Poll: How old are you - 2026 version

[RBourg]

Celebrating my 60th birthday this Saturday 4/18 with a 7.7 mile race !

 

[tketcham]

This poll seems to be reflective of a conversation I had with a canoe/kayak retailer recently. When I went to pick the canoe up, I mentioned that it was replacing a similar canoe that's 16 lbs heavier. He chuckled and said other than kayaks, that's what's selling these days: lightweight canoes to older canoeists. I mentioned how there are fewer canoeists these days and that unfortunately many are getting too old to paddle or dying, and the sport is dying along with us. But he then said there seems to be an uptick in younger canoe buyers, the 30 to 40 year olds, so he's still optimistic. And here's a recent iteration of the poll:

 

[gumpus]

This poll seems to be reflective of a conversation I had with a canoe/kayak retailer recently. When I went to pick the canoe up, I mentioned that it was replacing a similar canoe that's 16 lbs heavier. He chuckled and said other than kayaks, that's what's selling these days: lightweight canoes to older canoeists. I mentioned how there are fewer canoeists these days and that unfortunately many are getting too old to paddle or dying, and the sport is dying along with us. But he then said there seems to be an uptick in younger canoe buyers, the 30 to 40 year olds, so he's still optimistic. And here's a recent iteration of the poll:

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I just had this exact same conversation with Bill Swift yesterday when I told him I'm looking for a light boat for the long term.

 

[Gamma1214]

Well... so far, the biggest difference I see is a much lower participation rate. While membership has probably tripled here in the past 10 years (Glenn can probably provide actual numbers), the response rate is approx. 30% lower than the original. (78 here & 113 on the old thread)
I wonder why?

Do people just check the "what's new" tab & they've missed this thread (despite it being featured)?