extra dimensions: like both a lake and a river. Maybe a stop at a shoreside restaurant. You can pick the right section of a river to do all this in many cases. Or maybe each participant is assigned to study the river and its history and find something to point out and explain along the route you’ll be taking. Maybe each person can be assigned the task of sharing something — a bit of history plus some food plus something extracurricularly cultural: like playing some music (even on a MP3 player) or singing a song or reciting a poem or brief story. Depending on the group size you could have a snack stop, or a raft-up, and do something like that every hour. People could show off a somewhat relevant skill, like starting a campfire for tea-time without a match. Or demonstrate a repair or maintenance trick. Or maybe some canoeing skill could be demonstrated: freestyle canoe “dancing” or bring along a mast and sail that can be rigged to show off some canoe-sailing.
And with bikes instead of a race you could have several nifty destinations and focus on interesting weather-appropriate fashion or bike decoration or show off various ways of setting up for a picnic. (Contests aren’t bad: I’ve heard of a Teatime Contest where people bring along a picnic set and set up a stove, etc, to brew up a pot along with a snack and display their rig and bike together.)
If you had to have a race you could include it in on a regular ride of some other kind — like, a race up the big hill, or around a certain section of trail — but don’t occupy the whole ride with it.
And, of course, everyone is a winner. And it’s inclusive. All ages, types, and gear can participate on equal footing and contribute on a wide range of levels, all equally interesting.
And everyone will probably feel better afterward than they might after a race. And would likely end up technically healthier than after a 110% exertion, and at less risk of injury and breaking stuff, all the while.
