Gonzalo Melero | Sportscene - The Sella International Descent is one of the most well-known canoeing races in the world, it takes place every year on the first Saturday of August  (except the 1st and 2nd when the cattle fair is on).

It’s held between the villages of Arriondas and Ribadesella (Asturias, Northern Spain). Hundreds of kayakists and canoeists get onto the water at the start to face 19km of river down to Ribadesella’s Bridge. The spectators that gather around the start, finish and along the way come in their thousands.

People from all around the world come to participate and do so at least once in their lives in an experience that could be called 'the Sanfermines of canoeing', no other race offers such an exciting and chaotic start.

All paddlers wait impatiently for the release of the start-system which is unlocked at the end of the “Asturias, patria querida” – the traditional anthem of the region sung by the crowd. All in all, a thrilling atmosphere makes the adrenaline flow into every paddler's veins, it's definitely one of the most spectacular scenes in sport in the world.

The race has become a homage to the adventure spirit of its founder, Dionisio de la Huerta. It was in 1929 when Dionisio, a young man from Barcelona who had spent his annual holiday in his parents' home county in Asturias, saw a folding kayak in a shop. He thought it could be fun to own one and use it on holiday, so he bought it without having any idea about what he was getting into.

Once in his small village Coya, 26km upstream from Arriondas, he convinced his friends Benigno Morán and Manés Fernández to try and paddle down river with him to Infiesto, 5km away. Dionisio and Benigno shared the folding kayak, Manés made his own from wood and clothe. They spent two and a half hours paddling, they were delighted with the experience.

Some days later they repeated it, this time their trip was longer as they toured downriver for about 14km and for more than seven hours. Nowadays this would seem a long time, yet if the plan included sight-seeing stops, a spot of lunch with a bunch of friends who followed by bus, it would have been anything but competitive.

The summer after, they decided to repeat the trip, this time with Alfonso Argüelles instead of Benigno Morán – this is still considered as the first ever Sella descent, although some people say that they didn’t even come close as they had finished before entering the main river at Arriondas.

The current finish at Ribadesella was set in 1931, the start was at Soto de Dueñas, the supposed point where they gave up the year before (25km/4.5hrs). 1932 saw the first competition with a new start at Arriondas (the current 19km course); 13 paddlers, locals and others arrived from the surrounding cities.

The event became annual, but it was interrupted from 1936 to 1943, due to the Civil War in Spain. However, in 1944 Dionisio carried on, determined to create a canoeing event – the race came back with eleven kayaks at the start.

Years passed, registrations started to grow until the event eventually became international in the 50’s – the Italians, French and Portuguese were the first foreign teams.
After 76 years, thousands of paddlers from all around the world have been part of its history, with a record of almost 1,400 in 1994. Some of them are remembered in capital letters including:

• Stend Lund Hansen (DEN), winner of five events in the 60’s
• South African Chalupskys and father Paul, winning in 1969 and his sons Herman and Oscar winning in 1986
• Menéndez, Misioné, Celorrio and Diaz-Flor; the first ever Spanish Olympic medalists in canoeing, all of whom won the race at least once
• Julio Martínez, the 21st century's 'King of Sella', won 11 times with 5 different partners, also set the race record on his last win, 1h01’14”, with Miguel F. Castañón.

Not only is it a big event with a famous name, it’s also a fun and nice race to enjoy a paddle; shallow water, a massive start where you cannot win the race but can easily lose it, a curvy course with plenty of small rapids and tricky corners.

Then, the four last kms are on the tidal area of the river where you can find splendid flatwater with the high tide or a hell of 15-minute paddle on one to two feet of water with the low tide. The sight during the last 600 metres is memorable, Ribadesella’s Bridge waits for you to register your name into Sella history...