The history of Ivrea Canoa Club

IVREA CANOA CLUB THE HISTORY

Canoeing became popular in Ivrea at the end of the 1940s. Giulio Valzolgher, a dynamic
man full of passion, engaged his workmates to explore the new sport. Young daring people
started to dominate white water in the Dora Baltea river that had always inspired fear due
to the strength of the current and the cold temperatures.

Valzolgher achieved a challenging undertaking in 1952 together with Gianfranco Voltolina,
a passionate colleague, descending the Dora Baltea and the Po rivers to Venice, paddling
on a two-seater canoe for approximately 700 km. It was truly the beginning, with the
popularity of the canoeing challenge, the curiosity of many grew and the number of those
who approached this new sport increased.

In the 1950s canoeing began its solid development in Ivrea. The first canoeing competition in Ivrea took place in 1956, and many followed in the following years. In 1959 the Ivrea-Trieste raid was held. In 1960, Ivrea Canoa Club entered the Italian Rowing Federation; in 1963 a native of Ivrea, Antonio Martinelli, took part in a World Championship for the first time.

The athletes of Ivrea Canoa Club have won many Italian awards and participated in
numerous European and international competitions, as well as the Olympics; some of the
current club managers have become advisors to the Canoe Federation.
Still today, the club counts in its membership and executives many national coaches,
national and international echnical directors judges and referees.